Stoxtrader Found Guilty in Initial PokerTableRatings Hands Analysis

The now infamous Nick "Stoxtrader" Grudzien, formerly the Lead Poker Instructor at Stoxpoker (Cardrunners owned brand), was found guilty by NoahSD's analysis of PokerTable Ratings data. NoahSD is a known statistics expert and put together a thorough report and as yet we await a clear response from the Grudzien camp.

NoahSD concluded that Stoxtrader did in fact collude on the accounts 40putts and knockstiff with the accounts kinetica and littlezen. He, argues that anomalies in the game play statistics of how these accounts played against each other, and against their 49 most common opponents, could only indicate that these accounts were in fact colluding.
Poker Table Ratings Blog

This adds a whole new twist to the scandal as he had previously admitted to having multiple accounts and resigned his position as StoxPoker Coach. This embarrassment has led to Cardrunners Closing the StoxPoker Brand and merging it with their own to take attention away from the disaster and save the jobs of the many great instructors who remained on the Stox roster.

I guess it should be no surprise that in this game where millions of dollars can be won and lost at the click of a button the temptation to cheat is enormous. It is just a shame to discover that so many bad apples were in one basket (StoxPoker). Only time will tell if StoxTrader is an innocent victim of statistical anomalies and guilt by association with a bad crowd or yet another blight on the face of the poker community.

Scandal and Resignations Lead to Closure of Stoxpoker and Merge With CardRunners Brand

Another day and another turn in the StoxPoker Story. Cardrunners have decided to bin the brand and close Stox, merging members and instructors into their Cardrunners stable.

Whilst Cardrunners is the premium brand and in the long run this move will cost the members who stay on money the many members who had paid in advance - often for up to a year - who felt let down by the scandal, resignation and issues at Stox get a great deal out of this. For that reason I commend the management team for a strong decision to give the best value to their existing members in the face of a collapsed and hollow shell left under the Stox umbrella.

In lieu of the recent events, it has been decided that the StoxPoker website will be merged with CardRunners. This change will take full-effect on May 1st, 2010.

Alex Huang: Stoxpoker Brand Manager

The Timeline

January 11th: Dusty "Leatherass" Shmidt Leaves StoxPoker

In the first of a series of high profile resignations (already Beachjustice and James262 had quit in a more subdued fashion) Leatherass quit Stoxpoker. His close friend Mbolt1 joined him and a feeling of loss spread through the Stoxpoker community.

January 28th: Jason Ho Scandal Allegations Reach Their Peak

Shortly after the Leatherass departure and as many members of the training community were still feeling the loss of their lead coach allegations surfaced and refused to die that Jason Ho was a scam artist. He is eventually dismissed by Stox Poker.

Present Day

As the Stoxtrader allegations surfaced and we covered here it was becoming clear that a toxic management environment had formed at Stoxpoker. The allegations worsened and Stoxtrader himself resigned leading to the decision by Cardrunners management to merge the brands.

For those of you who prefer a laugh, I'll leave you with the Jason Ho Parody Video Camp Afghanistan (mocking his famous Camp Macau).