Poker Cheating and Casino Cheating Blog: American Roulette

New Online Poker Cheating Scandal Connected to Stoxpoker and Instructor Jason Ho! This Time it's Ripping Off Players Trying to Learn How to Avoid Being Cheated Online!

2010-02-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Source: aintluck.com

Over the past several years, as online poker players have evolved from a sea of fish to a more overall competent player pool, players seek out to get whatever edge they can. Whereas in the past, players sought advice in books from successful players, the technological age has paved the way for virtual teaching methods from online coaches. Some of the more successful training sites include Cardrunners.com and Stoxpoker.com.

The formula is simple. The established sites seek out highly profitable players and offer them positions within their company to teach other aspiring players the tricks of the trade. Often times, they create instructional videos in which they video their online sessions and they use voice-overs to explain what they are doing. The videos are then archived online and made available to paying customers through the use of a username and password they obtain through paying a membership fee to the site. Other times, the individual instructors offer actual lessons to customers for a higher rate.

This is the very situation of the controversy swirling around Stoxpoker.com instructor Jason Ho. On his website, Ho claimed to have earned over $1 million playing online poker in 2008 alone. By making this incredible claim, Ho was able to lure unsuspecting students for private lessons at exorbitant rates. One by one, player have been coming forward claiming they have been bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In addition to overcharging for sub par lessons, Ho also allegedly concocted a scheme around Pot Limit Omaha in which he obtained an undisclosed amount of money from prospective business partners. To date, none of the partners has received a single penny for their investment and Ho has cut off all communication with them. He has since been dismissed from his association with Stoxpoker and has taken his blog offline, leaving cheated customers angry and without their money.

Stoxpoker maintains no liability in the matter saying that ultimately it is up to individuals to do their own due diligence before entering into business alliances with any possible coaches or mentors.

Among the most exorbitant claim is a player stating that he paid $7,000 for what he believed was a week long one-on-one training session with Ho in Macau, and was surprised when other customers arrived. In addition, Ho spent a large amount of the training time locked up in his hotel room.

To date, no one has filed any legal complaint and Ho has yet to issue a statement as more and more players come forward.

California Senate to Hear Legalizing Intrastate Online Poker Bid!...Can the Sunny State Keep its Skies Clear of Online Poker Cheating?

2010-02-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Source: John Stathis examiner.com

An informal hearing titled "Examining the Public Policy and Fiscal Implications Related to the Authorization of Intrastate Internet Poker in California" will be held by California's Senate Governmental Organization Committee on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at the State Capital (room 4203) in Sacramento from 9:30 a.m- 5:30 p.m. The hearing's agenda includes statements from Tribal Government leaders, card clubs, players, Bureau of Gambling Control Commission, internet service providers, and problem gambling/anti-gambling organizations. Public comment is slated last on the agenda where the people affected most will have its say to the Senate committee.

Poker, as in blackjack, provides an advantage to players who depend on mathematics to earn a profit and those who ignore the math will lose in the long-run. The State Senate of California is exploring the feasibility of revenue from the multi-billion dollar industry that is lost to offshore online casinos. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is scheduled to make a pitch for the exclusive right to operate intrastate internet poker in California. The tribes in California are loosely enforced by the Bureau of

Gambling Control Commission and disputes are enforced by California Tribal Gaming agencies which is to say that the tribes are the fox guarding the henhouse. On September 11, 2009 the Kahnawake Gaming Commission of the Mohawk Tribe near Montreal, Canada admitted cheating occurred at Ultimate Bet from 6/03-12/07. A tribe in California running internet poker can cheat players right under the Bureau of Gambling Control Commission's noses and that is disturbing.

Many don't desire a casino in their homes while it can be argued taxing online poker will help California out of its budget woes. California can cut out the middleman and run internet poker as it does with horse racing now. The morality of the issue will begin in Sacramento February 9 where the politics of "making sausage" will rear its ugly head.

2010 Online Betting and Gaming Conference Reveals Much Anti-Online Poker Cheat Strategies...A Week After Ladbrokes Reveals the Loss of thousands of Customer Details From Database!

2010-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Source: Robert Blincoe theregister.co.uk

Betting sites balance fraudster nab and customer loss...Tricky job? You bet.

Online gambling sites are fighting ever-sharper fraudsters, forcing them to balance stricter anti-cheat measures against the risk of alienating some of their best customers.

Last week's Betting and Gaming 2010 Conference ran just days after it was revealed bookmakers Ladbrokes was investigating the loss of thousands of customer details from one of its databases. It reassured gamblers that the information did not include bank details or passwords. The security breach was revealed by The Mail on Sunday which was approached by an Australian man named Daniel who claimed to have access to Ladbrokes' database of 4.5 million customers. Daniel gave the paper 10,000 customer files to show he was serious.

In an interview prior to the breach being revealed, John O'Reilly, managing director of Ladbrokes' online business Ladbrokes Remote, told us: “As security technologies improve, so do the fraudsters. They are getting sharper and bloody sharper. This is what we see for sure.

"Combating fraud is a big part of what we do - not a very visible part, but it's a huge task for all of us. It's a significant level. We've all got armies of people combating fraud in real time, stopping people getting in and cheating our sites.”

The classic methods used include chargebacks, chip dumping, card tumbling, “a whole bunch of stuff”.

The false chargeback scam involves tricking credit card companies into paying back losing bets. Chip dumping occurs when one poker player passes their chips to an accomplice by deliberately losing - money can be laundered this way. Card tumbling is a trick whereby programmers run algorithms to generate a correct sequence of numbers that will validate a card.

According to APACS, the UK payments association, card fraud in the UK cost the gambling industry over £21m in the 12 months to June 2008. A good industry rule of thumb is that fraud costs two to three per cent of a business's revenues.

Handling major and minor fraud issues is a regular chore for the sites. At the conference two security managers conceded they wouldn't immediately bar a VIP customer caught chip dumping. It can occur without criminal intent, but just to fund a friend's play.

Motie Bring, head of transaction services at poker site PKR, said he'd make sure the customer knew that the site knew what he'd done. “We'd shut them down for a day or two and inconvenience them, and issue warnings. We wouldn't immediately exclude them.”

Though believing strongly that “security supports the business”, Lennart Ehlinger, senior compliance and security advisor for Unibet, recognises that commercial considerations mean you wouldn't automatically exclude a VIP customer for chip dumping. “There have been cases we've had to argue with the marketing department when someone's used a stolen credit card and they want to keep this guy,” he said. “You're banging your head against the wall when you have these discussions.”

Account theft is another classic gambling site fraud and Dennis Luckett, head of fraud for Victor Chandler International, said he'd certainly noticed a big increase in this in the last few months. “We're getting one a fortnight at the moment, and a year ago it was around one every two months. But maybe we're just being unlucky,” he said during a panel discussion on minimising risk and keeping customers happy.

Speakers at the conference conceded that gaming firms needed to improve their security, but a major underlying theme was how this might put off customers. During a panel discussion on integrity Bring said he thought good security could give customers confidence in a site and a competitive advantage, but “we're all being judged in the same way - the industry needs to be a lot more serious about ensuring they have the best technology and best people in place”.

The panel agreed that customers were mainly looking for the best bonuses, and could then be surprised they were having problems getting money out of less reputable sites.

Oliver Eckel, head of corporate security at Bwin, said his firm was playing around with the idea of having various levels of security, with the lowest being a simple login and password and the customer “happy in having a lot of risk”, then going towards using the idea of using tokens like World of Warcraft. “That's something the industry should be moving towards,” he said.

All panel members were resigned to being unable to stop all fraud, and Eckel felt he didn't need perfect security - “it just needs to be better than my competitors'. There needs to be enough of a deterrent to make sure it's not very cost-effective for criminals.”

Ahead of the conference Visa had been showing off its dynamic password technology to the industry. Then on the risk panel Phil D'Angio, director of business development at security business VeriSign thought it “really silly” that the businesses were making a lot of effort in checking who was trying to access their sites, then issuing “the weakest credentials possible – the user ID and password combination. “I don't see the point. You have something out there that's fairly convenient, and quite a bit stronger. Taking security up a notch seems the practical thing to do.”

Luckett was not keen, as any increase in security deters his customers - some of whom want to place bets minutes before events start. “On our side of the fence, anything that makes it harder for customers to log means there is more chance of losing them. Yes you're insecure, but until everyone does it – who wants to be the first? We don't.

“Anything you type into a keyboard is going to be logged by a key logger – if you've got ten layers of security, the key logger will log them all. You might as well use user name and password and let your users get in nice and easy.”

But who else gets in nice and easy?

Yet ANOTHER Vietnamese Inside Dealer Cheating Scam!

2010-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Barely three weeks after I wrote an article about whether or not Vietnamese were being unfairly singled out as casino cheats, especially from the inside as employees, I just got news that another pair of Vietnamese women (seems more Viet. women than Viet. men are into casino cheating these days) have been arrested in New Orleans doing a rank dealer/player overpay-and-not-take-the-losers blackjack scam.

The dealer, Tam T. Tran, 50, of Avondale, LA, and the player, Thanh T. Nguyen, 44, of Bridge City, LA, were charged with bilking the Boomtown Casino for a thousand bucks. The exact charges were grand theft of more than $500 and cheating a casino by swindling, both felonies in Louisiana.

The state police were called in when surveillance inspectors at the casino noticed the cheat moves on surveillance video of the two women playing blackjack. Tran was clearly overpaying to Nguyen and not picking up her losing chips.

Please please me! This is a horribly amateurish scam that has to get caught quickly. If you Vietnamese ladies are gonna continue to cheat casinos, please come up with something a little more creative! If you don't get what I mean, try reading up on your fellow comrades in casino cheating...and for you Ms. Tran, your namesake...the TRAN ORGANIZATION!

iPoker Network Reneging On Huge Jackpot Promotion...Online Poker Players Call "Foul!"...and Cheating!

2010-02-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

It's all here in Gambling911.com's Jagajeet Chiba´s article.

"One of the world's largest online poker networks has come under fire of late for policies related to the discouraging of high stakes long term winning poker players as customers, a policy approved of by one of iPoker's largest brands, Chili Poker. Just the other day I posted Chili Poker CEO's chilling email about this policy here on the Gambling911.com website, conplete with broken English and bad grammatical errors.

Now comes word that the iPoker Network is reportedly reneging on a promotion which offered $160,000 as its grand prize. Our friends at AintLuck.com write that the folks at twoplustwo.com are calling iPoker out and they want answers. So does THIS journalist!

"In the promotion, called the Fort Knox SNG Jackpot, players had one goal, to win 6 consecutive 6-max sit and go poker tournaments. The original author of the thread, someone whose handle is bigbrennan claims that he won the required amount of tournaments in succession, without cheating but was denied of the prize.

"In a lengthy post calling out to the online poker community, bigbrennan detailed all of the aspects of the promotion gone wrong. Under the terms of the promotion, all he needed to do was win six consecutive sit and go's at the $50 buy in level with he accomplished in the middle stages of 2009. "However, after conducting an investigation, iPoker ruled that he colluded with other players in the game and has steadfastly refused to pay him out the jackpot amount.

"The reasons iPoker pointed to were more than the expected number of UK-based players, where the original poster is from, and some strange plays from some opponents who they deemed were dumping off chips. After filing formal appeals, both through himself and through his staking interest, BadBeat.com, iPoker has refused to budge on the issue and thus nullifying his win. In addition, they promptly closed his account and barred him from playing on the site.

"Bigbrennan's story has caused scores of responses from other twoplustwo.com posters, most of whom are sympathetic towards his cause. Many posters offered suggestion to him on possible action plans, some involving litigation. All the posters seem to agree however, that without some kind of action, the situation will likely go on, unresolved."

Perhaps iPoker is in the right and they have proof that can be submitted to Gambling911.com. I won't hold my breath though.

Herein lies the problem: Any online poker room can now use a similar excuse as a way of NOT paying out a winning jackpot. And - trust your ‘ol pal Jagajeet here - THEY WILL. As such, this won't be the last time we are reading about such a thing on the pages of TwoPlusTwo.com.

The almighty Microgaming continues to ignore our friend J. Todd on the issue of its online casino cutting off "lifetime" affiliates. Why? Microgaming doesn't have to answer to anybody because there was so little call to action outside of J. Todd's well produced videos.

The "independent" (Jagajeet laughs) eCOGRA claims now to have received over 50 complaints regarding Microgaming-powered Bella Vegas/Grand Prive Online Casino after electing to endorse this group for the past year amidst all the complaints. I'm sure they will work diligently to address this issue....maybe by 2016. These snakes posing as operators (a la Grand Prive) are your friend if you are told their venom is ninety percent protein, then you come to find out that one bite can kill twenty people or one elephant.

TwoPlusTwo.com is a great site but, until other venues (including Gambling911.com) start getting the word out about these practices, certain operators will continue to do whatever they please without accountability hoping none of this discussion spills beyond the confines of TwoPlusTwo and ends up on...say...60 Minutes."

Watch Out Casinos...It's Sal "The Hitman" Piacente!

2010-02-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

Who should be scared of Sal "The Hitman" Piacente? Wait a minute...just who is Sal "The Hitman" Piacente. Well, he's a card trickster who, I'm told, goes around to casinos showing them how my Savanah move works, and they pay him for it!

The other day I got an e-mail from Sal The Hitman calling me an idiot, a dick, and even saying that the whole casino industry knows I'm a joke. Sal The Hitman was pissed off about my recent article about Willy Allison's World Game Protection Conference, which he found on my blog. One has to wonder why Sal The Hitman bothers to read a poker and casino cheating blog written by someone "the whole industry considers as a joke."

Well, Sal The Hitman, I'm sorry you're pissed off. But I only told the casino industry my take on the World Game Protection Conference and casino game protection itself.

Casino Game Protection is not computer hackers, counter-terrorist experts, bank security heads, magicians and card tricksters, all of which comprise the lineup of Willy Allison's World Game Protection guest speakers.

What game protection IS is showing casino staffs how casino cheats operate, communicate, do cheating moves and how they get their ill-gotten chips to the cage exchanged for cash (a total operation in itself). Game Protection is training dealers and pit supervisors HANDS-ON how to watch for and defend against cheat scams. It is NOT standing in a huge auditorium doing powerpoint presentations and showing grainy surveillance footage and graphs to basically inexperienced surveillance, slots and table games people.

Oh, and speaking of "jokes," I would love for Sal the Hitman to answer me one thing?

Why would a credible person selling himself as a casino game protection consultant use the moniker "Hitman?" Is that some kind of scarey joke? Is he supposed to be a Mafia wannabee turned card trickster turned game protection consultant...or what?

I don't know if his "Hitman" moniker scares casinos into hiring him as a game protection consultant, but I will say that with his bald head, black leather coat and that heavy series of thick gold chains he wears that hang down his front, he certainly does look like one of the greasers from the movie "Grease." Take a look at his photo here...what do you think?

At the end of Sal the Hitman Piacente's e-mail to me, he advised me not to bother responding to it. He wrote that he wanted to speak about it "in person."

Was that a veiled threat? In any case, I hope the hitman doesn't whack me!

New Multi-Million Dollar Casino Cheating Scam in Macau!

2010-02-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Macau has become the king of major casino cheating scandals, usually engineered by or involving casino employees. But this one was pulled off by a man pretending to be a casino employee...none other than a junket promoter.

Oldfashioned junkets that have long gone by the wayside in Las Vegas are still very much in the mode in Macau, and this article from the Macau Daily Times explains how the clever cook did it. Well, I should say "clever" only before he got caught.

Article:

A 42-year-old man from Hong Kong who allegedly cheated a gaming room out of HKD5.3 million was caught by the Judiciary Police (PJ). According to the PJ spokesman Chau Wai Kuong, the suspect, surnamed Ip, first obtained the personal information of a junket promoter from the ringleader. He then claimed himself as the junket promoter, called the telecom company and said to them that he had lost his mobile phone. The company hence invalidated the previous phone number and issued a temporary number to the suspect. During this period, the 42-year-old went to the gaming room and said it was the junket promoter who told him to come to take the HKD5.3 million gaming chips he stored there. The accounting department called the victim for confirmation, yet the call was diverted to the temporary number and received by the suspect who allegedly pretended to be the junket promoter, the PJ said. Since the ringleader requested the suspect to get cash instead of gaming chips, he returned to the casino to change them into cash. During which, police said the victim called the accounting department saying his phone number went invalid. It was at this time the fraud was revealed. Chau said the suspect got 6,000 patacas from the ringleader. The PJ is tracking down the ringleader who they believe should also be from Hong Kong. The suspect was sent to the Public Prosecutions Office yesterday pending pre-trial.

Strange Casino Cheat Case in Africa

2010-02-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Read this BOPA (Botswana) Daily News account of a slot machine cheating case and see what you make of it. Sounds like it could be part of a good comedy movie.

Article:

The Botswana Police Service have confirmed that a Russian doctor, Vladimir Pastouchenko left the Princess Marina Hospital early last year after his contract expired. Dr Pastouchenko is the father to Serguei Pastouchenko who was accused of defilement and manipulation of a casino machine.
Pastouchenko (accused) skipped bail last year in November after being granted conditional bail. Detective Sub Inspector Tebogo Morwamang of the Sir Seretse Khama police said they suspected that Pastouchenko, who spent a short stint in jail following conviction and the imposition of a seven-year jail term on a defilement charge, might have fled the country presumably with his parents who were his court sureties.

The police are still in possession of Pastouchenkos passport after he was ordered to surrender it as one of the bail conditions. The investigator noted that when they went to check on Pastouchenko at his fathers flats at the Grand Palm Hotel, they found nothing apart from a G4S security company note which was pushed under the door. It looks like the company had come to attend to an alarm that had been activated.

Sub-Inspector Morwamang said they suspected that the three secretly fled to their native country. Pastouchenko was granted conditional bail last year by South Regional Magistrate, Mr Lot Moroka and one of the conditions was that he should provide two sureties: P10 000 for defilement and P40,000 for machine cheating.

The state did not oppose the bail application because prior to his conviction, Pastouchenko had been on bail. The granting of his bail followed an order from the Lobatse High Court for a re-trial of his defilement matter after the defence lawyer Fashole Luke II brought to the attention of the court that there was no record in the trial proceedings that some of the prosecution witnesses had taken oath or made any affirmation before giving evidence and that the complainant was not subjected to a legal procedure for admitting a child as a witness.

Justice David Newman found that there were fatal irregularities on the part of the trial magistrate and ordered a re-trial.

Pastouchenko allegedly had sex with an underage girl who was the daughter to his former girlfriend. In another case, Pastouchenko (53) faced counts of cheating gambling machines at the Grand Palm Casino Hotel. The case is also pending before the court.

He was alleged to have manipulated the software of the gambling machines at the Grand Palm using his loyalty personal card numbers in order for the machines to double his cash without playing the gambling game. The offences, which entail an amount of over P250 000 were allegedly committed in December 2008.

The court has summoned Pastouchenkos lawyer to avail himself to court on February 9 to go and explain the whereabouts of his client.BOPA

Tortured Poker Dealers Appeal to Rights Group Over Alleged Poker Cheat Incident!

2010-02-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Source: Mom Kunthear Phnom Penh Post

Six former staff members of the Cambodian Star Vegas Casino in Banteay Meanchey province said Wednesday that they are seeking assistance from the rights group Adhoc to challenge their dismissal by the Thai owner. The fired employees say the owner locked them in a room at the casino for two days before accusing them of working with guests to cheat him out of winnings.

“The casino owner accused us of cheating by colluding with guests to win them money in exchange for a tip. We could not have done it, though, because we work in the evening, and the guests were playing in the morning,” said 26-year-old Touch Sophal, one of the fired staff members.
He added that he and others in the group were struggling to support their families because they had been denied salaries last month. “We filed a complaint with Adhoc so they can help us get our January salary of 7,000 to 8,000 baht (about 800,000 riels), as well as character references to help us secure new jobs,”Touch Sophal said. Contact details for the casino owner and representatives of the Star Vegas Casino were unavailable on Wednesday.

Violation of workers’rights:

Soum Chankea, an Adhoc coordinator in Banteay Meanchey, said he filed the workers’ complaint with the provincial labour department. “The owner of the casino ignored the rights of his workers,” he said, adding that it was a widespread problem, and that he was prepared to take the matter to the Ministry of Labour if necessary. Lim Sothet, director of Banteay Meanchey’s provincial labour department, said Wednesday that he had not yet received details of the complaint but was ready to offer the group his full assistance. “I’ll try to broker an agreement between the dismissed staff members and the casino owner, but if they can’t work things out that way, they can take the matter to the courts,” he said.

Nevada Supreme Court Throws Out Mother-Daughter Slot Cheating Team Convictions...Major Blow to Nevada Gaming Control Board!

2010-02-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

It really hurts the Enforcement Division of the Nevada Gaming Control Board when 30 convictions of slot machine cheating are thrown out of court in one fell swoop! But that's what happened in the case of a notorious, longtime mother-daughter (working with others as well) slot cheat team. The article below by Cy Ryan of the Las Vegas Sun gives the details.

Article:

A mother and a daughter, each convicted of more than 30 counts of slot cheating in casinos in Clark County, have drawn some relief from the Nevada Supreme Court.

LaVonna Wallace and her daughter Stephanie Balsamo were accused of using a cheating device to bilk the slot machines at Nevada Landing, Gold Strike and Whiskey Pete’s casinos in 2006. The two were accused of using an instrument with a light to manipulate the machines and get unauthorized payouts. The mother was convicted of 43 cheating and burglary counts. The Supreme Court ruled there was insufficient evidence to uphold the convictions on 22 of the cheating counts. The court invalidated 15 of the counts of use of a cheating device because it was never seen in Wallace’s possession at the machines that were allegedly cheated. And seven of the 12 counts of possession of a cheating device were thrown out.

The daughter was convicted of 36 counts of cheating and burglary. The court said there was insufficient evidence to support 15 of Balsamo’s convictions for use of a cheating device, described about the size of a short coat hanger with a light attached.

Balsamo was not seen in the possession of the unit at the time the alleged cheating was under way. Security officers testified that one of the women would insert the device into the machines to draw the payout. The other woman would place a pack of cigarettes over the payout meter to hide the combinations on the slot machine. A purse was placed top of the payout chute to conceal the maneuvering, they testified.

The Supreme Court rejected the argument that the errors denied the women a right to a fair trial.

Pastposting Conviction in Iowa Casino Case.

2010-02-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Source: Steven Martens Quad-City Times.

A Rock Falls, Illinois man has been found guilty of cheating during a game of poker at the Wild Rose Casino in Clinton.

Dustin O. Kendrick, 30, was charged with prohibited acts after a Feb. 5, 2009, incident at the casino. According to court records, Kendrick was at the casino that morning playing Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em when the dealer spotted him “capping” his bet, meaning he had added chips to a bet he had already placed on the table after the cards had been dealt. The dealer told police Kendrick had been warned in the past about capping his bets.
Kendrick told police he had made a mistake and didn’t mean to do it, but acknowledged he was a gold card member of the casino and a frequent visitor.

A Clinton County jury found Kendrick guilty Monday in a one-day trial. He faces a maximum of five years in prison when he is sentenced March 4. The conviction also means Kendrick will be banned for life from all Iowa casinos. Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf said the statute exists to make sure casino games are fair for all players.

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2010-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

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Should Poker and Casino Cheats Have More Fear of Video Surveillance Technology As It Improves?

2010-02-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

Not really. No matter how much improvement is made to video technology and casino surveillance systems, in 99% of cheating cases in poker rooms and casinos, the evidence gathered by one surveillance camera is about the same that would have been filmed by another, all else being equal. For example, a new video technology by Milestone Systems claims that with a few quick clicks, surveillance personnel can control a hundred or more cameras simultaneously and see live or archived images from multi-servers at once. And that all this is very easy to forward to casino cops as evidence. Then with the video including sound, professional casino and poker cheat teams can be heard exchanging signals, but that is impossible to improve and always subject to subjective interpretation.

This all sounds daunting, but none of it changes the golden rule about how much poker and casino cheats should fear video and audio evidence. That rule is the best video and audio surveillance systems are only as good as the human beings connected to them. This is the reason I was never afraid of cameras in casinos while I cheated their pants off.

Nevada is Not The Only State WIth a Casino Black Book for Cheats

2010-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

Source: Casinogamblingweb.com

In Las Vegas, the worst thing that could happen to a person is to be placed in the "Black Book" of the casinos. Inclusion in that book meant that the person could never step foot in a Las Vegas casino legally.
Baby casino state Pennsylvania now has one thing in common with Big Brother Nevada: their own version of the book, called the "Involuntary Casino Exclusion List." The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has now added three new members to the group of people who will no longer be allowed in a casino in the state.

Andre Nestor, Patrick Loushil, and Kerry Laverde, have been banned from entering any casino in Pennsylvania. The additions of these men to the list stems from charges associated with cheating at the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County. "They are accused of compromising a slot machine at the Meadows to fraudulently claim over $400,000 in winnings over a two-month period last year," said the Gaming Board, in a statement revealing the men's inclusion on the list. That was not the only order of business for the Board over the past week.

The Rivers Casino, one of the newest gambling facilities in the state, was fined for allowing underage gambling twice in the past several months. The fine was agreed upon between the Board and the casino.
In addition, the Board will soon have to deal with regulating table games at Pennsylvania casinos. Lawmakers in the state have recently legalized the table games, which are set to bring thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue to the state.

Willy Allison's "20 Reasons" Why You (casino executives) Must Attend His 2010 World Game Protection Conference...My 1 BIG Reason Why You Must NOT!

2010-01-31T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you're a casino executive or staffer or you subscribe to Willy Allison's Catwalk online magazine or you happen to be on Allison's associate Bill Zender's e-mailing list, you probably cannot help notice the dual bombardments to your Inbox by both Allison and Zender almost commanding your presence at this year's 2010 World Game Protection Conference. Some of you might find this a little much if not annoying.

It's no secret that attendance is going down at Allison's World Game Protection Conference, and so he and Bill Zender, who depends on Allison's audience to become his audience in turn at his "Game Protection Seminars" and workshops as well as clients for his casino consulting business, have come up with this advertising blitz to save the ship. It appears to me that lots of you past WGPC-Attendees are starting to realize that the event is much more dazzling smoke and mirrors than real game protection nuts and bolts. The truth is it has very little value protectitng your casinos.

Allison's and Zender's frantic advertising campaign gives you 20 reasons why you must come to the conference, each reason tied to one of the so-called game protection experts or gadgets. And their strategy is to give you one reason at a time in order to prolongate the constant reminders until it's stuck in your head that you really have to go to the World Game Protection Conference.

Come on, Willy and Bill, give us a break!

Willy, your only reason that people must come should be reason number-1, which is to pad your pockets with the several hundred grand you've been making each year off this. And Bill, you get a good piece of residual action when attendees end up calling you to repeat your presentations at their casinos. Now, I am not saying that Bill Zender is not a capable instructor in his field of expertise, but I am saying that the one BIG reason for not paying that thousand bucks a head to attend is simply that there is very little REAL Game-protection expertise at that conference. Since I keynoted the 2007 edition, Allison has paraded a bunch of big-name-little-game-protection-value keynote speakers to draw his crowds, starting with Dr. Edward O. Thorp, a revered but dated founder and author of card-counting systems, and continuing with Israeli anti-terrorism experts and computer hackers who are not going to teach you a thing that saves your casino a dime.

Let's take a look at this year's program. Of course there's the usual group of repeat speakers belonging to the Allison gang. There's Zender, who hasn't missed a year speaking since the conference's inception in 2006. Then there's "Hitman" Sal Piacente, whose card tricks I've seen five years running but still fail to see his value or knowledge of cheating casinos. Next we have Darwin Ortiz, another magician who somehow converted to a game-protection consultant. I was a top-notch casino cheat for 25 years, and believe me, I can tell you that magic has nothing to do with it. I find it comical how a string of magicians have convinced casinos they know something about cheat scams.

I must admit that there is one saving grace to the first-time speakers, but it's not keynote speaker Kevin Mitnick, who got some notoriety after appearing on CBS´ "60 Minutes" TV news magazine to tell the world how he hacked his way using cellphones into communication company computers and of course to hawk his book (and get free bus rides out of the LA mass transit system). Mitnick has absolutely NOTHING to do with game protection. The one person on the speaking list who does is George Joseph, who has knowledge of cheats and has legitimately consulted for casinos in this area. But, unfortunately, Joseph will only be speaking for one hour of the three-day long conference.

Bottom line: Stay home and save your money...or if you've already paid...at least don't go again next year.

UB.com Trying Anything and Everything To Get Giant Online Poker Cheat Scandal Out of Players' Minds!

2010-01-30T08:07:00.000-08:00

Ever since respected and notable poker pro Joe Sebok signed on as UB.com (formerly UltimateBet.com) public relations specialist, the online poker cheat tainted room has been beefing up its public relations drives to get the public on board its new ship and to distance it from the old one it hopes has sunk underwater, the UltimateBet cheat ship with Russ Hamilton in the wheelhouse. UB.com is now sponsoring special freerolls with prizes such as getting to skydive with Sebok himself and other outdoor fresh-air events, (kind of gets the stink out of the cheating scam!) In an interview with Pokernewsdaily.com, Sebok responded to the question: "Tell us about how the process of distributing hand histories relating to the Russ Hamilton-led cheating scandal is going," with:

"It’s going well. In my recent blog, I asked people to get in touch with me with any issues. I probably had around 15 to 20 people do so. The bigger hand history orders, which mainly belong pros, are still being compiled. The main thing for people to understand is that UB had to pick a formula. It was all of the money you won versus cheating accounts minus money lost versus cheating accounts and if it was negative, we gave it back. Some people are angry with that formula and some are grateful. You have to pick a way to go and be consistent. Some will be stoked to get a refund and some won’t be.

The main thing I try to get people to understand is that everyone thinks I’m lying to them or won’t help. It’s just not true. Ever since I signed, I’ve spent a ton of time on this. People need to understand that I’m on their side. I’m trying to make things better and make sure we get this information out."

It all sounds good to me...unless the chute doesn't open!!!

Party Poker Takes Online Poker Cheats and Cheating to War!

2010-01-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have been blogging about player safety in internet poker for four years now and Party Poker has been one of the few sites that during this time has both avoided cheating scandals and consistently appeared on my Top-10 rankings for the safest poker sites. In addition to its clean record as far as cheating and player-accounts security are concerned, Party Poker has also been a leader in offering the best player sign-up bonuses as well as maintaining top of the line customer support and service, with online response times among the best in the online gaming industry.

Another field of excellence from Party Gaming is its online betting and sportsbook offering accurate wagering lines on various sporting and gaming events from all over the world including American, Australian and European professional leagues as well as wagering opportunities for popular lawn and pub games like cricket and darts. Just about all the action you can think of is waiting for you at Party Poker, so if you´re new to Internet Gambling or you´re a veteran looking for a change for the better, don´t hesiteate to sign up.

My advice is that you can feel safe and protected from cheating scandals when playing on Party Gaming´s sites.

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Alleged Poker Cheat Killed Over Cheating Scam that Netted 50 Cents!

2010-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Source Jerry Lawton dailystar.co.uk

A MAN was killed in a cheating row over a pub poker game with just 30p at stake. The card game turned nasty when Lee Baranyai, 20, accused Geoff Hunt, 50, of not playing by the rules. He threw a pack of cards at his chest then stormed out, Sheffield Crown Court heard. Prosecutor William Lowe said when Mr Hunt later left, Baranyai sprang out from behind a fence and hit him so hard he fell backwards unconscious. Baranyai rifled through his pockets, taking his keys and cash. As he ran away laughing, Mr Hunt, of Barnsley, South Yorks, crawled 25 yards to his front door where he died. His body was not found for three days.

When a friend of Baranyai’s heard about the killing he asked why he had done it. He received a text from the defendant saying he did not know because he was drunk. Baranyai, of Barnsley, was jailed for six years and nine months after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Adrian Waterman, defending, said his client was immature (I'll say!)and “indulged in robbery’’ but he did not intend to kill.

Singapore Casinos Set up "Elite" Casino Police Force to Deter Cheating in their New Casinos. Is It Really Elite?

2010-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Highly doubtful. After reading this "Asian One" news article by Rach Chan, I don't think skilled casino-cheat teams are going to have much of a problem or worry getting off in Singapore's two new giant multi-billion-dollar casinos, one of which, Resorts World, opened yesterday. I think casino cheating records are likely to be set in 2010, as Resorts World and the Sands, the second casino giant, combine for the biggest single-year dual-casino opening in history. These casinos will be blitzed not only by the best professional cheat teams but also by the run of the mill teams and, of course, the card counters and advantage players. This first frontal attack will last the entire year. To date I have not received any calls from either casino to train their staffs...I wonder why?

Article:

"Watch out, crooks, the casino police are eyeing you. With the opening of two integrated resorts (IRs) this year, an elite police department has been set up to deal with casino-related crimes. Some 20 to 30 experienced officers were specially picked to familiarise themselves with casino games, and learn to detect fraud and scams - with the help of overseas experts - for their roles in the Casino Crime Investigation Branch (CCIB).
The plain-clothes officers will be stationed within a satellite office in each IR. The office is shared with the Casino Regulatory Authority. While they do not patrol the premises, CCIB's location enables them to respond swiftly, should they need to investigate casino crimes.

CCIB comes under the umbrella of the Specialised Crime Division of the Criminal Investigation Department, and has the power to prosecute offenders under the Casino Control Act. "Left to themselves, casinos naturally invite vice, loan sharking, drug dealing, money laundering, theft, fraud (and) cheating, and are bright shiny targets for organised crime," said Acting Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee in his opening address at CCIB's launch at the Police Cantonment Complex yesterday.

The Singapore Police Force has spent the past five years "quietly - but methodically - learning, planning and preparing", and has adopted the best practices from international jurisdictions, he added. CCIB head Michael Ang, 40, explained the need for such a task force: Police officers need specialised skills to nab offenders in this arena. "How many people in Singapore understand what gaming is all about? If you ask a general investigator to do it, I think there'll be a problem," he told reporters.

CCIB officers mostly have three years of investigation experience before joining the branch, and already have dealt with secret societies or gaming offenders in their line of work in CID. Superintendent Ang said: "We don't expect syndicated crime at this point of time." Operational since last July, CCIB has been training its officers and formulating protocol for casino-crime probes.

A gaming-simulation room, with fruit machines and tables for baccarat and roulette, has been set up. The CCIB is also buying two casino gambling tables, one for blackjack and the other for roulette. It will also leverage on databases and other electronic systems to facilitate the management of information pertaining to "persons of interest".

When contacted, a Resorts World Sentosa spokesman said: "We work closely with the CRA in the regulation of gaming activities on the floor and look forward to working with CCIB on our premises."

Do You Have Any Recourse If You're An Online Poker Cheat Victim?...Don't Ask Isildur1

2010-01-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

Source: Daisy Yu E-Commerce Times

Anonymous poker star Isildur1 lost $4M to a competitor who later admitted that he cheated. Does Isildur1 have any recourse? Online contracts for gaming sites are of limited use when it comes to users seeking to enforce their rights. However, EULAs are a good starting point, in that they can provide a legal springboard.

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The online poker scene was set on its ear with the arrival of the Swedish phenom known only by his Tolkien-esque moniker of "Isildur1." Isildur1 burst onto the scene in September 2009 and soon began to frequent the nosebleed seats of US$1000/$2000 Pot Limit Omaha reserved for the true high stakes gamer. In terms of high stakes action, according to Pokertableratings.com, within four months of playing at the second largest online poker site Full Tilt Poker, Isildur1 had been involved with the 12 largest pots ever played online, the largest being a staggering $1.3M pot. At his peak, Isildur1 amassed over $5M in winnings within two months of playing at Full Tilt.

Reminiscent of the late chess great Bobby Fischer, Isildur1 would accept all challenges and was frequently seen playing the world's top online pros including Tom "Durrrr" Dwan, Patrik Antonius and Phil Ivey, in heads up action all at the same time. Despite these unparalleled skills and an innate ability to know what his opponents were holding, Isildur1 has the infamy of being on the wrong side of a marathon session wherein he lost over $4M to poker pro Brian Hastings in December of 2009.

Controversy ensued when Hastings later revealed to ESPN that he beat Isildur1 by using a report prepared from a database of hand histories incorporating hands played by himself and fellow poker players Brian Townsend and Cole South. It should be noted that compiling a database of hand histories is considered cheating, and the collection of such information is a violation of Full Tilt Poker's End User License Agreement (EULA).

End User License Agreement:

Under Full Tilt Poker's EULA, a player is prohibited from using "external player assistance programs (EPA Programs) which are designed to provide an unfair advantage to player." EPA Programs include non-software-based databases such as a database of hand histories.

Upon Hastings' admission that he had the assistance of a hand histories database to beat Isildur1, Full Tilt Poker took action. For his role in compiling the database of hand histories, Townsend's "Red Pro" status was suspended for 30 days. Brian Hastings, however, was not penalized, even though he used the database in his win against Isildur1.

It can be argued that the actions taken by Full Tilt Poker are not severe enough to detract future cheaters. But does Isildur1 have any alternative legal recourse to recover the money lost?

Breach of Contract:

Isildur1 stated that he would be making a formal complaint to Full Tilt Poker. If Isildur1 should remain unsatisfied after making the formal complaint, and want to pursue this matter further, then the most likely argument he could make would be breach of contract; specifically, that Full Tilt Poker breached its EULA.

However, it is unlikely that any EULA or Terms of Use of an online gambling site would prevent all fraud. A closer examination of Full Tilt Poker's EULA confirms this, as the EULA states that upon knowledge that an online player has engaged in fraudulent behavior, including the use of EPA Programs, Full Tilt Poker is entitled to take any action it sees fit. Thus, Full Tilt Poker can argue that it satisfied its obligations by suspending Townsend's Red Pro status for 30 days. Under the language of the EULA, it can be argued that Full Tilt Poker is not required to take any action at all.

It can also be argued that the breach of contract argument would be unsuccessful, as it was not Full Tilt Poker that breached the EULA, but Brian Hastings and Brian Townsend. However, lacking a privity of contract between them and Isildur1, Isildur1 would have no recourse against them under the breach of contract argument.

Recovery Under Tort Law:

Assuming no restitution claim in addition to a breach-of-contract argument, from the common law perspective, Isildur1 may have an argument for recovery of money under tort law. Isildur1 could perhaps make a claim for the "waiver of tort." This is a term most commonly used in situations in which a defendant has been unjustly enriched as a result of committing a wrong against the plaintiff, and the plaintiff seeks a disgorgement of the profits as a result.

In Isildur1's case, Brian Hastings admitted that he cheated and was unjustly enriched as a result. However, there may be some jurisdictional issues that could prevent Isildur1 from bringing forth a claim.

Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet:

What happened to Isildur1 does not represent the first time -- and it won't be the last -- that cheating has occurred on online poker sites. On or around November of 2008, online poker players playing on Absolute Poker and its affiliated site, Ultimate Bet, were cheated out of more than $20 million. It was later discovered that a former employee had cracked the software code so that he, along with his partners, was able to see all of the cards in the game as they were being played. As in the case involving Isildur1, the online poker sites in this situation did not take strong steps to punish the cheaters. Absolute Poker instead struck a deal: In exchange for protecting the cheater's identity, Absolute Poker received a full confession as to how he did it.

To further rub salt in the wounds of poker players, there were jurisdictional issues that left them with few options for making further complaints. The computer servers for the poker games were located in Costa Rica, and online gambling in the U.S. (where the poker players resided, in this instance) is illegal. Thus, even if those poker players were able to put forth a strong breach-of-contract argument, or to recover money under tort law, there would be no forum where these players could make such arguments.

Game Over?

Even if options are available to Isildur1 to recoup his losses, it is unlikely that he will pursue them. He has yet to reveal his true identity, and it is unlikely that he will do so. Isildur1 hails from Sweden, where the tax laws are particularly onerous with respect to online gaming. It is likely that he already owes much more in taxes than he ever was up in winnings. Thus, Isildur1, along with many other poker players and online gamblers from Sweden, will most likely choose to remain anonymous in the hope of avoiding paying taxes on his winnings.

However, all is not lost for Isildur1. Due to his instant fame, he has been given opportunities to further his poker playing career. Other poker sites are interested in having Isildur1 play on their sites. Specifically, Real Deal Poker is offering him a dedicated set of high-stakes tables where he can personally invite others to play with him.

Details are unavailable, but there is no question that Isildur1's gaming in the fall of 2009 increased online attendance for Full Tilt and kept the poker forums abuzz. With the cut-throat competition of online poker, other sites may soon follow Red Deal Poker's lead, and additional offers may follow.

As for Isildur1, while his bankroll is reported to be in the red, he vows that it has not been decimated and that he is preparing for a return. There is no question that thousands upon thousands of "railbirds" (people who watch the high stakes poker play) are awaiting his next move.

Is Spanish 21 Beatable Through Card Counting?

2010-01-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

Some blackjack experts have sworn that card counting Spanish 21 offers only a negligible advantage and thus is not worth the time and effort. Others have taken the completely contrary view that not only is it beatable but it offers more percentage profits than card counting any regular standard blackjack game. I have thoroughly looked into this issue and my conclusion is that Spanish 21 can be beaten through counting cards, although it is not as profitable as card counting optimum blackjack games.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! Because most casinos are still in the dark about successful card counting Spanish 21, you can probably play a lot longer avoiding the heat. I imagine that in a while casinos will start getting hip to counting Spanish 21 cards, but now is the time to jump on the gravy train.

A few Spanish 21 Card Counting Pointers: (from Bill Zender's Casino-ology

The basic strategy is different because there are a number of play options that are not available in standard 21.

The rules of Spanish 21 allows for redoubling, draws to split Aces, and doubling on any number of cards.

The removal of the four 10’s per deck requires a different conversion system from running count to true count. Since there are 48 cards per deck instead of the standard 52, true count conversion changes from dividing by a whole deck to dividing by fraction of the decks.

Using a Hi-Low count system, the run count starts off from the top of a six deck shoe at -24 (four 10’s X 6 decks). If you were to count down the entire six decks (288 cards) you would end with an “even” count.

Using the Hi-Low count, the true count pivot point (when the player gains the advantage over the house) is -2. In the regular game of blackjack the pivot point is +1.

The higher percentages of Aces in the shoe (4 in 48) partially offset the effect from the reduced number 10’s.

Because of the reduced number of 10’s in the shoe, Insurance is never profitable. The index number for Insurance is +7 TC, which Walker explains, may never occur in a life time of playing Spanish 21.

The game requires only a limited number of play indices to gain a maximum advantage.

Similar to the use of Schlesinger’s “The Illustrious 18”, there are only nineteen important indices to remember and use (twenty if you include Insurance).

Delaware Seems Confused About How to Deal with Poker and Casino Cheating. Is That an Open Invitation to Cheats?

2010-01-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you unaware, casino table games will soon be gracing the State of Delaware's racetracks and casino gambling facilities. A bill has recently passed the Senate Judiciary Committee clearing the way for blackjack, craps, poker, roulette, baccarated and all the other table games you see in Vegas and Atlantic City. The same bill also delineates what constitutes cheating on table games and sets the criminal punishment for cheating the table games.

In an article by Doug Denison for the Sussex Countian, he writes, "the bill, which already prohibits the use or possession of “plugs” and other devices used to play slot machines without depositing money, also outlaws marked cards and loaded dice. In addition, it bans any electronic or mechanical device that could be used to count cards or assist the user or another person in counting cards.

Penalties for breaking the law would be calculated according the amount of money the cheater is able to amass while cheating and treated as theft. Ill-gotten winnings totaling less than $1,500 would earn the cheater a class A misdemeanor charge while higher amounts garner felony charges.

Sen. Harris B. McDowell III, D-Wilmington North, said the bill didn’t offer enough protection to casino customers, especially those with the math smarts to increase their odds at the blackjack table. “In some places card counting is considered a skill,” he said. “I am a little concerned that I don’t see the same strenuous effort to make sure the house can’t cheat the consumer.”

McDowell also took issue with a provision that would allow casinos immunity from prosecution for detaining and questioning suspected cheaters. “I’m a little uncomfortable with blanket immunity,” he said.

Mike Barlow, the governor’s legal counsel, said that portion of the bill is based on language from Nevada law and casinos who round up and hold cheaters are only immune from prosecution if the circumstances are reasonable. “It’s intended to be a qualified immunity,” he said. “If the person is acting unreasonable, the immunity can be overcome.”

My take: It all seems a bit confusing to me, but the part I like from a poker and casino cheat's perspective is that any cheating amassing less than $1,500 would be dealt with as a misdemeanor when the cheats get caught. In Las Vegas, any cheating amassing one penny is a felony!

So, if you fancy cheating Delaware's table games, which should be as ripe as a plump mango when they open, keep your moves underneath that felony umbrella of $1,500. That shouldn't be hard to do!!!

Craps Cheating Inside...It's All in the Dealers' Hands. Same Thing With Outside Craps cheating

2010-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

Craps scams have gotten a lot of press lately, especially after the big inside cheat scam engineered by "Mr. Casino" Richard Taylor at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Although the actual mechanics of the scam were incredibly rank and amateurish, the cheat scam managed to rake more than a hundred grand from the casino. You can read the details about that scam by searching "Foxwoods Craps Cheat Scam" on this blog.

But what about real good inside craps scams performed by craps dealers who really know how to move the dice and the chips?...Are they out there?

Well, not many modern craps dealers can "mechanic" their tables, but the ones who can have great hands. One good inside craps scam with a dealer working with a player is the "push the chips" scam. That's when the dealer with a slight movement of his hand pushes a player's losing chips on the pass line onto the winning don't-pass line as he's picking up the other losing bets on the pass line. The same move can be done pushing the losing bet from the don't-pass line to the winning pass line. Depending on how the overall action is spread, the crooked craps dealer will advise his cohort which side to bet.

Players also do a version of this scam without the dealer's help. They bet their chips on the pass line and then when the shooter rolls a point, they push their chips onto the don't pass line with a subtle movement. This is done with a distraction move such as tossing a chip onto the proposition bets in the middle of the table or simply asking for change. Once their chips have been transferred onto the don't-pass line, they have the advantage of being the favorite to win the bet. And when the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the comeout roll, they win their bet without having to push...Good Move!

Microgaming Network Looks To Take a Bite Out of Online Poker Cheating

2010-01-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

The following article by Sean Gibson of pokersoftware.com details Microgaming Network's move to stall those players looking to gain an unfair advantage in online poker games using datamining software, namely those who use hand histories to enhance their ability as online poker cheats.

Article:

"The Microgaming Network is a group of sites that includes 32RedPoker, CrazyPoker, PurpleLounge, GNUF, and Unibet. The network currently ranks number nine in the world according to PokerScout.com with a 24-hour peak of 4,192 cash game players and a seven-day average of 2,150. In a major announcement, the management at Microgaming announced intentions to eliminate datamining on the family of poker sites.

Effective as of last week, Microgaming announced a new policy regarding hand histories: “With immediate effect, hand histories on observed tables will no longer be stored on players’ computers and the practice of downloading and storing hand histories in bulk will be stopped."

On all other online poker sites, each hand generates a small text file that summarizes the action that just occurred. Using these text files with programs such as PokerTracker or Holdem Manager will generate statistics on your play and the play of others at the table. These stats show game play tendencies and allow a player to see their progress. While hole cards are not revealed in these text files, dataminers capture them around the clock and sell them in bulk.

While every other poker site in the industry generates some form of these files for people to observe or track, Micrograming feels that such software gives an unnatural balance of power. There are those who utilize all that poker software has to offer to gain every possible form of intelligence and there are the recreational players who do not. Instead of allowing players a choice as to whether they want to employ such software, Microgaming has eliminated the option altogether for observed hand histories.

Andrew Clucas, Head of Poker at Microgaming Software Systems, stated, “Concern has been rising over the long-term effect of third party software upon the poker industry as a whole, and in particular the negative effect it has on the recreational player demographic. The decision to put a stop to the practice of datamining on the poker network is part of Microgaming’s overarching network strategy to support operators in attracting and retaining recreational players. It further demonstrates commitment in providing a secure and fair playing environment.”

Many in the online poker playing community view this move as a petty stab against those who utilize all available resources and truly love the game. Clucas went on to say, “Microgaming is not seeking to alienate its winning players… There has been a move in the industry towards penalizing winners; we believe that is the wrong approach. There will always be winners and losers in poker. What we are trying to achieve is a more level playing field for all the players.”

The only other network to have any sort of anti-datamining effort in place is the Cake Poker Network. It allows hand history files to be created, but only provides the hero’s user name in the file. That way, a player can still import the hand histories into tracking programs so that they can see their own stats and results. The move at Microgaming eliminates that option for players.

The irony in all of this is that none of the major datamining sites appeared to sell hand histories for the Microgaming Network. All of the datamining sites profiled on PokerSoftware.com do not support or sell hand histories for any of the Microgaming Network sites.

Without shared hand histories, there would have been no discussion about the superuser scandals at UB.com, Absolute Poker, and Pitbull Poker. There are many different hand history discussions that opened up cheating scandals where more than just a few players were caught red-handed. For now, the debate whether shared hand histories should be available rages on while poker sites big and small take a stand on both sites of the argument."

Online Casino Scams

2010-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

When you read those words, what do you think of...online players cheating casinos or online casinos cheating players? Well, first of all, there is a tremendous difference in strength and significance between the words online casino scam and online poker scams. Of course, they both refer to cheating at gambling online, but online casino scams are nearly always referring to online scams perpetrated by the casinos, and most of these nowadays are nothing more than online casinos slow to pay out or disappearing off the net with the cash in depositers' accounts.

Online poker cheating scams is a much more expansive subject, and contrary to online casino cheating scams, they are almost always perpetrated by players logging onto the online poker sites who have the intention to cheat you. I'm talking about collusion, bots, superuser, multi-accounting and all the other online poker scams you have and haven't heard of. In any case, to keep yourself better informed about cheating in online poker and casinos on the Internet, stick to your searches of poker and online poker cheating.