Coming back to the fold

It’s been a year of hell as far as poker is concerned. Not so much as in I’ve been losing shed-loads of money, but more in the ‘losing total interest’ scenario.

Having had a poor run on the tables last year, problems started in my personal life in the shape of losing my job. Money was tight and I ended up dwindling away what was left of my bankroll at the various sites I had money in. Thinking I was getting back on my feet after finding a new job, that uber-shitty thing called fate intervened yet again when the company I was working at folded after 3 months. Almost 6 months later, and after a helluva lot of CVs sent out, I managed to get another job. Fingers crossed, this will last a bit longer than 3 months!

From the time I lost the first job up until now, I’m lucky to have played poker more than 20 times. But I’m hoping to start making a comeback. It’s going to be a hard slog, but I’m up for the challenge.

This year, I’ve played a couple of the OFC freerolls. I’ve not won any money from any of them, but have played quite well and managed to finish in the top 10% of most of them, normally going out to either a bad beat or more commonly going card dead and being blinded away, then going all-in with the first good hand I can get.

I’m using these freerolls as a re-learning tool. When I sort of stopped playing last year, I had been playing quite poorly. I was complaining about anything and everything that was making me loose. In hindsight – and something that should have been obvious – I was the only person to blame.

As I was saying, I’m using these freerolls to re-learn. To re-learn the dangers, pitfalls, and plays of the game of poker. Freerolls are not normally the place I would recommend practicing, but I’m getting the benifits I’ve been looking for. I’m gaining my patience back. I’m making my mistakes and steadily learning from them. I’m experimenting with different plays. I’m experimenting with aggression. Basically, I’m trying out everthing, learning from the results in the hope that I get it right for the time I start playing seriously for cash again. It’s costing me nothing to experiment, so it doesn’t matter if I go out first hand or later in the tournament. As long as I’m not put out through a dumb move (by me) I’ll be happy. The more I learn now, the better.

So, soon you’ll see me back on the tables, hopefully better prepared than ever. And hopefully winning more than ever!

Obscured by clouds

I started on a bad run of ‘luck’ almost a year ago. Donks have been crippling me left, right and centre, and my bankroll is down substantially. Yet it’s only in recent weeks that I’ve woke up and ‘smelled the coffee!’

Virtually every weekend, I get together with the skype crew and play a few games of poker. But while doing this, I enjoy a beer or five. Not to mention a little bit ‘mary-joanna’ too!

I’ve only just woken up to the fact that this is the reason I was on such a bad run. I was wondering why the skype crew didn’t enlighten me to this, but to be perfectly honest, they have been! It’s just that I’ve obviously been too pissed or stoned to realise it! Now that I’ve calmed down on my indulgences, I’m starting to cash again on a regualr basis.

This is something I should have picked up on before now. Especially considering I wrote a post on preparing for tournaments. One of the main things I said was to stay clear of alcohol or any other substance. If you must have a drink, limit it to one or two at the very most.

Drugs and alcohol impair your judgement – that is FACT. The past year is proof (to me at least) that this is deinately true. Yes, I still get donked out of tournies, but not to the same effect as before. Before, I was getting donked out of virtually EVERY tourny. My mind was obscured by clouds due to drinking and smoking. I had taken the line of thought that I was up against shit players who I could beat easily. I was unbeatable! But that theory went down the pan, night after night.

In truth, I normally am the best player at the table. But that does not give me the devine right to win every game I play. You have got to earn the win, no matter who you play, be it donks or good seasoned players. Being impaired means you will leave yourself open to taking risks. You make moves you wouldn’t normally make. You leave yourself open to any observant players who will eventually catch you making a simple mistake. Basically, you lower yourself to the level of some of your opponents – YOU become a bit of a DONK.

I’ve had to learn the hard way, and it’s taken me almost a year to realise it. So, don’t make the same mistake as me. If you are prone to a few drinks, or have a joint or two, do it away from the tables. Keep a clear mind for playing poker and you will reap the rewards.

I’m slowly getting back to winning ways, but I’ve picked up a lot of bad habits in the past year that I’m trying to eradicate. Removing the ‘impairments’ is just step one on the road to recovery…..

Comments are welcome as usual…….

Donks here, there and everywhere

I’m really starting to get a bit pissed with the amount of donks there are at every online site I play at. In the last year I have ran into, and a lot of the time, been taken out of tournaments by a complete an utter donkey.

I wouldn’t complain too much if it happened now and again, but when it’s virtually every tournament, I can’t help but bitch and moan. Now don’t get donk play confused with bad beats. The two are completely different.

A donk is someone who will play virtually any two cards and hope that luck will help them out. Suited cards seem to be a favourite for the donk, whether it be  or , and they are normally played out of posistion.

 was the latest hand, which took me out of a tournament over the weekend. I was shortstacked and in mid position, and I was holding . I pushed all-in. I was called by the small blind who only had around 700 chips more than me. A completely stoopid donk move, but of course he got lucky by hitting a 3 on the flop then another 3 on the turn. And just to stick a cherry on top he hit a king on the river.

What really pisses me off though, is that the donk always seems to be rewarded (against me anyway!). And to think, these people actually think they played the hand well. WELL SORRY…. BUT THEY DIDN’T! They won purely down to dumb luck.

I’ve ran into these idiots so often and lost with good hands that I even tried to play like the them. I had to see if I could get the same donk luck. Believe me when I tell you, it is extremely difficult to play like a donk when you are that more disciplined in reality. But it was an experiment that was doomed to fail. No matter how hard I tried to play like a donk, I just couldn’t do it to the same effect. If I remember correctly, I was first out!

So, is there any way to combat the donks? I don’t think so. All you can do is grin and bear it when a donk gets lucky against you, and just hope you run into them again. They can’t get lucky against you all the time. If they do happen to take you out in a game, don’t berate them in the chat. Instead, just type to all the other players remaining at the table, ” At least you now know who the donk is!” This has two purposes. It sends the message to said donk what you think, and it should awaken the other players at the easy money potential.

The donk who won with his K3 against me was out 15mins later. I didn’t see what he went out on, but it was probably yet another donk move. But I guarentee he will not change his ways in future tournies. He will still think he played the hand correctly and will continue to do so in the future. I’m just glad I put a note on him. I’ll have my revenge soon!

Slowly but surely….

 

It’s been a busy few weeks for me away from the tables, but I’m slowly easing myself back to the virtual felt. I’ve had plenty of time to think about the game and to do a bit of self analysis.

Self analysis is a very important – if not THE MOST important – part of poker.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look once in awhile, you could miss it – Ferris Beuler

This same quote can be applied to your poker game. If you don’t stop to analyse your game, you won’t find any problems you may have. Stopping and looking for areas where you can improve is a must. There are loads of ways to do it, but here’s what I’ve done…..

• Recalled my hand history and reviewed individual hands to see how I could have played them better. Not only hands I lost but also hands I won. Could I possibly have managed to steal more chips from my opponents. Was I overly aggressive?
• I’ve taken advice from people watching me play. Other players will pick up your faults long before you do. I’ve had people watch me play (I tell them my hand) and they tell me their thoughts once the hand is played out. Do not however, let them tell you how to play the hand. You play it your way THEN get their opinion. You won’t learn much if you have someone else more or less playing the game for you! This is a fantastic tool if you really want to improve your game.
• I’ve watched tables to see how other people are playing. I try to find a table where I know there is a good player, and watch how the play goes. Watching people who you know are better players than you can only help your game. You pick up so much information, if you look hard enough. By watching a table (but not getting involved) you soon pick up on who the good players are; who the monkeys are; and also you start to recognise each players pattern of play. Do they play the same throughout the game? Do they mix it up well? Are they prone to bluffing? These are the sort of questions you should be thinking about. Doing this will also help if you happen to meet any of the players in the future. It’s always handy to put notes on the players, and date the notes. It gives you an idea of how they play if you do meet them. Just remember that these players can also improve, so don’t trust your notes to the letter!

The one thing I still need to work on though, is my concentration levels. I’m still losing concentration at critical times during games. I know some of the problems causing this (mainly alcohol…lol). I just need to be a bit more disciplined, but that’s easier said than done. I enjoy having a beer or three when playing.

Anyways, as you can see, I have been quite busy on the poker side even though I’ve not played that much lately. If you need a break from poker, don’t abandon it completely. There are lots ways to improve your game – without actually playing – and I’ve only gave you a few ideas. And if you are playing but aren’t doing too great, stop and and do some self analysis. Try the things I’ve done. It will benifit you. It will start to mould you into a better player and hopefully a more profitable player!

As usual comments are welcome. As would any other pointers for helping improve your game.

On the up?

After my little ‘Resident Evil’ infatuation, it’s all calmed down a little in Dagopher’s household and hopefully I can get back to playing – and more importantly – enjoying poker again.

I joined another forum at the recommendation of some friends ( I’m not even going to name the forum!) and I’ve only managed to play one game – my last game! It was bingo city with people chasing with absolutely nothing and being rewarded for their efforts by the time the turn and river cards arrived. Normally it would be great to have a player like this at the table, but when there’s EIGHT of them, it’s imperative that you get your fair share of luck….ie. going in with the best hand and it standing up!

Apparently, it’s like this every game. I should have stuck to my original plan and not get involved with another forum so soon!!!

Anyways, for by this little error on my part, I’ve played only four other games – all sit and go’s. The 1st was an 18 player game at Vegas, where once again I was bingo’d out. I didn’t play that great in that game so wasn’t too bad. I then switched to Full Tilt and played a 4 player $2 heads up Omaha hi/lo game – winner takes all. I registered for this by accident, but played well and won it. I then played a 6 player $2 sit and go and managed 2nd for a cash. Over aggressiveness heads up killed my chances. I should have paid more attention to Svcmgr’s blog!

The last game I played was a £5 double your money game at William Hill. These are fantastic for a quick profit. 6 players start and finish in the top 3 and you get £10 back. Needless to say, I finished in the top 3! It would be an idea for the site to go one better though and make it a 7 player table, with the eventual winner trebling their money, and 2nd and 3rd doubling theirs. As it stands, once it’s down to 3 players – meaning all have cashed – everyone goes all-in every hand just to finish the game. No-one has anything to gain. I like to WIN so this is an idea I might just put to those lovely people at WillHills which would ensure more positive play.

So, as you can see, Resident Evil is slowly taking a back seat to poker, but I am starting to enjoy the game a bit more. I think my mojo is slowly finding its way home! Long may it continue!

I’m just going to take it easy for the time being and stick to playing at weekends, other than the odd freeroll set up by PokerPlayer (UK) magazine. And of course, I’ll be jumping into Skype to chat with the crew.

And what have I learned through the above experiences? Well, I’m doing the correct thing by slowly easing myself back into poker; playing games that I know I should be dominating and at least cashing, if not winning. I’ll continue this way and see how it goes.

 Good luck to you all and hopefully see ya on the felt!

Where’s my mojo???

Good to see Netty blogging again. And her latest post gives us a wee insite to our mysterious Sweedish friend! I have to admit though, she certainly has had some experiences that are unique (being mixed up with an 18 month old baby has to be a first…lol).

But, in her part on poker, she mentions that she is starting to find her poker-mojo. That is, her love and enjoyment of playing the game is returning. Sadly, my mojo still seems to be lost in the wilderness. I still don’t have any enthusiasm for the online game. I do however, still have the urge to play live games and I think this may be where the problem lies.

Over here in Scotland – in fact, the whole of the UK, poker has taken off in a huge way in the casinos. The problem is that the small buy-in games are usually rebuy tournies and it just turns into bingo city. But this makes me want to play them more and more!! I hate to rebuy in tournies. I want to, at the very least, get into the payout positions having spent the minimum amount on the buy-in.

I’ve seen people with a huge wad of cash sitting at the tables and going all-in with virtually every hand they get, no matter if its 9 4 offsuit or pocket rockets. They don’t care if they lose…. they’ve got plaenty of cash to rebuy. I want to take advantage of them!!! The more they contribute in rebuys, the more money in the pot.

But in these games, you need a huge slice of luck. When you are up against a serial rebuyer you know that they have to win at some point, and if they do happen to win a few pots, then they can dominate the table with severe aggression. You know – and they know – that you can only go with a major hand, even though you might think they are weak and are just trying the bully tactics. So how do you play against these idiots? (They are idiots if the don’t value money IMO!) Answers on a postcard please, or you can just post a reply!!

Anyways, back to my mojo, and another reason for it disappearing into the wilderness –  the Nintendo Wii games console!!! Yes, it has a lot to answer for, but it is just so much fun! If you have never played games on the Wii, I highly recommend you give it a go. But be prepared for a poker blackout if you find a game you love. For me, the game I love is Resident Evil. I’ve played earlier versions on other games consoles, but the Wii version is just so much better. It’s just so addictive!

So there you go! My mojo is too busy shooting up zombies/mutants/monsters to be playing online poker just now – other than the Friday Night Experiences with the skype crew. But I’m sure it will re-appear on the virtual felt sometime in the near future!

See ya all soon!

Out with the old, bring in the new!

2007 has been an eventful year in the poker world for me, to say the least. I haven’t quite made my (profit) targets for the year, but I haven’t made a loss. I’m only up about $1000 for the period. I had hoped to do better than that. But I do realise that there were some good reasons for this.

To begin the year I had a mediocre run on the tables – winning some losing some. By March, my confidence had increased and I was comfortable with the way I was playing. I started winning due to this confidence. But by the end of April, I became a little bored with poker and restricted my playing to weekends. This helped a little, but I was getting very few wins under my belt. However, I was still in profit after a few good cashes.

This boredom continued throughout the year and I found myself playing less and less, other than with the skype crew in a sit & go or two. Again, in these games, it was a case of win some, lose some. Although to be honest, I was losing more than winning. This has carried on right up to the present day. Lethargy for poker is still hanging around me. I think this is because I played way too much poker, and also the constant changes in my old forum. Just too much of the same thing for me.

I tried to play through it all (along with personal issues) and something had to give. So, as my last post announced, I left the forum in mid-December. The enjoyment had gone. Playing the same players all the time just got boring, and sometimes infuriating (see Dave’s blog for some of what I mean!!!)

The highlight for the year though is undoubtedly the forums’ meet in Birmingham in September. A good few of the folks there I had already met, and it was great to see them again. But I also met some new faces (but old voices…lol), and it was a privelage to finally meet Blagz, Gotmewrong, Steph and also Pinky who had travelled over from Canada. I had a great time of it and was sad that I had to leave the meet so early.

The lowlight was resigning from the forum – enough said about that.

So what’s for 2008? Well, I have a few ideas in mind on how I want to proceed with my poker playing career.

At the moment I have no wish to join another forum. I will continue sticking to playing at the weekends and chat with the skype crew. I will play forum challenges but will represent myself.

As for the games I will play…. well mainly sit and go’s and the odd MTT maybe, along with the odd forum challenge. I know that I’m going to have to move up in stakes too. Any sit and go under a $10 buy-in is just full of monkeys the majority of the time so I have to play the $10+ games. However, I first need to build a bankroll at the sites I play, so to start off the year I’m hitting the cash tables. It’s the quickest way to increase that bankroll and also I need to get more cash game experience.

Lastly, I’m going to play more live games at the casino. There’s nothing better than playing live. Theres a great buzz about it all and just the interaction at the table is enjoyable. I’m determined to cash in a few live games this year.

So, goodbye 2007, and welcome 2008! A fresh outlook on the poker front for me. I hope to see some of you on the virtual felt soon!

Happy New Year to you all!

The forum

 

I’ve just been and read the blogs regarding the shake up to the league and I feel the need to justify some things and correct others, and to put my thoughts across.

First off, let me say how disappointed I was that my mate Blagger was ‘shown the door’. He is a good poker player and is always there for anyone who wants help or tips with their poker game. Most of all he is a friend who I enjoy talking to, no matter the subject. But this whole issue of who stays or goes has nothing to do with me, even though I’m an admin. But I will still keep up with him on skype. Just because he is no longer a member of the forum does not mean to say I will cut all contact with him – admin or not! As I said, he is a friend. This dispute is between the forum owners and Blagz himself. Both parties are, or should, be aware of this. It’s just turned out that I’m playing ‘piggy in the middle’, and believe me, it’s not nice. I’m staying well out of the situation!

The situation with freerolls is that the sites that are used for league games no longer wish to put the free money up for grabs, unless it is cash added to buy-in games. Even then the sites are looking for minimum numbers to be playing each game. Failure to meet their (the site’s) criteria would mean them withdrawing the sponsored ‘added money’. Gone are the days when you could contact virtually any site and get freerolls. Now its a virtual non-starter with most sites.

So where does all this fit into the new forum setup? Basically, there will be no more freerolls. Not so much through choice, but more through neccessity. People have to be aware of the challenges facing all poker forums when trying to get free money from the sites. It rarely happens – unless you have the numbers to play the buy-in games.

This leads me to my next point. The member cull. A strong way of putting it maybe, especially from an admin, but that’s what it is, in my opinion. I completely agree that the deadwood – those that sign up then never post or play any game, and never return to the forum – should be weeded out. Why sign up if you are not willing to participate in any way, shape or form?

What I don’t agree with is people being forced to play if they want to remain a member. Very heavy handed in my opinion. I know a lot of people are in agreeance to this rule, but as has been said in Svcmgr’s blog, not everyone can make the games at the times they are set at. I know the forum can’t set up games at times to suit everyone, but you just cannot go around kicking people out who cannot play due to other commitments that interfere with game starting times. That is unjust and unfair. If they cannot play any games in a month solely due to game times will they be booted? What if they can’t play games but do enjoy posting in the forum? Should they be penalised just because their commitments to daily life coincide with poker games? Maybe I’m reading too much into all of this and my fears may not be realised. I’ll just have to wait and see.

As for the new divisions, well what can I say. I don’t like the new set up. At the end of the day, it’s still the old league in a different package.  In 6 months to a years time I suspect the division tables will look virtally identical to how the present league looks. Having spoken to one of the forum owners though, I can see why they want to go down this route, so I’m going along with it, although I won’t be participating in it.

Finally, my response to a comment regarding my position as admin.

I have had grave concerns with being an admin of the forum lately. My biggest concern being that I was not involved in any decision making whatsoever in recent months, including the most recent of changes to the forum. As an admin, the least I would have expected was not neccessarily to be a chief decision maker, but just to be involved in an exchange of ideas before anything is put out before the general membership of the forum. Not just ideas, but also any concerns I have. I was very disappointed with some of the responses to a recent post I had made from other admins, when all I was looking to do was to give my reservations on a certain subject – without being dismissive – and give alternatives to the subject concerned. In short, I was acting the way I think an admin should. As for the replies….. well I think you already get my gist.

However, as I said earlier, I have had a chat with one of the forum owners, which turned out to be quite productive. I was happy with the responses to my concerns and at the end of the day I will remain an admin for the time being. This was the first forum I joined after starting to play online poker and I would be gutted if I had to leave. The other staff members know of my concerns, so nothing written here should concern them. As I said to them in my post (in the forum staff room), I have nothing to hide and that goes for all members of the forum. If anyone wants to contact me regarding any of what I’ve written, feel free! I can be contacted by either personal message in the forum or by email, also through the forum. Alternatively, I can normally be contacted on Skype at the weekends. Failing that, you could always post a comment here. I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions.

Full circle

Svcmgr has been busy on his blog this month and it has been such a relief to see some new material. He was, and still is having the same problem as most of the skype crew, me included – A total disinterest in playing poker.

Every poker player will go through this and it can be caused by several things. From personal reasons outwith poker to being sick of being sucked out by monkey players to just being ‘pokered out’. Or in lamens terms, playing too much.

Everyone will have their own reasons, and they can comment on it for themselves. But before commenting, see if you connect with what I’m going to tell you. Reading Dave’s blog really made me think about my game and what is wrong with it. The thing is, there was nothing in the blogs that struck a chord, as such. Just reading them made me think.

So here goes…. why I have lost interest in poker, in nice little bullet points! 

1. I’m sick of losing out to monkeys who suckout in the most horendous ways possible
2. In recent times I’ve played way too much poker leading to poker overload
3. I’m on a losing run (again) at most of the sites I play at

Do these reasons seem familiar to you? They most likely will. They are probably the top 3 in your list why you have trodden down the path of poker obscurity.

You are probably wondering why I have basically repeated what I said in the opening paragraphs. Well the answer is simple…. they are not reasons. They are EXCUSES! At the end of the day, we are looking for excuses because we are not winning.

All along, I think we have been looking for excuses to why we have lost interest in poker instead of analysing the real reasons. Yes, we get constantly sucked out by monkeys. Yes, we may be on a losing run. Yes we may be playing too many games. But when do we draw the line and realise that we ourselves are the problem.

We all know that skill will overcome luck in the long run. Taking myself as the example, this is not happenening and hasn’t been happening for months. Only in the very odd game do I do well. I have played a helluva lot of poker this year but have not played well for the majority of it.

At the weekends, when on with the skype crew, we chat, we drink, we smoke and generally have a laugh, with the odd game of poker thrown in for good measure. But I’ve noticed that none of us has really made any inroads to consistantly cashing in the games we play – and it never used to be like that. A few months ago we were all cashing in sit and gos on a nightly basis. Very rarely would we come away from the tables without being at least even. More often than not we would all be in profit. So where does the problem lie?

For me personally, I’ve came full circle. You may remember the posts I wrote way back in March and April describing the exact same apathy that has gripped me now. You can click on the archives for a reminder. Basically, I need to re-evaluate why I’m playing poker. I need to re-focus on a goal and most importantly, I have to go back to basics!

I’ve came full circle from when I first posted about losing interest in poker way back in March and April. I’ve gone from a disinterested player to winning player with a goal, to playing avarage, but still making profit to the cocky player winning very little and losing confidence in my own game. And now I’m back to being the disinterested player again.

I said in those early posts that you have to evaluate your play on a constant basis. If you go on a losing streak, examine why it’s happening. Is it just variance or are you not focusing enough? Are you not trying hard enough? Have you lost focus of your goal? Have you become ignorant or arogant enough to think you are a much better player than most and should be winning, or at least cashing in any game you play?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s time for me to go ‘Back to Basics’ again. I know it will be tedious. I know what I’m going to see when I read through the archives of all the blogs. I know what the problems are, and I think I know most of the answers. But I still have to do it. There will always be something in these archives that I will have forgotton, no matter how many times I go back to them. My brain needs a refresher course in the basics of playing poker – the parts you need to look at before a card is dealt. Playing the cards will take care of themselves after that.

I have done the one thing I warned others about – I’ve became a little overconfident, or even arogant in my own ability, and I didn’t even realise it until I read Daves blog. I’ve probably known it all along, but it just needed that extra ‘push’ to make me realise it was definately going on and I need to do something about it.

So, in closing this rather long post, ask yourself – if you are in the same position as me – what are the real reasons you have lost interest in poker. Then look at them again. You may just find that your reasons are in fact excuses. Maybe you have came Full Circle too, and if so I hope this post has helped you to realise that. But in any case it does no harm to go Back to Basics to re-affirm your poker values and start to act on them again.

The Jury is out…..

 

I have questioned the integrity of poker sites in the past, but not for the reason I will talk about in a moment. My main problem with some sites was their software. I feel their Random Number Generators (RNG) are not good enough. (The RNG is in place to give the online cards a random shuffle). I have played many sites, but there are some that you can practically predict the cards – especially on the turn and river. When giving this some serious thought though, I came to the comclusion that it wasn’t any kind of ‘cheat’ in the software or the RNG, but was in fact just the way the software acted. And remember, we see way more hands on the virtual tables than at a live game, so you are bound to see more ‘bad beats’ or suckouts. For the sites I questioned, I realised that you just have to work with the software and exploit the weaknesses as best you can.

But, in the last few weeks, two sites have had their integrity questioned. Pokerstars has suspended a players account after he won one of their biggest tournaments – the WCOOP main event. The player in question – thought to be a British poker pro who has since been banned from pokerstars – played under several different accounts at the same time during this tournament, and more likely any tournament he participated in at pokerstars. Luckily, he was caught and lost his $1.2m for winning this tournament as Pokerstars have an indepth review of any players’ activities when they win such a large amount.

But what about all those others who paid their money and may have been put out by this guy or any of his aliases? Should they not be re-imbursed? I would certainly want my money back!

The 2nd site – Absolute Poker – is a site that I play at quite regularly. This scam is a lot more worrying than the pokerstars incident. An insider at Absolute made thousands of dollars at higher limit tables, but obviously underestimated his oponents. He played virtually every hand and won the majority of them. And why?? Because he could see ALL the other players hole cards! His opponents cottoned on that something was amiss and requested the hand histories for their game. Absolute, sent the histories and to the complainants amazement they included the hole cards for every player for every game, along with all the betting history.

After analysis and discussion in poker forums Absolute were contacted but they denied any wrong doing. Only when the games had been re-created using special software, and Absolute given the evidence, did they start to look into it. By this time the media had cottoned on to the problem, which is probably why Absolute decided to investigate.

It turned out that one of their own staff was the culprit, although he hadn’t withdrawn any of his illicit wnings. He may now face criminal charges for fraud. Absolute has since admitted cheating by one of their own staff members had taken place and all monies lost by the other players has since been reimbursed.

But the main questions coming from these two incidents is this….. Are online poker rooms safe? Can they guarentee integrity. Will our money be safe? Can we expect an immediate investigation if suspicion of cheating has been observed?

For Pokerstars part, they investigated only because it was standard paractice to do so when concerning such  a large amount of money. But what about when smaller amounts of money are involved? Would they conduct an investigation if someone complained to them? Or would they dismiss it like Absolute did?

When we are spending money at these sites we should be assured that any complaint we make should be taken seriously. Absolute, in particular sems to dismiss any notions of cheating without any investigation (if this incident is anything to go by).

I just hope that every poker site out there has taken note of these incidents and have stepped up their security. More importantly, I hope they act on concerns made by their customers instead of instantly dismissing them. It may save them from ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ in the future.