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
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tortured Poker Dealers Appeal to Rights Group Over Alleged Poker Cheat Incident!
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Nevada Supreme Court Throws Out Mother-Daughter Slot Cheating Team Convictions...Major Blow to Nevada Gaming Control Board!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Should Poker and Casino Cheats Have More Fear of Video Surveillance Technology As It Improves?
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.
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.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Nevada is Not The Only State WIth a Casino Black Book for Cheats
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.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
UB.com Trying Anything and Everything To Get Giant Online Poker Cheat Scandal Out of Players' Minds!
"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!!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Alleged Poker Cheat Killed Over Cheating Scam that Netted 50 Cents!
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?
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."
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."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Do You Have Any Recourse If You're An Online Poker Cheat Victim?...Don't Ask Isildur1
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.
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