 Poker
Magazine Fires
Editor Following
Online Poker Room
Cheating
The managing editor
of a popular poker
magazine has been
fired for his role
in the latest
cheating scandal to
rock the online
poker world.
Bluff Magazine,
which has both print
and online editions,
announced Monday
that it had canned
its 24-year-old
managing editor,
Chris Vaughn.
Vaughn, according to
news reports, had
cheated in an online
poker tournament and
then, when
confronted about it,
lied.
In a statement
posted on its
website,
www.bluffmagazine.com,
the poker mag
announced: “Bluff
Media, publisher of
Bluff Magazine, has
made the decision to
terminate Chris
Vaughn as managing
editor.
“In light of Chris’
involvement,
recently admitted
facts and the
feedback obtained
from industry
professionals, it
became apparent that
the credibility
required to perform
the job functions of
managing editor of
Bluff Magazine at
our company’s level
of standards have
become severely
diminished.
“While we regret
having to make this
decision, we believe
that it is the best
alternative for all
parties involved,
including Chris,
Bluff Media and the
poker playing
community at large.
We wish Chris the
best of luck.”
According to news
reports, Vaughn
recently won an
online poker
tournament at online
poker room Full Tilt
Poker (www.fulltiltpoker.com).
However, it was soon
revealed on a poker
posting forum that
midway through the
tourney, which
Vaughn had entered
legally, he had sold
his account–that is,
his position in the
tournament–to
another, better
player, who went on
to win the
tournament, news
reports said.
Later, in an
interview on
Internet radio,
Vaughn lied about
his role in the
scam, the reports
said.
As is so often the
case, the cover-up
became worse than
the crime and Bluff
had to fire Vaughn.
The website Poker
News (www.pokernews.com),
which has covered
the scandal in
depth, described how
Vaughn cheated,
saying his
tournament win was
“a case of
account-selling, the
practice of turning
over an account late
in a major online
tournament to a
potent, star online
player. The practice
has come to light
only in recent
months, after
several
account-selling
incidents were
discussed on major
poker forums. It was
quickly recognized
that a star player
taking over one of
these accounts was
gaining a
significant edge
over his remaining
players, who would
have no idea that a
new tough player,
perhaps with a
radically different
style, had suddenly
assumed a seat at
the table.”
Account-selling is
considered dishonest
and therefore
cheating, and is
against the rules at
online poker rooms.
In an interview
broadcast by the
website The Poker
Road (www.thepokeroad.com),
Vaughn was asked
about his role in
the cheating scandal
and denied it.
Of that Internet
radio interview,
Vaughn told Poker
News: “When they
asked me the
question (about
cheating) on the
show, I panicked and
I lied.”
----
Thomas Somach,
http://www.pokerhelper.com
Originally published
to Gambling911.com
December 14, 2007
12:53 am EST
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