Open letter to MS Sunshine and wife

As you are aware, I don't know you. I'm a frequent visitor to this forum and I have been reading several posts regarding the subject of you and your wife playing together online. I feel that the following comments may be of interest to you and others: A little while ago (for several years) my wife and I travelled extensively to various cardrooms in various states, most frequently to Foxwoods and Vegas. We were well known as being husband and wife because we never tried to conceal this fact. Our integrity is second to none and this integrity was well known by most players who we played with on more than one occasion. We often had no choice about playing in the same game simply because there was only one active table at the limit we like to play at (10/20 or 15/30). We always made a point of playing against each other equally as hard as against any other player and when we were both involved in hands with other players then we were always more than willing to expose our cards. Mostly, we never had a problem. We did however, on occasion, have a problem with some players simply because they failed to understand that it is very possible for a husband and wife to play in the same game and still keep the integrity of the game in tact. I'm afraid this is a subject which will always be looked at in negative views by some players. I strongly feel that even though your integrity has been vouched for by numerous players, this is one argument that you or any other husband and wife cannot win, especially concerning online poker.


One thing for certain, if my wife and I encountered problems we were able to defend ourselves because we were able to face our accuser. It should be noted that in all cases (which were few) management stood by us. You and your wife have been attacked on this forum by a select few players. This is very unfortunate and it saddens me because you have to defend your honor against faceless accusers. I personally feel that this forum is not the place for personal vendettas and I wish you all the luck in trying to fight this issue.

My answer ; a letter to all pokersites i play.


Hi there,


there was a big discussion on 2+2 poker-forum about that some player are allowed to play the same table. i.e. Husband and wife. I want to make sure that you know that i'm not a friend of that. In case that people are allowed to do so at your server i want get a message if i'm in such a game. If you can't do this please let me know. In this case i have to close down my account.


Thx


1 answer so far;


Hello,


Our security measures prevent person from the same IP addresses to be logged on and playing TruePoker at the same tables.


If we have any evidence of collusion the matter is dealt with in the highest priority

All of you who think that playing at the same table in a brick and mortar casino and playing at the same table online from the same physical location are comparable, please raise your hand.


RH

We do not allow any players to play from the same location which means that not only husband and wife but friends from the same IP address.


If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us via our Live Help feature or by calling the number listed below.


Thank you for supporting PartyPoker.com! Fun you can bet on!!

Hello therazz,


I perfectly understand your situation since you and your wife had limited selection for games......however MS and his wife has more than limited selection and they still play at the same table. I don't believe that MS and his wife are cheating, but why do they play at the same table, especially when the stars games are not so great?

You must be kidding, right? It's the best software and players are either loose agressive or weak tight!!! I can play 50% more hands per hours than at paradise! Its my personal ATM!

I agree with you. My point was not to advocate that two people from the same IP address be allowed to play together at the same table. I wanted to emphasize the point that a player's integrity should not automatically be questioned.


I feel that monitoring to detect same IP addresses is a must and can only be positive for online poker. Now we just need a way to monitor Instant Messages and that too would be a step in the right direction. Another point I was trying to convey is that I wanted MS Sunshine to know that there are plenty of players, like myself, who do not question the character of himself and his wife. This is not stating that I think it should be allowed.

MS is no virgin here. His reputation took a trip through the mud a while back. I didn't pay real close attention at the time but I believe he was shilling for a site that went tits up pretty soon after. He might have been recruiting props for Highlands, I'm unsure, but at the time I caught the whiff of a sleazy huckster. I rarely give folks the benifit of the doubt twice, and never three times. This last bit about collusion was the capper.


Also, there is a great temptation for ANY winning internet player to gloss over the flaws and warts of the online poker experience in the belief that more poor players yields more profit. This I am sure MS is in on. Strike three.

How was MS Sunshine being sleazy by recruiting props? Unless you believe propping in and of itself is unethical, and those related to proping are unethical. I've read most of the posts about the Highlands situation, I don't see where MS Sunshine did anything sleazy.


I just don't understand the way some people think, especially those accusing MS Sunshine of running a "cheating prop ring"! Where are these people coming up with these things? Must be delusional.


Also I'm not sure what your strike two is. I only see one strike (the part about husband and wife playing together).


Personally I don't think it's a strike, but I can see why you (along with a lot of players here) would. I do think that you shouldn't do it if you can avoid it. Why give the appearance of impropriety if you can avoid it, especially when you make a post about it on a public forum, and public opinion seems to be that it is not good for poker in general? As for if I believe they are cheating, I don't think so.


- Tony

You gotta be kidding me ... being one of the best games on the net....please play some other sites out there (besides paradise ). I agree about the fast and awesome software tho.

Also, there is a great temptation for ANY winning internet player to gloss over the flaws and warts of the online poker experience in the belief that more poor players yields more profit.


In two years, this is the first thing I agree with anything that you have ever said Doug.


MS Sunshine

>We do not allow any players to play from the same location which means that not only husband and wife but friends from the same IP address.


So what? Husband & Wife, especially the cheating ones can play from the same location using different IPs.

"This last bit about collusion was the capper. Strike three."


What bit? That he brought up the topic? No one has mentioned even one instance of a problem.


Doug- i saw you play on a site the other day and you won a hand. I think something might be wrong.


Stike one- buddy.


I hope no one else mentions you in that light- or thatll be strike two. Who knows whatll happen then.


Are you kidding?

I saw him playing once on ACR! Oh my god, that's strike 2.

MS Sunshine did not bring up the topic. The fact he plays with his wife was introduced by another poster.

Dolores, when did you see Doug win a hand? I thought you didn't play in the .50cent game?


"..Doug- i saw you play on a site the other day and you won a hand. I think something might be wrong.


Stike one- buddy... "

It is impossible for a husband and wife not to cheat, playing in the same game. They may not be good at it, but that is what they’re doing every time they play together. I’ve played in the same game as my wife twice (live casino) for about fifteen minutes each time before I had to quit. The only reason I sat down at her table in the first place was because her game was breaking up, and I was invited. The reason I quit was because I might as well have pasted a sign on my head that said, “Look at me everybody, I am scum”.


Case in point: I don’t remember the hand except that there were four of us in a raised pot. On the flop, the small blind bet out, the next player called, and it was my turn. Clearly, on my own, I would have considered raising to knock out the player behind me (my wife), and set up a possible free card on the turn. Just as clearly, playing against my own money, that’s not what I wanted to do. I just limped, letting my wife take advantage of the long odds the pot was offering. Did I cheat? Like I said above, it’s impossible not to. The mind automatically grasps the shifts in strategy when you’re playing against your (our) own money.


Tom D

Ok. I lied. Strike one against me.


Ill be on the outs soon too.

When I play against my friends at the same table, I try to check-raise them and get the most of their money even when headsup. No softplaying from me!


- Tony

Before someone replies with "you idiot, he said wife, not friend", yes I know...


I don't have a wife yet, so I can only relate to myself playing against friends. And I don't have to try hard not to cheat, I play the same against them. I'd do the same with my wife.


But I do agree with you, a lot of the time, there'd be softplaying going on. Situations like what you describe. Even among friends. Or just people who met for the first time at the casino. Like sometimes someone would strike up conversation with someone, then when heads up, say "oh, it's just me and you, I check".


- Tony