Cheating Allegations

[Aberlour10]

I think many members are not able to follow all these monster threads at the BW. Would someone here give a description about recent developements and current standing in this issue?. Thanks.

[blackshoe]

Briefly, Boye Broglund says there's more to come, the IBF is investigating, The EBL is investigating, the ACBL is investigating, Fisher and Schwartz have said they aren't going to play together for now, the Israeli team has withdrawn from the Bermuda Bowl, and Jimmy Cayne has said that he's down with giving up the Spingold title, and will not have anything to do with these two in future if the results of the investigation (he was referring here, I think, to either the IBF or the ACBL one, but I suppose it wouldn't matter which one) showed that Fisher and Schwartz were cheating. The rest, IMO, is the clucking of chickens in the barnyard.

[WGF_Flame]

I don't agree. F-S have already said hey won't play together until this is resolved. The Bermuda Bowl starts at the end of this month. The sooner the EBF vacates the qualification spot, the easier it is to replace the Israeli team in the BB.

 

And no matter what would happen in the next few weeks, it would be very hard (if not impossible) for the Israeli team to perform well under these circumstances.

 

Rik

 

FS were not on the Israeli team for this year bermuda.

[Trinidad]

FS were not on the Israeli team for this year bermuda.

But FS were on the team that earned the qualification.

 

Rik

[Fluffy]

I expected more from Brogeland already, is it being delayed or something?

[lamford]

I expected more from Brogeland already, is it being delayed or something?

I have heard rumours that another dramatic announcement is imminent ...

[shyams]

I expected more from Brogeland already, is it being delayed or something?

 

My conjecture on Boye's role in the F-S unveiling is that he probably initiated all the dramatic announcements without a full road map for his "royal flush".

• I base this conjecture on the fact that most of the groundwork was done by other people after the inital "♠J" announcement.
  
• A few days later, Boye's new videos focused on coughs and their supposed significance rather than on signals using the placement of the boards.
  

I wouldn't be surprised if no new material is presented.

[Fluffy]

You mean... another pair(s)?, that is consistent with the names Brogeland has picked for his webpage (bridgecheaters) and facebook page (Bridge: a clean game)

[mgoetze]

I have heard rumours that another dramatic announcement is imminent ...

I've got my popcorn ready, but the NFL starts in 2½ hours so this announcement had better be quick.

[Fluffy]

My conjecture on Boye's role in the F-S unveiling is that he probably initiated all the dramatic announcements without a full road map for his "royal flush".

• I base this conjecture on the fact that most of the groundwork was done by other people after the inital "♠J" announcement.
• A few days later, Boye's new videos focused on coughs and their supposed significance rather than on signals using the placement of the boards.

I wouldn't be surprised if no new material is presented.

That though passed through my mind as well, but I don't think this is an issue were boye would bluff

[cherdano]

My conjecture on Boye's role in the F-S unveiling is that he probably initiated all the dramatic announcements without a full road map for his "royal flush".

• I base this conjecture on the fact that most of the groundwork was done by other people after the inital "♠J" announcement.
  
• A few days later, Boye's new videos focused on coughs and their supposed significance rather than on signals using the placement of the boards.
  

I wouldn't be surprised if no new material is presented.

Well, it's been established that coughing indicates a weak hand (in the context of the auction). And it seems pretty clear Boye was aware of that. I also find it hard to believe that he posted the 3NT-lead video, was convinced there was a signal for the heart lead, and didn't think to look at the unusual board placement.

 

But if I was a cheater and he showed me the ♥J, I knew I'd fold - even if it's a semi-bluff, I'll likely be found out once lots of eye-balls are watching videos of sets I played.

[aguahombre]

My conjecture on Boye's role in the F-S unveiling is that he probably initiated all the dramatic announcements without a full road map for his "royal flush".

[*]I base this conjecture on the fact that most of the groundwork was done by other people after the inital "♠J" announcement.

And where did you get the "fact" that most of the groundwork was not already in progress by those people before the first announcement?

[johnu]

I have heard rumours that another dramatic announcement is imminent ...

 

I don't know if it means anything, but Franck Multon of the Monaco team posted an article on BridgeWinners basically attacking Boye. I can't think of any reason for doing so unless ..... ?

[MrAce]

I don't know if it means anything, but Franck Multon of the Monaco team posted an article on BridgeWinners basically attacking Boye. I can't think of any reason for doing so unless ..... ?

 

Then I think I know the 2nd bombshell pair name. I did not read it yet, I will go check now.

[lamford]

Then I think I know the 2nd bombshell pair name. I did not read it yet, I will go check now.

The post was so astonishingly badly written that I was tempted to suggest that he wrote it in his native language and I used Google Translate, but I was hauled over the coals when I once did that on here! The post:

 

Mr Boye Brogeland is a funny Man When he play with Fischer -Schwartz , he dont speak for cheating but When the next year he loose against this pair

 

He réveal all , i am not sûre is clean attitude . Poor. Fischer Schwartz if he continue to play with this Man is better

 

I think one response is enough:

"I don't understand the post. Sorry" - David Gold

[MrAce]

The post was so astonishingly badly written that I was tempted to suggest that he wrote it in his native language and I used Google Translate, but I was hauled over the coals when I once did that on here! The post:

 

Mr Boye Brogeland is a funny Man When he play with Fischer -Schwartz , he dont speak for cheating but When the next year he loose against this pair

 

He réveal all , i am not sûre is clean attitude . Poor. Fischer Schwartz if he continue to play with this Man is better

 

I think one response is enough:

"I don't understand the post. Sorry" - David Gold

 

Here is why I think I know the upcoming bombshell, if any. Here are the comments that give us hints. all from different posters in BW

 

1-Meckwell said "Less than 5 pairs"

2-Geoff replied to him "Now less than 4!

 

Now we know suspected pairs were F-S+3 more.

 

3-Someone from EBL replied that there were 3 pairs being monitored.

 

Now we know out of 3 pairs (except F-S) 2 of them represented their country in EC.

 

4-Although I do not know what kind of time period the poster implied by saying "recent" But he said "One of them is not exactly a top pair but one of the player is well known other is not that well known and recently started competing in NABC events.

 

If one studies these comments, can pretty much narrow the list down. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

[lamford]

Perhaps some should open a book on the next team to withdraw from the Bermuda Bowl. A bit like the various "next manager to get the sack" in some sporting markets.

[mgoetze]

Here is why I think I know the upcoming bombshell, if any. Here are the comments that give us hints. all from different posters in BW

 

1-Meckwell said "Less than 5 pairs"

2-Geoff replied to him "Now less than 4!

 

Now we know suspected pairs were F-S+3 more.

 

3-Someone from EBL replied that there were 3 pairs being monitored.

 

Now we know out of 3 pairs (except F-S) 2 of them represented their country in EC.

So everyone who's being monitored is automatically guilty? Are you serious or are you just trying to enrage mikeh? :P

[aguahombre]

Perhaps some should open a book on the next team to withdraw from the Bermuda Bowl. A bit like the various "next manager to get the sack" in some sporting markets.

How would we know from whom not to accept wagers?

[mgoetze]

How would we know from whom not to accept wagers?

You can already see all the players and captains registered for the BB on the WBF website.

[aguahombre]

You can already see all the players and captains registered for the BB on the WBF website.

And so those are the only ones from whom we should not accept a bet on whether they will withdraw?

[mgoetze]

And so those are the only ones from whom we should not accept a bet on whether they will withdraw?

What's your point?

[mikeh]

So everyone who's being monitored is automatically guilty? Are you serious or are you just trying to enrage mikeh? :P

I know this was meant in levity. I don't have any problem at all with monitoring of pairs against whom suspicion has been reported. I think it is in fact an essential reaction by those who run tournaments. The good news is that major events are now often routinely on video, to the point that there is no reason for pairs to fear that their reputation is in jeopardy because of the presence of cameras. In addition, as time goes on, if the videos can be archived, they constitute an invaluable database against which some retrospective analysis can be done (preferably done in the fashion outlined by numerous posters, including me, to remove bias from the analysis).

 

In fact, in an ideal world, I'd like to see a code broken and NO action taken immediately. Instead, one would let the cheats play another match under video, and with respect to every 'cheating scenario' hand, have a prediction....if so and so does the following, we can expect that his or her hand with have the following characteristic, and/or that partner will do the following action'.

 

Then we have the smoking gun.

 

I know Matt Smith quite well. He has to be very circumspect about what he says in private conversation and I am not going to embarrass him by setting out even the very limited, guarded comments he made to me about this yesterday. Not that he said anything that would be embarrassing. He certainly didn't express any beliefs on the current scandal, other than a concern about process. I think it fair, however, to suggest that those in charge of the 'floor' at major events are very well attuned to the whispers against the few top pairs who are subjected to them, and that they do pay close attention. They are at least as well motivated as any top player to get cheats out of the game. And they are not the incompetents or the blind fools that some seem to see them as. They do take fairness very, very seriously. I am sure they all vigorously support widespread video monitoring of all important matches at least as much as the most rabid anti-cheaters we have here or on BW, where, btw, I finally posted.

[mgoetze]

So at this point the next pair of suspects seems like a very poorly kept secret. But I'm almost out of popcorn from watching Tyrod Taylor, Aaron Donald and Marcus Mariota, while BridgeWinners and BridgeCheaters remain eerily quiet...

[MrAce]

So everyone who's being monitored is automatically guilty? Are you serious or are you just trying to enrage mikeh? :P

 

Where did I say I think someone is guilty? How did you come to a conclusion, from my post that I am trying to find the guilty, let alone saying who is guilty? I gathered some hints written by top players. What I am doing is to predict "which pair(s) THEY think is suspicious" Not "which pair is cheating or guilty" Just because they think a pair is dirty, does not mean I also think they are dirty. Which part of my post made you think that I also think they are guilty?

 

It can not be coincidence that the number of pairs hinted to us and the number of monitored pairs by organisations are identical except one. But that does not mean they are guilty. And I am still having hard time what mistake have I done in my post to mislead you the idea that I think someone is guilty, let alone who is guilty.

 

Why would I try to enrage Mike? I value his opinions and told many times privately and publicly. He knows I am straight shooter. We disagree strongly sometimes, but (I think) he values my opinions because I am not just a "follower". And Mike did not even cross my mind when I was typing my comments about predicting "who THEY think is cheating"