Cheating on the gulf coast

I’m not hiding anything. Just stating the reality of my personal situation. Obviously there are other stables/players that don’t operate the same way, but that has nothing to do with me. I understand the value of anecdotal experiences but rarely are they blanket truths. I’m not here to convince those clinging to a witch hunt. All I can do is state the facts and everyone can take it however they choose.

FYP

Not to take sides but offer an anecdote. Doesn't matter but I've shared final tables with Cody and Walker and really like both of them personally.

In the STL area, there are lots of local recs who think this crew and some of the dealers are sus, especially when RG comes to town. Comments that have been made to me range from the unprofessional chumminess to things like weird comments, as well as hand and eyebrow signals, to this "stable" that would indicate some kind of deck stacking.

If these people are crazy or stupid that's your opinion and that's fine, but the RG tour in particular is developing a perception problem.

Nah. Dems to busy continuing to invoke that one on Trump and GOP.

Pretty sure only 1 real life name was posted and it was comical. Im sure the rest are the same especially the louder ones. These haters are currently codys biggest fans over here antisweating the FT hes currently on. So kinda a win that they hit refresh with the other successful players in the chat that have enough intelligence to cheer for a fellow successful player.

you can definitely approach 100% ROI in these tournaments.

however, as US nationals, tax becomes a consideration. not sure why anyone in the US grinds 400 dollar tourneys with the tax

Will never play in Mississippi so honestly couldn't care less that a bunch of hicks are soft-playing $400 mtts in a casino where you probably will catch herpes from the chairs but my god is Cody doing a great job making himself look guilty.

I fully understand why lawyers advise people to just shut up.

In case it hasn't been said enough. That's exactly what it means.

Actually IIRC, Postle would have plenty to worry about were he to cash. The last time he cashed in MS, a lien/encumbrance was placed on his winnings from the lawsuit he lost. The action was not applied in time to be enforced, but it is still active in MS and could still be applied. Even if it has lapsed, it would take almost no time to unlapse and apply.

So net is that were Postle to show up, enter, cash, he would very likely never collect whatever he did cash.

In total fairness, we should also toss Phil Hellmuth into this investigation. I mean 17 bracelets? Are you kidding me?.. He's clearly been cheating at a high level for decades.

Actually I am pretty sure Johnny has been separated from the MD room for several years (pre or early Covid time IIRC). He, I believe had moved onto a different related property though not sure if it was poker related or not. I am not even sure he is still there or with MGM.

I do know I have not recently seen any prior communications from him here, on those forums or even at TDA (where he was an active member back then). Of course since he has posted here, he can certainly clarify anything he chooses.

As to what he said, you definitely mischaracterized it. He is not victim blaming as you imply. He simply stated that no actual prove of the cheating has been provided.

I am not saying there is or isn't cheating going on. I am very certain that someone in these fields is trying to cheat in some manner but if they succeed or not is somethign different.

Since I don't enter tournaments and definitely don't grind or follow the circuit, I don't even know who the persons accused are. But I will say, I have not seen serious proof of anyone cheating.

I can confirm Hellmuth is not associated with this stable but he is a fierce competitor

You probably can.

And if someone has been playing these for years who is a "fierce competitor and poker crusher" and they still need to be staked they're broke, cheating or both.

Nobody is jealous of someone grinding 400 dollar tournaments especially someone on stake.

The whole thing in general with stables absolutely reeks and this situation is no different.

Wasn't Johnny Grooms running National Harbor when Chad Power had his cheating stable playing those games around the clock after Power and his little team of dirt bags had been kicked out of other places?

No clue never played there while Grooms was there. Only play there max couple times a year now. Plus I don’t know Powers or anything about any cheating you referenced.

I don't know the man, and I'm not judging someone over one post. But in all fairness his post does leave a lot to the imagination. His exact words:

You seem like one of the more level-headed and impartial people in this thread.

Don't you think at the very least this seems like a highly inappropriate way for a poker room manager to respond to multiple different people alleging widespread cheating at properties they (were? are?) in charge of? "Literally the worst thing" is literally saying it's worse to accuse someone of cheating than to actually cheat. That might not be what he meant but that's what he said and he hasn't posted again to clarify.

Someone asked why I didn't report it when I thought I saw decks getting set in Biloxi. His quote pretty much sums up why I didn't. I'm suspicious that multiple parties are working together cheating and I'm a total unknown in the room. For one I don't know who is in on the fix. Second if I approach a random honest floor alleging I saw dealer(S!) setting decks and I'm just some random guy, they likely laugh me out of the room.

It'd be different if I was at a room I frequent where I could pull aside a floor I know and trust and say, "Could you have security take a look at what the dealer did at 12:01."

In that case the floor would know me and know I don't just go throwing around allegations and they would be a lot more likely to take my concerns seriously.

I guess I've got to start making it a habit to set my phone up on the rail on a stand like I'm watching movies so I can slyly record the dealer a la Shaun Deeb with the Texas cheating scandal.

I don't really know how I'm supposed to provide proof otherwise.

Hellmuth has hit some of the sickest punts in televised poker ever. If he cheats he's the best of all time at advertising that he doesn't.

Wow. How to make oneself look like an idiot by making false comparisons......

Not a big Grooms fan myself but will say he used to be the poker room manager there years ago and no longer is. Probably friends with current manager and felt need to defend him.

I am not a big fan either. Honestly, my opinion over time has deteriorated. The more he posted (mostly while he was mgr at the east coast room), the more my opinion deteriorated. It was highest while still on the GC (but I don't think he was room mgr there, IIRC, he was "only" TD until he moved to east coast. But I certainly could be wrong.)

In this particular case, the message in his post I can agree with but the words and tone not so much. At least not if he is still professionally associated with the company. It is consistent with a style he has exhibited previously.

As I think I said previously, I don't even know if he is with the company or associated with poker professionally any longer. But he could clarify if he wishes. I can see attempting to defend a friend and 'demanding' an offer of proof is reasonable but the how done is less than professional IMO.

That could be the case but the allegations before he posted didn't even involve the day-to-day operations of that room.

The allegations involved cheating at large events on the gulf coast. An outside group typically comes in to run these events. I don't see how anyone would really hold the daily operating manager of the room responsible if something happened at a large event. At most the poker room manager is responsible for vetting and knowing the reputation of any groups they allow to come into their casino.

Anyway my assumption was that Grooms was likely concerned about rumors of cheating affecting the bottom lines of casinos he's affiliated with. I certainly understand that perspective. If there's widespread cheating going on people are going to talk though, and I think the post from Grooms was a pretty unprofessional response.

They need to clean up these events. They would prefer someone came forward with a cell phone video of one dealer so they can fire someone and act like it was an isolated incident. From what I witnessed during the short time I spent playing at a large gulf coast event, combined with what some other people in this thread are saying, it seems likely that there is a bigger problem than one crooked dealer.

Isn't he the genius that had all of the table number signs removed that were hanging above the table because he 'didn't like the way they looked' and then never bothered to replace them? For years now people wonder around the poker room looking for their table, especially newer players, because there is no visible table numbers posted anywhere on the poker room floor. It is one of the more ridiculous things I have seen at a poker room that size lol.

JIML you need to stop calling people idiots. For many reasons......and since we are on that topic......he was just kidding YOU..........

Poker room has moved at least once since he left for new EC room.

Don’t play there much but several times a year. Never had a problem finding my table check in always pointed and described.

Spot on! As a dealer, we do not choose what table we go to. Disrupting the rotation would cause huge issues. Yes sometimes we are locked in to one table when understaffed but that is rare. If I or any of my friends that deal had the ability to manipulate the cards the way some of you are suggesting we would not be working the circuit. And anyone we were working with would not be in for 30+ bullets lol.
My advice to anyone that is upset with the results these guys are having is to start studying and learn how to exploit recs!

Well Hellmuth 100% participated in a crypto scam so yea he’s a cheat ! Absolute crook