[BigBollocks]

Al and Company,

I was just discussing this via PM, and figured why not discuss further in public. Is there any validity to Pokerstars implementing some sort of player ratings in your opinions? I've played there for sometime and am up pretty decent longterm with "shark" status on a certain ROI site(just so that no one mistakes this for a "bitching" thread from a person who doesn't know what they're talking about), and believe wholeheartedly that Pokerstars uses some sort of player ratings system.

For those familiar with the site I could give several specific names, but many of the guys that play 10K+ annual sit and gos tend to receive substantial fortune time and again (to such a degree that it's virtually assured of being non-random if the stats were computed). There are three in particular that tend to start up a lot of the games from $20-$60, and get their money in bad time and again only to have the system help them out. What is worse is that while these three have cleared $50-$100K with a 10-20% ROI at Pokerstars, they are perennial losers with a negative 10-20% ROI at Party, UB, and FullTilt. That just shouldn't happen.

I remember Davin Andersson (sp.) coming on after his WSOP antics and catching hand after hand afterwards, and Vanessa Rousso must have stuck at least 20 bad beats on players alone that I saw while finishing 3rd in PS' WCOOP event. Anyone who routinely watches DarioMinieri on the $2 and $5K sit 'n go's would doubt the randomness there as well.

I don't know if it's a reward for starting up tables, a reward for frequent play, a reward for notoriety as one's name grows, or that there are some sort of house shills involved, but I'm becoming convinced that Stars uses some sort of player ratings system that perhaps doubles or greater certain players' true odds. All opinions (the more intelligent the better) welcomed. Cheers...

[pokernut9999]

Most of my play was at Bodog and I noticed too many crazy things to not believe in something of that nature. A couple of years ago their was a player named Ari who dominated the 5/10 omaha high/lo. He netted over 100k in a couple of months. It was unreal the way he won.

Then this year you would see new guys show up and play 3 tables at a time and win at all 3 tables on a regular basis for a month then disappear. New names all the time month after month never lose always playing 3 tables then disappear.

The odds of these guys in big MTT's winning on a consistent basis is just too great to believe. It was reported in Card Player magazine some big name players have been banned by some sites for playing in tournies under as many as 4 accounts at the same time.

I for one dont trust any of these sites anymore.