Ever since the Ultimate Bet (UB) scandal broke out almost two years ago, the popular poker blog site Wicked Chops Poker (WCP) has been asking the question “Why is Annie Duke still sticking on as one of the leading brand ambassadors for Ultimate Bet?”

Given the high reputation that Annie enjoys in the poker fraternity many have been wondering why she has continued to offer tacit support to the online poker room that has been embroiled in an unending controversy, with each new revelation more bizarre than the previous one. WCP has also wondered if Annie was cut in on the scam. 

Last week WCP announced that it has heard that Annie Duke was ultimately leaving Ultimate Bet and would be joining Full Tilt Poker, the online poker room with which her brother is associated.  Full Tilt also recently decided to stand up against the Kentucky poker issue. Despite this association Annie may not receive a warm welcome from other Full Tilt pros like Jen Harmon. WCP also insinuated that the timing of Annie’s shift has something to do with the “60 Minutes” television episode featuring the Ultimate Bet scandal that is expected to go on air soon. WCP claimed that they had crosschecked the information from multiple sources.

Annie has vehemently denied this in her blog. She said, “No...I am NOT leaving Ultimate Bet! Lord...I'll tell you.  It is amazing that if someone just says something on the Internet all of a sudden people think it is true.  The other day Wicked Chops posted that I am leaving Ultimatebet.com for another site.  I can tell you that if it is true that was the first I had heard about it!  I would love someone from the site that I am moving to, to call me and tell me the deal I am getting to leave UB. I mean, look, logically why would I stick with UB through everything because of my faith in the management there and then all of a sudden leave like that?  I believe in this brand and I believe in the people behind it.  Paul Leggett deserves my loyalty and he has it.  For life.  Period.”

But WCP does not buy Annie’s denial. They have thrown her a dare. They have said that if Annie does not shift to another site by November 6, 2009, they will take her out to a dinner and the works at a restaurant of her choice. They have also extended the invite to Annie’s boyfriend, Joe Reitman.  Reitman was an actor who shot to fame after he won Ultimate Bet’s $1 Million Guaranteed Tournament. This is what WCP had to say about Joe Reitman. “1/3 of the Entities who comprise Wicked Chops Poker has met Joe and likes him too, although he’d probably like to punch us collectively in the face. Regardless, it’ll be good times.”

If Annie does leave Ultimate Bet then she will perhaps raise more questions than she answers. Will Phil Hellmuth, her colleague and collaborator, also follow suit? And what about the younger set of poker professionals who have staked their reputation by joining Ultimate Bet only because it was being backed by someone of Annie’s stature.