Canadian online poker pro Matthew Bergart has been killed in Toronto during the armed home-invasion robbery of a townhouse owned by a friend, who in turn was described as the intended target of a heist. Bergart, who earned a measure of fame in high-stakes cash games, was shot after struggling with one of three assailants who forced their way into the townhouse in Thursday's early-morning hours..
According to the Toronto Sun, Bergart (pictured above) was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he passed away from his wounds. The three robbers, who were desribed as "wearing dark clothing and balaclavas," escaped from the scene and have not been apprehended to date.
Bergart was a visitor at the townhouse in Toronto's Etobicoke district, a former suburb that has long since been absorbed into the city proper. The information about the likely reason for the home invasion -- a presumed robbery of supposed valuables -- may have come from the townhouse's owner, the friend of Bergart's. The townhouse owner has not been identified publicly.
'Mysterious Canadian' enjoyed online success but kept low profile
For an online player who participated in many nosebleed games, little is known about Bergart and the true extent of his success on the virtual felt. He was purported to have banned from multiple sites while multi-accounting and using banned software, though the full truth behind those allegations will likely never be known.
One exchange in which Bergart talked a bit about his past was published in 2022 in a feature story on Russia's GipsyTeam poker forum. The feature included a brief text exchange between Bergart and another online pro, Wouter Beumers, that delved into Bergart being banned from multiple online sites:
Wouter Beumers: So, you were banned from Stars and ACR, you also disappeared from GG, and now you suddenly returned and are ready to play HU with anyone?
Matthew Bergman: I banned myself on Stars when I was 18. Because of my parents. I was banned from ACR because I played under the account Isidro Pereira and they also suspected me of using a solver. GG acted meanly because in 2019 I won a lot.
Wouter Beumers: The whole world is against you.
Matthew Bergart: But now I'm allowed to play here under my account.
Wouter Beumers: All this does not inspire confidence in me. HU I will not play with you.
Matthew Bergart: You can add me on discord, make sure I play.
Bergart's success occurred almost exclusively online. His only known live tournament cash occurred in the 2019 WSOP Main Event, where he finished 825th for $18,535.
