So what are these tournaments you speak of?

okerStars Game #31396635064: Tournament #181510739, Freeroll Hold'em No Limit - Level X (300/600) - 2009/08/08 16:02:58 ET
Table '181510739 94' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Cao Cao V (7293 in chips)
Seat 2: young_jedi76 (8923 in chips)
Seat 4: FACUMDP (18205 in chips)
Seat 5: cliff47 (3540 in chips)
Seat 6: cyfleisc (12309 in chips)
Seat 7: LuckyGump (18960 in chips)
Seat 8: sledghammer (11161 in chips)
Seat 9: hendry00 (2764 in chips)
Cao Cao V: posts the ante 50
young_jedi76: posts the ante 50
FACUMDP: posts the ante 50
cliff47: posts the ante 50
cyfleisc: posts the ante 50
LuckyGump: posts the ante 50
sledghammer: posts the ante 50
hendry00: posts the ante 50
cliff47: posts small blind 300
cyfleisc: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sledghammer [Jh Js]
LuckyGump: raises 1200 to 1800
sledghammer: raises 9311 to 11111 and is all-in
hendry00: folds
Cao Cao V: folds
young_jedi76: folds
FACUMDP: folds
cliff47: folds
cyfleisc: folds
LuckyGump: calls 9311
*** FLOP *** [2c 8c 9h]
*** TURN *** [2c 8c 9h] [Qc]
*** RIVER *** [2c 8c 9h Qc] [7h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
LuckyGump: shows [Qs Ac] (a pair of Queens)
sledghammer: shows [Jh Js] (a pair of Jacks)
LuckyGump collected 23522 from pot
skiller32 is connected
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 23522 | Rake 0
Board [2c 8c 9h Qc 7h]
Seat 1: Cao Cao V folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: young_jedi76 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: FACUMDP (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: cliff47 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: cyfleisc (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: LuckyGump showed [Qs Ac] and won (23522) with a pair of Queens
Seat 8: sledghammer showed [Jh Js] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 9: hendry00 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Platinum star, 53k/100k having played ~14 weeks this year. Pretty easily going to hit supernova.

I was in a pretty good rhythm of playing fpp sats every day to get T$ and selling it off in MTT community, but I've fallen way behind now. Sighface. Either I have to play big FPP buyin satellites (lol variance?) or I dunno... wait for supernova to use my fpps?

Here's hoping for instant cash credits in September.

Sat at 2/4 earlier and dropped about 25 bets in 40 hands. I noticed some really strange play from a couple players, and upon further investigation I am 99% convinced they were a 3 man collusion team. Already emailed stars about so I won't say any names on a public forum, but maybe PM me if you're a 2/4 reg and would like to discuss.

you're probably wrong and they're just morons. TAke out the names and post hands imo

It's more about pattern of play. All three players appear to be from the same country based on location info, and I just saw one play that struck me as peculiar but certainly not evidence to convict anyone of collusion. But then I review the session and realized they never went to showdown together in the same pot, and watched them switch tables for several more hours and not showdown against each other. They'd start a new 6 max table then leave together shortly after the game filled up to start a new table. It could be softplaying and sharing hole cards, which is still collusion but not necessarily some mastermind scheme.

Looking at their tableratings, it's obvious they were trying to play the same tables today. Two of them, every table they played on for more than 5 minutes was with each other, and they both got on and off around the same time. About 9/12 tables at 2 4 and 3 6. Only one account has activity before this weekend. I played with it once, 5/29, where he was playing a 35/7 style. That, combined with the hand Ron pm'd me, makes it sound like they were actively playing best hand.

Once again, stars fails to catch the best case scenario colluders. I'm curious, is there a way in HEM to filter for things like WTSD vs. a specific opponent, and then have it run it between every opponent with more than 1k hands?

Nigeria, imo

Stars is investigating. I logged back in at 9pm and 11pm and they were still going strong. I noticed a 4th guy sitting at every table they played and never showing down against them, so who knows how many accounts are actually in on this. Whatever they are trying to do, they are actually quite horrible at it and surely bleeding off bets by the minute.

Way to be alert Ron. I think the 2+2 community is the best security these sites have.

Agreed. Nice work, Ron.

Can you PM me the names? I play 3/6 mostly and sometimes hit 2/4 when there are no good games higher up.

Update: All four of the accounts I pegged as suspicious are sitting the same 3/6 6max table at the moment. Anyone else seeing this?

I saw two of them there and then they both left the table at the same time.

Three of them just started a new table. One busted and hasn't returned yet. I dunno what they are trying to do, but it's weird and doesn't seem very effective.

All 4 of them are at the same table right now. What in the hell is Stars doing??? This is the most obvious collusion possible!

I've yet to see them showdown against each other unless one was all-in or the pot checked through multiway.

I used to play with some very bad colluding players live. They were dealers from the casino next door. They would sit in the 2, 3, and 4 seats and show each other their hands. The collective was a huge LAGgy fish that spewed $.

I wonder if your "team" here is like that. Still, it is very bad for the site and poker in general to put up with that. I'd love to hear that Stars seized their accounts.

They have started 3 new games together in the last 30 minutes. They've had enough success with their collusion to move up to 3/6.

I'd appreciate it if someone would pm me the screennames, thankyou.

pm received, thanks guys.

I shot Stars an email also.

A PM with the names would be appreciated. Does 2+2 policy prevent you from naming the individuals in this thread? I thought the only rule was not to out somebody.

Hello ******,

Thank you for your email. Based on a preliminary review of the situation
you reported, I have requested a complete review of the players involved.
This will include checking on relationships, location and play.

Depending on our findings, the players may be contacted and asked to
explain relationships and/or play. The entire process generally takes
7 to 10 days, but can be delayed if we don't receive prompt responses.

The poker specialist handling this review will contact you directly
when the review is complete or if there are unusual delays. Thank you
for your patience while we complete this process.

Regards,

Declan
PokerStars Support Team






*****They were still playing together after I got this email

Since I have no doubt that they are colluding, here are the names... pinok25, ser1kan, pokerman0589, and cesi007. Now everyone can watch the show

They're playing Velleda IV fast 3/6 6 max right now, all of them but cesi007 are at the table.

And they're gone

edit: Nope wait! they're back

Cebriones fast 3/6 6 max