Poker Pro Axed From Sponsorship After Using Solver While Playing Online
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British poker pro Thomas Clack has been stripped of his Grosvenor Poker sponsorship package following an online suspension issued by the iPoker Network, the platform on which Grosvenor Poker operates.
Clack, who was crowned the 2025 National Poker League (NPL) Player of the Year and awarded a £40,000 sponsored pro package, confirmed the decision in a video statement shared across a series of Instagram Stories under the handle @airdraken.
Clack Says He Didn't Use Solver to Cheat
Speaking publicly ahead of an official statement from Grosvenor Poker, Clack confirmed the incident occurred while playing an online flight of Grosvenor's Behemoth tournament, after he had already secured the 2025 NPL Leaderboard title.
“I wasn’t trying to use it to cheat."
“I was just studying with GTO out whilst I was playing,” Clack said.
“After a hand had been played, I looked it up to see if I played it well. I wasn’t using it to affect my play, but I had it open, which was silly.”
Clack said the network’s decision to suspend him was understandable, while admitting the situation stemmed from poor judgment.
“I wasn’t trying to use it to cheat. I wasn’t using it to gain an advantage,” he said. “It was a really stupid way to study.”
Grosvenor Poker Statement
Following the incident, Grosvenor Poker confirmed via a Facebook post that Clack would no longer receive the £40,000 sponsored pro package awarded to the NPL Player of the Year.
“After the conclusion of the 2025 National Poker League (NPL), we were informed by the iPoker network that one of our players had been suspended from their online platform,” the statement read.
“As a result, the player, who had qualified as a leader in the National Poker League 2025 promotion, no longer met the criteria outlined in clause 46 of the National Poker League 2025 Terms and Conditions and therefore could not be awarded the full prize, including the sponsored player pro package.”
Grosvenor added that, upon completion of its investigations, any remaining prizes would be paid in due course.
“We recognise that this outcome may be disappointing for some; however, the integrity of Grosvenor Poker and the events we put on for our valued players is extremely important to us and must be upheld,” the statement continued. “We will not be providing further comment on this matter.”
While Clause 46 for the 2026 NPL Terms and Conditions reads differently to last year, PokerNews understands that this is now Clause 53 which states that all players must remain eligible to play at Grosvenor Casinos both live and online. Players who subsequently become ineligible may forfeit prizes already qualified for, with those prizes either reallocated to another player or rolled into a future league season.
Clack Surprised at Online Ban
Clack confirmed that while he has been banned from Grosvenor Poker’s online platform, he is not banned from playing live at Grosvenor Casinos. However, the online suspension meant he no longer met the eligibility criteria required to receive the sponsorship.
In a follow-up video, Clack thanked supporters and reiterated that the solver was not used to influence his decisions during play.
Clack also pointed to his in-game decisions as evidence that the software was not being used in real time.
“Plenty of sites use what’s known as fair play checks,” Clack said. “And plenty of the hands I played, I didn’t play to the best of theory. You’d think they would see that and be like, ‘Oh, that’s fine.’”
Clack had previously enjoyed a standout season on the GUKPT and UKPL, recording 36 cashes, 15 final tables, two GUKPT High Roller wins, and a £217,500 runner-up finish in the £200 Goliath, performances that secured him the NPL Player of the Year title.
