Online poker pro Stefan Burakov accuses ex of nicking $3m in crypto

A controversy has erupted in the online poker community. After a prolonged absence from messaging boards, Stefan Burakov, a poker player better known for his online moniker, stefan11222, has broken the silence and launched a flurry of accusations against his ex-partner, Alena Mironenko whom he alleges stole $3m worth of crypto from him, in cahoots with her new boyfriend, Maxim Shatilov.

Burakov wants some of his money back as ‘rakeback’

However, the allegations, first shared on Gipsyteam, a message board for poker heads, did not come with the expected fury by the presumptive victim. Rather, Burakov said that he held no grudge against the pair, and said that it was his own fault to have handed over an iPad with a photo of his seed phrase to Mironenko.

Yet, Burakov did suggest that he had considered a more sinister way of settling matters. In the forum post, he alleged that his "Italian friends from Bangkok" could have helped him sort the issue quickly, and for only 10% of the retrieved sum.

Burakov did not completely rule out the return of the money, however. He thanked the alleged perpetrators for sending him soul-searching, and turning him into a "monster" that he then learned to control. The poker pro, though, suggested that it would be good if he could have some of the money back – as a rakeback – to get the next stage of his career started.

The allegations serious as they are, also lack some credibility – for example, Burakov phrases the whole post as "I forgive them and want nothing back" but then goes on to suggest that some of the money should be returned, and he contextualizes this with a sinister hint about his "Italian friends in Bangkok" which is a thinly veiled threat at best.

This, though, has not been left alone by Mironenko, who is also a poster at Gipsyteam and who called Burakov’s post a "fascinating story," and confirmed some of the details that Burakov himself shared. Yes, Mironenko did have "access" to the tablet, but said that she was not the only one.

Mironenko denies the story and argues Burakov was reckless

She also noted that the seed phrase was in the camera roll, making it easy to see by anyone with momentary access to the device. Mironenko then purportedly posted a chat exchange between her and Burakov, in which she had warned the poker pro to stop sharing his devices, and referred to one instant where he gave his tablet to "a woman dentist" whom he had just met.

Burakov then uses a poker metaphor, calling the whole situation the "pre-flop" with three more possible scenarios. Why Burakov decided to go after Mironenko after two years is unclear, as the original theft supposedly occurred in 2022.

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