Poker Writer
Poker player Jordan Cristos is due in court today on charges related to threats he allegedly made against World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska. The 38-year-old poker pro from California has been in a Las Vegas jail since June on unrelated charges that also stem from threats, those made to a Nevada district judge during a child custody case.
Cristos allegedly threatened Pliska in the course of asking for one of his WPT-affiliated online accounts to be reinstated. It’s not clear which of the three WPT services he was banned from: WPT Global, ClubWPT, or ClubWPT Gold.
According to arrest warrants obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Cristos sent messages to Pliska that said:
If you close my account, you are effectively sentencing all of your staff to an Open season… If you do not accept my offer, then you are going to meet the legend and the stalker in more ways than one.”
Cristos has close to $3.8 million in career poker tournament earnings according to the Card Player archives. His accolades include a WPT title and World Series of Poker Circuit rings.
History of Threats
Cristos has been a controversial player for many years due to a multitude of factors and behaviors. He has engaged in high-profile flame wars and hurled online insults at multiple well-known individuals around the poker world.
One of his most notable online fights was with 2025 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb in 2023. He sent Deeb a DM on X telling him that anymore confrontational comments “might land you at the bottom of the ocean.”
Poker journalist Jennifer Newell warned Deeb about Cristos, stating that he already had a reputation for stalking and making threats. In a post on X, Newell wrote:
Jordan is a known stalker, has harassed numerous women in poker, and regularly threatens to harm or kill people. If he has his sights set on you, go to the police, please. They have a substantial file on him already.
The LVRJ story corroborates Newell’s claims about the stalking. Court records show he violated a protection order against a former girlfriend, in addition to entering a guilty plea in the aforementioned case involving the judge. He’s reportedly taking a plea deal in that case, which is scheduled for an Oct. 27 sentencing.
Newell also mentioned that the Wynn had banned Cristos.
An Unpopular Figure On and Off the Felt
Beyond the history of threats, Cristos has long been an unpopular presence at the poker table thanks to his extremely slow style of play. His infamous tanking was frequently mentioned as a catalyst for action clocks in poker, a mechanic that gained steam within the past decade.
Reporters, players, and staff alike frequently tired of his tactics.
Cristos has defended his slow play in the past. He said that each decision at the poker table is “a complex tree of choices each with multiple potential outcomes.”
One comment on X in response to the recent court hearing news trolled Cristos:
I hope the Judge takes a long time considering a sentence. A really long time. Like hours while he’s standing there in court awaiting the sentence. Sentencing options are vast, a complex tree of choices each with multiple potential outcomes.
Image Credit: Joe Giron/WPT via Flickr (license)
