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Message: [QUOTE="DS3, post: 6414821, member: 407846"] This is a sad footnote regarding cheating within poker and the gulf which exists between the indignation (of the public and some players) and the reality some of the highest profile cheaters have been rehabilitated during the WSOP. Though the cheating allegations were leveled at tens of people (according to GG at least eighty people in the latest scandal) three high profile players were outed this year – Bryn Kenney, Ali Imsirovic and Jake Schindler. I guess I am one of those older fashioned people who assume such accusations result in shame and, at least for an initial spell, a desire to lower one’s profile. Not these dudes. And this played out with several parties making a song and dance about ‘blacklists’ and then the announcement of the Poker Integrity Council. All three showed up to play at the WSOP. I noted Bryn Kenney had already been featured again on High Stakes Poker at PokerGo, a jarring note to many and some high profile players expressed their annoyance. However, it been informative to watch the coverage through the end of the series and realize there has been a deliberate effort to rehabilitate these guys. I’ll cite examples which purposefully have been edited into coverage, all from the main event. For example, Pokernews when reporting on the main event first day featured Bryn Kenney in their headline shot as one of the chip leaders. That would be Bryn vs 8,660 others they could have shown. Then there were ‘B roll’ shots of Jake Schindler sat in the field in the PokerGo coverage. Ali Imsirovic got moved to feature table for a whole session. Bryn Kenney then showed up for a quick hello with Remko Rinkema on the PokerGo vlog and then did likewise on the Lexi Gavin vlog. As I had promoted the Lexi Gavin vlogs, I felt letdown. I know that Lexi Gavin doesn’t edit the posts herself but it was obviously a choice to show Kenney if even for a few seconds. And suspicions were confirmed when it happened a second time and then later in the vlog Lexi Gavin when Bob made a joke about cheating Lexi then said “ I love Bryn personally, I’ve known Bryn for a really long time, I think he’s a good guy”. Seriously? Listen, I live in the real world, there are gray areas and know if I was friends with someone who had a dubious side it would be hard to distance your self completely (but not impossible). However the one thing I would do is keep my thoughts to myself and I wouldn’t support them in a public way. The fact is none of these little cameos are by accident. Choices have been made to feature them in a small but obvious manner at times and I have genuinely been left dumbfounded by the decision. I’m reminded of what Matt Berkey said at the height of the scandals, that the reality was some in the poker world were okay with cheating because at its core it represents the ability to employ any edge for gain. As the WSOP winds down all I can say is I have to agree with Berkey. The fact is there has been an effort made to show these guys remain part of the poker community when it would have been easier to have ignored them. Can you draw any conclusion but, for all the posturing, the industry itself does not actually care that much? [/QUOTE]

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