The Absolute Poker controversy

[exmoorbeast]

The Absolute Poker controversy keeps getting more wild by the day.

Absolute Poker had issued a statement denying that anyone had access to a "superuser" account and that no one could see any hole cards. After poring over the hand histories and evidence, they said, they had found no evidence of any wrong-doing. They would continue to investigate though, they had said. I thought at the time that Absolute Poker would just go into ignore mode from that point on, and the issue would eventually be dropped.

Well hold on..

Apparently, "CrazyMarco" (the player who had come second in that now infamous tournament that was won by "Potripper") asked for the hand histories from this tournament from Absolute Poker.

Absolute Poker sent the hand histories. Unfortunately for them, they also included the hole cards of every player at the table, and not just CrazyMarco's hole cards.

After viewing just a couple of hands, you can come to the conclusion that Potripper was cheating. The evidence is overwhelming. It is just ridiculous, and I find it hard to believe that they didn't do a better job of hiding it. Always getting his money in good, and never putting in an extra chip when he is behind in a hand. Going over the top of a re-raiser of a board of 8d 6d 3s holding the Q 10 of clubs, when his opponents are holding K J and Q J. Holding pocket Jacks against an opponent holding A Q, and check folding on the turn when a Queen comes out. Playing almost every hand when his opponents aren't dealt a big hand, but folding when an opponent at the table is dealt a big hand. Open folding KQ one hand (when an opponent is dealt AA), but raising 2/6 UTG when none of his opponents at the table have big hands. Going through a stretch when he wins something ridiculous like 65 hands out of a total of 90 hands. You can go on and on; if you need to see for yourself, there is plenty of evidence on Pocketfives and Twoplustwo. The people on those sites have done a TREMENDOUS job in getting these hand histories out to the public. Who knows how many other tournaments on Absolute were won in this fashion?

Absolute automatically loses all credibility because they say that there was no evidence of a "superuser" account in the hand histories. Oh really?

The best part of this story is just being fleshed out right now though. Who was involved in this operation?

Absolute Poker not only made a huge blunder in sending out the hand history with all of the hole cards displayed, but they also included the email addresses / account id's / IP Addresses of everyone who opened up a table as an observer during this tournament.

Apparently an Absolute Poker account with an ID of 363 opened up Potripper's table two hands into the tournament and railed him the entire way. The ID number is significant because this would indicate that this account was one of the first accounts EVER at Absolute Poker, making it likely that this is a person with extremely close ties to the company (employee, owner, shareholder, etc.)

Potripper folds the first two hands of the tournament, then ID 363 opens up Potripper's table to observe, and suddenly Potripper starts going wild, winning practically every hand.

The prevailing theory in the poker community? Potripper was a dummy account, and ID 363 had access to hole cards, and was relaying them to "Potripper."

Apparently the IP address of User ID 363 resolves to Costa Rica as well, which is home to Absolute Poke

John

[Tony2005]

a while now that internet poker is fixed at the top end. Where you have big money on the line and no one can see whats going on its ripe for curruption.
I have heard a story on the same lines about Mansion poker and after the fiasco with the Stars WCOOP when the winner played 5 aliases and the third was a player who had previously been banned from Stars internet poker should be investigated.
I have played Laddies now for quite a few years and over the last few months i have seen a lot of strange goings on and normallyits from players who i have never seen playing on Laddies, so where have they sprung up from?

[bennythedip2]

Steve..knows online poker is corrupt..and he will tell you that one day soon the beans will be spilt !! I mean lets be fair, we all know some of the players on well know sites are sat talking together on "Skype".. MSN .."Phone" even some have several computers in the same room, all are working as a team or on percentages of winnings...that's been going on since God was a boy...but i think "exmoor beast-J" this is really interesting because it shows the companies know the software is floored AND there is a way of using that knowledge to help an individual !! I can see the poker managers now scurrying around trying to find out who has the information and who can they help if they get hold of it ??? Well done John nice article...suppose you'll be starting your own (PI) agency with a partner..the name "Cagney and Lacey" has already gone mate Benny

[Tony2005]

Trying to get hold of you on skype...............

ive got pocket jacks so dont call when i raise............




















S**T thought i was e mailing you not putting it on here............ LOOOOOOOOOL

[bennythedip2]

ha ha ha benny