Poker Pros Sue Former Ultimate Bet Owners

A total of eight professional poker players have filed a lawsuit against Excapsa Software, the company that once controlled the Ultimate Bet online poker room. The lawsuit seeks damages related to the "superuser" cheating scandal that surfaced on UB in 2008.

Among the eight plaintiffs in the case are several notable players, including Brad Booth, Daniel Smith and Dustin Woolf. Several of the players site damages of well over $100,000 in the suit.

Back in 2008, the online poker world was rocked by a scandal in which players on both Ultimate Bet and its sister site, Absolute Poker, were found to be able to see the hole cards of other players at their tables. These so-called "superuser" accounts were apparently able to use functions that were intended to be used in the early development of the poker site, and were being used by individuals who worked for the company.

Overall, the players have made eight claims against the poker company. These range from violations of the RICO Act to Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Unfair Business Practices and Fraud.

The players seek damages, including damages related to the money that they lost on the site, additional punitive damages, and compensation. While it's unclear how much (if any) of any money won through the lawsuit the players would ever see, the plaintiffs have also expressed a wish to simply uncover the entire truth of what happened at UB and, perhaps, Absolute Poker as well.

While there has been plenty of speculation about who could have been behind the superuser scandals, no firm answers have been received. While the poker sites eventually admitted that the problem existed after intense pressure from players who had independently investigated the matter, they did not share significant information on who perpetrated the fraud or how it was allowed to occur.