Still playing at Absolute

As most everyone knows from chat and discussions on our forum, I'm on a forced hiatus until I get a decent Internet connection here in the sticks. I'm able to get on and answer emails, but since a phone call kicks me offline, I just really hate to sit at a real money poker table.

I wanted to weigh in real quick on the situation that developed at Absolute Poker over the past couple of months. Here are a few random thoughts...

First, why is everyone so surprised that an industrious individual was able to crack a poker site's security and cheat their way to tens of thousands of dollars? Where there are big stacks of cash, you'll have people trying to get their hands on it, plain and simple. We live in a society that chugs down coke and popcorn while cheering on the smart/sexy cast of Oceans 11 / 12 and soon to be 13. Then we're horrified when someone breaks into our home and takes the family silver.

This goes way on back to Robin Hood. We're always happy when the thieves are targeting "the man", until we happen to be "the man" or at least we're somewhat involved with "the man".

My point is this. Don't get your panties in a wad over a couple of industry insiders using their unique positions and knowledge to make a few grand. Our culture is in love with this stuff! Cheats, thieves, ne'er-do-wells will always be with us. It just really sucks when it's your stuff that is the target.

Second thought is this. Absolute Poker's sin was not getting abused by a shifty employee. That can happen to anyone. The "rogue employee uses his position to cheat" situation isn't new by any stretch. In my opinion, Absolute's transgression was the really really bad way it was handled in the public's eye. Poker players aren't stupid...well, winning poker players anyway, and you can bet a large portion of the 2+2 posters who sniffed this out are winning players. Continuing to deny, deny, deny when everyone knows you're lying, just makes the problem worse. 'Fess up, fix the problem, compensate those affected, move on. Let's hope not only AP learned this lesson, but every other online poker site that watched it unfold.

Finally, I have never seen so many righteous .01/.02 players having conniption fits. If they all take their rake totals elsewhere, it might put a real pinch on AP's board of directors, as they consider whether or not to order extra cheese on their pizza at the next meeting. Actually the reverse might be true since most of the nickel dimers cost Absolute money, with all of the generous reload bonuses and rakeback.

I'm not trying to disrespect the low limit guys. I'm a low limit guy! It's just that I was so amazed by the players who raised the most cane. You had the guys ticked off who were affected and had a legitimate beef (high limit players and high dollar tourney players). Then you had this midget army of penny ante guys and gals grabbing ropes, pitch forks and torches. What the hey? I wonder if it was just their frustrations at the "cash out curse" and "rigged flops" finally finding a voice?

I got an email towards the end of October from a guy who was mass emailing poker portals requesting that we join together in bringing down Absolute Poker since we now have evidence that they rig games. Are you serious?

Humans are stupid.