Collusion at PokerStars rumbled

[redsimon]

Below is a post from the forum of www.thehendonmob.com

If you suspect you were ripped off in the 30/60 game by these two might be worth contacting security@pokerstars.com

Posted by occasional poster on 3/4/2003, 12:17 am

I was recently playing in a 30-60 game at PS, after playing only 50-60 hands on a full ring game I felt compelled to report two players for suspicion of colluding. I have spent thousands of hours on the net and never reported anyone. Naturally I have had my suspicions before, but these half a dozen seemed particularly coincidental. The first hand that aroused my suspicion was when I was had AQ and I was last to act of the three (me and the two suspects).
Briefly, I had AQ and the flop was K-10-x. There was betting on the flop, I raised to get a free turn card. Both the turn and river missed. Suspect 1 bet, Suspect 2 raised - I pass the 2 bets with my A high, Suspect 1 reraises and Suspect 2 folds. This is the sort of thing that arouses suspicion, but of course could be perfectly innocent - a miss click or a stone cold bluff. I noticed a few more hands that I wasnt involved in. The pair weren't playing every pot, but were together in each pot they played. In most of these pots they would raise and reraise eachother, but with no showdown - except once when one had pocket Kings - the other called. This is an entirely sensible thing to do if players are beginning to suspect cheating. At this stage, after seeing several of these hands, I was deeply suspicious. The hand that made up my mind was the second one that I was involved with. There were four players in the pot, I forget whether I made it 2 or 3 bets preflop with my 9-9. One of the blinds (loose) had called and so was first to act on the flop, followed by the suspects and finally me. Now the flop came over ....

8-x-x rainbow (poss 8-3-2)

The loose blind checked.
Suspect 1 bet.
Suspect 2 raised.
I reraise.
Loose Blind calls for 3 bets.
Suspect 1 folds for 2 bets.
Suspect 2 folds for one bet.

This was an exceptionally unusual play in limit poker, especially for a flop like 8-3-2 - i certainly didnt have a 'rock image'. Its hard to imagine putting in 2 bets on this flop and not calling for third, especially in a mulitway pot, where the odds could well justify playing for the backward hand. This just seemed too strange, so I reported it. Someone else on the table expressed concern a few hands later and within 10 minutes one of the players left.

I received a prompt email from support indicating that they had forwarded it to their poker expert and would get back to me when the matter was resolved. A few days passed and finally a received a couple of responses from them.

The two players, who i shall name and shame as Woo and TakeMoney, had had their accounts frozen a few hours after i had mailed PS. Poker Stars had, through looking at the hands i nomianted and trawling through hand histories, agreed that they believed that collusion had taken place and had given the players time to respond to the charge of collusion.

The players had presumably not given a satisifactory response and were barred. I was refunded $240 for what i believed was the AQ hand and as was I believe other players, who they had beleived to be the victims of the pair. These refunds came out of the accounts of the players - so I believe they they received nothing. This is, in my opinion, a bold and commendable act by PS.

I suggested that they use any remaining cash to fund a freeroll, but they were understandably reluctant to have a 'Funds seized from colluders freeroll' !!

My final comments to them prompted a response to that should give us all hope tht collusion will soon be a thing of the past on the net. My concern was that I felt that they couldn't expect players to weed out cheaters except in the most obvious of cases, which i believe this was. Collusion may occur more frequently at a much subtler level, and I am sure it does. I suggested that the best approach was to try and provide some algorithm that would search through hand histories and flag unusal occurences. This should do no more than provoke investigation by their poker experts, certainly not to convict, but say to monitor. They replied and told me that this was something that they currently had under development. This is extemely good news - cheaters beware - i think this will stamp it out colluding in the future - the cheaters would have to be very subtle to beat the program and consequently this would mean it would be worth low $$$'s /hour.

Well done to Poker Stars - I hope the rest will be following their lead !

[QMC]

Post the names on the "ONLINE CHEATERS LIST" thread. We need to all stop these people. Or at least become aware to save ourselves. Thanks for the good post

[maplepig]

why not also have a program to monitor the frequecy and hand strength of the all-in abuses and refund the money to the victim.

[onlinechamp]

I can also say I might have been a victim of these 2 I have played alot with takemoney in both 30-60 holdem and omaha hi lo 15-30 but I don't recall if his partner WOO was there but not that I think about it he probably was but I wouldn't have a clue how much I lost etc.

thanks for the post,
onlinechamp

[HavanaBanana]

Were these players from the same town?
Which towns?