It's quite ironic that poker, a game built on strategy, deception, and risk-taking, heavily depends on the integrity of its players. However, this paradox is part of the game's reality.
Poker The game's integrity can flourish only if individuals are participating at the tables. As such, the community unites to eliminate cheaters, expose scandals, and maintain the game's good name. This collective endeavor aims to secure the future of poker by making it a safe environment for players.
And it's an effective system too. Where else can you witness substantial amounts of money being casually wagered or thousands of dollars left unattended while a player steps away temporarily?
Nowhere, right?
However, the poker scene isn't always as pristine as it may appear. Once someone is labeled as a cheat, their reputation can be irreparably damaged, often resulting in lifetime bans...
Nevertheless, some players continue to take the gamble.
Proving that someone is cheating can often prove difficult, particularly if there’s no confession involved to complicate the situation further.
Poker is largely subjective, making it relatively easy for someone to rationalize even the most dubious actions.
Last month we discussed the recent Robby Lew cheating accusations For more insights, you can explore this topic further in our publication.
This time, we’ll highlight additional scandals that have marred the scene. poker world over the last couple of years.
Here they are in no particular order:
You can find more on the
A few years back, the STONES LIVE cash stream introduced a remarkable player. Commentary teams were astonished and viewers were left in awe as Mike Postle transformed overnight from an average player to a poker giant.
Postle astonishingly dominated table after table for over a year, achieving one of the most outrageous winning streaks ever witnessed on a live stream. He amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars while playing at stakes as low as $1/$3.
From a strategic viewpoint, Postle’s decisions often appeared quite poor. Yet, his post-flop maneuvers were so flawless that they overshadowed any concerns regarding his pre-flop choices. Postle saga He frequently secured massive pots through unconventional tactics executed at perfectly timed moments. in this magazine. #2 Foxen and Bicknell
Something felt off, yet nobody questioned it too harshly. Postle had garnered a reputation as a prodigious player.
That narrative persisted until mid-2019, when Veronica Brill, one of the commentators, raised concerns about Postle’s integrity. She supported her allegations with an 18-minute video analyzing hands that seemed far too extraordinary to be genuine.
After Brill’s revelations, the poker community began to take notice. Prominent players like Doug Polk and Joey Ingram spent countless hours reviewing live streaming footage for closer examination.
Three essential points quickly emerged:
Postle's gameplay was remarkably flawless and highly adaptive, clearly exploiting his opponents.
- He was often seen glancing at his phone, which he kept discreetly on his lap.
- The magnitude of his winning streak was statistically improbable.
- It led many to conclude that Postle had cleverly figured out how to access the casino's live stream in real-time, thus avoiding a 30-minute delay and gaining immediate visibility of his opponents’ cards.
This revelation accounted for both his impressive win rate and the frequent phone checks, and the fact that it was kept hidden raised further suspicions.
While definitive evidence was absent—which is common in such cheating accusations—the poker community largely agreed with the theory and ostracized Postle.
In 2019, a $30 million lawsuit was filed against Postle, but it was dismissed in 2020. He then attempted to counter with a defamation suit, only for his legal team to abandon him subsequently. Interpret that as you will.
It's worth noting that not only unscrupulous individuals cheat, and sometimes it isn’t even intentional. A notable instance transpired at The Venetian in 2018, where Kristen Bicknell and Alex Foxen faced allegations of collusion against Kahle Burns during the final three of a $5,000 tournament.
One of the most suspicious poker hands poker tournament
fold
The suspicions arose from the fact that the couple was romantically involved at the time and the peculiar sequence of several hands during their three-handed play. Spoiler alert: they ultimately placed first and second.
Fans of The Simpsons might enjoy the idea of toppling Mr. Burns ‘Eeeeexcellent’. But the real question is whether Bicknell and Foxen played ethically in the process.
During one hand, Foxen held JJ while on the button, and Bicknell possessed AA in the big blind. With each player holding around 40 blinds, one might wonder:
#3 Hustling at Hustler Casino YouTube video player How did this hand not lead to an all-in preflop?
- What stopped Bicknell from being eliminated on an innocuous board of 5c4hJsKs3c?
- And how did she manage to execute such an enormous, questionable fold on the river?
- While this sequence of events raises eyebrows, it fails to serve as definitive proof of wrongdoing. Given that Burns was also a notably short stack, the dynamics of stack sizes could easily account for any passive approach taken.
Avoiding confrontation with another player who possesses a bigger stack to outlast a short stack is generally regarded as fundamental strategy, whether the players are acquainted or not.
Beyond just the passive strategies employed, Foxen, while on the river, offered to reveal his hand to Bicknell if she chose to fold. While often seen as an attempt to entice a decision, this is just as inconclusive alone. However, it becomes more suspicious when considered alongside comments made by Bicknell in other instances. protecting his cards So, how does the rest of the session compare?
On YouTube, Finding Equilibrium conducted a comprehensive examination of the three-handed play involving Bicknell and Foxen. They discovered that the couple played significantly more passively against each other compared to their other opponent. #4 The Dream Machine 1.0 The research showed that Bicknell and Foxen only took advantage of 18% of their bluffing chances against one another, in contrast to 62% against Burns. These statistics lend further credence to the idea that a softer approach was employed.
While this conclusion might seem damning, it’s based on a limited sample and sidesteps essential factors such as position, stack sizes, and card distributions, all of which could substantially influence the observed outcomes.
Are you starting to recognize why identifying a cheat is so complex?
Considering all the evidence, it's hard to overlook the potential signs of soft play, whether intentional or accidental. It might not constitute 'collusion' in the strictest sense, as that implies a deliberate scheme, but the couple's offer to Burns muddies the waters.
If we consider soft play in this particular hand, it’s more likely two individuals looking out for their partner rather than engaging in malicious behavior. As Donna Goddard wisely observed, 'When we love someone, we make it our mission to protect them.'
Absolutely, it’s unethical behavior, but expecting the Foxen’s relationship not to influence their decisions at the table, whether consciously or subconsciously, is unrealistic. Playing consistently would mean treating all opponents as adversaries.
Yet, it's practically impossible to regard your significant other as just another competing player when they are your partner in life.
How can one dismiss their partner’s feelings when the emotional connection directly affects their own?
Surely, one would question their affection for their partner if they were indifferent to the idea of eliminating them. That would verge on sociopathic tendencies.
And what considerations of self-preservation come into play? Let’s face it, nobody seeks to be in deep trouble at home. It would require considerable effort on your part to appease your partner after knocking them out and depriving them of thousands of dollars!
- Our next scandal is of a somewhat self-created nature, stemming from another live-streamed cash game. This event occurred earlier this year at a casino aptly dubbed Hustler Casino. Think of it as a low-budget rendition of the earlier Mike Postle saga.
- In this scenario, a player known as Skillsrocks brazenly glanced at his opponent’s cards. He would then employ this unethical information to secure advantageous outcomes in hands.
The stark contrast between this situation and the Postle affair is that Skillsrocks was technically not cheating. Though there was clearly a lack of moral integrity, Barry Wallace missed the opportunity to take much stronger precautions.
poker bot Libratus
As Victor Ortiz learned after that infamous sucker punch by Floyd Mayweather, it’s vital to safeguard yourself at all times. This principle equally applies at the poker table.
Even so, Skillsrocks went out of his way to steal a glance at his opponent’s cards.
He even practiced yoga-esque neck stretches to achieve the best viewing angle. According to a 2+2 thread, .
Skillsrocks consciously coordinated fake glances at his own cards while Barry was checking his.
- He frequently neglected to pile up his winnings, eager to not miss a chance.
- When someone expends this much energy to tip the scales in their favor, it's easy to classify it as cheating.
- Skillsrocks has since issued a public apology for his conduct and accepted the punishment imposed by Hustler Casino.
- If you've been a long-time follower of Joey Ingram’s poker podcast, you may have caught his light-hearted remarks regarding Ike Haxton’s ‘dream machine’. This joke insinuated that Haxton performed so well at poker due to a supercomputer program, dubbed the ‘dream machine’, working for him.
While humorous, Haxton is genuinely a highly esteemed figure within the poker community. Joey’s commentary was more tongue-in-cheek admiration than an actual accusation. No one took the notion of a dream machine seriously. After all, this was years ago.
This concept originally flourished on a 600-node, 28-core supercomputer located in Pittsburgh.
GTO
Since that time, there has been substantial advancement in poker software, leading to the prevalent use of GTO solvers.
However, employing this software in real-time during a game is outright condemned as cheating, and poker platforms are actively taking measures to combat it.
YouTube video player Cheaters Beware! Initiatives being implemented include the elimination of hand histories, reducing timebanks, and vigilant monitoring of player behaviors.
In 2020, Fedor Kruse attempted to exploit the system by utilizing his own ‘dream machine’. His strategy was relatively straightforward:
Kruse constructed a detailed and systematically arranged database of pre-analyzed cash game situations. He could access this data in real-time using a secondary computer.
The realm of poker can often resemble a shady environment where dishonesty can thrive unchecked. In this piece, we will delve into five major controversies that have compromised the integrity of the poker world over the recent years.
About the Author
See all It's an intriguing contradiction that poker, a game rich in deceit and cunning strategies, relies profoundly on the ethical compass of its participants. Yet, this is the undeniable truth we face. This game thrives only when players gather around the tables. Therefore, the poker community unites in efforts to root out dishonest players, exposing scandals and upholding the integrity of the game. It's a collective mission aimed at enhancing the longevity of poker by fostering a safe and welcoming atmosphere for players.
And this system is remarkably effective. Where else could you witness significant sums of money being risked without a second thought, or see thousands of dollars left unattended on the table while a player briefly leaves?
However, it's essential to recognize that the seemingly pristine nature of the game can be deceptive. Being labeled a cheater can devastate your reputation and lead to permanent exclusion from the game. Dan O'Callaghan Nonetheless, there are still individuals who are unafraid to take that chance.
Proving that someone is cheating can often be a complex challenge, particularly when tangible evidence is scarce unless a confession comes forth.
Poker is inherently subjective, making it relatively easy for players to rationalize even their most dubious moves.
More details on this topic are available within this magazine.
In this installment, we'll explore different scandals that have stained the
Just a few years back, the STONES LIVE cash stream showcased an incredible emergence of a player. Viewers and commentary teams alike were captivated as they witnessed Mike Postle transform from an average player to a poker titan seemingly overnight!
Over the span of a year, Postle dominated several tables, achieving an astonishing winning streak live on stream, raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars even at low stakes of $1/$3.
Dan O'Callaghan
From a tactical viewpoint, it was evident that Postle's
choices appeared questionable at best. Yet, his flawless play after the flop overshadowed any poor initial decisions. His ability to bluff effectively was remarkable.
He consistently secured large pots through unconventional moves executed at just the right moments.
Despite concerns, the enthusiasm around Postle’s play seemed to overrule any doubts. He was hailed as a poker prodigy.
At least, that perception persisted until mid-2019 when one of the stream's commentators, Veronica Brill, expressed her doubts about Postle's integrity. She supported her concerns with an 18-minute video detailing hands that seemed far too extraordinary to be authentic.