Quote:
Originally Posted by golfnutt
Exactly. This could have easily been made a non-story if they didn't stop play.
There may have been some grumblings but it easily could have been covered up and just say they are looking into it.
golfnutt:
No, what happens if the Borgata "covered up" this incident and tried to act like there was no cheating - it merely postpones the inevitable. Cheaters are further emboldened - "because we can get away with it!" - and the problem only gets worse. Eventually, you have a big-field tournament where rather than a measly $1.9 million in fake counterfeit tournament chips (or whatever the amount was) you have double that amount of fake chips - and 1/3 of the players who cash are in on the scam. This problem should have been dealt with - and dealt with in a very harsh and aggressive manner - back when "Men the Master" was caught red-handed with a huge pile of tournament chips laying on his bed in his hotel room at Foxwoods.
By "covering up" this problem, and ignoring the cheating issue generally because "... we don't want to be embarrassed," the B&M casino industry (as well as the internet poker sites) guaranteed there would eventually be a calamity. I don't feel great pity for greedy operators who choose to stick their heads in the sand like ostriches. If they went after poker cheats with the same vigor and determination with which they pursue blackjack cheats, all this could have been prevented. (I'm sure the people with the Griffin Agency would be eager and willing to provide the casinos with a "Black Book" of known poker cheats to be barred from poker rooms. For whatever reason the operators chose not to avail themselves of that resource.)
Men the Master should have been prosecuted, convicted, and sent up the river for 5-10 years. That would have given him sufficient time to contemplate the error of his ways. More importantly, it would have sent a strong deterrent message to all the other idiots who believe cheating poker players (and the casinos) pays. By giving Men (and others) a mere slap on the wrist, these operators virtually guaranteed a cluster**** like this would eventually occur.
Last edited by Alan C. Lawhon; 01-22-2014 at 03:10 PM.
Reason: Minor edit.