Ali Tekintamgac, disqualified from the finale of PPT Cannes, may have used a code system well known to cheaters, in cooperation with Perica Bukara and Pokerb00m.eu bloggers.
Tekintamgac, a blogger and Bukara
On how WPT winner Ali Tekintamgac was disqualified from the final table of the PPT Cannes main event, you can read in more details in my earlier post. Even then it was already assumed that the involved bloggers were of the Pokerb00m.eu site that has been down ever since. They are likely to have helped him and his friend, Merit Cyprus Classic $25,000 High Roller winner Perica Bukara, on several occasions before.
In addition, it has turned out lately that the two players and the bloggers probably used a code system well known to cheaters. This is as follows:
Crown = Ace
Forehead = King
Nose = Queen
Mouth = Jack
Chin = 10
Neck = 9
Chest = 8
Stomach = 7
The video below is from the Unibet Open Prague from earlier this year. The Pokerb00m blogger standing opposite Bukara (in brown shirt with the yellow pass) touches his mouth and then his head after Joost Mengerink glimpses at his hand. The Dutch then shows A:c J:c.
Bukara finished 6th in the €1,500 event, winning €25,800.
The footage already shown from WPT Barcelona is even more revealing. Tekintamgac won the tournament against Roberto Garcia Santiago by surprisingly calling the Spanish player’s pre-flop all-in with Q:c 5:c. A blogger in grey shirt is there, standing behind Santiago touching his chest and neck after having a look at his hand. Tekintamgac then calls and Santiago shows 8:h 9:d.
Tekintamgac won €278,000.
He states, however, that he is innocent and expressed his dismay over the “discrediting campaign” against him. He told in an interview that PPT manager Patrick Partouche told him the day before the finale that he had got hold of information of Tekintamgac cheating and thus he disqualified him from the final table. The German argues, however, that the investigation has not yet revealed any hard evidence.
Nevertheless, rumours of him being banned from the Czech King’s Casino have turned out to be true. After Tekintamgac’s denial, journalists asked casino owner Leon Tsourkernik, who confirmed this piece of information.
After all this, it is going to be extremely difficult for both players to convince the poker community that they are innocent, although as long as the bloggers in question keep hiding from publicity, proving the contrary may be equally hard.