Poker has witnessed its fair share of shocking moments throughout history, with renowned players and high-stakes events becoming entangled in controversies that shook the whole community. From crafty sleight of hand to sophisticated electronic devices, we’ll take you on a journey through the most notorious cheating scandals that have astounded and intrigued the poker community.
Join us as we uncover the intriguing stories, the methods employed, and the aftermath of these headline-grabbing incidents, reminding us of the crucial importance of maintaining integrity and fair play in this beloved card game.
From honesty to high stakes: a shift in poker’s gameplay
Poker has been a game of skill and strategy since its invention. But, as the stakes grew higher and higher, it seems some players decided to throw honesty out the window and take a walk on the wild side. They started to play not just with cards but with cunning and deceit. Poker scandals are as old as poker itself, but it’s the invention of online poker that increased the temptation not to play fair. Fear not, though; it’s a double-edged sword – the ease of cheating online is offset by the ease of detecting those cheats.
There were plenty of cases over the years to choose from, and here is the first part of our picks for the most significant stories of cheating in the poker world.
Ultimate Bet scandal: turning lady luck into a sure thing
This scandal is a classic case of “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Between 2005 and 2007, some accounts on the online poker site Ultimate Bet started winning at rates that would embarrass every professional poker player in the world. More and more platform users scratched their heads, thinking, “Something’s fishy here.”
It turns out they were right. An investigation found that some accounts were “superusers” – allowing players to see the other players’ hole cards! Talk about peeking over someone’s shoulder.
The Absolute Poker Scandal: Another Joker in the Deck
Ultimate Bet was not the only platform that seemed suspicious to many. To make matters worse for online poker, soon after, the Absolute Poker incident happened. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise, as both poker rooms operated in Cereus Poker Network at the time. Much like in the previous instance, some accounts on AB Poker were winning more than they should, achieving God-like results. As it’s often the case, the company denied any wrongdoing but later had to eat humble pie when a superuser account was indeed discovered.
One of many clues that linked the two cases is the fact that both poker sites used software designed by the same company – ieLogic.
POTRIPPER: synonymous with a fraud
POTRIPPER is a username that became the symbol of both scandals. A player using that account seemed to have the magic touch, winning hand after hand in the most unorthodox style you can imagine. Many players have taken an interest in the account after POTRIPPER won a high stakes $1,000 tournament. In the final hand, POTRIPPER called a turn check-raise on the 4KK7 with just T9o and was ahead, facing a shove from 92o.
Luckily the poker community proved once again that it is a force to be reckoned with. The cheating at the Cereus network was so blatant that it resulted in many people getting involved in bringing the truth to light. The community has conducted a vast investigation, eventually tracking the POTRIPPER and other alleged super user accounts.
While most of the prize money could already be considered lost, a joint effort of many players forced the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to step in. This intervention has ultimately confirmed that cheating was in place, and Absolute Poker insiders could see their opponent’s cards when playing.
Have you ever wondered how poker cheating could look in practice? Here’s a taste of the unfair advantage of seeing other people’s cards. The video is a recreation of the gameplay from actual hand histories.
Russ Hamilton – the Ultimate Bet consultant
When talking about the biggest scandal of online poker’s infancy stage, it’s impossible not to mention Russ Hamilton. A few years after the actual events, Hamilton, an Ultimate Bet consultant at the time, was revealed as the primary offender in the case, with many suspicious accounts linked to his name. To this day, he is the only World Series of Poker Main Event (won in 1994) winner who doesn’t get his banner hanged in Las Vegas during the annual series.
Unfortunately, there are more examples of cheating in poker
In the second part of this article, we’ll look at the more recent cases. Next time we’ll cover the Full Tilt Poker scandal, the Epic Poker League fiasco, a suspicious streak of Mike Postle in Stones Gambling Hall, and the infamous J4o hand played by Robbi Jade Lew at the Hustler casino live stream.
That seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Don’t let these bad apples spoil the game for you. Keep in mind, for every cheater, there are thousands of poker players enjoying the game in a fair way. Despite the list of cheating cases in poker being so long, there’s an even longer list of professional players who made it to the high stakes poker due to their skills (and luck). There’s still a lot of money to be won at poker, and Smart Spin’s players are the best proof of that. You can find out about it yourself, check out our offer, and join the community of hundreds of winning players!