Online Poker Perspective: An Absolute Mess, Part 3

The Absolute Poker scandal began back in September of 2007 with rumors of cheating and developed into a full-blown investigation in a matter of weeks. When AP first denied the possibility that cheating occurred, as many players claimed, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission stepped in.

After an audit by Kahnawake-owner of one hundred percent interest in AP-preliminary findings confirmed that cheating had taken place at the hands of a high-ranking employee. Final results of the investigation have yet to be released, and there is no evidence that the cheating parties have been pursued in a legal or criminal manner.

Throughout the developments, Mark Seif, the sole Absolute Poker-sponsored professional player, has basically reserved the right to make a formal statement on the subject when the audit has been completed. He did make a video-taped statement aired on RawVegas.tv, in which he reiterated, "The real issue is how the company handles it after the fact, and that's what I'm waiting for."

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Mark, but Absolute Poker has handled the entire situation poorly. They denied any wrongdoing until the uproar was too loud to ignore. Their initial investigation discovered nothing. Finally, they admitted to some improprieties by a "hacker." Until Kahnawake disclosed the true facts, Absolute Poker was anything but forthright or honest.

Back to Seif himself... The video statement also pointed a semi-threatening finger at Todd Witteles, better known in poker circles as Dan Druff, for making "untrue" and "highly exaggerated statements" about Seif. Witteles was one of the persons victimized by the AP cheating scandal and one of the rogue investigators who helped bring about the eventual audit.

Witteles then went to RawVegas.tv to film a rebuttal, which basically stated that he never accused Seif of anything but simply called for him to come clean with an AP hand history of a 2006 tournament in which numerous players questioned Seif's play.

The game in which Seif has been accused of cheating took place more than a year ago, and when the AP cheating scandal came to light, many took the opportunity to re-question Seif's role in that specific tournament and any possible "insider" connections he may have at AP. Seif has unequivocally denied any access to hole cards under any circumstances, but when he tried to retrieve the hand history from AP to back up his claims, the site informed him that they do not keep them for more than six months.

An uproar ensued from every person on the forums, including Witteles, with the insistence that it would cost less than $1,000 to purchase a hard drive that would hold the history of every hand ever played on the site. Furthermore, Nat Arem, one of the primary poker players-turned-rogue investigator in the AP scandal, discovered that Kahnawake requires gaming records to be stored for a minimum of five years.

Not only is Seif's reputation on the line with the poker playing public, but the company that he represents-Absolute Poker-cannot produce the one document that could clear his name. This is the company to which Seif has proclaimed his devotion until he feels substantial evidence proves he should do otherwise.

Yes, this is a business decision for Seif, as well as a moral one, and breaking from a financial/business relationship should not be done lightly or without serious consideration. However, when the cards are stacked against the hand you represent, you might want to consider a fold.

See Also: An Absolute Mess, Part 1

See Also: An Absolute Mess, Part 2