Cheating at Pogo?????

I had the pleasure of meeting (I'll call them) Shooo, Uzzie and Burn Saturday morning in Pogo. They were playing Texas Hold'em Poker (10,000 token stake).

But they weren't playing according to the rules most of us take for granted -- i.e., fair play.

They played as a team, using IM's to either drive up the bidding, to tell each other when to fold or to designate "fair" winners for harassment or intimidation ....

If one of them had a "legitimate" hand, they alternately ran up the bids until unsuspecting players folded, then continued to raise and re-raise for thousands of tokens until one folded to give their partner the pot. This continued until legitimate players left the table. Then the culprits moved to another table.

Associates and I monitored them until late Saturday. Burn (a new "team" player, obviously) had increased her/his token count over 200,000 tokens by evening -- playing at 10,000 token maximum tables.

Honest players can play for months around the clock before amassing 200,000 tokens.

Approximately 11:30 pm at a subsequent table, Burn and Shooo argued over "how many tokens she/he owed." (It sounded as if Burn was supposed to bid and subsequently fold a portion of her winnings ....) I'm not sure why they chose to argue in an open chat, but they did. Maybe they were tired or assumed that no one would understand .....

I reported the entire scenario -- with table links and copies of the reports I had filed throughout the day -- to Pogo.

Why?

Danged if I know. It just pissed me off that something I enjoyed was being so flagrantly (?) abused. Folks who play in Pogo are generally layed-back, easy-going down-home folk -- not arrogant pushy foul-mouths who taunt others via profiles and in person.

Tokens are actually useless outside Pogo. You can use them to "buy" (yes, buy) a chance to win Pogo prizes or Pogo mini faces, clothing, accessories or backgrounds. The more tokens you win, the more games you can enter and the more fashion mini accessories you can garner .... Otherwise, the tokens are useless.

I had the feeling that I was witnessing a virtual gang-bang. Shooo and Uzzie were rude and disrespectful, mocking and belittling regular players. Plus stealing tokens.

So I reported them.

I doubt anything will be done, however. I'm not even sure Pogo tags illegal "spin" programs.

After all, I (and others) choose to pay to play. I figure that, like the

other services we pay for online -- if you don't like what's going on -- leave!!

Except I don't like paying to be harassed or cheated.

I'll wait to see if Pogo responds. I'll continue to monitor the names. And their winnings.

I'll make other decisions later. I hate to make decisions when I'm pissed off AND on a legitimate winning streak .....

gullspirit at 11:58:00 AM EST Blog about this entry

This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)

#3 Comment from benagayle
6/17/08 4:00 AM | Permalink

what a great article! I have had the misfortune of playing with robotic players.
it feels rude and I knew exactly what you meant about the feeling of being gang banged. I hope Pogo does something about them and
I hope you continue on your legitimate winning streak.
Gayle "Bena1110" on POGO
#2 Comment from jeffs828
8/29/06 7:58 PM | Permalink

pogo will not do anything about that. they didnt break any "TOS" rules. there are plenty of cheats on pogo some use pogo to go to make unlimitedamount of tokens which they transfer to other names and then to their own names. or even sell the tokens orprograms on site like ibidfree.com they even have programs that will play the games for you. my email is jeffs828@aol.com
#1 Comment from firestormkids04
3/19/06 4:34 PM | Permalink

Now don't that beat all! It's my funhouse, too. I don't like cheaters. Go get 'em Gull! Blessings, Penny http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/FromHeretoThere

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Cheating at Pogo?????