Well without corroboration it's not a fact it's a speculation. On the witness stand the cross examination would go like this,
Mr. Helfert, you stated it's a fact that the players illegally colluded to fix the outcome and defraud the casino, perpetrating multiple felonies is that true?
Yes, that's what I said.
So Mr. Helfert can you tell the court how you know that this is a fact. What knowledge of this conspiracy did you have and why did you conceal that knowledge from the authorities? Were you part of the conspiracy Mr. Helfert? Did you participate in the discussions prior to the alleged conspiracy? Did any of the defendants confess to you personally?
Please answer the questions Mr. Helfert.
Well, in my experience it looked like a dump. People were "talking" you know, rumors and then well you know I have been around and it just looked like Buddy was dumping. No, no one confessed to me. No I wasn't part of it. No I had no prior knowledge. But look man if you have any pool sense at all you can plainly see it was a dump.
Mr. Helfert have you ever before in your experience and capacity as a tournament director seen good players miss easy shots in title matches?
Yes of course I have.
Is it common practice to assume that the player who misses easy shots is fixing the outcome?
No, but it does happen.
Looking at exhibit A, B, C, D, and E, we have five title matches, each one for amounts equal to or greater than the one being played for in the match under investigation. In your opinion are these indicative of dumping when the players shown miss this same types of shots as Mr Hall missed?
um, no, those were clearly pressure situations where the player dogged those shots.
So Mr. Helfert is it fair to say that "dogging" looks a lot like dumping?
Yes it does. Done skillfully there is almost no perceptible difference.
So then Mr. Helfert is it then just your opinion that Mr, Hall dumped and not a fact as you stated?
Yes it is my opinion that Hall dumped.
You have no factual evidence of this alleged conspiracy do you Mr. Helfert?
No I don't. But anyone who knows pool knows what it was.
Ok Mr, Helfert, thank you. Let the jury understand that Mr. Helfert has no first hand knowledge of this alleged conspiracy, that his view is personal opinion only and not a statement of fact.
____________________________
Again, not saying it didn't happen, saying that I personally don't believe it did. I do certainly believe that bets were taken on Lebron. Hell if I were him I would have had twenty shills betting on myself at 20-1 fix or not. Whoever thought Mike Lebron could not win three short sets against that field is out of their minds.
I just HONESTLY think that given the Vegas reputation for retribution, the number of people involved, and other factors that it probably did NOT go down as has been reported here.
If I was the vegas book I would have said 20-1 only drew 11 bets? Well that's not worth doing, screw booking pool we have much more lucrative sports to book.
And with that I am done. I want to say this in closing, I HOPE that the players I grew up reading about and idolizing did not collude like this. And if they did then it's a shame. I can also wholeheartedly believe that Allen Hopkins did not participate because of all the players I have met he is the most upstanding of them in my personal dealings and the most business minded, long term vision minded player that I have dealt with.
Jay, I believe you fully believe what you wrote. You are much more plugged in than most of us and certainly having been the TD you were right there. So nothing personal against you, just pointing out that even though you were there you weren't part of it so at the end of the day there is still doubt legally speaking.
