First I'd like to say my heart goes out to U.S. players who made their living online. The end results may not be known for awhile but I like to think this is the start of some long overdue changes to online poker. Not that the way its come is right but change has started by this none the less. These sites have to held accountable for their conduct. Bribes, money laundering, non disclosure of inhouse cheats, setting terms and conditions of illegal software then looking the other way for years while knowing its spinning out of control.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I admit I was one lured by this dark side. Not out of wanting to cheat but started noticing that certian players would act fast then taking till clock warning UTG. Like a naive child I asked in the table chat one day why and someone pipe up he's a bot. My first thought was typical response. I then noticed the player in question change his reaction time on all decisions. This lead me to believe the bot statement might be true. I decided to see what I could find out for myself. This is how I stumble on to Poker Edge 5. Pissed that these guys have been operating for years with Stars knowing of it and not doing enough to stop it, and at me playing for years on Stars without looking into this earlier I decided to join. What a eye-opener.

  No doubt it helped my game, short term, because in the $4.40 to $20.00 mtt's there were at least two other users at my table most of the time if not more. At first other PE5 users can't tell if your on it or not so your able to to use this to your advantage. How? Using stats is only useful if looking a large sample. The largest samples (by far) are from other PE5 users as every hand you play after you join is tracked. After one has used PE5 enough for other users to know your on it(who have been on it much longer than you) will then start to use that info against you. It's a whole new leveling game I didn't even realize I got myself into until it was to late.

  Ron said in one of his podcasts he believes that some people who do this are good people who made a bad choice. I like to think this is me. I like to help people, not screw them . My desicion to use this was born from feeling screwed over. Two wrongs do not make a right.

  Why am I admitting all of this? To forgive one's self one must be honest about their dishonesty. To remind others who may have the same feelings not lose sight of tools needed for long term success, Integrity and self respect. My apologies to the TPE nation as the knowledge I've learned here is no contest the best thing that's ever happened to my game. I ask your forgiveness and can say I will not put my values aside again. I understand those who choose not to, to give second chances to people you don't know can be foolish but I ask those that feel this way to look at my past posts to see how much effort I put in to my responses. I care not only about my game but the others members here too. Why, because so many forms I've looked at before reminded me of grade school, here there's a unsaid code of conduct I've seen nowhere else.

  As to the changes that I stated in the opening paragragh, I believe once the U.S. allows there citizens to play again these matters will be adderessed and some sort of independant regulatory system will be in place. It's a shame that one country is going to pay the price for the world to beneifit. For those in the U.S. who manage to keep their skills sharp until then will reap the rewards later when legal and the boom returns. I can think of no better way to stay sharp than to stay with TPE for $23.95 a month. Even if you apply what you learn for live play, watch online play and post old HH for review, you'll be so far ahead of most others that flock back that it would be sic to miss.

Once again my deepest apologies for my actions and and deepest sympathies for all U.S. players.