Online Cheating Problem?
Online Cheating Problem? A Denver entrepreneur has devised a system for online poker that answers all questions of authenticity, accountability, and transparency. Gene Gioia wondered about the implausible hands he saw online, and wanted to find a way to verify that software flaws were not causing hands that would not occur at live tables.

Gioia came from a professional background as a consultant in charge of auditing software installations for nationwide companies. He decided the way to assure players the game and system were legitimate was to deal actual cards.

Gioia and his brother created a machine, which they call the "Real Deal", to continuously shuffle and deal cards at very high speed. The results can be transmitted to computers running hundreds of simultaneous games. This should give true results, unlike the random number generators currently used, Gioia believes.

All hands dealt are recorded and available for future auditing.Gioia will open the site realdealpoker.com to give free demonstrations of his product.

After the AbsolutePoker and UltimateBet cheating scandals, players are more suspicious than ever of online poker rooms. One poll showed over two-thirds of online players do not trust the deal, and many players aviod Internet play for reasons of trust.

Gioia doesn't accuse sites of cheating, but he notes they can't prove they don't, and his method can. He hopes that the demo website will bring him the financing necessary to get his own online poker room running, and then the natural draw of an auditable site will bring customers flocking.