Pitbull Poker Scandal and 100nl Full Ring Thoughts

Posted by icemonkey9 on Aug 7, 2009 in General | 0 comments

At this point in time the controversy surrounding Pitbull Poker has caught the attention of the global poker playing public.  It started with two threads on the 2+2 forum which can be read here (this is the better of the two threads).

I've written two articles for those of you that don't feel like reading 50+ pages of posts at a forum.  You can start here with the information article and finally can read the statement I personally received from "Management" at Pitbull poker here.

It's been interesting covering this and I've done my best to maintain an objective perspective.  I haven't made up my mind one way or the other in terms of the allegations because I haven't seen the data to prove or disprove anything.  I am glad, however, that the editors in charge at Poker News Daily initiated the charge for me to start my investigation and research.  I also have to thank chesterboy himself for being so accessible, as well as Pitbull Poker's manager, Dave Brenes, for being in touch.

So far I've been disappointed in a few dead ends.  One of which was the interview which Pitbull decided wasn't in its own best interests but issued us a statement instead. That interview would have been the nuts. I'm also disappointed that the hands given to chesterboy aren't the ones people are pining to analyze, so chances are the whole thing will play out to something like:

1. Nobody finds evidence of foul play in the 1,000 hands given to chesterboy
2. 2+2 forum community gets a little upset because these weren't the 1,000 hands that people needed as previously discussed in the thread
3. Pitbull Poker issues a statement that no evidence of foul play or superusers has been found
4. Pitbull Poker updates their software so that hand histories can be downloaded
5. Moving forward the internet poker community can monitor perceived suspicious behavior
6. Nobody finds anything
7. Everyone goes back to their lives, including the 69 people (during peak hours) that play at Pitbull Poker (not making that up, referenced to PokerScout.com)

So that's how things are most likely going to play out.  I know the industry wants to either burn Pitbull Poker down to the ground amid a superuser account OR they want to torch chesterboy's house down for being the boy that cried wolf.  Unfortuantely, the industry is most likely to get some ambiguous answer that doesn't satisfy anyone.

Thoughts of 100nl Full Ring Play

I've lost heaps of  respect for just about anyone that plays 100nl Full Ring at all.  I've found the majority of the regulars (and I'm talking about everyone but 3 people) to be absolutely terrible, specifically in spewing money in blind defense or playing fit-or-fold in 3bet pots. It's astounding (actually somewhat awesome) how badly they play 3bet pots post-flop.  The fish are fish, just like they were at 50nl or 25nl even.  Just avoid the landmines, hope your hands hold up once you get it in and then move on.

I guess that's just my feelings I wanted to let out.  I haven't posted any hands because they've all been pretty standard and I'm over the whole "ooooh look at this cooler!" thing forever.  I know, crazy right for that to come from my fingers as I type them but I think my estimates of what I learned out in Vegas just might be true.  Good stuff.

I have to admit there's a teeny part of my brain pining to look at 200nl and take a shot, but I'm just not there yet.  There's quite a few things I want to do before that happens, like be properly rolled which I've designated to be 40 buyins for that level (btw if you don't know 200nl is $1-$2 blinds).  Other things include finishing up some poker books (private ones, not available on regular book shelves) that are blowing my mind, and watch/sweat some current 200nl regulars to see what I'd be up against and if it's any different than 100nl.  There's two regulars I know at 200nl Full Ring and they've repeatedly said 200nl is the same if not easier than 100nl.  I will pray every day that I start playing 200nl that their statements are true!!!

However, that last paragraph just felt dirty to write because it feels like instead of focusing on what is at hand - playing 100nl Full Ring to the best of my abilities - I'm looking prematurely ahead.  So you can enjoy that last paragraph but I'll deny I ever wrote it because I'm erasing it from my mind!  Ha!  On to the grind, thanks for tuning in people.