07.24.2008 12:58 PM
This is an analysis of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s latest press release for those uninterested in reading it. The first paragraph is self-serving and self-congratulatory. The second paragraph passes the buck by stating fraud happens in other industries. The third paragraph is the funniest—it states cheating was discovered and brought to the attention of the licensees (Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet) by the affected players, as if AP and UB were totally unaware cheating was going on. It does not say how KGC had to be beaten over the head consistently and repeatedly with evidence gathered solely by the online poker community at large before they would even say a word about the blatant cheating that had been going on. Then, once it became apparent the cat was definitely out of the bag, they had the balls to try to take credit for discovering the whole thing.
The next paragraph outlines the Absolute poker case and the actions taken against AP, which came down to a large fine levied against AP, basically benefiting the KGC. Then it mentions becoming aware of the UB allegations, and refers to their diligent efforts investigating the scandal, and how, despite the public’s perception to the contrary, they are not “doing nothing” but in fact have, um, uncovered stuff that they will tell everyone about in the very near future. You can read the entire piece of self-serving garbage here.
07.22.2008 12:17 PM
“The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is the political and public policy voice for poker players in America. Central to our mission are advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. and around the country to protect poker players from misguided and vague laws and to establish licensed and regulated Internet poker in the U.S. To be clear, the PPA is not a regulatory body for poker players or the poker industry, nor do we seek to be. We are, however, compelled to speak out when our public policy mission is potentially undermined by actions which present Internet poker in a negative light.
“Trust is paramount in poker. Sadly, this foundation has been undercut by admissions from two well-known online poker companies, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, that cheating has occurred on their poker sites. The Poker Players Alliance condemns any and all cheating in poker no matter the forum in which it is played. Because of the current legal uncertainties and the lack of federal regulation and oversight, it is especially troubling when cheating occurs in online poker. This has created an untenable atmosphere and has denied the proper means to investigate allegations, administer due process and then apply appropriate penalties for the wrongdoers. We urge these companies and their regulating authority, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, to provide a full and transparent accounting of these breaches of the public trust to help lift the black cloud that has been placed over the industry.
“The recent cheating scandals underscore the need for U.S. licensing and regulation of online poker to help protect consumers. While even the most highly regulated industries are susceptible to fraud and abuse, regulation does provide assurances that when consumers are harmed they have recourse. Further, it is abundantly clear that regulation will also address other consumer concerns by successfully providing ways to bar access by children to gambling Web sites and providing the necessary services for problem gamblers.
“The federal government cannot continue to abdicate this basic responsibility to millions of its citizens who choose to play poker on the Internet. The attempt to enforce an outright prohibition of online poker is deeply flawed and unworkable, not to mention it invades upon the personal freedoms of law-abiding adults who wish to engage in a game of skill.
“Remaining consistent with our organization’s mission, we will continue our efforts on Capitol Hill to ensure lawmakers are well educated about the benefits of regulation to protect consumers and enable the rights of poker playing adults. These scandals will not and should not be the demise of a responsible government approach to Internet poker. Instead, this can be the pathway to understanding that regulation is the key to protecting citizens and the future of America’s card game.”
07.18.2008 06:23 PM
The biggest online poker cheating scandal ever exploded this week when evidence was leaked regarding even more “super accounts” at UB and implicating the former owner of Ultimate Bet, Russ Hamilton, as one of the individuals profiting from big money funneled out of these bogus accounts. The entire sad saga is outlined in this 2+2 thread entitled, “The UB Scandal Continues.” The online poker community is to be applauded for the tenacious detective work displayed throughout this episode, especially those who continue deeper into the mystery despite threats to their personal safety.
The depth and breadth of this scandal as well as the earlier one involving Absolute Poker tarnishes the image of legitimate poker sites and plays into the hands of powerful critics who characterize web poker as a festering online pit of internet vipers. As organizations, UB and AP violated the sacred trust players placed in them not just once, but multiple times over several years. It strains credibility to suggest that no one in management knew this was going on; quite simply, they had to.
Even now it is impossible to know just who exactly owns AP/UB, who profited from the scam and continues to profit from legitimate rake generated at both sites, the number of games that were played involving users who could see hole cards that went undetected, and whether or not they have other means at their disposal that they can employ to affect the outcome of games for their singular benefit.
No one can be certain after what has come out already and so, due to this lack of trust, PokerRoomReview cannot recommend either of these sites to potential players.
07.18.2008 01:04 PM Of the 6,844 skilled players who entered the 2008 WSOP Main Event, only nine made it to the final table. Among those players are the so-called PokerStars Six, a tough combination of PokerStars players and qualifiers who will be part of history in November. Here is a look at the PokerStars players who will return to compete for poker's biggest prize:
Dennis Phillips (26,295,000)-- is an accountant from St. Louis, Missouri.
Ivan Demidov (24,400,000) -- is a 27-year-old online semi-pro from Moscow Russia.
Peter Eastgate -- (18,375,000) -- is a 22-year-old PokerStars player and is one of the top five online pros in Denmark.
Ylon Schwartz -- (12,525,000) -- A native New Yorker, born in Manhattan and now living in Brooklyn -- Ylon is a chess whizz and a poker player with 11 previous cashes in World Series events dating back to 2005.
Darus Suharto -- (12,520,000) -- is an accountant from Toronto, Canada.
David “Chino” Rheem -- (10,230,000)-- is a 28-year-old from Miami, Florida, who has enjoyed a string of tournament successes recently including five WSOP cashes in the last three years.
In all, PokerStars players cashed in for more than $9 million combined in the Main Event. The PokerStars Six will have their chance at a total of another $32.6 million that's up for grabs in November.
07.15.2008 11:15 AM
In the wee hours Tuesday morning, Dean Hamrick was eliminated in 10th spot and suddenly the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was put on pause. The remaining nine players will now have to wait until November 9 to return to the Rio in Las Vegas to continue chasing down the World Championship and the first place prize of $9.1 million.
The finalists are a diverse group of players that include no fewer than four countries including a Russian, a Dane, two Canadians and five Americans. There’s also a chess player, a salesmen, a college student as well the usual collection of professional poker players.
But it’s the salesman, Dennis Phillips who will carry the chip lead for 117 days until they resume play. Phillips, who plays tournaments at his local casino 3-4 nights per week, ended the night with 26,295,000 which is good enough to put him 1,895,000 ahead of Russia’s, Ivan Demidov who finished with 24,400,000.
Here are the official chip counts and seating assignments for the November event:
Seat 1: Dennis Phillips - 26,295,000
Seat 2: Craig Marquis - 10,210,000
Seat 3: Ylon Schwartz - 12,525,000
Seat 4: Scott Montgomery - 19,690,000
Seat 5: Darus Suharto - 12,520,000
Seat 6: Chino Rheem - 10,230,000
Seat 7: Ivan Demidov - 24,400,000
Seat 8: Kelly Kim - 2,620,000
Seat 9: Peter Eastgate - 18,375,000
So much for the year of the pro.
Tiffany Michelle, the obvious crowd favorite, exited the Main Event in 17th place, the deepest a woman has finished since the year 2000, earning $334,534 for her admirable efforts.
07.11.2008 01:01 PM
Rich Muny, aka “TheEngineer,” Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Board Member & KY State Director is one of the most tireless advocates for the rights of poker players and he has created what he is calling ‘The Leach List’ named in “honor” of anti-poker extremist former Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA). The list is comprised of 26 members of congress opposed to poker rights who are in tough reelection fights. If you are a US citizen and believe as we do here at PokerRoomReview that playing poker is in no way a criminal activity, you may want to consult ‘The Leach List' and vote accordingly.
07.10.2008 05:46 PM
It’s official – the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest and richest in the event’s 39-year history.
Tournament officials released final figures for the 55-event, 47-day poker extravaganza held annually each summer at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Both total player entries and payouts reached all-time highs, as did the number of countries and territories represented by the participants.
“The results this year demonstrate the increasing global appeal of our events and the universal recognition that winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet is poker’s ultimate achievement,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.
The records set at the 39th Annual World Series of Poker are:
* 58,720 player entries (an increase of 4,432 or 8% over last year’s 54,288).
* $180,676,248 prize pool (an increase of $20,880,030 over last year).
* 118 different countries/territories entered into an event (an increase of 31)
* 3,929 entrants in a non-Main Event – largest live tournament field in history
* Event #2 - $1500 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em
07.07.2008 01:11 PM The top prize at the main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will be more than $9 million this year, and about 660 players will get some piece of a $64 million prize pool, tournament officials said Sunday.
About 2,500 players entered the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament Sunday, the last day players were able to register. The field of more than 6,800 entrants was about 500 more than last year but still down from 2006, when a record 8,773 players entered and Jamie Gold won $12 million.
The roughly $9 million top prize would be the second largest in the main event's history. Last year, California psychologist Jerry Yang emerged from a field of 6,358 players to win a top prize of $8.25 million.
07.04.2008 12:49 PM
The 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was jump-started yesterday in Las Vegas by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas marching band playing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and Wayne Newton officially announcing “Shuffle up and deal.” The official number of entries for the $10,000 No Limit Texas Holdem World Championship has yet to be announced, but yesterday was the first of four start days for the Main Event that will continue on succeeding days as follows: July 4, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1B, July 5, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1C, and July 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1D. Well-known players eliminated thus far include David Benyamine, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot.