Casino Observer

This August is supposed to see the launch of the Cereus Poker Network (not sure this is the most successful of puns given all the history), which is a new online poker room supposed to rise like a phoenix out of the wreckage of Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. For those of you new to this story, both rooms are owned and operated by the same company, Tokwiro Enterprises Inc. On virtual paper, combining the two produces what should be the third largest online poker network. Whether it turns out that way all depends on the players. Will they remain loyal and decide to swim in the same bigger pool? To encourage them to transfer to the new platform, Tokwiro is going through the ritual of promising incredible new features, more action, more tournaments and massive promotions (now there’s a surprise).

All other things being equal, it should be a no-brainer for existing players to roll over on to the new platform. Except there has been some player “unhappiness”. There have been a few incidents of cheating, but the spark that lit the fuse came with the activities of the high-flying Josh Field. This is the player formerly known as JJProdigy who (graciously) gave up $140,000 of loose change standing to his credit in the PartyPoker $500k. He was caught playing on two accounts during the tournament, so forfeiting the winnings and grovelling in apology seemed the least he could do.

Unfortunately, the backlash swept past him and has swamped Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet (with some fallout for the online poker industry in general). Field has been banned for life (which is the kind of treatment WADA demands for drug cheats in sport — try telling that to an MLB player!). This ban is wee bit on the harsh side for someone who has yet to see his eighteenth birthday. But the industry is too interested in trying to placate the players to care about one young guy’s rights. The managers of all the major poker sites have been in full damage limitation mode, talking to the the media and the Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA) to maintain the trust of players.

But back to Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, I don’t know (and don’t much care) who has the rights and wrongs of all the allegations that have since surfaced about cheating on these sites. If you believe all the web chatter, Russ Hamilton and all the others named have a lot of explaining to do. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is not covering itself in glory either. With a major scandal exploding around them, it issued a statement on July 23 (see http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/07/kgc-releases-official-statement-ultimate-bet.htm). Better luck next time, guys. Weasely words aren’t going to cut it. Only detailed facts coming out of a full investigation restore credibility.

More generally, on July 22, the PPA released a statement prepared by Senator Alfonse D’Amato (at http://pokerplayersalliance.org/press-releases/2008/07/22/press-…-scandals/) which calls for proper U.S. licensing and regulation to deal with the lack of transparency and accountability in the online poker world. There are further concerns about children accessing online sites, and the incidence of gambling as a destructive addiction and how government should address it. The Senator wants to clear the air (just like those guys at the EPA).

So with the reputations of Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet in tatters, it’s hardly surprising that their owner has decided to rebrand. Except that, without a full investigation and a proper report by an independent commission, who are they trying to fool? A name change and some promotional freebies are a spit in the wind. Given that the two leading sites, PokerStars and Full Tilt, happily accept U.S.-based players, most everyone is likely to end up there. And like, why should we care what serious rebranding Tokwiro tries? To regain lost trust, you have to rebuild from the ground up.