Conspiracy Theory????

[Robbie Robb]

Let me don my tinfoil hat for a moment then direct your attention here:


Back? Read it? Good! Let's discuss.

Now, I'm a FIRM believer in the whole online poker is NOT rigged camp. I understand number generation and statistics and probability and the whole enchillada. But that story has to make even the most die-hard anti-rigged campers raise their eyebrows a bit.

As we all know, Annie Duke is a "Endorsed Pro" of UB, according to their website, but it really seems as if she is much more than that. If any of you were watching the webcast of the final table of the Stone Cold Nuts II, there were many questions and suggestions about the operation of the site to which Annie addressed with authority. When a different type of tourney was suggested Annie was quick to go "Done! You just need to talk to the right person. It'll be online within a couple weeks". It really seems as if she has some serious power behind the scenes as well. Which is perfectly fine. More power to her! But then when her boyfriend wins the event and big prize (granted, there was a chop) it becomes one of those things that make you go hmmmm....

That said, I enjoy playing at UB and this will NOT change my playing there at all. I really do believe it to be nothing more than a decent player having received some KICK-ASS one-on-one training/mentoring outplaying the field. I don't recall at any point during the webcast that I listened to (I didn't listen to the whole thing, we went to bed about 2.5 hours before the end) that Annie ever mentioned that hhumbert was her boyfriend. But that certainly doesn't mean she didn't. There was plenty of broadcast that I missed. I do remember one conversation where they were talking about 'what kind of person would take on the username hhumbert?' and nothing was mentioned then.

I now remove my tinfoil hat and pass it along to the next person...

[MAYHEM45]

I watched pretty much the whole thing, and she did mention that her boyfriend was still in when they were just talking over the blank screen with 35 players or so left. Definitely some interesting commentary going on the whole night, with lots of dumbass callers that I got a kick out of.

The thing that pissed me off though is that Annie said herself that most of the turbo satellites would be cut back and replaced with normal satellites, but it seems to me like the opposite has happened.

Apparently she also custom designed the blind structure herself...

[Robbie Robb]

Okay, that's good to hear. At least there was SOME disclosure there. Did you hang out to the end? Did she say anything then?

Very true, some of them were absolutely hilarious.

Yeah, I remember her talking about the shift away from turbos. Not that I play in many of the satellites there but I have played a few but pretty much all you see is turbo-this, turbo-that...

[Hawt]

From Shannon Elizabeth to Annie Duke. That's enough to make me shudder.

[Talking Poker]

I quite like this "comment" that was posted with the original article:
LOL... As for the conspiracy theory, I have to point out that there is no good reason for UB to rig this tourney in favor of a friend of the family. Ooooooh..... stealing a couple hundred grand. The RAKE they generated from this one tourney alone (not counting all the satellites and everything els leading up to it) was $30 * 2773 = $83,190.

That's ONE tournament. A big one, yes, but the point is, they make gobs and gobs of money by running a clean site. If it was rigged, how much do you think they would have to pay the software dude who rigged it for them to keep his mouth shut? Remember, if word gets out, BAM, game over. End of UB. There is just no way in the world any of the bigger sites would ever risk that.

Final point: If a nobody had won the tourney (like happens all the time on all the sites), would that suggest that the site wasn't rigged? I think not. So I don't see why the opposite should be true when a notable wins... Over time, it's going to happen. I mean, Hellmuth might even win someday!

[PShabi]

Right after the event, I remember reading something about some "funky" breaks that took place out of nowhere. Anything fishy going on there Mayhem?

People were complaining that they were taking breaks to favor Duke's man in some way, although I can't see how it would. Unless it was to allow for him to make a deal.

[Hawt]

LIKE OMGZ BADBLOOD POSTED THAT!!! Us TP.com players are clever.

[Talking Poker]

haaaaahahaha.... I can't believe I didn't even notice that!

Nice one, BB.

[MAYHEM45]

Before the second break, the blind level went for a half hour extra, so 45 minutes, instead of the regular 15, thats all I noticed.

Of course this was while I was still in, I have no idea if it happened again later.

[eejit101]

i cant believe its rigged. I dont understand the 45 min blind level at all. I dont understand how the breaks would favour someone? Annies fella had to go to the shop or toilet or something? Its not rigged, it cant be, $85k rake is not worth whatever split they would have made with Annie and her bloke. It was just his turn to win, and with Annie helping you play, id do a hell of alot better that by myself!

And shannon elizbeth + bad poker > annie duke + good poker is a bit of a conundrum.

yes imagine having shannon to break hell out of at night, but she is away filming alot, thats when you need the poker to while away the months.....

[Robbie Robb]

I hope no one misunderstood me - I don't think it's rigged either. Like TP said, it's simply not worth it to rig one event. If it ever were discovered. BAM! No more events.

It's just one of those things that make you go Hmmm.... for a second. Then the rational among us quickly discard it and chalk it up to a crazy coincidence whilst the other Lone Gunmen take it and run with it!

[BDMK]

actually, i was stunned to notice that UB has started offering non-turbo-non-rebuy sats to aruba et al as of last week. in fact, having had some leftover freeroll coins, i played the very first one offered ($10+1) last friday and liked it a lot (despite my customary bad beat midway thru lol). for once, not everyone went allin on the first hand. (ok, exaggerating just a tad...)

it has always boggled my mind as to why the likes of stars and UB, for one, havent to this point introduced non-turbo/non-rebuy cheap/entry sats (simply as additional choices on top of the turbos/rebuys. noone's saying to drop anything, just add more options on top of the existing ones)...cant think of any good fiscal or other reason. my personal motto in business has always been: the more choices for the customer, the better...and im particularly disappointed in stars, that innovator and trailblazer in all things online poker. why they would be so stubborn on this one single point is just beyond me.

oh well...thank goodness for fulltilt. only wish id discovered them earlier.

[BDMK]

agreed.

250K is definitely not worth a minimum of..what? 250M? (eventually maybe) 2B?

nah...

for that one simple economic reason, i personally can never believe that the major poker sites are rigged in any way, shape or form.

[PShabi]

Well you're an idiot then, because last night, I lost $48.

Two times, yes two, I had the best hand preflop and got beat on the river. Two fucking times!!!!!!!! Now, if it ain't rigged, why did I lose?

[BDMK]

given that this is the official conspiracy theory thread, how about this one:

anyone else, beside me, find that the occasional poker-related promo mailings all arrive opened? (all other mail neat and unopened as usual)

[eddo31]

i didnt see the tourney, so i dont really have any clue as to if this was rigged or not, but...

ub is the site that ran the pros only section of their aruba tourney in the first season of the wpt, and apparently it was a sham and no money was ever actually supposed to change hands.

phil gordon ended up winning the pros portion, and then he lost to juha helpi in the overall between the winner of the pros and the winner of the amateurs. this screwed everything up for ub, because the pro was supposed to beat the amateur, and ub wouldnt have to actually pay any money.

i dont remember the entire story, but if you search the archives at rgp then you should be able to find it.

like i said earlier, i dont know about this tournament recently, but ub has definitely done some questionable things regarding tourneys, just so that they can make a few extra bucks.

[badblood44]

ty, ty, i'm here all week

[jaeh00d]

I DONT KNOW CALL ME CRAZY BUT I REALLY HAVE ALWAYS FOUND ANNIE DUKE TO BE HOT. i DONT KNOW WHY BUT SHE IS HOT

[Hawt]

Any guy who would rather fuck Annie Duke over Shannon Elizabeth is crazy. Doesn't Annie Duke have like 3 kids or something too? No thanks.

[jaeh00d]

no no no no no wait...... never did i say i'd take doing annie duke over shannon elizabeth. Hands down yes shannon is the choice, but i wouldnt kick annie out of bed either.

don't underestimate 38 year old moms with three kids... they work wonders

mature women are great