German Poker Player Accused of Cheating for $390,000

Some online poker players will go to great lengths to win a hand or two but some players take things way too far. This is the case with an online poker player from Germany who is currently being investigated by police after allegedly using a Trojan horse virus to view the cards of his competition. Whatever happened to winning with skill and strategy?
During a high stakes game of Pot Limit Omaha in Baden, Austria, the player (whose name has yet to be released) used the virus to out-duel many well known players including Patrik Antonius, Juha Helppi, Nicki Jedlicka, and Ilari Sahamies.
With the help of the virus, he cleaned up to the tune of $390,000 including $40,000 from an Austrian player and $350,000 from a Swiss player.
The story does not stop there. Apparently, the angry players hunted down the German scam artist in his hotel room and forced him to confess. However, when police arrived he admitted no wrongdoing. At this time, it is unsure of which online poker room was involved.
One of the biggest general issues with online gambling is trust. If a player doesn’t believe he is getting a “fair shake” he is not going to stick around long. Some players are so afraid that they never sign up – they don’t like the idea of not being able to see exactly what is going on.
Stories like this can have a negative impact on the poker affiliate marketing industry. Although affiliates put countless hours into promoting trustworthy services, a single event like this can make potential players think twice before signing up and depositing money.
Police are continuing their investigation. Let’s hope they find this person guilty, while making it clear that this type of activity is not condoned and will result in serious punishment.
Care to weigh on the German cheater? Check out out our forum thread on the topic!