06 Sep 2025 Fernando "JNandez" Habegger, a professional poker player and coach, had his YouTube channel shut down after receiving a third warning from the site. People in the poker community are shocked by this move, especially since the popular Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) coach hadn't posted anything new for over two months to protect his channel. For more than ten years, Habegger has been a well-known figure in the world of poker coaching. He is the founder and head coach of PLO Mastermind. His channel, which had approximately 63,000 subscribers, primarily focused on teaching PLO and breaking down complex strategy. After YouTube took action and deleted the channel, the account was no longer on the site. Why Was JNandez’s Channel Taken Down? Habegger says the strike was because of an older video that YouTube reported, even though he had done everything he could to follow the site's rules. He stressed that he was only showing action on legal sites, such as CoinPoker, where he serves as an ambassador. Habegger took to social media to share some frustration and reach out for help with the situation. Hi @TeamYouTube, my channel "JNandez87" has just been permanently removed from YouTube for promoting unregulated goods despite the poker site I am playing on being approved. My appeal was instantly denied. I stopped uploading for the last two months, after my second strike, to… — JNandez (@JNandezPoker) September 4, 2025 It's unclear whether Habegger will be able to recover his channel. Growing Concerns for Poker Content Creators This incident highlights the uncertainty surrounding the future of poker content on YouTube. The platform tightened its rules on gambling-related content earlier this year, particularly regarding ads and monetization. The new policy automatically limits access to poker videos to individuals aged 18 and above. It severely limits exposure, since many casual YouTube users don't log in. This change has made it more challenging for algorithms to recommend poker videos. Kevin Martin, a GGPoker ambassador and fellow poker content creator, put it bluntly: It might be over for poker creators All online poker content is COOKED with new YouTube Policy🧵(quick thread) pic.twitter.com/acUvaezq4x — KMart (@KevinRobMartin) August 10, 2025 Even creators beyond the poker scene, such as chess star and poker enthusiast Alexandra Botez, have highlighted similar limitations in their gaming content. Had this happen w short form videos that were 1/10 then got age gated and all dropped to 10/10 — Alexandra Botez (@alexandrabotez) August 10, 2025 Poker Community Reacts to JNandez’s YouTube Ban The removal of JNandez's YouTube channel caused a stir in the poker community. On social media, players, friends, and other producers spoke out in support of and against the move. Here's a brief look at how people responded: bencb (@bencb789): That sucks. YouTube support is quite useless in my experience. I would hire a lawyer/firm specialised in recovering channels (I had a lot of success with a firm from Germany), — bencb (@bencb789) September 4, 2025 MannyTheManny (@MannyMVK): Good luck PLO Wizard. Hope your site returns soon! — MannyTheManny (@MannyMVK) September 4, 2025 Alexandro Tricarico (@trtrica): Exactly the same thing happened to me. Had 2 strikes for streaming while playing on @CoinPoker_OFF and didn’t do anything the entire summer waiting for it to expire and then out of no where I got a strike on an old stream and channel got deleted. I have been trying for 2-3 weeks… — Alexandro Tricarico (@trtrica) September 4, 2025 Ryan D’Angelo (@g0lfa): Yea was so weird searching for you last night and not finding you - hope you get it sorted. YouTube needs to chill — Ryan D'Angelo (@g0lfa) September 4, 2025 Mateus Carrión (@zinhaooo): My partner Max Lacerda had his channel removed also after 6 years of poker content creation and 35k followers. Sick — Mateus Carrión - "zinhao" (@zinhaooo) September 4, 2025 Not all reactions were positive, though. Some people in the community said that poker training material gives pros an advantage over regular players and supported YouTube's action. What’s Next for Poker on YouTube? The deletion of JNandez's channel raises a bigger question: Is YouTube still a safe place for people who make poker videos? As rules become tighter and automated systems start to flag more and more poker-related videos, many people in the industry are now seeking alternative platforms. For creators like JNandez, who have invested a significant amount of time and effort in growing their audience, the uncertainty can be particularly challenging to handle. It remains uncertain whether YouTube will reconsider its policies or if poker content will find a new home on alternative platforms.
