Reuters: Full Tilt Poker, Pokerstars and Absolute Poker charged with illegal gambling - Page 111 - Poker News

Hate to gloat, was gonna make a thread but this will be enough :

I am as stupid smelly stoner, and even I knew there would be a seizure/indictment at some point... As for the guy asking why all 3 sites were banned together its because of this : Everything isn't what it seems... Good luck to everybody, its been swell...

04-16-2011 , 06:00 AM

#2752

FedorViaMastery

enthusiast

Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 82

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohmyrage

Its funny how natural it is for a "Bank run" every one wanting to cash out(naturally)

I'm highly confident that they only keep maybe 30% MAX of deposits liquid(cash) and keep all of our deposits in investments earning interest, which explains why they aren't doing cash outs because they don't have all of that money liquid

It will probably take a few months for them to liquidate the investments they made with our money and then return it to us

I agree with this. The banking system works this way and I have no reason to believe that the major poker corporations don't also. The money in itself should be guaranteed so it will reach the players eventually, unless there is new evidence and developments in this case, but if everybody tries to withdraw at the same time, chances are people will have to wait a long time to get the funds, so if you have rent due or other bills that needs to be paid, you're probably in a tough spot and I feel for you.

04-16-2011 , 06:00 AM

#2753

big white cloud

journeyman

Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sappie22

Could somebody keep track of all the important posts in here and put them in a seperate thread like the durrrr challenge results? I can only imagine this thread will be 25+ pages when I wake up tomorow

I had to repost this. lol.

04-16-2011 , 06:00 AM

#2754

Stressless

newbie

Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 19

just wake up and saw this and i dont have any idea of what is happening but i have 2 questions:
1.how is this going to affect european players?

Like everything atm You can only guess. Traffic for sure will be much lower which leads to (some would say softer other will say tougher games take your pick) games will obv load slower, ftpos will suck etc etc.
Should You worry about Your money on Stars/Ftp ? Again You can only guess - both sites will tell Your money is safe (imo that's true) BUT with such big accusations there is a chance FBI etc. can ask other countries such as UK etc. to cooparate and shut down more bank accounts which could lead for players out of US having problem with there money. But as everything else atm it's a pure guess.

GTDs mtt on those sites are already cut down !

Hopefully in long run this will help legalize it in US and end the madness, but this may take time - months or years. So you got to feel for all the people living out of online poker.

On the bright side elections in US are just around the corner which could help out for example this case being resolved faster than usual. The only thing You can be certain now is that online poker will never be the same again. (either in Xmonths/years it will be bigger than ever before regulated etc. or...)

These guys are talking all the time having guests etc. so listen to them.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/quadja...medium=8011069

04-16-2011 , 06:01 AM

#2755

OneTimeNow333

journeyman

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 267

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOut

Fills me with sadness that this naive view is being +1'ed

White collar "crime" goes on everyday, and if it suits the government, it is ignored (see the banking industry for details). Players weren't complaining that these sites were breaking the law by taking their business before.

Even if your view is correct (and it well may be), your argument doesn't prove his post is naive.

Look at it this way: DOJ not filing for some other "white collar crimes" you mentioned doesn't mean there was nothing illigal in what FTP, PS and UB/AP are charged with.

P.S. just for the record, just as FedorViaMastery, I'm not on DOJ side if they go after players' money, I also have online money I can't withdraw atm

04-16-2011 , 06:01 AM

#2756

HocusPokus

journeyman

Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 287

Taken from Reddit:

"Well, financial fraud if done on Wall Street is apparently fine. State lotteries are fine. A whole city dedicated to gambling is fine. Horse races are fine.

But a game of skill played online between consenting adults - must be eradicated."

04-16-2011 , 06:01 AM

#2757

Robusto2busto

old hand

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1,869

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimbozGrapes

The ****ing sky is falling.

Seriously though, I have been reading forums for the last 5ish hours and basically

-DOJ is in the right, the owners of these sites horribly broke the law (which they had to because the law was ****ed up to begin with).
-50/50 for everyone on whether or not to cash out. (for people that think you should, lots of people don't want to because there are maximum deposit limits, so it could take months to get 20k on a site)
-Lots of people can, and lots of people can't withdraw funds. General consensus in non-US countries is that a **** ton of people are trying to withdraw and its flooded. So wait, or keep trying and it will eventually get through?
-Phil Galfond is selling his slide
-A number of people are wasted right now because of this and can't seem to turn off caps lock
-US players are ****ed for the time being, and really have nothing to do but wait until further updates
-Full tilt has an update that lots of people can't get to work (presumably this update is to stop US players from playing real money games, it worked fine for me and I am in Canada)
-Seemingly consensus is also that for the most part peoples money is going to be safe, and after the **** storm blows over everyone will be able to withdraw their funds if the sites get shut down.
-Lots of pros are tweeting random **** that doesn't really help at all
-Pokerstars released a notification in-client that says not to worry, but people are skeptical over it, because they would say that even if 90% of funds were being seized or w/e.
-In my personal opinion after reading all of this, don't worry over it, it is not in our hands, but I do think it has about a 90% chance of being fine for all non-US players, and about a 75% chance of being fine for US players.

Here are some useful and informative links on the matter, take them as they are. Lots of people are gonna troll over this.

http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-g...scandal-2011-4

http://twitter.com/#!/ESPN_Poker

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/poker...ory?id=6362238

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53107543/I...itar-Tom-et-al

Thanks man

04-16-2011 , 06:01 AM

#2758

CallMeUgly

newbie

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 28

Quote:

Originally Posted by viking1

OK I finally managed to update FTP software from fulltiltpoker.co.uk

WHEN I TRY TO WITHDRAW I GET THIS MESSAGE:
We could not establish a secure connection with the server

WTF????? I live in Europe so whats the problem?

Fulltilt have clearly fixed half of the problem (seizure of domain name) by updating their client to point to fulltiltpoker.co.uk - but the thing is the servers (for ironman points check, for example) are still identifying themselves as fulltilt.com - so your browser is doing a good thing and warning you of a possible fishing attack. (I got the same message with chrome).

My guess is fulltilt are working on the second half and it'll be up an running soon.

04-16-2011 , 06:03 AM

#2759

Randomness28

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,430

Quote:

Originally Posted by FedorViaMastery

I've been following this thread from page 1 after first hearing the news on a leading Swedish newspaper, and I just wanted to chime in;

All the people who are going crazy and somehow making Barack personally responsible for this; please understand that a crime has been committed and a serious one at that. The DOJ have pages and pages with detailed information on how Bitar and Company have committed fraud among other charges. The bribery charges are very serious and they seem to have a profound understanding on how they have done it, with the proof to back it up. There will be repercussions for the people involved.

It's of course very sad that the greed of these few people affects millions of unknowing poker players around the world and especially in the US, but please don't make it out to be some sort of a crusade against the poker community. The DOJ are treating this as just as it should; major corporations have committed corporate crimes.

To all those flaunting there fancy law degrees and claims that "they have beaten DOJ attorneys in court", please stop. Even if it is true, from all the information that has been released, the DOJ has been following this for a while and has all the information they need to win this case.

I would also like to say that I don't think there is need for the people to go crazy and start panic-withdrawing all their money. It makes no difference if you withdraw them now because the payment processers are being charged and seized as well, so you are probably lucky if you receive your money, but in any case your money is likely safe, even if you won't be able to withdraw them immediately. The government won't seize the players funds', if anything they'll seize the rake that was used to commit these crimes.

Before you flame me, keep in mind that I'm not taking the DOJ's side, I have money on Stars that I can't withdraw too, but it is obvious that the people being prosecuted have committed crimes and they should be held responsible. Also, I can't believe more people aren't talking about the fact that Scott Tom STILL is in charge of AP, after all the scandals. Why are people still playing on these corrupt sites run by corrupt people?

Yes, Obama thinks just like you....

04-16-2011 , 06:04 AM

#2760

isapistola

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,613

04-16-2011 , 06:04 AM

#2761

OutOut

journeyman

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 379

Quote:

Originally Posted by FedorViaMastery

I see your point. Obviously you are correct in the sense that there is corruption all throughout the political system, and I also understand the benefits with legalizing and regulating online poker (legalizing marijuana is a whole other issue, which im aboard on too) and yes the government most likely has a stake in this too and a sizeable financial gain.

Yes don't get me wrong, I would love to see online poker regulated and legalized. This just looks so much like a racket from where I'm standing, and I'd be shocked if US players weren't looking at 1 option in the near future; a government run poker site, facing no competition.

I'm also slightly suspicious of the charges these sites are facing. I'm still working my way through the thread and all the info involved, but am I right in thinking we are being told that the owners of the different sites were colluding in committing fraud? Because it would seem a slight coincidence that the owners of Tilt, Stars and AP all just happened to decide independently to bribe some banks in order to get payments through.

04-16-2011 , 06:05 AM

#2762

shinyshiner

centurion

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 112

currently busto, so I feel like the jerk who was out getting more money out of the atm as the poker room was getting robbed or shut down by the cops or whatever

04-16-2011 , 06:06 AM

#2763

FSL009

adept

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,172

last one out of FTP.com please turn of the lights....

yes that is you DOJ....

gl all dealing with one tabling and 25 hands an hour.....

04-16-2011 , 06:07 AM

#2764

FedorViaMastery

enthusiast

Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 82

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOut

It definitely seems like owners of different sites were colluding, with Costa Rica being the place to live if you are committing these crimes. Didn't Lederer and Phil Ivey just buy a place in Costa Rica? Just sayin'...

It seems like all the owners had an elaborate plan on how to commit these crimes, and that plan was designed by the same guy they turned their backs against and he responded by giving them up to the feds.

04-16-2011 , 06:07 AM

#2765

StraddleBet

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,562

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimbozGrapes

excellent 9th post +1

04-16-2011 , 06:07 AM

#2766

crdjeep

old hand

Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,417

Phil Ivey might have to get a second job!

04-16-2011 , 06:08 AM

#2767

hgtenhundred

newbie

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 34

Quote:

Originally Posted by big white cloud

I had to repost this. lol.

lolololol

04-16-2011 , 06:09 AM

#2768

SuperJez

banned

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,087

Quote:

Originally Posted by isapistola

lol

04-16-2011 , 06:09 AM

#2769

JimbozGrapes

newbie

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 33

Quote:

Originally Posted by StraddleBet

excellent 9th post +1

, the other 8/9 were also in this thread :P

04-16-2011 , 06:10 AM

#2770

SneakySteve

old hand

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,681

Quote:

Originally Posted by isapistola

hahahahaha!

04-16-2011 , 06:11 AM

#2771

Deuc3s

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 161

Okay guys,

Im in Europe, I really couldnt be bothered reading all this. I have around 8k on the stars, should I be cashing out or what?

04-16-2011 , 06:11 AM

#2772

OutOut

journeyman

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 379

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneTimeNow333

I'm not trying to bash someone by calling the view naive, but I think it is wrong in this day and age to look at the government as an entity which is looking out for the average citizen. It's just another branch of corporation. I'm sure the sites have committed crimes. I think they most likely had 2 options: commit these crimes, or end the business.

It is rather telling that the criminals here are looking at 50 years+ jail time, and for what?

Ah money... it makah da world go round.