Article I wrote and posted on Poker Forum

 

First let me explain that although the types of hand I describe in the below article have occurred many, many times I do not consider the majority of them to be suspicious. It is only when a player systematically plays weak starting hands and continually hits big hands over and over again, coupled with a unique sixth sense that causes them to fold when other players hit bigger hands, that I start to consider the possibility. I then look to confirm it by making appropriately timed moves. 

 

When I wrote the below article I had very strong suspicions that online poker was corrupt but had not fully decided how. However, I was sure that what I was experiencing could not be explained away by bad luck, variance, or incorrect decision making.

 

In early 2008 I posted the following article on the forum of a top poker site, (it may be of interest).

 

 

Are Poker sites fixed? I know it is a question asked by most if not all Poker players at some stage especially during a bad run.  

 

You know the situation, you are card dead for 40 or 50 hands then breath a sigh of relief to see those sexy looking aces staring up at you. Before a chip is laid you begin wondering just how much you can squeeze out of your unfortunate opponents. But your excitement is short lived when your precious Aces are beaten by a set of 3’s. Then a few hands later you get a set of Kings but are beaten by a flush. Then your Ace high flush is beaten by the guy who called your 4 times Big Blind raise with 8-6 off suit and flops a full house etc etc.  

 

You’ve all experienced similar I’m sure. But this is not just a rant about bad beats because by the very nature of the game bad beats will happen. In fact it is a statistical certainty that they will happen. If you are 90% favorite to win a hand in any given situation then statistically you will lose 10% of the time. So when you are playing thousands of hands a week then those bad beats are guaranteed. 

 

However, learn the game well, study the odds and know the likelihood of those bad beats occurring, bet when you have the right odds to hit your flush or your straight, don’t slow play too much etc. etc. and overall you will profit, right? Errr not quite. 

 

I have had my suspicions about the integrity of Poker sites for a while now. I suspect there are many players out there who would recognise the experiences I am going to describe which may help you to decide for yourself whether sites are fixed, or more importantly whether it is impossible for you to profit from online Poker no matter how skilled you become. 

 

I started to play $1/$2 NL Holdem back in 2005 and strangely enough with only a basic knowledge of the game I found myself winning. I was able to increase my $100 deposit to $1200 in a few days. 

 

This game is easy, I thought, as I began planning what I was going to do with all the extra income I was winning. However I then experienced my first down swing and lost it all. Never mind, I thought, I have heard the Pro’s talk about runs of bad luck and read a few articles in the magazines, so I will try again.  

 

Next time I built my Bank roll to $1800 before the dreaded 'can’t win a hand' period struck again and I lost it all. Then $2900, then $6400. 

 

When I got to $6,400 playing $2/$4 NL holdem I finally thought I had made it. But yet again I experienced bad beat after bad beat after bad beat until, literally in only a few days, it had all gone. Now I was angry as well as disappointed, because to loose it all in the manner I did stretched the theory of down swings to the limit. Aces beaten 4 times out of 5. Pocket kings continuously beaten by an ace on the flop etc. After analysing my hands even the odd moment of madness known as tilt did not explain the rapid change of fortune. 

 

It was even more alarming because I had already ironed out many of the weaknesses to my game such as slow playing big pocket pairs. It really is bad to slow play because I lose to inferior starting hands 4 times out 5 when I do. So I don’t slow play any more, never ever, well, rarely anyway. 

 

Ok Poker Gods, so now I know all about bad beats and loosing runs. I don’t need any more, right? Give them to other suckers just starting out who are planning to turn professional after 6 weeks of success just like me in the beginning. I know the game now. I have studied all the theory and statistics. I have played hundreds of thousands of hands and have experienced probably every situation possible. I have even had a couple of straight flushes and quite a few Quads by now. (I do get good beats as well). So stop picking on me and let me build my fortune. 

 

Right, now I’ve had my little rant at the Poker Gods surely they’ll leave me alone and let me get on with winning. Wrong, they are merciless. It seems the more strategies I learn and the better I get at Poker the more bad beats are rained down on me. 

 

I can just imagine the conversation between the Poker Gods going something like this, “Hey Zorgan I need some help with this one. He’s getting better and better and it’s getting harder to take his chips. He’s not falling for it now when I give him pocket Kings and then throw an ace on the flop just for a laugh. He’s now learnt that players will call his pre flop raises with suited cards and connectors and fold to a big bet after the flop. I need a few new ideas cos I think this guy’s reasonably intelligent. I’ve dumped virtually every bad beat I can think of onto him and he’s really tightened up. I’ve got him so nervous that he’s just folded pocket Queens to a 3x pre flop raise.

 

“Ok Hershio, try this one. Next hand give him Pocket aces and give another player pocket two’s. Now, to keep his confidence throw an ace on the flop with a couple of blanks like a 7 and a 9. I know he doesn’t normally slow play but even he will be feeling confident enough to check this flop. When the guy with pocket two’s throws out a probing bet I’m sure your man will feel safe enough to just flat call with his set of aces. Now this is where you have your fun. Throw a 2 down on the turn and watch things get interesting.” 

“But a set of aces beats a set of two’s doesn’t it.” 

“Yeah but listen, the action by now will be hot if not already all in, right?” 

“Right”. 

“So this is where you prove just what a mean, evil son of a ******* Poker God you really are............. Put the last two down on the river!” 

 

 

Sound familiar? Not necessarily that exact hand but the same type of situation. Ever had a loosing run or twenty and tightened up so much that you only play premium hands and only bet with top pair or better. Then get the feeling that you are being set up with hands like A,Q. The flop comes Q high but you are beaten by pocket kings. This type of situation happens to me far too much for it to be just natural variance or bad luck. I believe it is systematic. 

 

So, to get back to the question. Are Poker sites fixed and if so how. 

 

The large Poker sites are making millions and millions every year. The profits are huge. Is it simply by taking a rake? Maybe, but we all know roughly how slot machines work don’t we. To ensure they make a profit they are programmed to pay out less than they take in. 

 

When we deposit our hard earned cash on a poker site we do so in the belief we are playing against other players like us, some good, some bad. We expect to get a balance of luck and believe that our knowledge of the game will, over time, allow us to have an edge over lesser players. I’m sure most of us are not greedy and to just make a little profit after years of honing our skills would be fine wouldn’t it? 

 

However for that to happen we need a level playing field. An integrity based system that favours no one. I believe there is credible evidence to suggest that it does not exist. 

 

You may already be aware of the publicised case involving well known Poker sites Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet where super user accounts were discovered. This was a member of staff, or as the site declared, ex members of staff who were playing on accounts where they were able to view all players pocket cards. 

 

Could this explain some of the crazy, illogical play that always seems to pay off for some players. Could it be the reason for an aggressive player, who I was already suspicious about, calling me all way to the river with pocket 3's when I had raised pre-flop with AK and showed strength by raising his bet and then betting the turn and river when he checked. did he know that I’d missed the Q,J,8,7,5 on the board. Even worse, and I rarely make moves like this, but recently I got called all of the way the down to the river by a table bully holding J high with no draw when I had 10 high. Computer generated player? Superuser? Or just an idiot. But beware these idiots have a habit of winning most pots. 

 

I will add that I do not make a habit of betting all the way to the river with AK if I've missed the flop, or with 10 high etc. I do so only rarely and only against overly aggressive players when I believe they are bluffing and raising with rubbish. I am right the vast majority of the time but some hit their hands with incredible frequency.

 

During a recent cash game I watched one player consistently raise every hand pre flop 5 times the Big Blind winning any encounter he had with other players. Playing carefully, because my confidence had been shattered by constant bad beats I waited my opportunity. It came strangely enough with K,7 of clubs.  

 

After his usual pre flop raise I thought, right, he can’t have that many good hands, so I called and was pleased to see two clubs on the flop. I held my nerve when he called my bets and thought that I had been rewarded when the river brought the club that completed my King high flush. You have probably already guessed. He had the Ace high flush.  

 

I re-loaded and waited for another opportunity which this time came with pocket aces. Ah-ha got you. I called his usual opening raise and surprise-surprise he flopped the top end of a straight with pocket cards of 7,8. Just another lucky player?

 

I made notes against his name outlining my suspicions about him and coincidentally he left the table a couple of hands later. Mmmmm. 

 

That we are playing against other genuine players I have no doubt. But what if a percentage of the players at your table or on the site at any given time are computer generated and programmed with an edge or worse Super Users able to see your pocket cards and also the next 5 cards to be generated. Now the crazy call that player made with J high doesn’t seem so crazy does it? 

 

Another curious fact is that when I try a new site, set up my account and unleash my talents I always seem to win, win and win. But only for a short time. Then suddenly my talents desert me because after the initial honeymoon period I just can’t win a bloody pot. Does this sound familiar to you? 

 

Is it beyond the realms of fantasy to imagine that Poker sites have the ability to program your user name to either win or loose. By allowing players to win in the beginning ensures that during the inevitable loosing period they continue to hold out hope of hitting that winning streak again.  

 

The only thing that I can guarantee will happen is that no matter how well I play and how high I build a bank roll on a site I will encounter a relentless loosing streak that will swallow it up in a fraction of the time it takes to build.  

 

I challenge any player who claims to be a winning player to play on my username and make a profit. I would be happy to guarantee that you keep any profit you make but there won’t be any. Of that I am sure.  

 

Now, next time you make your deposit just be sure to kiss it good bye and try to enjoy that flat feeling you get when it is slowly or instantly taken from you despite your best play. To assist in developing this state of mind go to your local library and hire all the books you can find on masochism. Better still join a club. At least that way you know your about to get your Ass whipped. 

 

 

 

 

Within an hour of posting this on the forum I received 3 scathing replies. Very professionally written with many highly technical terms used. I was certain they were, as I expected, written by staff at the site.

  

 

I couldn't resist the following reply to the 3 angry responses.

 

   

I read with amusement the replies to my war and piece rant. I note that although advice and criticism is plentiful none of these successful players are actually playing online. As I am obviously the only player loosing on this site I thought I'd take the time to learn from the real experts.

To my surprise I see that none of the authors have actually played tonight but instead they spend there time writing replies to posts on here.

Could it be that like me they have lost their bank roll. No I'm sure they are so good they only play for half an hour in the morning. Oh, actually one of them is registered for a free role. I must be able to learn from him, surely.

 

 

 

 

 Ok, I was still angry at the way my bank roll had been 'stolen' from me but it was clear to me by the tone of the first 3 replies that they had been written by staff who obviously vet every post on the forum. Actually, they appeared to have been written by the same individual even though they had different user names. Couldn't be, could it? No they wouldn't would they? Surely not. That wouldn't be acting with integrity, would it?

 

Through this experience I learned just how defensive the sites are, or those that work for them, over allegations of cheating.

 

The following day I began to get the replies from genuine players agreeing and offering their own experiences.

 

I did write an official email of complaint to the site. It boasted that it's Random Number Generator that deals the cards is independently audited by an outside authority. I asked who the independent auditors were but got no reply to that question.

 

I also asked them to look at my hand history and then try to explain the relentless out draws and bad beats on variance. They did look at my hand history. They criticised a couple of my hands where I had lost a few dollars on each. Strange but they didn't mention any of the ALL-IN hands where I was at least 80% and many times over 90% to win but lost them all on the river to 1 or 2 outers.

 

Since posting the above article on the forum my suspicions have not only grown but have, for me, now been confirmed. I have constantly looked for evidence that I was mistaken and I have really hoped that I was wrong. Because if I was wrong then all I had to do was learn from my mistakes and get better and better. The fact is that I am making the right play the vast majority of the time. I do not lose because I am making mistakes or I'm being out played or making outrageous bluffs or going on tilt. I have found that reading the game correctly, making the right decisions and having the strongest hand pre-flop or on the flop counts for nothing over the long term. That is why, reluctantly, I have confirmed my earlier suspicions that online poker is corrupted. 

 

I therefore began researching and planning the launch of a 100% honest Poker Site facilitated mainly by my method to prevent cheating, the Integrity Detection System, (I.D.S). It will detect Super Users whether they are staff, programmers or hackers.

 

I would love to explain in detail how it works but unfortunately I cannot as this will be the bedrock of my new Poker Room, Integrity Poker. It will ensure that no Super Users can practice their crimes on I.P. No programming or bias will occur and no one will be able to benefit from intercepting signals sent to genuine players computers.

 

I will ensure that the games on Integrity Poker will be honest.

 

You will see a difference.

 

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Related article: Are poker sites fixed?

 

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