Is Online Poker Legitimate Or Manipulated?
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Recently
a well-known and respected online poker site was charged with allegations of game manipulation
which effected players on these sites in adverse ways. After some legal and commissioned scrutiny into the matter
it was determined that this site had insiders create accounts
that enabled them to see their opponents’ hands
thus creating an unfair advantage.
The effected site had a disgruntled (or at minimum
a disingenuous) former employee create what is known as a “Super User” account at their site. This account
as the name implies
enabled its user to “see” all of the hands of his/her opponents
when in a poker room. Obviously
this allowed this user to fold when it was necessary to do so
and bet aggressively
when the hand they held dictated a reason to do so.
Players that played in the rooms of this Super User
started smelling a rat
when the user would never lose
and would repeatedly win hands
even when others in the room had strong hands. These players wound up reporting their findings on poker forum bulletin boards initially
and also presented the facts to the poker rooms’ management staff as well. After the gaming commissions that sanctioned this site began investigating the situation
the poker rooms’ management admitted that a former employee
had in fact
created this account
and had used it inappropriately for self-gain.
As it turns out
the online poker site had enabled an administrative procedure to permit such accounts to be created
for the purposes of testing their software. Unfortunately
the wrong disingenuous person got his hands on this functionality. The online poker site combed through all of their hand histories
where this illegal player was playing
and reimbursed all players who were adversely effected by these improper acts.
As a result of this escapade
online players have started to question the merits of online poker sites
and whether game play is fair or whether it is unfairly manipulated. It is this author’s belief that online poker is on the up-and-up for the most part
but there is always the chance for unscrupulous activity
as with any other business. Here are some comforting ideas
in support of the merits of online poker:
Regulation abound – Many of the most popular and reputable sites are regulated (in their jurisdiction) by reputable gaming commissions. These commissions have strict rules and accounting principles that must be adhered to
or the site runs the risk of losing their license. Routinely
these gaming commissions audit the online poker sites’ systems
and look for abnormalities. Moreover
some of the world’s most famous online poker sites are public companies
that are held accountable in additional public manners.
Random function – Every reputable poker site’s card generation software is implemented using computer software’s “random” function. This function
implemented in most computer programming languages today
uses an algorithm
that legitimately randomizes the selection of a card. These random functions are the same used by randomized lottery systems.
Players on the lookout – Many players that participate in online poker
are always on the alert for any “strange” functional behavior of the poker site. Anything discovered can immediately be reported to the poker site’s management team and the governing gaming commission. Also
with the creation of hundreds of poker forums on the internet
issues like these are discussed in detail
among the community of internet poker players. This helps to create a checks-and-balances philosophy between the user community and the poker sites themselves.
Reputation – The popular and reputable poker sites cannot afford to cheat or have allegations of cheating associated with their site. A bad reputation means instant loss in credibility
which will severely im
pact the site’s bottom line. Credible poker sites cannot afford the stigma associated with cheating.
Software – Keep in mind that a poker site’s functionality is only as good as its design and the implementation and testing of its software engineers. Poor design will lead to poor game results
which lead ultimately to a tarnished reputation for the poker site. Quality poker sites spend lots of time and money on developing their software or licensing their software from reputable software development houses.
In summary
it is paramount in importance to patronize reputable and licensed online poker sites
that exhibit the quality and characteristics noted above. Although there is no 100 % guarantee that your poker experience will be legitimate
the odds of this are certainly in your favor
when you patronize a credible and reputable site.
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