Alright, so I don't know if you all heard about the cheating scandal that took
place in a recent poker tournament involving the young huckster, Sorel Mizzi and
Bluff Magazine's Chris Vaughan...err
former editor, Chris Vaughan, but it
definitely has caused some repercussions in the poker world and the world of Mr.
Chris Vaughan. That's right folks. Vaughan was given the hook from Bluff
management, following his admittance in an interview with Poker News that he did
indeed consciously take part in a cheating scheme that involved conspiracy with
Mizzi.
Bluff Media announced the termination of Vaughan this week, saying
something along the lines of Vaughan's actions not meeting the high standards
which Bluff has come to be associated with. I'm not sure exactly what these high
standards entail - full page ads or glossy paper? - so I don't know if I quite
agree with Bluff's reasoning behind this move.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't stand for a cheating scandal one second. In
fact, I'm still calling for the closing of Absolute Poker and the dismantling of
Kahnawake Gaming Commission, following the insider cheating that took place via
the Kahnawake online gambling servers. But what I am saying is that Bluff has
even given Vaughan credit for coming out and telling the truth. Believe me,
Vaughan could have denied charges until the very end. And even though he had his
winnings taken, so long as he still denied the charges, Bluff would may have
still kept him around.
The fact that Vaughan poured his heart out and was obviously sorry he stooped
to the low of cheating was a good example for other players who may have
entertained the thought of cheating themselves. But I do have to say that
Vaughan's termination is also a good example. So, I'm really not at liberty to
say what I think is fair or unfair for Vaughan. All things considered, he
deserves to lose his job. However, let's all at least give him some credit for
fessing up.