Online poker cheating that took place in the 2003 to 2008 time frame through a Canadian website was settled for $20 million by Ultimate Bet. The website operators, licensed by the Kahnawake tribe of southern Ontario, agreed to the settlement following an investigation.

Identified as the person behind the cheating, as the result of a tribal investigation, was former World Series of Poker Champion Russ Hamilton.

Now, however, a California lawsuit filed by eight high-stakes poker players charges that they were shortchanged…that the settlement failed to take into consideration all the money the players would have won had there not been any cheating. Allegedly, operators of the website were able to see the hole cards of players in the Texas Hold-em poker games.

Sued was 6355095 Canada Inc., formerly known as Excapsa Software Inc. The Ultimate Bet site merged in 2008 with Absolute Poker to form Cereus Poker network. Last April, Absolute Poker was charged with violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act by the U.S. Justice Department.

Named as complainants were: Daniel Ashman, Brad Booth, Thomas Koral, Greg Lavery, Dave Lizmi, Daniel Smith, Joseph Sanders and Dustin Woolf.

The suit charged that the Internet company "substantially underestimated" the losses the players incurred because the amount they would have won had there not been cheating was not considered.

"The key to the massive success of the cheating players is not simply that they were able to profit by bluffing when their opponent was weak or betting when they had the best hand, but that they were able to fold and not play…whenever their hand was strong (but) not the best," the suit argued.

The suit seeks compensation of at least $1.73 million and an additional sum in punitive damages.