Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled
from the whodunit dept
Slashdot points us to the news that the well known online poker playing site UltimateBet.com has been fined $1.5 million as part of an ongoing investigation into what appears to be a rather massive scheme to defraud online poker players by giving some insiders the ability to see all the cards other players held. Over the past year, this story has been building up steam, as the fraud was actually called out by some other players who questioned how certain players had been able to win so much. Using statistical analysis, it was shown to have been close to impossible, without inside knowledge, and the latest report does, indeed, pin some of the blame on a well-known poker player who was an initial "consultant" to one of the companies involved in this mess. If you read the MSNBC link above, you'll see that there are a number of different companies involved, but it sounds as though many are simply shell companies for the same group of people, with attempts to move assets around for a variety of purposes. So, it's not yet entirely clear who was involved beyond the one player named, but more names are expected to be released later this year, as investigators finish up their investigation.What may be most interesting about the whole ordeal was that it was exposed not by the body charged with actually regulating the online casino, but other players who were able to sniff out the details working together in online forums. Chalk another one up to the wisdom of the crowd.
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Filed Under: cheating, online poker, scam
Companies: ultimatebet.com
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Gambling is gambling
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So online gambling should be legal?
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phil hellmuth
Those in the professional poker industry know that much of his success is based upon having friends in the same tournaments dump him chips, so it's no surprise that he'd be involved with this scam too.
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Re: phil hellmuth
As far as this scam is concerned (and the scam with Absolute, a poker site that is, coincidentally or not, owned by the same company that owns UltimateBet), I think this is the best example of why online poker (and online gambling, in general) should be legal and regulated in the U.S. You don't protect anyone by banning it. People will still play if you ban it, you're just making it so that shady things like this can happen and go relatively unpunished (Will Russ Hamilton get jail time? Doubt it) and gambling addicts are less likely to get the help that they need because they are pushed underground.
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Re: Poker OnlineScam Bots
Its the honesty of the site that is most in question. Some players determine an opponent is a bot and alter their stategy to beat it.
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Ultimate Bet
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Re: Ultimate Bet
Steve wrote:
Umm, what does that mean, exactly?
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Re: Ultimate Bet
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Re: Ultimate Bet
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Obviously
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Re: Obviously
I'm interested in what you're referring to here. Assuming randomness, there's no way to predict upcoming cards in poker. The only kind of statistical program I can think of that would help is one that analyzes hand value and pot odds. Is that what you're referring to? Do you think it's cheating because players should have to memorize those things instead? If so, why?
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Re: Re: Obviously
Take your laptop into a vegas casino and try this, im sure they will politely explain to you why its considered cheating.
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Re: Obviously
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knew this long ago..
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Re: knew this long ago..
I've never heard of using multi-deck shuffles in poker, so it should be impossible to get the exact same hand. Numeric values of cards may be the same in two hands, and in this case the winner is determined by suits, using whatever variant that particular site chose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_card_by_suit
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Re: Re: knew this long ago..
"High card by suit is never used to break ties between poker hands"
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Re: Re: knew this long ago..
"High card by suit is never used to break ties between poker hands, but can be used in the following.." Wiki
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read the original
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/ub-scandal-sticky-251207/
Of course the Kahnawake whatever isn't going to do anything - they were the ones doing the cheating. They won't bust themselves.
As for the Hellmuth colluding, read annie duke's book or Richard Marcus' book - both out him as a cheater (without namhing his name, but making it very easy to see who they're talking about)
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Re: read the original
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Re: Re: read the original
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or something like that
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Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled
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Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled
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Re: Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled
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Re: Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled
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Online Poker Cheating: Hole Card viewing
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poker scam
Look at the names of the players on the different tables. You will see the same name /player at several tables. These players are from site and invariably win all the money.The names will change each day but always same system. The kid will appear on 3 or 4 tables.Whiz kid on 3 or 4 others. Usually 2 from site at eaach table. You can't win.
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It's nearly impossible to use the chat when you play at one table how can you play at 4.The buzzer is ringing before you have a sentence written.
I admit it's enjoyable but you're never gonna win.And don't give me the shit that's it's cause you don't know how to play.it's a scam.
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cheating at on line poker
(we have look at the game you have mentioned and found no wrong doing)everyone should know that it is posible to cheat at poker on line after all it is a computer and any computer can be hacked.
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Re: cheating at on line poker
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VISA
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poker stars
My question is how many other guys are stacking up their chips to the amount they want?
Is it fair for the other players while others are cheating?
Anyway I like poker stars , I just wish they have a way to stop these cheaters.
Eli Otakie
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Re: poker stars
DO YOU STILL HAVE THE STOMACH AND DIGNITY TO EVEN COMMENT ON THIS SECTION AS A CHEATER WHEN IN FACT YOU ARE THE BIGGEST LIAR AND CHEATER OF THEM ALL, HOW CAN YOU SAY THESE THINGS WHEN YOU YOURSELF IS A BIG TIME CHEATER, WHEN THE COURT AND THE BANK HERE IN CALGARY WAS WAITING FOR YOU IN DECEMBER AND SHOW UP AND PAY YOUR MORTGAGE, INSTEAD YOU ARE PLAYING POKER IN DECEMBER. DONT BELIEVE THIS GUYS, HE IS A FAKE AND FRAUD
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Re: Re: poker stars
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Poker stars
Everyone experiences some ups and down's in life and business but, reality is things happen for a reason and things that beyond your control or not within your grasp you could not do anything. Even banks collapse.
Anger, envy, frustration and accusations will be there if you are dealing with people, but for the sake forgiveness and fear to God, If the person had have some bad times, leave his love of poker away from his personal and business life.
Nobody can please everyone but at least you can say you are a much better person now, that you can play better.
Just a friend.
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Re: poker stars
just wondering where you spend the hundreds of thounsands of dollars you stole from the bank thru mortgage fraud and played poker with it. Well we think so. FYI to all eli has several foreclosed property in calgary and he said he has no money to pay for the mortgage.
Just make sure you can get away with it. Crime does not pay.
Thanks for all us from Calgary foreclosure victims
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Re: Re: poker stars
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kind of strange to see these comments, let me assure you that he hasn't done non of the above mentioned things, and if he had the power he would help anyone that needs help.
I feel bad for him for you guys ruining his name, but God knows the truth, he will seek justice for him at the end.
you did the same to God himself, also killed him why wouldn't you do it the a normal person.
your heart isn't pure and I feel sorry for you.
I will just have to pray for Eli and wish him the best through his life journey.
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leave Eli and his poker alone, solve your problems in other places.
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Re:
Michael "Mike" Masnick (born December 8[1], 1974) is the founder of Techdirt, a weblog that focuses on technology news and tech-related issues. Additionally, Masnick is founder and CEO of Floor64.[2] He is also known for coining the term "The Streisand Effect" on the Techdirt blog in January 2005.[3] The Streisand Effect was the subject of an interview on NPR's All Things Considered hosted by Robert Siegel.[4]
The Streisand effect is a phenomenon on the Internet where an attempt to censor or remove a piece of information backfires, causing the information to be widely publicized. Examples of such attempts include censoring a photograph, a number, a file, or a website (for example via a cease-and-desist letter). Instead of being suppressed, the information quickly receives extensive publicity, often being widely mirrored across the Internet, or distributed on file-sharing networks.[1][2] Mike Masnick said he jokingly coined the term in January 2005 “to describe [this] increasingly common phenomenon”,[3] the name being taken from a 2003 incident in which the singer Barbra Streisand attempted to use legal process to preserve her privacy, only to see the matter become far more prominent as a result.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Michael "Mike" Masnick (born December 8[1], 1974) is the founder of Techdirt, a weblog that focuses on technology news and tech-related issues. Additionally, Masnick is founder and CEO of Floor64.[2] He is also known for coining the term "The Streisand Effect" on the Techdirt blog in January 2005.[3] The Streisand Effect was the subject of an interview on NPR's All Things Considered hosted by Robert Siegel.[4]
The Streisand effect is a phenomenon on the Internet where an attempt to censor or remove a piece of information backfires, causing the information to be widely publicized. Examples of such attempts include censoring a photograph, a number, a file, or a website (for example via a cease-and-desist letter). Instead of being suppressed, the information quickly receives extensive publicity, often being widely mirrored across the Internet, or distributed on file-sharing networks.[1][2] Mike Masnick said he jokingly coined the term in January 2005 “to describe [this] increasingly common phenomenon”,[3] the name being taken from a 2003 incident in which the singer Barbra Streisand attempted to use legal process to preserve her privacy, only to see the matter become far more prominent as a result.
Technology Guardian: How did Techdirt actually get its start?
Mike Masnick: I was in business school on the east coast, far away from Silicon Valley, and in the 1996-97 timeframe there was a lot happening in Silicon Valley in the technology world. I thought it would be a fun project for myself to do an email newsletter to keep people informed. The catalysing moment was seeing Slashdot towards the end of 1997, and saying, this is the perfect [web] format for what I'm trying to do.
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Dirty Strategy can't Eliminate
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no doubt about it
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Re: no doubt about it
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Poker Online
Go get a social life, and have fun with your friends playing poker, this online scam is not worth any $, it will only increase the chances of getting your cards hacked. !!!
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online poker cheating
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