[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

Over the past two months Two Plus Two and its forum members have been responsible for noticing, investigating, and ultimately alerting the world to the suspicious and potentially fraudulent cheating activity occurring at Absolute Poker.

For over two decades Two Plus Two publishing has been committed to the responsible growth of the poker industry and the fair play of the game. During the past five years the emergence of online poker has been both a blessing and a curse in this regard. Although online poker has certainly introduced our game to countless new players, it has also threatened to cast doubt on the game’s fairness and legality. Two Plus Two has tried to associate itself only with companies committed to fair, accurate, and legal poker.

Despite the scar left on the industry in wake of the recent allegations of online cheating, Two Plus Two is pleased with the way these forums have uncovered and addressed the issues. You have let the industry know that any potential cheating will be discovered, exposed, and not tolerated by poker players and customers of online poker sites.

Due to the size and influence of these forums within the industry, Absolute Poker recently approached me to ask if Two Plus Two would confirm to our forums that Absolute has done everything in its power to address and fix the recent allegations of cheating, security breaches, and improper activity. As you all know, I would never agree to such a statement unless

1. I believed it to be true, and
2. I thought it was in the best interest of the Two Plus Two community.

I am not an investigator able to make a determination that Absolute Poker, or any online site, is 100% safe for poker. I mentioned to Absolute that my attorneys may be able to conduct an investigation on my behalf. If my attorneys, who I have worked closely with for almost twenty years, agreed that the Absolute Poker site was safe, I would post a forum notice to that effect. The representative from Absolute Poker who we spoke with was initially agreed to these terms and I presented the investigation opportunity to my attorneys.

My attorneys informed me that they would be willing to conduct a thorough investigation of Absolute Poker. The law firm could immediately assemble a team of lawyers, computer specialists, and ex-government fraud investigators to fully analyze the current situation at Absolute and give an accurate report on the same. In order to accept, however, my attorneys needed to make it very clear that:

1. The investigation and report would be for the direct benefit of Two Plus Two and its forums, not Absolute Poker,

2. A positive outcome for Absolute could not be guaranteed,

3. The report and investigation would not include Two Plus Two’s (or its attorneys’) position on the general legality of online poker, and

4. They would accept direct compensation for the investigation only from Two Plus Two as a client.

Our attorneys sent us a formal letter outlining their investigation plan. Two Plus Two believes the plan is reasonable and guarantees an objective result that you, as Two Plus Two members, can rely on when deciding whether to support Absolute Poker in the future. We have forwarded the letter to Absolute Poker for approval, and so far, we have not heard an answer. In fact, Absolute Poker recently issued a press release stating that they have retained the “Gaming Associates” company to conduct an investigation into the recent allegations.

We at Two Plus Two don’t know enough about Gaming Associates to judge its ability to conduct an adequate investigation of Absolute Poker. We do know, however, that this proposed investigation makes us uneasy for a few reasons. First, according to its press release, Absolute Poker is funding the investigation directly, with no third party involved to ensure objectivity. Second, Absolute has apparently agreed to allow Bluff Magazine and Pocket Fives to review the findings of the investigation without a similar arrangement for Two Plus Two. This seems strange considering Two Plus Two’s role in uncovering and discussing this situation. Finally, Two Plus Two believes that a report from Gaming Associates, an Australian company apparently dealing primarily with Antigua and Barbados companies, may not maintain the same weight and reliability as the international law firm retained by Two Plus Two.

Ultimately the decision to support Absolute Poker in the future is up to each of you. Two Plus Two, although it does not condemn Absolute at this time, will not offer any support nor give any assurances until its proposal is accepted or discussed by Absolute.

I have posted this update for two reasons. First, I wanted to inform all Two Plus Two posters of the Absolute situation and our current stance on the issue. Second, I wanted to encourage discussion on whether Absolute’s current investigation proposal with Gaming Associates is adequate to protect its site and the online poker industry in general.


Best Wishes,

Mason Malmuth
Two Plus Two Publishing