Quote:
Originally Posted by CT007
From the point of view of a recreational player, this situation at Borgata has a lot of repercussions.
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The fiduciary duty of the Casino/TD/Borgata are in doubt, in a similar fashion as the FTP scandal. Similar is the key – not exact. If recreational players come to believe that the Tournament operations are of such low standards to allow for doubt, or suspicion of actual fair play - then Tournament poker will dry up and it is only a matter of time.
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CT007:
Very good points - especially the bolded. This is why I believe the New Jersey GCB is going to come down really hard on the Borgata. The state will impose a stiff fine and/or an enforcement action that sends a clear message to all New Jersey operators. The "message" will roughly equate to: "Don't ever let this happen again!"
From the state's perspective this is about protecting the steady flow of tax revenues emanating from the casinos. Anything that brings into question the integrity (or "fairness") of the games threatens the flow of all that tax money. Politicians in states like New Jersey, Mississippi, and Nevada would much rather have people handing over their "taxes" voluntarily rather than having to go on record voting for a tax increase that pi**es voters off - like they do here in my state of Alabama.
The dilemma though is what happens in the aftermath of a draconian DGE enforcement action imposed on the Borgata? Other operators, fearing that the same type of calamity could befall them, will (presumably) tighten up security procedures and (hopefully) crack down on cheaters. Poker cheats - and suspected poker cheats - should be treated the same way blackjack cheats are treated ... barred and (occasionally) taken out in the alley and beaten to within an inch of their lives. (If a thief walked up to you on the street, pulled a knife or a gun and demanded your money - "Or else!" - wouldn't that person be deserving of swift and sure justice? Poker cheats are no different ... every one of them ought to be hung.
The problem is that "cracking down" on all these cheaters will cost money and the casino's profits (from poker) are not that great - compared to all the other games they offer. If the cost of ensuring game integrity and weeding out the cheaters exceeds poker room profits, the operators will say "To hell with poker!" and that will be that. The operators will close the poker rooms.
Maybe the solution to this problem is that we poker players will have to help the operators weed out the cheaters. One way to do this might be for honest poker players to act collectively as a group. How might this work? If a known cheater, (like for instance, Russ Hamilton or Men the Master), walks into a poker room and buys chips; all players immediately make it clear to the floor and the poker room manager "If you don't eject this cheater right now, we're all getting up and leaving. There's another poker room next door and we would rather play there than be forced to sit and play with this thief!" (Word should also be spread quickly to all the recreational players who might not be aware that they are in the presence of a known poker cheat.) By proactively acting to protect the game, the vast majority of honest poker players will be acting to help save the game.
Last edited by Alan C. Lawhon; 01-20-2014 at 02:29 PM.
Reason: Minor edit.