Of course, you're always going to have the people who demand "proof" in the form of some million hand sampling (and even then, it won't be enough). Here are just a few observations as to why I feel PartyPoker is rigged beyond a shadow of a doubt. You can take my comments at face value.

First, if you've ever multi-tabled, you've already witnessed a definite, major indicator that something isn't quite right on PartyPoker.

Time and time again, if I have even only two tables open simultaneously, there is an uncanny correlation between the cards at the two tables (the behavior may or may not depend on where you sit, when you join the tables relative to one another, etc. -- I've never wasted my time digging that deeply; I'm there to play poker.). If I have hole cards of 2c/5s on one table, more often than I believe is "random" (to say the least), I'll see the flop on the second table contain 2c/5d, 2s/5d, even 2c/5s.

Multiple times on a whim, I've tried to take advantage of this odd "phenom" -- often, quasi-sucessfully. Example: Multi-tabling, two tables. Same game, same limit. Joined tables only a minute or two apart, if that. Random seating position. Flop on one table comes Q 7 x. Second table, I get hole cards of Q7o. Obviously, a hand you'd throw away in most all cases. I call, however, whimsically, as a test. Flop comes Q 7 x (different suits to the Q and 7, but the point remains). I still lose the hand to some other ragged hands, but that's not the point.

This alone happens often enough that something about seems a bit "off". However these "random" decks are seeded, they're not random enough. Maybe someone else out there has already figured out how to exploit this and is using it to their advantage.

Second, I think PartyPoker probably does have some type of mechanism in place to "encourage" action. I play at B&M casinos often, and while I relize that the number of hands per hour is tenfold online, you still see things online in one hour that you don't see at a B&M casino in ten hours.

I don't use tracking software, but many, many times, I'll toss a very marginal junk hand (Q9o, for example) from middle-late position, and a Q99 or QQ9 will flop. Of course, people will say, "You only remember the times that the flop is good for you! (or would have been)" Maybe that's the case for some, but I see this occur way, way more online in one day than I do at a B&M casino in weeks of playing. The reason is simple: get more players in, more action, bigger pots, bigger rakes.

Third, many people have mentioned their performance going downhill when they cash out. I don't cash out often, but I think I've seen very similiar behavior just with my existing bankroll. For example, I quit PartyPoker for several years due to my believing it's rigged. I gave it another chance recently, buying in for $300. I dropped $200 of it playing large multi-table tournaments with moderate buyins (typically $33). I played these for experience and enjoyment, not to build my roll.

Finally, I decided to move back to cash games to get back some of my initial investment, and simply to change gears. Not being driven by "poker ego", I sat at a very comfortable $100 pot limit (50c/$1d) 10-max table. In three or four hours, I turned the $100 into just over $300 ($303 to be exact). After that, I couldn't show down a winning hand for the life of me.

I know how I play, and if I have one poker strength, it's discipline (I may go nuts at the bad beats, but I continue to play "correct" poker by standards; I won't loosen up or try to break someone to get even).

That being said, I thought it was simply uncanny that the quality of the cards degraded in time so perfectly with my bankroll approaching my initial buy-in.

With anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 people on PartyPoker at once, they obviously have dozens if not hundreds of servers in their little offshore hole... and with those servers comes a lot of power. It would not surprise me to learn that there are some very advanced mechanisms in place to tailor table action based on the players at the table.

As for the people who say, "Why would PartyPoker rig the cards?" Nevermind the fact that they're off-shore and basically subject to no laws whatsoever... The fact is that poker is "boring" by most people's standards. Yet look at TV. Big hands, big action, PartyPoker commercials. People who come to PartyPoker want that "big action" they saw on TV -- and most truly random hands have no such action. That being said, PartyPoker must "force" the action.

I'm currently deliberating buying back in for $100, grinding up to $400 (by playing only the stone cold nuts), cashing out, and never returning. I'll be looking for another more reputable online casino. I'll be honest... I like PartyPoker's look and feel, but I simply won't play at a rigged casino.

Quite frankly, I think there needs to be some better govermental control over this (and I think it's coming). I don't care if PartyPoker is located in Timbuktoo -- they should be required to release certain parts of their source code to true, un-paid, un-biased, third parties to ensure fairness. Right now, all we have is their word... and quite frankly, the "word" of an online casino means about as little to me as it can.