Paul Legget Speaks (at Length) about Tokwiro, AP, UB, Kahnawake, Joe Norton And Annie Duke Says: “I don’t think there’s anywhere safer to play.”
It’s not quite 60 Minutes … in fact, it’s closer to 73 minutes. Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet honcho Paul Leggett speaks with the CBC’s (Canadian Broadcast Company) Susan Reisler for an extremely detailed and stoic Q&A. I can tell you I’m very suspicious. This looks like an infomercial to me. (The apparent title of the show is simply “Poker” — I wasn’t aware of that investigative journalism news program.) Though she gets into all the controversial issues — and even the inbred nature of AP/UB/Tokwiro/Norton/Kahnawake — there’s no follow-up to anything that might sound peculiar (like the inbred nature of AP/UB/Tokwiro/Norton/Kahnawake) … she just allows him to state the facts and timelines, as if he were giving a legal deposition under questioning from his own attorney.
CONFIRMED: This is indeed a production by Tokwiro Enterprises, aka AP/UB. Anyone wanna wager on how many attorneys were standing off-camera to keep all commentary in legal line?
Sorry if I sound cynical. Really, it’s an admirable effort from Paul Leggett, the guy Annie Duke stands so strongly behind. Via the mock news program format, he addresses just about any question any of us have had about the whole Black Sox of Poker sitch. Kudos to you, Mr. Leggett, seriously, and thanks for finally coming forward with so much candid info. Personally, I’m starting to see your point of view on all this … and there were only a few questions where your answers made me wonder why Ms. Reisler didn’t follow up with: “But don’t you think that sounds fucked up?”
Click here for the entire 9-part library … bonus points if you can find the point where Leggett says “We were the victim here.”
Also check out the vid below, where Annie Duke speaks her mind on why she’s so loyal and has so much faith in AP/UB security … right down to algorithms and dealing with bots … and be sure to watch 4 minutes and 10 seconds in, where Reisler does her 60 Minutes style wrap-up: Everything is safe and secure, and Russell Hamilton is the Ultimate Bad Guy — he’s not part of Tokwiro and is in really big trouble if they can ever get their hands on him.
[Cue neoclassical new-age healing music.]
NOTE: KafkaCR? That’s the new YouTube video uploader’s name … OK, the CR is for Costa Rica … but Kafka? The Jewish-Bohemian novelist who, according to Wikipedia, wrote about “troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal and bureaucratic world”?
Oh, wait … I get it … Metamorphisis! Very clever project name, whether intentional or not.
Kevin Mathers says:
November 13th, 2008 at 7:00am
Does the video say it’s a Tokwiro production, or how do you know?
DanM says:
November 13th, 2008 at 7:03am
Yep, in the credits at the end.
Kevin Mathers says:
November 13th, 2008 at 7:10am
Nevermind, watched clip 9 when it says produced by Tokwiro.
DanM says:
November 13th, 2008 at 4:02pm
I’m really considering opening my mind about UB/AP. (Maybe.) Based on what they’re saying, they might be in a position to spend lots of money with Pokerati have their feet held to the fire and take a notable lead on issues of security, regulation, etc.
Will wait to see if CJen gives me permission. 😉
California Jen says:
November 13th, 2008 at 4:05pm
Permission for what exactly, Dan?
DanM says:
November 13th, 2008 at 4:14pm
To consider the (theoretically) new-and-improved UB/AP/Tokwiro/Cereus a legitimate, non-cheating entity.
DanM says:
November 13th, 2008 at 4:14pm
(Oooh, I feel dirty just saying that. I need a shower.)
DanM says:
November 13th, 2008 at 5:22pm
WTF!?! They took down all the vids!
DanM says:
November 16th, 2008 at 5:32pm
OK, vids are back (thanks Kev, for the heads-up). Can anyone figure out what changed? (The vid in Jen’s post seems to still be down.) My guess is you will find a few of Paul Leggett’s “We’re the victim” deleted.
I’ve changed my mind, though … I still applaud Tokwiro for doing these infomercials, but I just can’t buy what they’re
sellingsaying when the investigating agency and the auditing agency and the company being audited/investigated are all deeply and historically in bed together.I mean at best it’s the equivalent of Halliburton being retained to investigate what went wrong at Abu Ghraib.
Kevin Mathers says:
November 16th, 2008 at 6:14pm
Weren’t there always 9 videos, because that’s what I was able to download off Youtube. I think if you edit Jen’s post, and re-embed it it’ll be the same.
DanM says:
November 18th, 2008 at 5:35pm
Yep, that’s what happened. But it was a different file uploaded to that space — suggesting they made some edits to that specific episode.