Ali Tekintamgac wins IPT Venice
After reviewing the security footage of the qualifying day, event management concluded that certain press members provided Tekintamgac with information about his opponents’ hole cards. The poker player’s associates are presumed to have been fake journalists of the Pokerb00m.eu blog and to have primarily aimed at helping him. The local police now use the recordings in their investigation.
During EPT Tallinn, Tekintamgac was already suspected of foul play but little action was taken, apart from removing the suspected cheaters from the event hall. Moreover, as shown in a video of the 2010 WPT Barcelona appearing at several sites, including 2+2 and Cake Poker, the reporter in grey shirt behind his opponent allegedly signalled him, causing him to call the all-in and eventually win the HU.
It is yet uncertain, whether Pokerb00m bloggers were involved in these questionable cases during the EPT and WPT (although some pictures, including the one below, suggest that this is indeed the case) but it seems certain that they are behind the PPT scandal. The site is currently down and the 9th place prize for the PPT Cannes final table will be offered for charity purposes. If Tekintamgac and his associates are found guilty of cheating, they face several years in prison.
Ali Tekintamgac and his Pokerb00m associates cheating? Photo courtesy of hochgepokert.de.
