Daydreaming

[Tom D]

You know what would really be cool? To be an owner of an online poker site, or a trusted employee, where you could tap into the system and see everyone’s hole cards during the game. That would really be cool. I’d open up a fictitious account and sit right down at the heads-up tables, and take on all comers. There’s some BIG money changing hands at these tables, and it would be easily possible to take off a score of 200K, 500K, or more. That would really be cool.

Then, what I’d do is advertise. I might come here, for example, and get arrogant and nasty, and I’d issue challenges, maybe even to name-players like Annie Duke, and I’d dare all the sissies to put up or shut-up. That would really be cool; and then everybody would be saying, “Who is that guy...what makes him so good...I’ve never seen him lose”.

That would be way cool.

Tom D

[maplepig]

you have to be an expert at cheating, it's not much easier than playing good poker. If you are not good at disguising yourself, you will not get the cool response, instead
"avoid that f***#$% aXXXXXX, he's a f***@#$ cheater!!!!!!"

[RollaJ]

you have to be an expert at cheating, it's not much easier than playing good poker

I beg to differ. If you cant win heads up knowing someones hole cards you are an idiot

[mrbaseball]

Yes owning an online poker site is quite a daydream. Pulling in 7 figures a week in rake. Maybe I'll risk all that to cheat and bust out some chump for small change. No wait? That wouldn't make any sense at all.

Simple economics tell us the house makes more on a clean game than a crooked game because once you get that proven crooked reputation you are done. This is why online poker is squeeky clean with the only dirt coming from the outside via collusion.

[Tom D]

What about an employee (programer?) who's grinding out $30K a year in salary? Would $500K be "chump change" to him?

Tom D

[mrbaseball]

I'm pretty sure the big sites programmers are a little better paid than that. Many computer professionals have much access to electronic cash if they are crooks. I'm sure some have stolen plenty in all fields like banking, brokerage, retail etc. They get caught a lot too.

But just like in real live casinos there is a thing called security. If I own the online pokerroom I can pretty much assure you I will know whats going on. I'll know what those with access are up to. If I don't I'm probably out of business in the first 2 months anyway. The key programmers are likely partners anyway who truly understand which side of their bread is buttered.

[jumpthru]

Where do you figure the 7 figure rake? How many hands does a site deal out and whats the average rake? What about a B&M poker room? Do you think B&M will cease to exist within the decade due to no money to be made in rakes?

[sam h]

"Simple economics tell us the house makes more on a clean game than a crooked game because once you get that proven crooked reputation you are done."

I don't think the sites themselves are crooked either. But you don't have to know much about the history of organized gaming to realize how often the above statement has not held true in reality.

[mrbaseball]

Meyer Lansky a mob/gambling pioneer was a big proponent of running clean games. They realized that the house edge was plenty and kept the suckers coming back. Most of the thieving went on behind the scenes via skimming. The games for the most part became very clean due to competition and the realization that the house edge was more than adequate.

In todays environment a crooked game just can't survive because clean ones are so prevalent and profitable. Too much legal, clean and corporate competition that would destroy you nowadays if there was even a hint of crookedness.

[maplepig]

you have to be a lot more smarter than an "idiot" to cheat without getting caught. That's the point. It's not that you can't win. I doubt any expert will play you 100 hours without picking up any notice.