Yep they were punished alright and it was pretty much what we all expected. I don’t even think you could even call it a slap on the wrist. It is a complete joke and really should be looked at as the ultimate wake up call.

Online poker is in shambles. Add in what is going on with Ultimate Bet and we are now at what should be the breaking point. Something has to give. We NEED regulation now more than ever. And poker players need to step the F&*K UP! Stop playing on these sites. TODAY! I just don’t understand. High stakes players need to take their games elsewhere and let these sites implode..

And Mark Seif : I am calling you out! STEP DOWN, RESIGN, QUIT, LEAVE, ABANDON Absolute Poker now. Why you continue to allow your image to be tarnished by a situation and people who should be considered criminals… scum… is beyond me. There has to be something holding you back… a contract.. ownership…. too many bobbleheads in boxes… something..

To those that are reading this…. If you must continue to play and give your money to possible criminals and foreign businesses…. Play at Full Tilt. At least they are owned and operated by American and Canadian poker players. And from what I know there is no possibility of a super user account on Full Tilt because it is not in their code. You will always have to worry about the players but at least the software seems secure.

In the past I might have been called paranoid but I really think this problem of cheating online is rampant. Some have argued that if it indeed was that bad it would be more obvious. I don’t agree with the notion that this cheating is being done at the higher levels. I have said it before, it makes much more sense to scam the lower limits where it is much more likely to go unnoticed. I am talking the $100 level and lower, both cash game and tournaments. (Although tournament buyin probably doesn’t matter.) One only has to be reminded of the scheme they had going in the movie Office Space. You don’t want to steal thousands at a time in games where the players are sophisticated and smart. You want to nickel and dime but do it on a major scale. The average poker player is oblivious to these tactics.

I am definitely going to limit my online play to a minimum. No more than $100 in my account. Just enough to have a little fun. My confidence in the system has been shattered. I prefer my hustles to be up close and personal anyway. Look me in the eye when you try and cheat me.

Speaking of confidence shattered, where is the Poker Players Alliance on this?? How about a public statement condemning actions? Do something! You guys are one of few that can get real media attention. How about capitalizing on these moments to gain ground in the fight for government regulation??

And I call out to each and every one of our readers… Boycott all casinos in which Kahnawake has invested interest in. Starting with Absolute and Ultimate Bet.

You know… Full Tilt should start a promotion and give every person who shows proof of a closed account at one or more of those sites a $20 bonus. You hear that Howard Lederer?? If you get 100 new regulars it is worth it right? Time to come out swinging and squash the competition.

This whole thing makes me sick.

In Other News….

It looks like I have been nominated for best webcomic creator by Broken Frontier. This is the 4th year for BF awards and the first time I have been recognized by my peers for the work done on Life’s A Bluff. Cliche or not it really is cool just to be nominated. I would be crazy to think this would be possible without someone like Ryan Estrada as a partner. So thanks to him for his unmatched work ethic.

I am up against some stiff competition too.. Ramon Perez from Butternut Squash, Scott Christian Sava from Dreamland Chronicles, and Digger’s Ursula Vernon.

- Frank

Tags: , absolute, comics, full tilt, howard lederer, kahnawake, mark seif, poker, poker players alliance, ultimate bet

This entry was posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 7:58 am and is filed under Poker Comics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.