Absolute Poker "superuser" cheating allegations.

[RichardCronier]

Originally Posted by BigSlickJedi

Oh, I remember that situation. I was playing at Jay's table when that happened.

How did we know you were gonna say that?????

[BigSlickJedi]

I dunno. I just remember being at that table. I was sitting in the #8 seat, Lee was dealing and Jay was in the #3 seat.

[TheStackedDeck]

PokerNews.com coverage...

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/1...lute-poker.htm

AP is going to issue a statement soon supposedly...

Won't be long before this on the nightly news is my guess...

[TheStackedDeck]

Appears as though the first two stories from AP were both incorrect... I was the second in charge (guess he was the one issuing the statements) Wow how deep does THIS rabbit hole go...

http://www.gambling911.com/Absolute-...al-102207.html

We may never know the full truth as it sounds like this AJ guy probably has diret on the rest of the company(s) he is associated with which I'm sure others don't want to come out.

[cersos]

Separately, Absolute has already begun two processes connected with the accidental release of the spreadsheet containing information about the suspect tournament. First, Absolute has begun issuing payments of $500 each to any watcher of the tournament whose e-mail address was included in the file.

Second, Absolute has begun the process of refunds to players in the September 12th 'POTRIPPER' tournament. All players in that tournament who cashed will be bumped up one spot, and all players in the event (which had 98 entrants), will receive a refund of their $1,000+50 entry fee, plus interest calculated at 10% per annum (or about 1%).

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/1...-statement.htm

Steve

[Spry]

the KAP blogger gives a great recap here with links to other info.

Absolute Poker Scandal

[TheStackedDeck]

Latest Release on ongoing AP investigation...

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/1...-statement.htm

[TheStackedDeck]

Forget about Phil wrecking the race car... now they've really got something to worry about...

UltimateBet cheating confirmed... (new scandal - not the Absolute poker one)

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/0...nfair-play.htm

[ssiman]

Thank God, I'll be getting a refund soon. That 1.25 million dollar loss I suffered put a hurting on the old bankroll last year.

Recetnly in live play, I lost a big hand when I flopped a straight, had the player on my right all in, only to lose to a rivered boat. Then, I make huge preflop raise only to get called for the other player's tourney life with a KQo, only to lose to a rivered straight. Then, ...God, live play is rigged.

Seriously, I've always argued that online is not rigged. And, its not rigged by the sites, just some of the orginial software desginers who got too greedy and got caught. Anytime, win rates exceed statistical expecations over long terms, one must start thinking about cheating. Over the long term, luck will even out, and then skill is seen. But, it can be brutal in the short run!

[EvilWeenie]

I don't usually see black helicopters, but after losing almost $1K in one weekend playing the same games I had been beating in recent weeks, I got a little suspicious. I couldn't understand all of the insane re-re-re-re-raising going on and after the fact realized that there were several of the same players involved. I had 4 tables going and on table 1 I'd have opponents A, B and D, on Table 2 I'd have opponents A, C and E, on Table 3 I'd have opponents B, C and D, on Table 4 I'd have opponents A, B and E. Not the same group at any given table but several overlapping opponents. There are certain players that you see again and again at each level, so it's not unusual to have the same people at multiple tables. This was different and, unfortunately I pulled a Micon and didn't smell the fishy behavior until I was 4 figures lighter. I don't think it was anything high tech, just a group of players isolating people out of hands with massive overbetting and then splitting the $$$ later. Pay attention! If something seems too good to be true, it is. If something seems too bad to be true, it probably is true and you're fucked, but take notes and be aware of what's happening.


(Or maybe I'm just the victim bad play and badder bankroll management)

[WSOPJoe]

Pokerstars just credited my account because I apparently was playing at a table where there was collusion. What makes this remarkable is that on Stars i play at relatively small stakes- mostly 5 and 10 dollar SNGs -occasionally $20 and $30. I have reprinted the email below:

Account Credit‏
From: support@pokerstars.com
Sent: Thu 5/29/08 2:18 AM
To: JosephMay@hotmail.com
Hello,

PokerStars has become aware of two players who were working together in our Sit & Go tournaments to the detriment of other players. You were involved in at least one tournament with these players and as a result you may have been adversely affected.

The players' accounts were closed and their funds frozen pending a thorough investigation, which is now complete. Fortunately the problem was identified quickly and they had only played in a few tournaments before the accounts were closed.

In a case such as this it is our policy to confiscate the colluders' winnings or balances and to distribute them to the players affected by their actions in as fair a way as possible. To confirm your credit, log onto your PokerStars account, go to the 'Cashier' screen and click the 'History' button. Your share will be shown "Credit Purchase", followed by the amount of the credit.

I regret that we will be unable to answer questions as to how your specific credit amount was calculated. Likewise, we are not at liberty to identify the specific games or players in question. Suffice to say that they have been barred from the site and you will not encounter them again.

The integrity of the games at PokerStars is of paramount importance to us and we will not abide cheating or collusion in our games. We work hard to police our games and prevent such instances. In the rare cases where collusion has actually occurred, we make sure that any players affected are compensated appropriately.

Thank you for your continued play here on PokerStars. Please do not hesitate to let us know any time we can be of help.

Best Regards,

Dan M.
PokerStars Support Team

[LouW]

What a embarassment to them - how about them apologising to all their players

[TheStackedDeck]

Looks like there will be a 60 minutes episode, not yet clear on what the slant will be as to whether it should be regulated or painted overall as a bad thing...

http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/pokerbl...ves/006902.php

Airs the same day as the final table coverage of course...

[gulftriton]

Set to air Sunday November 9th.. Uh duh, November 9? Just in time for the Final Table too.

• http://www.pokerplayernewspaper.com/...le.php?id=2941
  
• http://www.richardmarcusbooks.com/20...set-to-air.htm

[BlindGuy]

The majority of 60 Minutes viewers are clueless to online poker. This episode is nothing but bad news. Actually, the majority of the world is clueless when it comes to online poker. I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words here..Over the past two years I've been asked what I do for "work" in casual conversation. If I were to easily respond with a "typical" occupation I probably wouldn't even notice the frequency that this question comes up. The thing is I've found that I have to explain/defend the legitimacy of online poker. Most people just have no idea, and this episode being their only source of information on the industry is extremely scary to me with all the legislation still hanging around. The Absolute/UB scandal was a shame. However, it was caught relatively quick and the players affected were compensated for their losses, with interest. As a result, UB/Absolute took a big hit to their standing in the industry but emerged as better managed and more secure sites. Anytime that any type of cheating or colussion has been discovered the security of online poker has improved. The sites have been very proactive in providing a safe place for its customers to play. The most common reaction people have to online poker is that its "rigged" or cant be trusted. This episode will really do nothing more than falsly solidify that ignorant stance.