I found a major flaw in Ultimate Poker's "drawing cards to get the button" method. It's been mentioned on 2+2 already, but they're not doing anything about it.
I sat alone waiting for a player tonight, and some douche sat with me, played a few hands, and sat out. He said "brb 5 min" and indeed returned.
Then he did it again after about 8 more hands.
Then he did it again after another few hands.
Then he did it yet again.
I finally realized that he was always sitting out and saying "brb" when it was my button, and then he'd get a 50% chance of getting the button back.
He played a few hands in between so it wasn't as obvious, as I would have immediately detected it had he done it on consecutive hands.
When I called him out on it, he ran away.
They need to just do away with the "draw a card for the button" and simply give it to the guy sitting first. That's only fair, as the one starting the game should get the button, and it will remedy angle shooters like this guy taking advantage.
In fact, this drawing-for-the-button policy is a complete joke, even if people aren't intentionally abusing it.
Let me give an example:
Let's say I have a sensitive bladder and need to pee fairly often -- about once per hour.
Now let's say I am playing you in a 3 1/2 hour heads-up match.
At the end of hour one, I sit out when it's your button (as most people do when sitting out of HU matches temporarily), say "brb bathroom", and indeed come back.
When I come back, there is a 50% chance I will get the button a second time, so on average I will have 0.5 extra buttons.
Now, at the end of hour two, I do the same -- sit out when it's your button. Again, when I come back, I will get the buttom 50% of the time, so now I will be averaging 1.0 extra buttons.
Finally, at the end of hour three, I do the same. Now I'll be averaging 1.5 extra buttons.
Then I quit after 3 1/2 hours, right after playing my own button.
Could you really report me for button abuse?
No. Because I otherwise played consistently for 3 1/2 hours, only sat out three times total, and there's no rule that I have to sit out on my own button.
So even in a harmless-looking situation such as this, the guy sitting out 3 times in 3 1/2 hours will still average 1.5 extra buttons that he shouldn't get.
I don't understand how a math guy like Terrence Chan can find this situation to be the slightest bit acceptable.
Sometimes I wonder if Ultimate Poker really gives a shit about customer service or preventing cheating or angle-shooting. In some ways, they are starting to look almost as dirty/incompetent/apathetic as the foreign online card rooms.
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