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Absolute Poker Employee Abused Information
Gambling911.com is learning that at least one high ranking official at Absolute Poker abused pertinent information provided to him about a vulnerability in the online poker room's new software. While the abuse has been well documented, reports of how key individuals came to take advantage of key flaws remain a mystery until now.
In August, the company announced a significant release - version 8.0 - which promised innovative features that would allow users to completely customize their playing environment.
"We've officially unleveled the online poker playing field," David Clainer, senior vice president for Absolutepoker.com, said at the time . "Our players have asked for innovative features and we're thrilled to deliver them all in this release."
Version 8.0 was the result of months of coding and design enhancements. But the software was not without its flaws as we have since discovered.
In September 2007, Absolute Poker began defending itself following accusations made by members of several Internet forums that the online poker room has a "superuser" account, which allows one player to read the hole cards of another during a game. By October, widespread Internet allegations of cheating led to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission opening an investigation.
While Absolute Poker contends there was no such "superuser" account, it has since confirmed internal cheating and has begun paying affected players. The online poker community points to Absolute founder Scott Tom and a manager brought on in the past months, formerly from Nine.com, AJ Green. AJ is rumored to now be in Panama City, Panama.
Gambling911.com sources reveal how a former Nine.com tech support specialist was also brought on to help in the development and testing of the newly upgraded software.
"This individual I seriously doubt was involved in cheating players," our source discloses. "But what I do know is that he discovered the flaw and had presented it to Absolute Poker executives to show there was a problem with the software. His intention was to create a patch."
But there appeared to be little if any follow up. Instead we now learn that one or more individuals used this knowledge to cheat some tournament players during the month of September.
AJ Green, who is known to have a tech support and management background, is also reported to have been in the business of "cybersquatting". Green is one of the few key Nine.com management persons left behind in the launching of LazerWager.com, started primarily by Nine.com executives. His drug addiction is well known within Costa Rica betting circles. It is estimated that some 75% of former Nine.com management attends AA meetings and drug intervention programs in Costa Rica. Most are fully "clean" now.
An investigation has been launched by the The Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Erroneous reports have the Quebec law enforcement getting involved with Kahnawake affairs and the investigation itself. These reports are false.
Both the Canadian and Quebec governments dispute the legality of Kahnawake's gambling operations, but have not risked taking further action due to the harsh international repercussions that followed the bloody Oka Crisis in 1990. The websites hosted within Kahnawake are the only privately owned gambling sites that have operated in continental North America without legal action being taken against them.
Absolute Poker appears not to have been impacted severely by recent bad press. The online poker room continues to see more action than its closest competitor, Bodog.com. UltimateBet, a sister website, has enjoyed brisk business as well over the past week.
"UltimateBet does not use the same software platform and is run completely separate from Absolute," an Absolute Poker spokesperson told Gambling911.com.
Both Absolute Poker and UltimateBet advertisements were pulled from Gambling911.com last week following confirmed reports of the "internal breach", however, Gambling911.com is likely to reactivate the UltimateBet's advertising campaign in the coming week.
Absolute Poker and UltimateBet are operated by Tokwiro Enterprises.
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