Make Your Choice
Another thread on the Mob Forum today raises an interesting point. When someone qualifies online for one of these big tournaments, and then doesn't show up, what happens to his money ?
I have little doubt that legally, according to the small print, the online site in question is within its rights to pocket it / spend it on hookers. The last thing they want to do is start refunding people. Clearly anyone who enters a satellite without being able to play in the tournament they're trying to qualify for, for whatever reason, hasn't thought it through (and it's hard to have much sympathy for them). If online sites start refunding people, they know that half of their feckless qualifiers are suddenly going to think "hang on, I could pay off my credit card with that" and phone the site up to say their granny died and they have to go to the funeral, ever so sorry, really wanted to play, a cheque will be fine thanks. So they have to do something else with it. Seeing as they're completely unregulated, they can do pretty much what they like. Caveat emptor, and don't sit down to qualify for something you can't play in, just send the money to me instead.
God only knows what actually happened in the case in question, the recent tournament in Melbourne. It's all he said she said as usual, so I can't comment. Well, maybe just a little. One apparently innocuous remark from someone on the establishment side is actually bang out of order in my book :
"All that these sort of posts do is is grow the negative and not the positives. Does everyone want the tournament scene to grow in Australia or to go backwards beacuse that is what continuing negative posts will eventually do."
Look, a lot of dodgy shit happens in poker. And I'm not just talking about players, I'm also talking about organisers and basically anyone with access to the till. Many people want to "legitimise" poker. Well, at this point you have 3 options.
1) Behave honestly and professionally yourself. If you are in a position to do it, throw the book at anyone in the game who is at it. Be transparent about what you do, which means any time you're thinking "I wouldn't want this to come out", don't do it. Answer criticism in a professional manner. If your hands are clean, it's easy to do.
2) Accept things as they really are. Poker is dodgy and maybe that's the way it should be, it's all one game and it's all about getting the sucker's money one way or the other. Just don't pretend it's anything different.
3) Sweep everything under the carpet, big smiles for the sponsors, shut up shut up shut up do you want tournament poker to grow or not ?
Either 1 or 2 is fine. Yes 2 is OK by me, at least then we know where we stand. But of course what actually happens is 3. Which is bollocks. Do I want tournament poker to grow ? Don't really mind. What I want is people to stop being hypocrites.
Alright I've got a few things off my chest this week and I consider my piece to be said, for now, I'll try to accentuate the positive but that doesn't include saying black is white and it never will.
I have little doubt that legally, according to the small print, the online site in question is within its rights to pocket it / spend it on hookers. The last thing they want to do is start refunding people. Clearly anyone who enters a satellite without being able to play in the tournament they're trying to qualify for, for whatever reason, hasn't thought it through (and it's hard to have much sympathy for them). If online sites start refunding people, they know that half of their feckless qualifiers are suddenly going to think "hang on, I could pay off my credit card with that" and phone the site up to say their granny died and they have to go to the funeral, ever so sorry, really wanted to play, a cheque will be fine thanks. So they have to do something else with it. Seeing as they're completely unregulated, they can do pretty much what they like. Caveat emptor, and don't sit down to qualify for something you can't play in, just send the money to me instead.
God only knows what actually happened in the case in question, the recent tournament in Melbourne. It's all he said she said as usual, so I can't comment. Well, maybe just a little. One apparently innocuous remark from someone on the establishment side is actually bang out of order in my book :
"All that these sort of posts do is is grow the negative and not the positives. Does everyone want the tournament scene to grow in Australia or to go backwards beacuse that is what continuing negative posts will eventually do."
Look, a lot of dodgy shit happens in poker. And I'm not just talking about players, I'm also talking about organisers and basically anyone with access to the till. Many people want to "legitimise" poker. Well, at this point you have 3 options.
1) Behave honestly and professionally yourself. If you are in a position to do it, throw the book at anyone in the game who is at it. Be transparent about what you do, which means any time you're thinking "I wouldn't want this to come out", don't do it. Answer criticism in a professional manner. If your hands are clean, it's easy to do.
2) Accept things as they really are. Poker is dodgy and maybe that's the way it should be, it's all one game and it's all about getting the sucker's money one way or the other. Just don't pretend it's anything different.
3) Sweep everything under the carpet, big smiles for the sponsors, shut up shut up shut up do you want tournament poker to grow or not ?
Either 1 or 2 is fine. Yes 2 is OK by me, at least then we know where we stand. But of course what actually happens is 3. Which is bollocks. Do I want tournament poker to grow ? Don't really mind. What I want is people to stop being hypocrites.
Alright I've got a few things off my chest this week and I consider my piece to be said, for now, I'll try to accentuate the positive but that doesn't include saying black is white and it never will.
4 Comments:
What amazes me is that whoever put these six substitutes in expected nobody to notice or to care. Everyone's got email, there are dozens of forums and hundreds of blogs. Of course word will come out.
Do we know who was due the 70 per cents of those six players?
DY
I'm trying not to judge this because all we have is hearsay but it seems to be accepted by all parties that several posts have been deleted on the pokervoice network which always makes me suspicious.
Truth usually does out in the end. Sometimes it's just laziness/weakness/procrastination rather than outright dishonesty. As Homer thought to himself "Mmmmm. Now for the time in between the lie and it being found out".
Andy.
PS Glad we're still on speaking terms :-)
In answer to DY's question.
I think PP would have refunded the cost of the entry to the non participant qualifiers. I am not 100% sure but believe they may be legally required to do this as the qualifier has paid for the online tourney and is entitled to claim his winnings ie the entry to the B&M tourney. The ex'x could be deemed ex gratia.
This being the case PP (who have already guaranteed bought seats to the organisers) would have had to fund the cost of the replacements, probably from the money they would have saved not paying the accomodation expenses.
Flipper
(of the Brunton Park Collctive)
I don't know about that. Party's small print, for example, is very clear (this for the upcoming PPM IV) :
# Players cannot sell or transfer their Cruise Packages to anyone. Those who win only one Semi-final or Super Satellite are required to play the Finals of the PartyPoker.com Million IV. PartyPoker.com will pay $12,600 for any additional wins. The funds will be credited to the player’s accounts within seven days of the win.
# Only Players above 21 years of age will be allowed to participate in the Finals.
# Proper identification will be required to receive your cruise information and participate in the Finals of PartyPoker.com Million IV.
# It is the sole responsibility of all winners to get to the Cruise on time.
Although that's their own event, so it might be different in that respect.
Andy.
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