ABSOLUTE POKER TO CALL IN THIRD PARTY AUDIT (Update)

19 October 2007

Player trust a major factor as cheating scandal disclosures continue


For several weeks now allegations regarding the possibility of collusion and cheating in an Absolute Poker online tournament have been gaining currency as the player community on many top poker message boards examines disclosures on the incident (see previous InfoPowa reports)

The sequence of events alleged to have occurred runs like this:

1.) The second placed player in a tournament at Absolute Poker suspected some strange and possibly colluding/cheating plays by the winning account (Potripper), and emailed Absolute Poker to ask for the hand history of the entire tournament. He received an xls file that initially appeared to be a mass of detail too complicated to interpret.

2) Two weeks later, as a growing storm over the tournament raged on poker message boards, the player shared the file he was sent with more savvy members of the player community, hoping it would shed some light on the debate. Those players quickly realised that the file was in fact a complete hand history of the tournament showing every table and every hole card of every player for every hand - possibly sent in error judging by the wealth of information contained within it.

3) Using the depth of experience and intelligence resident on expert poker player fora, players began to analyse the file and started publishing the results at http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...e=0&fpart=1 and http://www.pokerxfactor.com/servlet/...late=login.htm, amongst other places.

The file also carried IP addresses and user details including email addresses of people observing the table during the contentious tournament.

One user, #363 was found to have observed PotRipper's tables throughout the entire tournament, only missing two hands at the beginning where user #363 was NOT seated at the table by folding them. Potripper plays literally 100% of the pots preflop for 20 minutes not folding a single other hand until he open-folds when a player has KK behind him (surmised that he understands that the player will raise and he won't see the pot this time for the raised amount).

4) The IP address for user #363 is tracked as this player was apparently following Potripper the suspected cheater around the entire time. The tracking shows that user #363 used email on an Absolute Poker server hosted by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...umber=12520697.

Further evidence shows that the IP matches an apparently well known and previously identified Absolute Poker spammer. The account's email address is claimed to be scott@rivieraltd.com.

The IP address allegedly cross-references to an individual named Scott Tom, who is, it is claimed, a senior figure in the Absolute Poker management hierachy. The email address scott@rivieraltd.com, and associated IP (the same as User #363) is identical to a certain Scott Tom's home cable modem, the player community investigators divulge.

Arising from these and continuing new disclosures, the player community is now deeply suspicious that the tournament in question was in some way dishonest, with the possibility that an employee of Absolute Poker may have been involved..

Reacting again to a clearly growing crisis of trust and confidence, Absolute Poker has issued a second statement as follows:

Quote:

"Absolute Poker Management wishes to inform the poker community of the following information in response to the most recent claims posted over the past 48 hours on the 2+2 and Pocket Fives forums wherein again it is alleged that some person or persons breached Absolute Poker’s redundant and varying levels of game client security.

"As was stated in Absolute Poker’s Official Response released on Friday October 12, 2007, Absolute Poker conducted an extensive investigation in response to the claims it was made aware of and received. The results of that investigation indicated that to the best of Absolute Poker’s knowledge, information and belief there was no security breach.

"Specifically, Absolute Poker’s internal investigation determined that it is impossible for any person, device, program, script or other means to see hole cards.

"Based on the most recent claims that Absolute Poker has been made aware of and at the request of some of our players and business partners, Absolute Poker has agreed to retain a widely acclaimed independent third party auditor, Gaming Associates, to conduct an independent audit of Absolute Poker’s security systems. Specifically, Absolute Poker has requested that Gaming Associates conduct a thorough and extensive review of Absolute Poker’s practices and security systems to determine whether it is possible for any person, device, program, script or other means to see hole cards thereby gaining an unfair advantage. (http://www.gamingassociates.com)

"Absolute Poker has agreed to fully cooperate with Gaming Associates and its investigative team and to provide the above with unfettered access to all systems, protocols and databases at Absolute Poker worldwide. Absolute Poker has also agreed to allow Gaming Associate’s final report to be made available to Pocket Fives and Bluff Media for their review..

"With respect to the claims that Scott Tom, a former Member of Team Absolute Poker, is in any way involved in wrong-doing, Absolute Poker has requested a formal investigation into that matter as well. Mr. Tom has not been involved with Absolute Poker for over a year and to the best of our knowledge, information and belief has not had access to any of Absolute Poker’s systems, databases or information.

"Absolute Poker reserves the right to pursue any and all remedies whether in law or equitable which may procure to it as a result of any unlawful and injurious actions taken by any individuals who may have falsified any information, documents, files, or have by other means attempted to disparage and/or harm Absolute Poker, its Players, its current or former management, employees, business partners or affiliates.

"Absolute Poker shall bear all expenses related to such investigation and is eager to learn about Gaming Associate’s findings. Absolute Poker highly values and intends to protect its players, shareholders, business partners, and affiliates.

Absolute Poker Management" Unquote

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa