http://calvinayre.com/2015/06/29/poker/brian-hastings-scandal-a-view-the-poker-world-doesnt-want-to-hear-by-obst/

The above link is the best summary/opinion I've seen.

Really good article, and makes some very important points on other issues too.

Hi Stu,

Your OP had me gasping - "how can Stu be so wrong?" was my initial reaction - but it now appears you were not fully up to date, so that's fair enough.

Yeah I definitely was not fully aware of what had happened. After reading this thread, and doing some more reading online about it - including the article linked above - it is clear that he went WAY further than just playing a couple of SCOOPs.

The account started off playing smaller stakes and played a lot worse. I thought it was a fish until a few days later I saw he'd 10xed the stakes and the games werent full anymore. Even if he didnt set out to cheat his opponents by hiding his name, the advantage he did from doing so was simply huge. The account played a bunch of plo against people who might not have played Hastings and he only contacted a few friends to tell them. David Baker who pointed it out had played thousands of hands with the account before being told it was Stinger. Berri Sweet posted 2 hands he would have almost certainly played very differently if he knew it was Hastings on the account, one where he 3bet bluffed a flop and one where he checked back a pretty slam dunk valuebet vs a reg. Stingers name change cost Berri probably 30k across those two pots and a pretty large amount in "ev" too if you'd rather not be results orientated.

Hastings has offered a bunch of his friends friends some equity back. I think this shows that he knows it was extremely unethical. I do kinda feel for him, and if he someone had got it out much wider in the community to the extent where he was just vpning I wouldn't particularly have a problem even though it is extremely harsh on the other american grinders that have had to significantly change their lifestyle to move out of the US to play on stars. He certainly exploited playing under a fresh account to get action. He even got to play isildur, a privilege the Hastings account probably doesn't enjoy too much.

http://calvinayre.com/2015/06/29/poker/brian-hastings-scandal-a-view-the-poker-world-doesnt-want-to-hear-by-obst/

The above link is the best summary/opinion I've seen.

Okay fair enough, that does sound pretty shady then. I was under the impression after just a quick google search that all he had done was play some of the SCOOPs. If he has played loads of cash games using this different account then it is obviously very unethical - unless he told EVERYONE that he played against that it was him playing (in which case I have no problem with it), which he obviously did not.

Saw some vitriol towards him on twitter etc and so googled to find out what he had done.

Turns out he was playing online from the USA using a VPN and someone else's pokerstars account.

It seems to me that this is not exactly the worst crime in the world. He was not multi-accounting in order to cheat (by having his opponents not know it was him), he was only doing it so that he could play some online tourneys whilst in the USA. And from what I gather he contacted as many of his opponents as he could to tell them it was him playing on the account.

What do you guys reckon? Was he really all that out of order/unethical? I realise ofc that by the letter of the law what he did was wrong, since it break the T&Cs etc. But it just does not seem that bad to me.

Played a miniature this afternoon with a nice (if 'standard') sacrifice.

1 e4 e5
2 f4 exf4
3 Nf3 d6
4 d4 Bg4
5 Bxf4 Nd7
6 Bc4 f6
7 Nc3 g5

Black's weird (bad) last two moves allow a cool move, winning the game immediately. If you already know it then you'll be like "big deal, standard" (and no need to make a 'guess' since this quiz is aimed at beginners). But if you have not seen this idea before then try to work out what White should play from the diagrammed position below. It's pretty when you see it.

For anyone who has looked at the position, the move is 8 Nxg5!

Point is that after 8...Bxd1 White mates in two with Bf7+ and Nd5 mate.

Sheesh that took me a lot longer than it should of.

Lol, it was meant for weak players like me, not good players like you!

Played a miniature this afternoon with a nice (if 'standard') sacrifice.

1 e4 e5
2 f4 exf4
3 Nf3 d6
4 d4 Bg4
5 Bxf4 Nd7
6 Bc4 f6
7 Nc3 g5

Black's weird (bad) last two moves allow a cool move, winning the game immediately. If you already know it then you'll be like "big deal, standard" (and no need to make a 'guess' since this quiz is aimed at beginners). But if you have not seen this idea before then try to work out what White should play from the diagrammed position below. It's pretty when you see it.

There's gonna be a good choice of pools every day for Ascot. Something for everyone I reckon.

I'd limp pre. Now I'd just check

You know this is PLO8, right?

Player A is one of those 'EV boys' I guess. Like the guys who cash big in Vegas and try to sell their dollars to friends for a vig etc.

I am pretty sure he will never be convinced that he is wrong. As far as he is concerned it was never discussed and so 'by the letter of the law' he is not obliged to give up the 10%. Short-sighted and completely classless, but there are a lot out there in the gambling world just like him unfortunately.

Player A should insist that PLayer B gets 10% of Copenhagen.

Player B should insist that Player A gets 10% of travel/hotel covered.

That's how friends do it.

Spot on.

Okay cool, I've registered for it now. Says it will be out near end of this month. Should I back up files etc before installing it? Just in case... or is it likely to just install over top of my current OS without losing anything?

Hmmm, well it seems consensus is to just sign up for Windows 10 then. One additional reason that I am sort of loath to do so though is that I have this little add-on the Windows 8 that I bought called 'startisback' - it brings back the start button on bottom left of screen and makes Windows 8 work like the older and better Windows. I presume it will no longer work on Windows 10. But then again, maybe I should not even be using this startisback thing?

We have a different type of pool up and running for the WSOP. Based around the 10k Omaha 8B event, it is a 'last longer match-up' pool. Each question is simply 'who will last the longest, x or y?'. Couldn't be any simpler, and only takes 30 secs to enter. Come give it a go, and any feedback on the format would be appreciated. Just over a day left to enter.

Just noticed a little notification thing at bottom of my screen and when I click on it it is saying I can sign up for a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it is released. Is this something they are offering to everyone? Should I take up the option? I currently have Windows 8 (or is it 8.1? I don't know tbh... I bought it a few months ago so presumably it is up to date) and it seems fine for me. Don't especially want to be one of the first to have the new operating system since I gather there are always a ton of bugs etc in the first few months. But on the other hand, I do not want to 'miss out' on getting it for free and then have to pay for it later on.

Advice from those less technically challenged than me please...

With the CL final about to start, it is your chance for a while to get in a football pool on S&L. We have three different types of pool to choose from. Good luck.