FourFlush.com has been following the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet Online Cheating Scandals, and I like its coverage. Here is the information they have released over the past two days:
Absolute Poker Cheating, Ultimate Bet Cheating, Same Story?
July 15, 2008
Facts have began flying amongst rumors through out online poker world over the last few months as the Absolute Poker Cheating Scandal intertwined with what some refer to as the Ultimate Bet Cheating scandal, and others are purely calling part two of the Online Poker cheating ordeal involving the two co-owned poker rooms and Tokwiro Enterprises.
Those familiar with "Four Flush" will recall the beginning of the saga which began months ago. Online Poker players ferreted out cheating within the Absolute Poker games. Through a community lead investigation that spread throughout forums, poker news websites, and included an incidental data leak that included essential pieces to the puzzle. The cheating at Absolute Poker was confirmed by an independent auditing company contracted by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, who licenses, and some say has a hand in the ownership of Absolute Poker.
Absolute Poker was given what some considered to be a nominal fine, $500,000.00. Much of the online poker community put the incident behind them. There was never absolute disclose, and the facts remained shrouded in a fog of wonderment, yet it would seem that the general public had begun to bore with the topic.
Until recently, when much like what happened before, evidence began to pop up in the two plus two forums, as the online poker community once again seems to be purging itself of cheaters, and community regulating their own poker rooms.
In may, Ultimate Bet admitted cheating within the poker site:
The investigation has concluded that certain player accounts did in fact have an unfair advantage, and that these accounts targeted the highest limit games on the site. The individuals responsible were found to have worked for the previous ownership of UltimateBet prior to the sale of the business to Tokwiro in October 2006. Tokwiro is taking full responsibility for this situation and will immediately begin refunding UltimateBet customers for any losses that were incurred as a result of unfair play.- Ultimate Bet
The drama heated up more still when a new someone posting behind a brand new username was registered on the two plus two forums, Brainwashdodo (Brain Washd Do Do). Brainwashdodo posted the following elusive message:
I came to post today with the claim of no less than the so called “nionio” was manufactured by the current management of the company.
Tomorrow or the day after, you will receive an extensive report from both KGC and UB/AP, on how the company was the victim the wrongdoing of the previous management, very similar to Annie’s statements.
I only wanted to come out now, just to say a few words before these new founding’s and the additional refund process begins. Also to give you a hint how the company “found” the “additional accounts and data surrounding the unfair play”. I helped them. My posts will soon to follow these upcoming statements, please stand by, and I see you guys in a few days.
The drama continued when the afore mentioned Ultimate Bet report did not appear. Brainwashdodo didn’t leave the poker community at twoplustwo with a complete anticlimax however, he left an screenshot for the slime investigating group to ponder, a screen shot from the account of online poker player NioNio.
Brainwashdodo missed his mark with this clue in the mystery however, as those behind the curtain had acted first. It would appear that the original NioNio account, said to be involved with the cheating scandal had been deleted, and replaced with a new play money player account.
However, I don’t think brainwashdodo realized this, as he was trying to trace the IP address of the NioNio play money account. -NoLimitLeagues, 2+2 Forums
On July 8th the statement Brainwashdodo had promised came to light. Ultimate Bet told the online poker world that 14 more super user accounts had been uncovered, the following list of alleged super users was unveiled.
Ultimate Bet’s continuing investigation has confirmed that other usernames, in addition to those previously identified on this site, were associated with the cheating scandal.
Crackcorn55
GrabBag123
gravitation
Bgroup
H_Curtis
Twenty 1
WacoManiac
Broke_In_L_A
ShaqTack
BlueBerry101
55WasHere
Xnomas
dannyboy55
Indy05
The same perpetrators we had previously identified controlled all of these usernames; there are no new perpetrators involved, only new usernames.
We have also confirmed that the cheating dates back further then we initially believed. We can now confirm that the cheating began in January 2005, long before Tokwiro Enterprises ENRG acquired UltimateBet from the previous ownership.
The above was released on the 8th of July, just after the below release, dated the 5th of July 2008
June 5, 2008 - As announced previously, UltimateBet began the process of issuing refunds to affected players on May 29, 2008. Since then, we have continued to investigate additional accounts and data surrounding the unfair play. We have also received inquiries from our customers for a few accounts that we have included in our investigation.
We are confident that we have uncovered the majority of the usernames involved in the fraud and processed the corresponding refunds. However, we are currently analyzing data for additional usernames that appear to have suspicious activity.
If we determine that these usernames were in fact part of the scheme, we will refund the net losses incurred by any customers who played against them.
We expect to have the investigation concluded by June 30, 2008.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Ultimate Bet Cheating - Personal Account Information Exposed by Insider
July 16, 2008
Following the release of 14 more super user account names involved in the Ultimate Bet poker cheating scandal, we hear from the BrainWashdDoDo again the twoplustwo forum poster with insider information regarding the cheaters involved in what has become part two in the largest known poker cheating case online. NoLimitLeagues from twoplustwo summarized the information provided:
brainwashdodo made 2 very long posts showing Transaction Audits for PhilHelmuth, kid55 (Freddy Deeb), and –Fred- (no one knows who this is, a third party said they talked to Freddy, and Freddy says this is an account used by mgmt.)
-His 2 posts also contain 4 links to screenshots of an admin site used by UB employees. He shows the account info for kid55, mamamiya, buckskin, and ShaqTack
Some observations made by forum members at twoplustwo show that the screenshot involving shaqtack’s account discloses five usernames used by the player. 3 of which were listed by Ultimate bet as identified super user, or poker cheating accounts. If there are five, and three are listed, (ShaqTack, Slimpikins2 and Brone_in_l_a) it’s safe to say there are two missing usernames for this person.
NoLimitLeagues posed a question about the omission of these two names in the original release:
here is some data showing -Fred- transferring 10k to ShaqTack, according to this data, this account was closed on Feb 7th 2008 for FRAUD and was able to change his user name (Broke_In_L_A_, slimpikins2, whakme, HolyMucker). Why wouldn’t the last two names be on the list too? maybe they missed some. He started the account Dec 20th, 2005 and the name he used was Dan Francis from Franklin Arkansas)
The release was edited, the names added. This in the opinion of twoplustwo forum members proves that the screenshots are a reliable source of information, it also casts some suspicion on the investigation.
Why the community asked were the two names originally omitted?
More proof that UB is only admitting to the super users that we find. It is also proof that the screenshots are real. It is also proof that brainwashdodo is really a UB employee. -says TwoPlusTwo’s No Limit Leagues
During the Absolute Poker scandal we learned that an Online Poker Super User is created when a backdoor of sorts is left in the poker software that allows these super user accounts to see the whole cards of their opponents live as the game is being played. With that knowledge, the player knows when a bluff is safe, when they have the best hand, when to buy a pot and when they have to lay down their hands as their opponent just hit the nuts.
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