GamingPublic.com, Duplicate Poker, and Detective Randy Peterson Throw Popular Poker Sites Under the Bus, So Screw GamingPublic.com, Duplicate Poker, and Detective Randy Peterson
GamingPublic.com, an organization that claims to be an iGaming investment analysis firm and "the center for information on iGaming, industry stats, legal information and investment in publicly listed companies within the sector," but in reality looks like the iGaming investment analysis equivalent of some dickless executive who likes to throw employees under the bus for his own personal gain, has issued some sort of report claiming some sort of new game invented by some sort of "detective" is the tonic to cure what ails online poker in the U.S.
In this press release, GamingPublic.com says:
While companies such as Party Gaming Plc (LSE:PRTY), 888 plc (LSE:888) and Sportingbet Plc (LSE:SBT) are seeing their share prices languish...private companies Pokerstars.com and Fulltiltpoker.com have seen massive increases in their numbers.
These two private companies may be in breach of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, although there have been arguments bantered about that poker is a game of skill. Nothing could be further from being correct.
Um, way to help pull the poker community together in this time of general outrage against a prohibitionist law while sucker punching two companies with the Fristian-sized-sack to oppose it.
To make matters worse, after summarily throwing Poker Stars, Full Tilt, and every online poker enthusiast in the U.S. under the bus, GamingPublic.com begins the next sentence of their press release with the word "Whilst." Apparently, UK-based GamingPublic.com wrote this press release about 140 years ago, when Victorian prose artists like Lord Alfred Tennyson were the Chuck Palahnuik's of their time, cause that was about the last era anyone used the word "whilst."
This Duplicate Poker game apparently uses some complex methodologies or something, according to this "Detective" Peterson, that "does not change how poker is played, only how it is judged." And instead of playing as an individual, you play in teams. And instead of winning by accumulating the most chips, you win by being judged. In other words, it's just like real poker!
Read the full release here. And if this "Detective" Peterson ever gets the funding he seeks to launch Duplicate Poker, be sure to never log on to any site that carries it. Whilst you may be curious about how to play a team version of poker where you win by being judged, suppress your curiosity, cause if we've learned anything from Jack Twist, it's that curiosity can only lead to your demise. And the last thing you wanna do is end up like Jack Twist, son.
Hi
I am an expert iGaming executive who has been in the industry for 10 years.
Randy was a detective sgt for the Vancouver Police Department, and was in charge of the Gaming for CLEU.
I don't welcome any prosecution, but facts are facts. I was running M & A for BoS, and was also VP marketing at Starnet; so you can understand that if anyone has been in the pits of hell, it is I.
When Nelson Rose & I spoke at the G2E in Vegas, we both commented that poker is not a game of skill, and is subject to the new laws.
Fact is that I get paid by hedge funds, brokerages, and investment banks for my opinion.
This site derives revenues from online advertising. I don't.
Thanks,
Patrick
PS - whilst is a very common word used in the English language. I am guessing that the person who thinks it is Victorian does not have a college degree.
Posted by: Patrick Smyth | December 23, 2006 at 08:55 AM
Bill...thanks... but you're still missing what my beef is with this type of marketing by an entity seeking VC funding right now and whose marketability rests on appealing to the US online poker market with some lame ass version of poker. Whilst I do appreciate the exposition on the UIEGA, and to WCP readers, if you're not reading BillRini.com you're missing out on some of the best and most informative analysis of the poker biz and some funny shit as well.... i don't disagree with anything you're saying and it's nothing that we haven't reported on here in the past.
Perhaps let me try this analogy to break down our/my beef (this post actually wasn't my work):
(and yes i know GP isn't really ratting out FT and Stars but they're certainly calling them out...publicly...saying they're raking it in by violating the law).
SO again, we're put off by them using a press release to publicly sucker punch Full Tilt and Stars for violating the UIEGA. Once regs are passed this type of talk is the kind of shit that gives some U.S. Attorney the idea and will to pursue prosecution and no doubt GP would welcome that.
Now people go read BillRini.com.
Posted by: snake | December 01, 2006 at 08:12 AM
Snake,
I think you confuse stating reality with supporting the industry. I too happen to believe that Stars and Full Tilt are in violation of the UIGEA. However that doesn't mean that I don't support the right to play online poker.
At the very, very, very best, both Stars and Full Tilt are offering gaming in the few states where it is clearly illegal to offer online gaming. Every bet they take from someone in Louisiana or Washington is now a federal crime under the UIGEA.
Of course Full Tilt and Stars are going to claim they think it's legal. What other option do they have? Yes, we're operating illegally but you can trust us. That's not exactly a catchy advertising slogan.
Bill
Posted by: Bill Rini | December 01, 2006 at 02:22 AM
I used to play a card game called "Whilst" all the time with my grandparents growing up.
Posted by: Drizztdj | November 30, 2006 at 09:16 AM
BR, it's the blatant call out of Full Tilt and PokerStars, alleging in a press release that they are breaking a Federal law (although both parties clearly believe they aren't), that has us "over sensitive" on this one, just as we were when the WPT did the same. Sure they are trying to hawk their product and addressing market issues but we think they're shooting themselves in the foot if their demo is online poker players.
and secondly, and most egregiously, the whole use of "whilst" is really just uncalled for and reprehensible, and if we can't make fun of Brits for the hell of it, then we might as well call it quits here, moor the yachts and go get "jobs."
Posted by: snake | November 30, 2006 at 07:46 AM
You know, I had to defend my use of the word "whilst" to an over zealous grammar teacher in high school and it still irks me to this day. The word is still commonly used as part of the Queen's English, just like the ubiquitous "u" in words like "colour" and "favourite", it is a cultural difference. I also use "irregardless"... and begin the snarky retort.
Posted by: beans | November 30, 2006 at 07:38 AM
While the press release is obviously self-serving, I don't think you'll find a serious legal expert on gaming who won't admit that even though poker is a game of skill, it is not predominately a game of skill which is the legal test in many jurisdictions.
I think you may be a tad over sensitive on this one.
Posted by: Bill Rini | November 30, 2006 at 12:53 AM