AP Visit: I'm going to Costa Rica

[waveydavey]

Nat,

I think it would be beneficial for more than one person to go, especially if they have different skill sets that could apply, but even if not it helps to have a second set of eyes and a different perspective.

My question I would like addressed is about the release of the complete hand history file. Even with out the cheating scandal such a release is a major breach of security.

[J_V]

Why is everyone so shocked/irritated by the cover up part? I haven't read all the AP threads, but every organization in the country would have either denied any wrong doing initially and/or downplayed the incident. It's the reality of business. That would be a stupid question to ask, since you're not gonna get a straight answer and the real answer is obvious.

Unless I missed something it seems that AP has done a very good job of handling the situation, from admission of guilt, to audits, to informing the public. I bet I'm the only one who thinks that. If I am missing some important details, maybe someone could fill me in.

Edit: missing a few details

[SpaceMonkey13]

Nat -- I think your biggest fear should be that Jenny Woo shows up. Someone check her schedule.

Seriously, I can't think of a better representative for online poker players. The fact that AP singled you out, after being the main driver in outing them, is hopeful as well. I hope you decide to go.

Questions:
* do the auditors understand the game well enough to do the job well enough?
* if rumors of AJ and Scott Tom's involvement are true, what assurances (now, and ongoing) do we have that they're no longer associated with the management of the site?
* why should/would they allow Tom to return after some time?

[Jimbo232]

Nat - I think you are right on target with most of your thoughts, don't listen to the negative responses, I doubt there are many here who could do a better job with this than you. Did you hang on to any audit workplans from your Big 4 days?

I tend to agree with ED that this will be Absolute putting on a front represented by their best and most personable employees. Without access to their systems and data the chance of you uncovering anything substantial is pretty thin.

The only recommendations I would give is to try to sit down for some discussions with a Certified Information Systems Auditor or anyone with significant audit experience to flesh out a good plan for your trip. Anyone with experience in the field could probably provide some good insight. The more clearly defined goals you have going down to Costa Rica the less AP's "front" will effect your judgment.

[ibluffoldladies]

jzo,

The KGC should be investigated based solely on the evidence that ties their founder with AP. You're right about the juicy part of the story though, and that is if the KGC will(or can) do anything at all.

[h11]

[ QUOTE ]
So this is AP's grand plan to get back in the good graces of the poker community? I know Nat's a stand up guy, but isn't it a conflict of interest to have the guilty party paying for a report they obviously hope comes off in a positive manner.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since he gets paid before he reports, how is Nate facing a conflict of interest? Isn't his wealth the same whether he says good things or bad things? The money, since it arrives with or without a report, does not create a conflict of interest.

[teddyFBI]

WTF, did Absolute register a bunch of shill accounts to make between 300 and 2,000 posts, and then jump out of the woodwork to claim that this historic trip is somehow a victory for Absolute? GTFO!
Paul Levy, get a clue.
Chernyakov, get a clue.
All others who think that Nat's going down to somehow give them a seal of approval, get a clue.
It's easy to sit behind your computer screen and throw darts, but Nat's been the guy out there getting his hands dirty in exposing this sham, and if he goes down there and gets stonewalled, you better believe we're gonna hear about it here. Everyone who knows the guy in real life has vouched for his integrity, and god knows he's not going to let AP turn this into a PR-victory without asking them the toughest questions they've had to face since their inception.

(p.s. Nat >> I'd like to see you approach this task with a little more zeal: your repeated offers to have Andathar go in your stead, while understandable, are giving the impression of a little ambivalence...I'd love to see you give your all here, which I'm sure you will. Don't let the idiots on these forums get you down. Those of us with an ounce of common sense understand why you're going, and why this is a GREAT thing for all involved.)


And Mason -- not that we don't all owe you a debt of gratitude for helping our poker games via books/forums/etc, but the silence from your end on this issue has been deafening. I think I speak for more than a couple people here (which I believe I'm authorized to do) when I say that I would have liked to see 2+2 representatives do a little more with respect to this unfolding scandal than pop into threads to remind us of your intellectual property rights. But perhaps you have done a lot of things behind the scenes that I'm simply not aware of.

[SukitTrebek]

i am amazed that any negativity is being directed at nat for anything (asking for fee, keeping fee, literally anything) after everything he's done the last two weeks.

nat as you say they're blocking access to #363 (and could possibly cleaned up some records immediately involving this scandal). so go in and spend way more time on other stuff than they expect. popcorngate, car raffle, seif, props getting cheated, bots, etc.

ex. walk in and say you want the hh's of the 50 highest volume players for the last six months, load them into pt and briefly compare stats. nobody's stats are especially similar, cool, no bots.

ex2. ask for the balance history/cash outs of all props to see if there were indeed many winners.

stuff completely out of the blue like that might make your trip more effective than just coming back with their carefully crafted explanations about why scott tom was in one location while cokehead was at his house cheating.

[N 82 50 24]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you hang on to any audit workplans from your Big 4 days?

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought our audits were retarded. I don't think we would ever catch anyone doing anything.

[Pokeraddict]

[ QUOTE ]
Nat,

1) I think a lot of former AP props would appreciate you looking into some of the 60/40 maniacs who just seemed to crush the 3/6-10/20 games. I was not a prop but know a few and I'm sure you could talk to them and get screen names.


[/ QUOTE ]

I've got a few. I had some suspicions but even with PT coming later I don't think I could have ever called anyone out. The one thing I do know is that I did nothing but get raped in the higher limit games (back then it was 10/20-15/30). As a matter of fact AP told props not to play in games above 10/20 for the longest time as they would not get paid. Also the prop pay for 10/20 was a far lower rb% then any limit below it. I always wondered why.