A report is circulating that a loophole (intentional?) in the Cereus network, which includes Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, permits US-based players to continue to play poker despite the federal crackdown.  If I am the Department of Justice and this is true, I am not a happy camper.  Think of getting one-outed on the river in PLO mad.  The last thing the poker world needs right now is a bunch of greedy poker site owners trying to squeeze a few more bucks out of the US market before the market closes, perhaps permanently.  It can serve only to rile the feds and strengthen their resolve.  Good work Cereus.  Way to think of the big picture.   (Of course, like all criminals…Absolute and Ultimate Bet deny the allegations.)

In a tad of good news, which we all need these days, Absolute Poker (and Ultimate Bet) announced that they have reached an agreement with the Department of Justice that will permit them to return funds to players whose accounts have been frozen.  In the words of Absolute Poker itself:  “Absolute Poker has reached an agreement with the United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”).  Under the agreement, the US Attorney’s Office has agreed to provide all necessary assurances that third parties may work with Absolute Poker to facilitate the return of funds, currently held by third party processors, to players located in the US. This provision is an important step to returning US player funds.”

Let’s hope this is a small step in the path to some truly great news in the coming months.