ongoing criminal enterprises - SkillPoker and CHOICE POKER

DeliciousDi · #1 10-01-2004, 10:46 AM

It is about time for the poker community (players and responsible sites) to come together to do something about outright criminal activities on the Internet.
I played on that lame SkillPoker site for weeks and when I sought to cashout my $950.00 winnings, "management" paid me $475.00, informing me that I would have to "earn" the remaining $475.00 by playing in dozens of games that did not exist. Somewhat peeved, I wrote the $475 off as a learning experience and gave my remaining balance to other players in that SkillPoker abortion and departed the site licking my wounds and vowing to forget about it - but a small-stakes hold'em player has a hard time forgetting being defrauded out of $475.00!
Then later, but quite some time ago, I received an email from CHOICE POKER inviting me to download to play in a hold'em freeroll tournament - I played that and placed in the money for $6.00 and then I took the $6.00 into a CHOICE POKER small stakes ring game and in less than an hour I ran up my stack to exactly $100.00. Then to see if they would pay, I requested a $100.00 withdrawal (via NETeller) and CHOICE POKER would not and did not pay me, citing as reason that they didn't have any money. ROFL (but not really).
My repeated email and 'phone requests for my money were met with soothing responses along the lines of 'don't worry, we will pay you when we can' but of course they never did.
Then this morning I received an infuriating email from CHOICE POKER advising me that CHOICE POKER was now being bankrolled by ACR and for me to get my money all I need to do is play 100 raked hands!
What the Hell is this?
If any local business tried something like that they would be run out of town on a rail.
I am aware that there is no BBB, law enforcement agency or civil suit remedy available here: but isn't there something WE could do to remedy and prevent the criminal functioning of these hoods (maybe just incompetent business people?)
They do their best work in the dark so maybe some publicity might stimulate them, perhaps along the lines of ACR receiving some email wondering why ACR is being a party to this corruption?
I don't know, but I do know there are some brilliant people participating in this and other forums (please spare me the sarcastic, bitter postings of lurking malcontents) and some ideas for action would be most welcomed by me and those many other victims of theft. Knowmags@yahoo.com

Stew · #2 10-01-2004, 10:57 AM

[ QUOTE ]
It is about time for the poker community (players and responsible sites) to come together to do something about outright criminal activities on the Internet.
I played on that lame SkillPoker site for weeks and when I sought to cashout my $950.00 winnings, "management" paid me $475.00, informing me that I would have to "earn" the remaining $475.00 by playing in dozens of games that did not exist. Somewhat peeved, I wrote the $475 off as a learning experience and gave my remaining balance to other players in that SkillPoker abortion and departed the site licking my wounds and vowing to forget about it - but a small-stakes hold'em player has a hard time forgetting being defrauded out of $475.00!
Then later, but quite some time ago, I received an email from CHOICE POKER inviting me to download to play in a hold'em freeroll tournament - I played that and placed in the money for $6.00 and then I took the $6.00 into a CHOICE POKER small stakes ring game and in less than an hour I ran up my stack to exactly $100.00. Then to see if they would pay, I requested a $100.00 withdrawal (via NETeller) and CHOICE POKER would not and did not pay me, citing as reason that they didn't have any money. ROFL (but not really).
My repeated email and 'phone requests for my money were met with soothing responses along the lines of 'don't worry, we will pay you when we can' but of course they never did.
Then this morning I received an infuriating email from CHOICE POKER advising me that CHOICE POKER was now being bankrolled by ACR and for me to get my money all I need to do is play 100 raked hands!
What the Hell is this?
If any local business tried something like that they would be run out of town on a rail.
I am aware that there is no BBB, law enforcement agency or civil suit remedy available here: but isn't there something WE could do to remedy and prevent the criminal functioning of these hoods (maybe just incompetent business people?)
They do their best work in the dark so maybe some publicity might stimulate them, perhaps along the lines of ACR receiving some email wondering why ACR is being a party to this corruption?
I don't know, but I do know there are some brilliant people participating in this and other forums (please spare me the sarcastic, bitter postings of lurking malcontents) and some ideas for action would be most welcomed by me and those many other victims of theft. Knowmags@yahoo.com

[/ QUOTE ]

ACR/BetCris is as crooked as ChoicePoker, so good luck.

The only thing you can do in these situations is to not give them your business. However, I would recommend you attempt to play off your requied raked hands to attempt to get your money back. Sure it's absurd that they are making you play to earn money that is rightfully yours, but honestly, what else can you do?

BradleyT · #3 10-01-2004, 11:08 AM

With all this crap going on it seems that any new site that isn't on an established network (crypto/party/prima) or doesn't have well financed well known backers (no Dutch Boyd doesn't meet the criteria) just can't be trusted with a deposit.

GrannyMae · #4 10-01-2004, 02:30 PM

and gave my remaining balance to other players in that SkillPoker abortio

how does one "give" a balance that is not cashable?

Lori · #5 10-01-2004, 02:43 PM

ACR pulled some funny moves on me when the new management took over, HOWEVER they did sort it out to my satisfaction.

I think you should mail ACR and see if they really have taken over choice and if they have there is nothing more you can do than play the hands.

It's not as if Choice suddenly launched this BS on you, someone has actually 'taken over the debt'.
If it were the choice people asking it, I think it would be utterly unreasonable, so if I'm understanding this right ACR are asking you to give a little back for what must have cost them quite a lot of $$.

Sadly, Freddie the leg-breaker doesn't come cheap when recovering theft for you.

Lori

JTG51 · #6 10-01-2004, 03:18 PM

I think you should mail ACR and see if they really have taken over choice...

I did just that last night. Here's the response from ACR:

[ QUOTE ]
Hello Jeff,

Please send your questions to suppor@choicepoker.com then they will reply to you.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

------------------------------
Regards,

Customer Support - Americas Cardroom

[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose that confirms that they are associated with Choice, but it's not exactly what I would call friendly and helpful.

Lori · #7 10-01-2004, 03:25 PM

but it's not exactly what I would call friendly and helpful.

I'm not impressed with that one bit, as soon as I've done at Empire, I might get involved in this.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Lori

JTG51 · #8 10-01-2004, 04:13 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not impressed with that one bit, as soon as I've done at Empire, I might get involved in this.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

That should be fun.

Synergistic Explosions · #9 10-01-2004, 05:18 PM

Hey, this is great news for Choice players. It appears to me that the management at Dubrosoftware brokered a deal with their biggest cardroom ACR about absorbing the debt Choice left behind in their aftermath. I'm sure both Dubrosoftware and ACR will share in these debts.

I think instead of getting upset over the arrangement, people should look at it positively. It's a solution that benefits former Choice players as opposed to never seeing a dime of their balances.

Stew · #10 10-01-2004, 05:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]
but it's not exactly what I would call friendly and helpful.

I'm not impressed with that one bit, as soon as I've done at Empire, I might get involved in this.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

Go get 'em Lori the only place I've ever had any difficultes with since I began laying online was ACR/Fabulous Poker when they underwent new management and dumped Torstyn. Those jackasses wouldn't pay me my money. After a month's worth of phone calls and a comment to the new manager that took over that I was ready to get on a plane and fly to Costa Rica and slice his balls off and feed them to his dog for dinner, I found my money in my neteller account that evening.