PartyPoker Bans More Bots as Kevin Martin Leaves
There are no shortages of updates from PartyPoker these days.
Most recently, PartyPoker put through a major software update. The biggest beneficiaries were players using Mac devices, but all players saw additions to the tournament screens and the lobby. Players were also given a new option to set a one-click bet for common bets, if they choose to update their settings with this information.
The latest information from PartyPoker reveals more bot bans that bring the total to nearly 650, and the amount refunded to players is now more than $1.3 million from the dot-com and dot-eu markets.
As the site continues to welcome player feedback and implement changes rather quickly this year, there could be more updates sooner rather than later.
For now, let’s get caught up.
Bot-Identified Accounts
For the month of July, PartyPoker revealed that its Poker Fraud Team was hard at work and closed the most bots since the month of March.
July saw a total of 121 fraudulent bot accounts closed, with 89 of them from the dot-com site and the others from the dot-eu market. The amount of money seized from the dot-com accounts was $76,267, with another €88,351 confiscated from shuttered dot-com accounts.
In terms of # of accounts, July was a marked uptick – second only to March's 142 accounts closed.
In terms of $ seized, it is third, behind March ($182k) and December, the first month, where a mammoth ~$420k was redistributed. pic.twitter.com/rSieUI87T5
— Nick Jones (@pokerprojones) August 16, 2019
The month of August saw a smaller number of closures. The total was 48 accounts. There were 36 accounts worth $148,668 from the dot-com site and another 12 accounts closed with €29,495 seized.
This brings the total numbers to an impressive tally for the year through the end of August:
–Total accounts closed: 649
–Total US $ seized: $1,174,758
–Total € seized: €164,878
All of the monies taken from bot-affiliated accounts are separated, totaled, and distributed to players who were victimized by those bot operations. The Poker Fraud Team works with data and players to verify amounts and refund the money to players.
Martin Abruptly Leaves Team
The relatively short time that Kevin Martin has spent as an online poker pro has been filled with changes.
In early 2016, Martin signed a sponsorship with PokerStars as an online pro. He caught the eye of the team’s recruiters after being a contestant on Big Brother Canada and streaming online poker on Twitch, beginning in 2015.
After nearly three years with PokerStars Team Online, Martin announced he was not renewing his contract. This was in February 2019 and coincided with friends Jaime Staples and Jeff Gross also ending their relationships with PokerStars.
Martin’s pals soon joined Team PartyPoker. Though not yet a part of the team, Martin livestreamed his poker action from the PartyPoker online tables. And on May 1, Martin did join the PartyPoker team of pros. “So excited to officially be on Team PartyPoker,” he tweeted. “Such an exciting new team! So many good things happening with the everyday poker player being the focus.”
That decision to work with PartyPoker didn’t last long.
After just four months, Martin revealed in a video posted on Twitter that he retired from poker and resigned from PartyPoker.
His explanation focused on his journey from the lowest stakes upward in online poker. He said he never became a “crusher” but did become a winning player, which was satisfying.
Still in his 20s, however, he was retiring from a professional poker career.
“My career as a Twitch poker streamer is over,” Martin said. He said he is retiring because he accomplished his goals. His first goal was to become a winning player, and he did that. The second goal was to entertain people. He said, “That void in my life has been filled.”
His intentions going forward were vague. “I’m really enjoying some other things, and I think I’m going to take my career in a different way.” He added that he will continue to play poker but on a more recreational level, and he might pop into a Twitch stream now and then. But he will no longer create poker content.
Martin continued, “I respect the people who are winning at the highest stakes in online poker, and I respect the people playing the million-dollar tournaments like the Triton series. I respect them, but I no longer envy them, and I no longer have a desire to get to that position.”
He wished everyone the best – both at PartyPoker and PokerStars – and thanked every person who supported his poker journey.
It's been an amazing ride!
The journey as a Twitch poker streamer is over. pic.twitter.com/MIA1Jtv2t3
— KMart (@KevinRobMartin) September 5, 2019
