I guess this might as well be as good a time as any to drop this.

I did extensive research over the last few weeks on various poker clients that are direct descendants of the "old" generation of the UltimateBet client software, from that golden age of the cheating scandals.

I have identified two places where this previously-thought-to-be obsolete software is actually "live".

Spotlight Poker, which is technically "live", doesn't actually appear to have any active users, and may just be a live "testbed" or playground for the developers of RealTime Edge software, a little Canadian company formed from former UB employees, who happen to be the current owner of record of the "intellectual property" that is this old codebase. ElevenGrover can explain the chain of custody and background far better than I.

When one looks closely at the Spotlight poker client software, it is extremely clear that the software is really not much more than a rebranding of the old UB. In fact, this software has the infamous "SuperAllah" type mystery reg-keys in place.

I have strong suspicions the code for this client includes, or has at some point in time included, mechanisms that enable the viewing of other players' hole cards, or some other similar cheating capability. It is my opinion that those infamous registry keys were a part of the means to "unlock" this mode of operation, as implied in the infamous Travis Makar "emailed zip files for godmode" email leak, but upon running the client against the live Spotlight poker server with these mystery keys in position, lo and behold, I was NOT provided any extraneous hole card data, however, that having been said, highly suspect functions in the client with names like "HandleGodsCards", and "DealCardsStealth" (more on that in a moment) were not executing in these conditions.

I believe that one of two possibilities is most likely true with regards to this software:

1) The mystery functions in the code are not used unless the "SuperAllah" type registry keys are used in conjunction with a special logon flagged on the server, or

2) This code is "dead code" still in the client but disabled in the aftermath of the UB cheating scandals. I think that even if this is the case, it's important for people to have this insight as to what likely happened behind-the-scenes in the UB cheating scandal.

I cannot think of any honest, reasonable use of the suspect functions discovered in analysis of this code given the context and history behind the code. I am open to hearing from the original engineers/developers of the code coming forward with the full source and/or a viable explanation of some less naughty reason such function names would exist in the client.

Which brings me, by the way, to what I feel is an interesting point to be made...

To make these revelations, about nefarious sounding function names existing in this client code, I did not have to go so far as to fully de-compile or dis-assemble said code, or in any way, shape or form do anything underhanded/illegal. The folks at Spotlightpoker.com have a link to anyone and everyone who wishes to download the software, which points to an FTP site open to any and everyone.




It's not restricted in any way with any sort of logon. On the very directory on their public, open FTP server, next to the installer file, exists a "PDB" file of their client executable.



Now, for those who aren't software developers by trade, a "PDB" file is a debugging information file that a developer creates when he wants to be able to make an executable file easier to analyze or debug. This file contains all of the full names of the functions in the code, and while that is not complete source code, it ends up often giving one a pretty meaningful level of insight as to how things in the program were intended to work.

It is from simply loading up this file in a text editor we see that this client software has either had in the past, or has at present, functions with really curious names:

CGodModeMsg
HandleGodsCards
IPDealCardsStealthMsg

are a few examples.

Now...all of this brings us to the web site referenced in the OP:

ClubWPT.com.

Unlike SpotLightPoker, which appears to be defunct/abandoned, ClubWPT has hundreds of active players, presumably some percent of which are paying a monthly fee to play their "sweepstakes poker" model. ClubWPT was purchased by PartyGaming, a company run by former Excapsa/UltimateBet CEO James Ryan.

This site, like Spotlight, also uses UB client software, reskinned as ClubWPT. This is not in doubt in any way, anyone can download the ClubWPT software and examine it to see all the evidence they need to remove reasonable doubt.

What is interesting to note, is like Spotlight, ClubWPT when installed on your system, also checks for the "SuperAllah" reg keys on startup!

So here, we have now identified, a real, live, running poker site, using software which we have a large body of evidence to lead us to believe was used in the past, under a different name, in the commission of cheating activity.

I am not accusing ClubWPT or RTE of superusing. It would actually be pretty lame if there were folks cheating on a subscription-based sweepstakes poker site. I can also state that like Spotlight, I was not able to replicate any condition where I was provided extraneous hole-card data, however I do not believe that alone gives this software a truly clean bill of health.

Given the past history of this software's lifetime, is it not unreasonable that I should have some significant cause for concern as a potential customer of ClubWPT ?

It is likely we will never get the full unabridged story of the specific mechanics behind the UB cheating scandal. But I find it fascinating that apparently, what may be the most controversial poker-site source code base in the history of the industry, has not actually been lost, or deleted, or buried under Giants Stadium, or is even in hiding somewhere...

Relevant links you may want to visit:
http://www.spotlightpoker.com
http://www.clubwpt.com

ElevenGrover's phenomenal blog on the subject of RealTime Edge and the UB intellectual property:
http://deadmoneybook.wordpress.com/2...g-lunch-money/

Thanks for the time spent working on this!

Would be interested to hear more opinions about what this means - any software developers or smart people care to comment?

pretty crazy

It's pretty lol worthy if this guy let UB based software anywhere near PartyGaming.

People this op is NOT tl;dr

Read the part about ClubWPT if nothing else! The whole post is very significant.

I urge people to help keep this thread alive. Doug has done some awesome work on this. It is already paying dividends.

It is important to keep this alive even in the wake of Black Friday. This story needs to stay relevant in case the old UB software surfaces somewhere else internationally whether it be under Spotlight Poker taking off or under another name.

interesting. thank you op for this

pretty shocking that people are attempting to market old UB software, more shocking that it includes such ominous sounding functions in the code.

Good work OP.

It does show that they never got another software programmer capable of making what should be considered elementary modifications. Think the very first things to get adjusted would be potentially incriminating function or procedure names. Or maybe left there for sheer arrogance, and a middle finger effect.

Bump repeatedly.

Wow, maybe researching this software could be the key to uncovering information about the UB scandal?
Good job OP

lol, just lol @ UB. I'm looking forward to the shilling on this one, the positive things they can say are drying up pretty rapidly.

We took the evidence to Sheldon Krakower, the lawyer representing current owners of the software. He has since released a statement denying the evidence, in effect suggesting the software being used for ClubWPT is not the original UltimateBet software at all.

interesting read, wp OP

I wouldn't touch UB or ABS with a 40 foot pole I can't fathom how they are still in business after finding out that there are people with accounts that see everyone's cards let alone all the other shadiness and scandal surrounding them. I expect them to disappear over time between being a Black Friday target and all these scandals I don't see how anyone could be comfortable playing there.

Great work in the op. I hope something comes of this

Interesting read, nice post OP.

I remember the UB-AP scandal. Actual players had to break it open, not the site(s). How on earth they never folded and were still the #3 poker site beats the hell out of me.

Nice work, keep the info coming, esp. for the computer illiterate like me.

Good stuff.

Nice work as always Doug. Thanks for sending me a link to a video you made discussing all of the UB/ClubUBT stuff. Here is a link to the video on YouTube

Doug takes a look at the ClubWPT client software

Seems more like the site was a quick money grab (scam) rather than a test site.

Here is a post from the site launch (posted by a former(?) UB employee which was not hidden from the reader):

http://www.pokeraffiliatelistings.co...er-launch.html

This gave me a chuckle:

Hard to believe the web interface is still up and running as if it's taking new customers (well, not really that hard to believe).

If you read this 4/20 press release it sounds to me they are speaking of SpotlightPoker specifically. A site they attempted launching to generate revenue, but that failed.

Very interesting. But why would they cheat on a 20$ a month site?

Seems too risky for that little amount of income.

THanks, very informative.

I played on UB and observed a lot of hands on the old UB software before and during the cheating, and when I played on the new ClubWPT client I thought to myself then how similar it was to the UB software with the way the pots moved around and the "fold and show" button.

Thanks OP, this is just wow.

Op specifically states he isnt accusing them of Superusing. He is just pointing out that its the same old software used in the scandal and with the file names he found perhaps the same potential for abuse still exists. Good thread OP.