RFID implicated in live-streamed poker cheating scandal

Seems a pro-poker player, Mike Postle, has achieved impossible-seeming results. Other players have put hours upon hours upon hours into analyzing his baffling play. It is like watching someone play with perfect information, they claim!

While nothing definitive has been found, Stones Gambling Hall, a live poker site where the questionable Postle has spent a lot of time live streaming, has stopped using RFID chipped playing cards and hired an investigator.

It’s not just that Postle is winning, it’s how he’s winning, that is drawing suspicion. Ingram, Berkey and others have spent hours reviewing hands Postle played and found several times where Postle made a fold or a call that wouldn’t seem “right” but happened to work out in his favor.

Berkey said Postle made plays no pro would ever make, and he did them often, and they worked. Poker is a game of incomplete information. Berkey said Postle played “as if he had perfect information.”

Stones Gambling Hall said it has hired an independent investigator to look into the accusations.

In a statement Stones Gambling Hall said: “We temporarily halted all broadcasts from Stones. We have also, as a result, halted the use of RFID playing cards.”

Flutter Entertainment To Merge With Stars Group

In a major development this morning it was announced that Flutter Entertainment which owns Paddy Power and Betfair are to merge with online poker giant The Stars Group.

It will become once the deal is finalised the worlds largest gambling entity with combined revenues of £3.8 billion based on 2018 figures.

Flutter Entertainment was only created in 2016 with the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair and the new merger will see Flutter hold a 54.6% share in the combined business with The Stars Group holding 45.4%.

It is understood shareholders will approve the deal in the second quarter of 2020 and completion will be done by the end of 2020.

Observers say that with the merger the new company will be a huge player in the US market with both betting and poker being the new businesses major brands.

Peter Jackson the Chief Executive of Flutter said of the deal, “The combination represents a great opportunity to deliver a step-change in our presence in international markets and ensure we are ideally positioned to take advantage of the exciting opportunity in the US through a media relationship with FOX Sports as well as our development of US sports betting through Flutter’s FanDuel and TSG’s FOX Bet brands.2 He went on to say, “We are committed to these two high-quality brands to drive the growth of the combined group in the US.”

Stars Group Chief Executive Rafi Ashkenazi said: “This exciting combination will allow us to enhance and accelerate our existing strategy. The combination with Flutter will further enhance our company’s core strengths, and position us strongly for the future in this rapidly evolving industry.”

It is understood that oce the business is full combined Rafi Ashkenazi will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer.

It has also been confirmed that the newly combined company will be incorporated, headquartered and domiciled in Dublin, Ireland, what will become of The Stars Group Headquarters in Isle Of Man has not yet been announced.