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Biography
For|the singer of the same name|Russ Hamilton (singer)Infobox poker player|name=Russ Hamilton|image =Russ Hamilton.jpg|caption=Hamilton playing at the 2007 UB Aruba Poker Classic|hometown=Las Vegas, Nevada|wsop bracelet count=1|wsop money finishes=8|wsop main event best finish rank=Winner|wsop main event best finish year=1994|wpt titles= None |wpt final tables= None |wpt money finishes=2|updated=2009-07-24 Russ Hamilton was the 1994 World Series of Poker main event champion. He defeated Hugh Vincent in heads-up play to win $1 million in first-prize money, as well as his body weight in silver. http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/06/sextons-corner-49-russ-hamilton-silver-bars.htm Sexton's Corner, Vol. 49: Russ Hamilton, Part 2 -- $1,000,000, a Bracelet and 43 Silver Bars Following his World Series win, Hamilton served as a consultant for Ultimate Bet , an online poker server. In 2008, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission found Hamilton largely responsible for cheating players on Ultimate Bet out of $6.1 million through software that allowed access to opponents' hole cards. http://www.gamingcommission.ca/news/pr09282008a.pdf Kahnawake Gaming Commission: Kahnawake Gaming Commission Imposes Sanctions on Ultimate Bet with Regard to Cheating Incidents In 2009, Kahnawake increased the $6.1 million estimate to $22,100,000. http://www.gamingcommission.ca/news/pr09112009a.pdf Kahnawake Gaming Commission report 2009
Hamilton initially attended college and pursued a degree in electrical engineering, before a conversation with a professor led him to decide that playing poker for a living would be more profitable. After playing in underground games in Detroit , he moved to Las Vegas at the age of 36 where he joined a tournament blackjack team. He enjoyed a successful run, but when tournaments started barring blackjack pros, he turned back to poker. In 1994, he won the World Series of Poker main event WSOP bracelet|bracelet . He also invented Elimination Blackjack .
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,500,000. http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php? a=r& n=106 Hendon Mob tournament results His eight cashes at the WSOP account for $1,261,940 of those winnings. http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/players/index.asp? sort=cashearned& pagenum=1 World Series of Poker Earnings, worldseriesofpoker.com
UltimateBet fraud
Since winning his World Series bracelet, Hamilton has served as a gaming industry expert, including as a consultant for the online poker cardroom UltimateBet where he was involved in recruiting some prominent poker players, including Phil Hellmuth , to promote the site. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26563848 MSNBC: Poker site cheating plot a high-stakes whodunit He has won World Championships in several types of casino games and founded the Ultimate Blackjack Tour in 2005.
On September 29, 2008, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission stated it had found clear and convincing evidence that, between the approximate dates of May 2004 and January 2008, Russ Hamilton was the main person responsible for, and benefiting from, multiple sophisticated cheating incidents at UltimateBet. http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/09/kahnawake-announces-ultimate-bet-sanctions.htm Kahnawake Gaming Commission Announces Sanctions on UltimateBet: Russ Hamilton Named UltimateBet eventually refunded a total of $22,100,000 to the defrauded players.
In October 2008, 60 Minutes aired a report profiling Hamilton and called the fraud the biggest scandal in the history of online gambling. http://news.cnet.com/60-minutes-report-how-online-gamblers-unmasked-cheaters '60 Minutes' report: How online gamblers unmasked cheaters 60 Minutes partnered with the Washington Post in their investigation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/investigations/poker/ Inside Bet: Cracking the two biggest cheating scandals in the history of online poker.
Notes
WSOP Main Event champions1990s WSOP Bracelet Winners Persondata| NAME =Hamilton, Russ | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Russ Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American poker players Category:World Series of Poker bracelet winners Category:World Series of Poker Main Event winners
de:Russ Hamilton (Pokerspieler) it:Russ Hamilton nl:Russ Hamilton no:Russ Hamilton pt:Russ Hamilton fi:Russ Hamilton sv:Russ Hamilton
