The $464,000 Bad Beat

[jerryg]

Losing Poker Hand Paid Over $464,000

That must be an incredible feeling.

[KasinoKing]

Unbelievable - the stuff dreams are made of!

[pokeraddict]

Too bad it is on one of the shadiest poker rooms on the internet. They are one of the least trusted poker rooms on the net right now outside of Futurebets. Absolute pocketed over $46,000 of that bad beat jackpot. That little tidbit is missing from the release.

Absolute has changed the terms of the BBJ twice already. They are infamous for changing terms without notice or notification. If you decide to take a shot at the BBJ keep that in mind. Read the terms often.

[jerryg]

Just because you do not like the terms being changed does not classify a site as being shady. So long as they honor the terms, as they are in place at the time of your play, then they are operating legitimately.

I've been playing here since they first opened. I don't win every time, but I do profit each month, and have never had any problem with this site at all.

Simply popping in and labeling a site as being "the shadiest" without providing any substance to back it up is a poor tactic.

[pokeraddict]

Well where to start....

1. In December Absolute retroactively changed bonus terms. This was the second time in 2006 they changed bonus terms on existing bonuses. They even sent out a reload offer the day before the change with the old terms. Bait and switch? They did not even change the terms on their website for several days. They have every right to change bonus terms on new offers but to change existing bonuses players are already clearing is rogue.

2. In February they changed the formula they use to figure out MGR. Again this would be fine for new players but they did it for players already signed up. They offer to pay affiliates and rakeback players a certain way and once they were signed up they decided they wanted to pay less.

3. Their management have repeatedly spammed 2+2 as shills. Go search "Pokermachine" at 2+2. He finally admitted he was an AP manager shilling.

4. AP launched the jackpot and emailed players (and spammed forums) that AAAKK had to lose. The next day 2222 had to lose, a few days later it was 8888. These changes were not emailed to players, at least not to those that post in poker forums. A player could have easily thought he won the jackpot.

5. Absolute drew out lies to players about cashouts when their EFT processor bailed. Players had money in limbo and were not told the truth about what was going on. Unfortunately many poker rooms acted this way.

6. AP states in their affiliate agreement that affiliates and rakeback players get a percent of all revenue their players generate. AP keeps 10% of the jackpot. In this last one it was over $56,000. Affiliates and rakeback players do not get their share of this.

7. Absolute also owns Ultimate Bet. UB changed the terms on affiliates and rakeback players just like Absolute did.

8. UB also retroactively changed their bonus terms. They went a shadier step then their sister site did though. When players noticed their bonuses were not crediting correctly they emailed support. The terms UB had has for years were still on the site. Support told players it was a bug in an update and to continue to play. When the bug was fixed their bonuses would be credited correctly. A week goes by and UB puts the terms they had been secretly using and refused to even correct the bonuses to players they had been promised by UB.


Add to this the fact that the BBJ has made anything below 5/10 FL or $400 NL unbeatable. In $100 NL a flop that has 2 players will have a rake of almost 30%. Did you also notice the BBJ has been completely ripped off from Party?

Is this enough substance? These are off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more. Go hit the zoo and make a poll asking who the shadiest online poker room is. If you leave off the DGN/Futurebet sites I will bet you AP and UB win #1 and #2 in a landslide.

[pokeraddict]

I almost forgot. The reason I even checked the thread was to report the big winner in this BBJ has donked off a good chunk of his winnings in 150/300. The estimate is in the last 48 hours he has dropped over $100,000. He has been playing non stop for over 48 hours, surely on a massive tilt.

[1819]

Just because you do not like the terms being changed does not classify a site as being shady. So long as they honor the terms, as they are in place at the time of your play, then they are operating legitimately.

I've been playing here since they first opened. I don't win every time, but I do profit each month, and have never had any problem with this site at all.

Simply popping in and labeling a site as being "the shadiest" without providing any substance to back it up is a poor tactic.

do some homework!

[EasyRhino]

I almost forgot. The reason I even checked the thread was to report the big winner in this BBJ has donked off a good chunk of his winnings in 150/300. The estimate is in the last 48 hours he has dropped over $100,000. He has been playing non stop for over 48 hours, surely on a massive tilt.

Ouch. I really would have thought that the jackpot would have been enough to make anyone take a break.

Kind of like winning the lotto then buying 2 million lotto tickets.

[lots0]

I don't know why changing the terms on the BBJ should be considered shady or why making a fair profit off of a promotion you set up be considered "shady".

AP is trying a brand new promotion, I think they were amazed at the amount of "bad beats" that do happen and adjusted the terms accordingly so the Jackpots would really be Jackpots and not just a few extra dollars.

(AP has paid out three bad beat jackpots since the promotion started the first week of July.)

And the affiliate does make a cut of the BBJ, as long as the affiliate follows the T&C.

Sounds to me like someone has a mouth full of sour grapes because AP changed the Bonus structure and AP does not really want bonus players anymore. I did notice that was pokeraddict's first complaint was about the new Bonus set up at AP and not the BBJ...

I have been playing at Absolute poker since they opened the doors and I have been an affiliate for at least three years and I have never had a problem with AP that was not corrected ASAP by the good folks at Absolute Poker.

I personally think this Bad Beat Jackpot at AP is one of the coolest things in Online Poker to come around in quite some time.

[pokeraddict]

Actually I have not played at AP in 2+ years, the game quality there is among the worst. I work/worked in the industry. When AP changed the bonus terms I took so many complaints from players. As I mentioned they certainly have the right to change their terms on NEW bonuses. If a player is clearing a bonus they accepted under the old terms and suddenly the terms are changed that is shady. The players were not even notified and the website was not updated for days. How can you tell me that isn't shady?

AP did the same thing with affiliate terms. Even though changing terms on existing players is shady at least they notified affiliates first. Did you know AP deducts deposit fees from players whether they deposit or not? Do you really think that is a fair way to do business? Affiliates agreed to get paid $x for sending AP players, then AP decided that they wanted to pay less even though players were sent to them under certain terms. Honestly I don't care as much that affiliates got screwed there, it is the fact that endless rakeback players got screwed.

I am NOT an affiliate for AP or any poker room. I don't work for one either. I simply think when a poker room can't keep its word over and over they are rogue. How many times have you seen a complaint about a casino change their T&C's after a player accepts a bonus? That casino is outed as being rogue. Why is it not the same for a poker room?

As far as the BBJ. Changing the terms on it over and over is by far the least serious of acts AP has done. If they want to charge for the BBJ then advertising "$464,000 BBJ is hit" Is false advertising. The actual BBJ was jut over $324,000. It is still a lot of money but certainly a big difference. I've played a ton of B&M and I've never seen a poker room rake the jackpot. Isn't that what the rake is for? This is just a way for AP to rake the games more in a subtle way.

Also as an affiliate you get none of that 10% that your players put in. AP will give you a tiny kickback if one of your players is involved in a BBJ. It is nowhere near the amount they rake in off their 10% and their carryover they have a guarantee on.

Really the main reason I do not like AP has to do with their spamming. When management of casinos or poker rooms shill I call them out and bust them out on it. I've done it here and I've done it at 2+2. It's spam. AP has endlessly spammed 2+2 until one of their board members finaly admitted he was just shilling. Then he came back as another shill. He finally admitted it because he was called out over and over, then he acted like a complete child lowering their reputation even more. If you would like I will post the link. I try to post as few links ot other forums as possible.

Also it seems the OP is upset because this post is nothing but a link to his AP affiliate link. I notice the same link was posted at Gambling911 by the OP. I'm sure those aren't the only 2 forums that the OP has posted a subtle way to get players to click his affiliate link.

I have nothing to gain by posting all of these reasons that AP has acted in a less then ethical way. I don't promote any poker room and don't work for anybody that does. I can't think of any other poker room outside of the Futurebets that have acted so unprofessionally though. Try to find this much dishonesty in other poker rooms. I don't think you can.