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341  Economy / Gambling / StrikeSapphire - Another 10 BTC to the top winner this Weekend! on: March 22, 2012, 11:47:17 PM
5 BTC?
Make that 10 BTC EVERY WEEKEND to the top player on our leaderboard at

It's not easy running a casino for crypto-anarchists, okay? It's like inviting the Mexican guys from the kitchen home for carnitas and beer after work at your apartment. They eat it, maybe they even like it, but they're like, "what do you know about cooking, boy?"

Nothing. I don't know shit about cooking, and almost less about cryptography. I got berated by a girl in 7th grade when I told her I was an anarchist. She was a smokin black chick from south central with an IQ of like 180, and it was right after the LA riots. I thought I was a little anarchist because I ran a WWIV website with a buncha warez. She basically tore my fucking knees out while explaining what anarchy looks like while they're looting your house. It took me almost a decade to even say the word again.

Still, I'm a rebel, of the tear-the-heads-off-parking-meters variety. Or at least I have an anti-authoritarian streak a mile wide. I once fired a potato at 250mph from a home-built cannon and took out the first speed camera in LA. I was 17. But I digress.

Here's something new from the small but devoted crew at, who've unwittingly put our lives and souls into building up the Bitcoin gaming community: We're giving away 5 BTC every weekend, rain or shine, to the top overall winner in our games for the weekend. We've built a new leaderboard here just for this purpose. The contest starts every weekend at 00:00 GMT Thursday, and ends 00:00 on Monday. Payouts are made Monday during the day, by hand in case it's a close race.

5 Bitcoins, ppl... we're not fuckin around. We're your guys, and we're spreading the word to gamblers, far and wide who are still waiting months on Moneybookers and Visa/Mastercard transactions. Come and support us!
342  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Ken Armitt (CryptoXChange) Interview [BitTalk.TV] on: March 11, 2012, 11:12:36 PM
Looking forward to it when it's uploaded. CryptoXChange is running nice and smooth these days...
343  Economy / Gambling / Re: StrikeSapphire | We need some support. on: March 09, 2012, 07:30:56 PM
Could you please address my post?

I would sign up and play but I don't want to give out my name or any of my other info. Can I do that?

Sorry. I meant to address this. I knew I was forgetting something...

You do need to provide an email address to receive a verification email, as well as your country, which you have to answer honestly. Yes, you can sign up for an account with a fake name; StrikeSapphire doesn't freeze accounts for that. Many, if not most of our players use fake names without any problems. We do reserve the right to request identifying information from a player at any time prior to withdrawal of winnings, but we respect our patrons' wishes for anonymity as far as possible without creating problems for ourselves. Therefore the ID rule exists in our TOS only so it can be applied if absolutely necessary. To know whether it could apply to you, consider that we have three primary reasons for ever requesting identity verification:

1. If we think a player might be in the United States, and need to verify that they are not.
2. If we think a player has opened multiple accounts to stack poker tournaments in their favor.
3. If we have reason to think a player is under 18.

We attempt to make this process as invisible as possible to the player. So the short answer is, go ahead and sign up as anonymously as you'd like to. If you try to deposit and see a warning asking you to contact us first, then your account threw a red flag and caused us, in one way or another, to need more information before we allow you to place real-money bets. And again, such an occurrence is extremely rare for non-US players.
344  Economy / Gambling / Re: StrikeSapphire | We need some support. on: March 09, 2012, 05:39:55 PM
First of all, thanks for the great response from the community! It's nice to see some new players showing up to give the regulars a run for (our) money and liven things up. And thanks for the feedback in this thread.

When funding with BTC it would be a lot easier for me if you showed a bitcoin QR-code so I could easily pay with my phone.

For an address like this "1ET7m6MWEQKpZm5kyT1ETMogFHqBNuMys3" it is as easy as adding the following HTML snippet to your funding page:

Using a 3rd party to dynamically generate Bitcoin QR codes is dangerous.  They could redirect the funds to their own address. Or, they could be compromised by someone who dirverts the funds.

This is a great, great idea. I wish we'd thought of it before. Since we're constantly updating and improving our software, we just pushed QR codes out in today's release! And yes - we're generating our own.


Can you not use a proxy or something?

This smells like the People's Republic of America  Shocked

Actually I have no idea if it is currently allowed in the EU.

Proxy use violates our TOS and we make a good-faith effort to block it to the best of our ability. The site is currently available throughout most of the world, including the EU. Deposits are also not allowed from France or Italy.

You have one of the first bitcoin casinos, you take only bitcoins, and you don't accept US players?

Our lawyers tell us that while using Bitcoin may circumvent UIGEA and the Wire Act, it's not a defense against US state laws against gambling. This is not something we have any interest in messing with. There are a couple of other Bitcoin poker rooms and casinos who don't care, and who do operate in the US.

We think our site is original, interesting and transparent enough to attract mainstream players worldwide and encourage them to get their first Bitcoins, and that our success will have a knock-on effect that helps American-facing Bitcoin casinos, and vice-versa. The online casino world outside of Bitcoin is immense, and anything that attracts some of those players to the currency can only be good for all of us. We therefore don't see ourselves in direct competition with the US-facing sites. We wish them the best, but aren't comfortable taking the legal risks they do.
345  Economy / Gambling / Re: StrikeSapphire | We need some support. on: March 09, 2012, 09:56:55 AM
Are US citizens living abroad allowed to play?

I would think that the same rules apply to US Citizens doing drugs in other countries where it's not illegal.

Correctamundo  Wink
346  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Security update: duplicate transaction vulnerability fix on: March 09, 2012, 12:23:43 AM
I'm running a CentOS 5.6 build that I had to compile myself. Major alterations had to be made to the make file and tons of libraries had to be prepared. And I really, really don't want to do that again.

Any chance of a CentOS binary anytime soon? I know a lot of merchant sites could really use one. And if not - what happens if we don't upgrade?
347  Economy / Gambling / Re: StrikeSapphire | We need some support. on: March 09, 2012, 12:03:44 AM
Wish I could play, but I'm in the US Sad

i'm in the same boat  Angry

And this is why we haven't broken the front page yet. We will bring legitimate, licensed Bitcoin gambling to the US when we know we can do that legally. I have every intention of doing it. Part of the discussion here is how to do that while ensuring the safety of all those involved.
348  Economy / Gambling / Re: We need some support. on: March 09, 2012, 12:00:50 AM
would you mind, however, explaining what a freeroll is?  i hadn't known what it meant until just recently and there are others who might not know either.

Okay. A freeroll is a tournament you can join for free, but where the winner(s) get a real money prize at the end. Lots of casinos run freerolls as promotions. Sometimes the prize isn't money, but a ticket to another tournament, one that other players have bought into for real money where the prize pool is bigger - this is called a satellite.

The expression comes from old time Las Vegas casinos that would give players free chips to roll on the craps tables.

It's obvious that so much work has gone into building this system.  I'm really impressed with it.
All it's lacking is the punters!

strikesapphire has shown some real commitment and enthusiasm for bitcoin - c'mon bitcoiners - give 'em some lovin!

(Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with strikesapphire - and I'm a shit poker player)

Thanks for saying that. We've really put a lot of work in and tried to stay ahead of the curve, and to be a safe, trustworthy business no matter what the Bitcoin weather forecast looked like. 8 months and counting...
349  Economy / Gambling / Re: We need some support. on: March 08, 2012, 10:46:57 PM
BTW - 10 minutes before the second freeroll starts tonight.
350  Economy / Gambling / StrikeSapphire | We need some support. on: March 08, 2012, 10:46:12 PM
I realize this isn't the right place to talk about gambling. But StrikeSapphire is on the brink of really tying together the Bitcoin world with the larger gambling world, worth billions a year in cashflow in and out... and right now we need your help.

We're not taking US players, and we're only taking Bitcoin deposits. We'll start taking other deposit methods sooner or later, but for the moment we're growing with Bitcoin. But we've made some amazing strides. We're the first Bitcoin casino to be listed with the "big boys", right alongside other deposit methods, on sites like and

As it is, we're running the best freeroll poker games in the Bitcoin world. i.e., no cost to enter, no deposit necessary, just free Bitcoins to win, all the time. We've gotten a hard core of players who show up all the time, but we need more to make it exciting. Our freerolls go off around the clock, in several different denominations. You haven't heard much about it because we don't do a lot of advertising, but right now, we need you.

We need you to just come and play poker for some free Bitcoins. We have potential investors who'll be checking us out over the next few weeks, and we want our site to be busy. Help us impress them with the size of the business we've built around BTC, and the future that's obviously in this currency. You don't have to deposit, it costs you nothing, just come and play some free poker for real BTC. We have larger freerolls every night at 9pm and 11pm GMT. Help us bulk up.

Admins, I hope you'll let this ride for a day or so before you kick it down to gambling. I really want this to go out to all the community.

351  Economy / Trading Discussion / Re: Dwolla's Response to TradeHill | Lies and Defamation? on: March 07, 2012, 04:56:24 AM
Two questions.

#1, This:
why was mt gox seemingly unaffected by this?
Because if TH suffered $100k in losses and MtGox did 7x the volume, well, do the math... so either MtGox worked something out with Dwolla that TH didn't have the muscle to work out, or they ate it and they aren't revealing how much they lost because on the whole Dwolla is still a profitable and necessary source of inbound currency. Not that I blame them, they probably saved all of us and saved Bitcoin from total devastation by keeping the lid on it back in August and quietly absorbing the damage... and in that case MtGox are the real heroes here.

#2 According to the article, Tradehill sold off For $1M. Which is part of what they're suing Dwolla for. What???
352  Economy / Gambling / Re: who has USA playable Craps? on: March 01, 2012, 03:44:45 PM
Sorry for the American blockade, it's really not our fault. Sadly, we have a great multiplayer Craps game - Bodog even contacted us last year about licensing it - but there are almost no Craps players outside the US, so our table's usually empty. We're no happier about it than you are.

We don't recommend using a proxy. Players attempting to do so would put us at risk, and we don't take that lightly.

Boilerplate: StrikeSapphire blocks known proxies and hosting blocks. We take US law very seriously in light of the government's ongoing crackdown on offshore gambling websites. We perform extensive analysis of site usage and play patterns, and we reserve the right to request ID verification at any time prior to withdrawal. Any deposit, play or withdrawal from US territory through a proxy or otherwise is in direct violation of our Terms of Service, and discovery of same will result in the forfeiture of the player's winnings.

Again, sorry. I don't make the rules, but it's our ass if we don't enforce them.
353  Economy / Gambling / Re: Bitcoin Casino ten games avaible update ! Texas Holdem Poker Update #1 on: February 22, 2012, 12:02:33 AM
Welcome to my world  Roll Eyes
354  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: MTGOX new privacy policy??? on: February 21, 2012, 01:45:26 PM
One question - is it safe to assume that MtGox now complies with FinCEN rules and shares US customers' balances with the IRS for FBAR filing? And more to the point, so that US customers don't file too little (or too much) on their FBAR, can you clarify if the balance you share w/ the IRS is equal to the total balance in MtGox wallets, including Bitcoins at the current rate? Or would it only be the amount held in USD/EUR/etc?

For some people this could be the difference between being under or over the $10k mark and needing to file an FBAR at all, so it's important to know what the rules are. I've read everything I can find on the IRS site about it, and I still don't know whether Bitcoins held in an overseas wallet are or aren't reportable as a foreign financial account.
355  Economy / Trading Discussion / Re: [IDEA] on: February 21, 2012, 02:24:52 AM

Savings Account - 100 BTC Minimum
This plan works as an ongoing commitment.  You would send coins anytime to the address provided and you would earn interest on a daily basis.  You can withdraw your balance at any time, but I do request that you give me a couple hours to insure I have coverage for the next order.  Interest payments are paid out every 3 days until either you withdraw the funds or my local dealings dry up and I can no longer be profitable. This plan pays 1% per day.
Pirate's savings pays 1%... But no one can get in on that now that it's full.
Just throwing this idea around. Might try it soon here...

Sounds super reliable...

*edit* btw, Ponzis usually say they're full to make you trust them more, it's a common hallmark of the scam. There is no way they're actually paying 1% to people per day. That would make zero sense for them. Don't fall for it.

*re-edit* The right way to do what you're talking about is to get a high-yield CD and borrow at a low rate against property, and play the difference between a loan and a locked-in interest rate over the long term. No one legitimate offers compounded interest daily or weekly like what you're talking about. That is always, always a red flag for a scam. You'd be a lot better off just putting your life's savings on Roulette (which as a casino owner, I wouldn't recommend either).
356  Economy / Trading Discussion / Re: [IDEA] on: February 21, 2012, 02:16:33 AM
Here's an idea I'm playing with.
Bitcoinica and lenders on the forum here will offer you interest on cash and bitcoins, respectively.
My credit card has a $1500 limit, with no interest for six months.
Through my bank, I could, say, deposit those funds via dwolla into bitcoinica, and collect interest on it for 5 months, and a few weeks.
(Same steps for bitcoins, perhaps. Collect 1% daily?)
Remove balance, pay off credit card in full, enjoy delicious profits for nothing.

Anyone else considered this before? Am I missing something that makes this not work?

Other than the fact that anyone who offers you 1% daily is probably a scammer - no.
357  Economy / Trading Discussion / Re: Mark Karpeles, please liberate my money on: February 21, 2012, 02:12:49 AM
It's perfectly understandable that MG wants AML documentation. It is not possible to run a reliable conduit between Bitcoin and the outer banking system without having their licensing and paperwork in order, which includes KYC on all their customers. If you want a completely unlicensed, unknown and anonymous exchange, they're out there and you can take your chances with them, and possibly get your cash with complete anonymity a few times before they're shut down or run away with the wallets. But the anger seems misplaced; I doubt if, given a choice, they would want to put their customers through his kind of hassle. Unfortunately this is the world we live in.
358  Economy / Gambling / StrikeSapphire Platform 1.5 | New & Improved! on: February 20, 2012, 12:59:17 AM
We've been working hard to make sure we're not just the best Bitcoin casino, but the smartest casino online, bar none. And multitable play at StrikeSapphire just got a whole lot sweeter with our new dock and windowing features. It's pretty easy to go nuts... just check out the bonanza'o'tables screenshots below.

All the best Bitcoin games just got better. See you at the tables!

359  Economy / Service Discussion / Re: TradeHill - shutting down trading / deposits and returning all client funds on: February 18, 2012, 03:04:48 PM
You are saying I might be a Fed, but you are saying that I'm a dork in my mom's basement for thinking the Feds may have gone after Tradehill? Or are you saying that Feds indeed are dorks in their mom's basement? Can you clarify?

I'm saying that your main point - that businesses should not share information with the public about legal action being taken against them - plays right into the government's hands. It strengthens the terror-inducing power of the big bad unknown forces, without answering any questions. You then framed that by saying these customers should STFU and stop asking, which is an insult to them and an attempt to shut down legitimate debate on the subject.

And AFAIK federal trolls impersonate people in a basements all the time, so I don't see a contradiction there. Doesn't matter, though - telling everyone who's asking serious questions to STFU is practically doing their job for them. The only way we're going to clear the corporate corruption in government is by shining a light on who's pulling the strings. That's the value of asking questions.

all we're trying to do here is get to the bottom of this so that the community and investors can understand and learn from the business dynamics behind what has happened.  then we could adjust and potentially save ourselves lots of headaches and money in setting up projects and we'd know better who we're dealing with.

360  Economy / Service Discussion / Re: TradeHill - shutting down trading / deposits and returning all client funds on: February 18, 2012, 05:29:35 AM
From my experience fighting the federal government, its not always that simple. First, bringing all their problems to the forum would be a horrible idea. Most of what the government is doing to monetary revolutionaries isn't overt legal action, but covert disruption. Tradehill probably isn't sure themselves who the infiltrators in their organization are.

Okay, you're saying they were infiltrated? Can you back up that claim, and/or why do you think that? Who at TH was working for a government? Because frankly this sounds childish, paranoid and stupid if you know how the US gov't works (excluding the secret part that's persecuting you, of course).

Most of you who complain work regular jobs and pay taxes to a corrupt government who uses your money to blow people up. Most of you have never stuck your neck out at all to change things in this country. Most of you need to STFU and be happy bitcoins and bitcoin exchanges even exist at all.

Actually, what we need is to have a serious conversation without injecting absurd levels of FUD. And not everyone in this conversation's an armchair spectator raving about revolution and infowar from their basement. Your whole post - and I speak as a paranoid person myself - smacks of counterintel. It's off the charts on my bullshit meter. Maybe you're just insane, but it's much more likely you're a plant for the people you're ranting about, trying to make all bitcoiners sound like paranoid freaks.

And for the record, TradeHill's people are not "generals". Nor is this a "war". Bitcoin is a gnat's fart compared to Liberty Reserve. It's possible that non-conventional modes of pressure might have been applied to TradeHill here; I'd like to hear about it. What I don't accept is that an organization that's clearly done nothing wrong, who is in the right, would want to conceal from their users and colleagues the circumstances that led to the situation they find themselves in. Unless of course they're not allowed to talk about it.

All your FUD does is stifle meaningful conversation; in fact, stifling it and telling everyone to STFU seems to have been the point of your post. Why don't you STFU and stop ranting and speculating, at least long enough to dig for some real information? Or is real information antithetical to your little red-herring mission on this board?

Jared made the mistake of getting right in their faces here in San Francisco. He ran massive ads that Trade Hill was expanding and hiring engineers, data base people and CSR's. He boasted of investors and an SF Financial District Expansion Plan. He basically talked a lot of shit at the Bitcoin Meetups and ran too many employment ads on Craigslist, Monster and Careerbuilder. He literally drew the line in the sand with big boys and they pounced him. He worked hard to get their attention and he got it.

Now we're getting somewhere. But that and a nickel don't mean shit if they didn't break any laws. Sure, it might have been unwise to incorporate where they did, but a consumer fraud investigation and a gag order are two very different things.