By the time this issue is published, it will have been six months since poker pro Joe Sebok accepted a sponsorship deal with UltimateBet.com, as well as a position as the Media & Operations Consultant for UB. It has not been an easy road for Sebok, as the backlash from some in the poker community has been harsh and included accusations of Sebok jumping at easy sponsorship money and naïvely accepting anything UB tells him. On the other side of the coin, he has received some support, as well as many who have opted for the wait-and-see, time-will-tell attitude.

Since my last column on this topic, Sebok has been able to assist many poker players in the resolution of their outstanding issues, most of them being hand history requests and related concerns. In fact, he noted in a recent blog post that there were 131 resolved requests for personal financial summaries, 48 of which needed hand histories as well. And two cases that involved players who felt they were cheated but not compensated are currently being investigated by Sebok. He explained the delays thus far, "The reason that the hand histories take a little while right now, at least when going back to the times of the cheating, is that they are combining hand histories from both the old network and the new one to complete a total hand history."

Sebok's other promise to the public was to facilitate the future release of cheating account screen names and associated real names. Though the screen names were released in 2009, names linked to those online poker accounts remain under wraps, but he explained that that was also a complicated process. He realizes that he is fighting a tough battle with UB on that front but continues to have regular discussions with the company's executives to further the process. "I said I would work diligently to make this happen," he wrote, "but I never said I would guarantee it, because that last piece is the piece that I knew would be the hardest, and it certainly has held true to form."

On a personal note, I had an off-the-record conversation with Sebok regarding his months thus far with UB and his hopes going forward. What I will say is that much goes on behind the scenes via meetings, concessions that UB has made, and small steps that Sebok has made toward achieving transparency and accommodation, but he looks to make more significant strides and works diligently toward that goal. Those who believe he doesn't take his consulting responsibility seriously have not spoken to him and do not realize the depths of his integrity. Whether UB will release the names of the cheaters remains to be seen, but the subject is discussed regularly. And I will speak with Sebok on the record in the coming weeks to provide additional information in this space.

Regarding UB itself, the site seems to continually improve security and software to stay atop the technology game and provide more safeguards for players. The latest upgrade involved improved detection devices for unauthorized software, bots, and hacking tools, which are linked to anything or anyone connected to the UB game client. While this writer certainly has no tech-knowledge and cannot explain in any greater detail, it can be said that these types of improvements are ones that are not only made regularly but in the public eye, making for a kind of transparency that no other online poker site provides its customers. And whether this is a result of Sebok's efforts or simply a new attitude from UB management, it does indicate that efforts are being made to repair its reputation and move forward with customers' interests at the fore.

Anyone looking to stay apprised of Sebok's updates with regard to UB or contact him for assistance with hand histories or financial summaries, his blog can be found at PokerRoad.com.

Jennifer Newell is a compulsive writer. In addition to Poker Player Newspaper, she writes for numerous publications and blogs at Pokerati.com as California Jen. In her little bit of spare time, she plays poker, too.
Contact her at jen3351@msn.com.