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There are many in the online poker community who simply cannot find it in their hearts to forgive Ultimate Bet, now the 5th largest online poker room in the world, after they were found to be embroiled in a much publicized "cheating scandal".
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission's investigation into the UltimateBet cheating scandal concluded with new revelations last week including that all information has been provided to law enforcement authorities to determine if criminal charges can be filed. Those law enforcement authorities are not specifically named. 31 other individuals have been linked to the primary suspect in the probe, World Series of Poker winner Russ Hamilton.
UltimateBet CEO Paul Leggett has also been engaging the media and spoke to our own Thomas Somach this week. Gambling911.com will have that interview up shortly.
The big news from the UB camp came with an announced signing of Joe Sebok.
He's a professional poker player from San Francisco, California and stepson of poker icon Barry Greenstein. He is known as "The Cub" because he calls Greenstein "Bear." Beginning professional play in 2005, as of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,700,000.
Sebok is also the co-founder of PokerRoad.com, which provides Poker Radio, Poker TV, and Poker in Print.
He admits reservations about signing on with UltimateBet in light of the scandal but did so as he is encouraged with that organization's willingness to make amends and move forward.
"The first order of business with my position at Ub has been to help aid in the release of not only ALL of the hand histories from the super-user scandal, but also the accounts that were used to perpetuate the scandal itself and the actual physical names of those individuals who we believe to have been directly involved in disparate ways with the actual cheating. As most of you know, two-thirds of this has now been accomplished."
The folks from TwoPlusTwo.com, who first uncovered the scandal, are anything but pleased with this announcement.
But others point out the obvious: Sebok's reputation is on the line should UltimateBet find itself immersed in another scandal of this sort.
One reader posted:
"Joe has been a very decent guy in the community. I am sure he realizes that he's putting his reputation on the anvil here for the world to beat on, so I also feel sure he's taken a hard look at this and done his due diligence. Obviously, if anything goes down while he's on board over there, I'm sure he realizes that he's 100% cooked."
Some would argue that UltimateBet.com is probably the safest online poker room on the planet in which to play since so many of the current principals, Leggett included, and those associated with The Kahnawake Gaming Commission have put everything on the line.
Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
