ABSOLUTE POKER SCANDAL UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AGAIN


4/29/10 – The Absolute Poker cheating scandal continues to haunt the online poker company despite the passage of time, mainly because cover-ups are still suspected and many players feel that the culprits were not identified and should have been punished more severely for the multi-million dollar rip-offs perpetrated on players (although compensation has been paid).
 
This week Haley Hintze, a former and respected editor of Poker News who now has her own online blog, has published information and screenshots which, if unadulterated and true, cast new light on to an old but industry-significant scandal.
 
Hintze reveals in her blog that during her investigations into the Absolute Poker affair she was twice threatened with legal action by Scott Tom, a prominent figure in the dispute and allegedly a senior executive at Absolute Poker at the time. It didn’t stop her.
 
She has now come into possession of documents not previously made public, and these, along with her interesting expose of what happened, can be viewed at  http://haleyspokerblog.blogspot.com/
 
In Hintze’s own no-punches-pulled words: “The greater truth? [Allan] Grimard and others may or may not have been heavily involved in the cheating, but Scott Tom was the real force behind the ongoing scandal at AP. While there is a miniscule chance that the evidence was somehow doctored itself before it reached me, its content correlates so well with what I'd already learned elsewhere that I believe it to be genuine. In full and honest faith, I believe the images you'll see to [be] undoctored, and that Scott Tom himself was the primary Absolute Poker cheater.”
 
Hintze provides the evidence behind her accusation in a long and convincing article detailing the issue and displaying the new information. It’s an absorbing tale of intrigue, technology and falsehoods that makes fascinating reading despite the elapse of over two years.
 
Moving on to a related issue which has intrigued many in the industry over the years, Hintze also addresses the business moves and significant amounts of cash that were involved in the purchase by Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker/Tokwiro Enterprises associate Blast Off Limited of  Excapsa and its poker software.
 
The blog publishes correspondence from the liquidators of Excapsa, XMT Liquidations Inc., which give an indication of the substantial monies that went into the deal.
 
Apparently, Blast Off Limited signed two Promissory Notes in June 2009 in favour of 6356095 Canada Inc. (formerly known as Excapsa Software Inc.) for US$41,900,000.00 and US$64,469,257.00.
 
The correspondence informed shareholders that a US$500 000 instalment had been missed in November last year, and detailed the possible moves that would follow if the account was not brought up to date. This included demanding full payment of all monies owed and the possible seizure of Blast Off shares reserved as security on the debt.
 
However, Blast Off appears to have made good, because a second letter advising that the issue has been negotiated and giving full details was also published.
 
The issue is still very much a live one, and shareholders can be thankful that XMT liquidator Sheldon W. Krakower, C.A. is so diligent and hard-nosed in looking after their interests.