alina75
12
2012/02/03 12:50
#290242
Manne wrote:
PokerPlayer ran an exclusive interview with Daniel Negreanu in our January edition that caused a bit of a stir, not least with Kid Poker himself. As a result the Canadian poker legend wanted the chance to clear up a few points. Over to you Mr Negreanu...
‘I read the cover story in last month's Poker Player magazine, and while the majority of the article clearly gets the gist of what I was trying to convey, there were a couple minor things I didn't say, and would like to clarify.
‘The cover states, “How I conquered Online Poker” and I've never said any such thing. Did I improve? Yes. Did I become competent? Yes. Did people start to view me as less of a mark in a short period of time? Yes, but conquer is a very strong word and I certainly don't feel like it accurately displays how I feel about my online skill set in comparison to the many great, young online players who have a lot more experience than I do. Had it read "How He conquered Online Poker" that would be an opinion, but when it's written as "I" it implies I said that obviously.
‘The headline of the article was “What is Wrong with You?” followed by, “Daniel Negreanu asks what the hell is wrong with players these days". I think both are misleading. It implies that I think there is something wrong with the young players of today, and that's not at all what I was saying. I have the utmost respect for the skill set of the younger generation, and have echoed those sentiments in various interviews over the past few years, giving credit to many young players who've helped improve some of the flaws in my game.
‘I was commenting more on the state of televised poker in the US, and there is currently a bit of a black hole in comparison to the days when you could find PokerStars-net The Big Game, Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, PokerStarts-net Million Dollar Challenge on your television nightly. With the lack of funding for these shows by the online sites, coupled with a rather limited group of younger players who combine both the skill set, and the personality to excite the mainstream, poker on TV in the U.S. is going to face a lull until things get sorted with legislation.
‘I don't think poker is in “big trouble” as was implied in the article, and I certainly don't think there is something inherently wrong with the younger generation of player. As I was correctly quoted in the article stating that players like DevilFish, Sammy Farha, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Ivey became fan favourites not only because of their skill set, but because of their interesting, and unique backgrounds and storyline. My fear is that the current story line for many of the younger generation lacks sexiness, “I built my bankroll in college 20 tabling micro stakes and have invested the money into mutual funds and have a rather extensive portfolio” is a bit boring. It certainly doesn't hold up to the old school tales of the likes of Doyle Brunson and DevilFish, or the incredible tale of Scotty Nguyen coming over on a boat and having a discussion with his family as to when they would eat their ailing brother while stranded at sea. I don't think the story of a majority of the young players today connects with the mainstream, nor will causal viewers find it all that interesting especially since they are so similar and repetitive.
‘There are a few bright spots, and some exceptions to the rule, but many of today's young players are having a more difficult time standing out from the crowd. There is nothing “wrong with them,” but with all due respect, the public is going to find the sexiness of a suit wearing, cigarette smoking, wise cracking, Sammy Farha, a lot more interesting than a young, intelligent, level headed, and well spoken kid like Mike “Timex” McDonald.’
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2012/02/03
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In fact, during an interview with online gaming journal iGaming France, GBT managing director Laurent Tapie – who is the son of company founder Bernard Tapie – stated that they “hope to do the deal by the end of February”.
Full Tilt was caught up in the troubles that hit online poker in the USA back on April 15, Black Friday, when the poker room was shut down – along with the likes of PokerStars and Absolute Poker – by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) due to charges relating to illegal gambling, money laundering and bank fraud.
However, 36-year-old Laurent revealed that, with “the due diligence process nearly complete,” the deal to buy Full Tilt should be completed by the end of next month, “unless there are last-minute surprises.”
He also added that “the agreement has been validated” that will see GBT reactivate Full Tilt’s operating licence with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) after they acquire Full Tilt’s assets from the DoJ for an estimated $80 million.
US Judge Dismisses Class Action Against FTP
Meanwhile, after what has been a fairly quiet few weeks in relation to the beleaguered poker room, US Federal Judge Leonard B Sand has dismissed the class action complaint registered by four poker pros against Full Tilt.
The suit – filed last June by Todd Terry, Robin Hougdahl, Nick Hammer and Steve Segal – demanded that players’ funds be returned and that Full Tilt also pay damages.
The complaint – which alleged that the plaintiffs had been denied access to funds – also listed numerous defendants, including Full Tilt Poker, Pocket Kings Ltd, Filco, Vantage Ltd, Tiltware, Ray Bitar and Nelson Burtnick, as well as Team Full Tilt Pros Patrik Antonius, Allen Cunningham, Gus Hansen, Mike Matusow, Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel, Erick Lindgren, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer and, of course, Phil Ivey.
The four plaintiffs had accused those defendants of bank and wire fraud, and racketeering that should warrant them to triple the damages.
Evidence Unclear Over Who is Responsible
But Judge Sand dismissed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) claim in the New York court, pointing out that it was unclear whether the players’ failure to receive funds was due to the DoJ’s actions, the firms listed above or the individual defendants named.
He said: “The mere fact that Full Tilt Poker customers maintained player accounts on the website that they subsequently could not access is therefore insufficient to establish a conversion claim against these defendants.
“Nor have plaintiffs alleged any additional facts, demonstrating that either company exercised control over the player accounts, or played any role in the decision to prevent Full Tilt Poker customers from withdrawing the money in their accounts.”
Claim Against Individuals Can’t Proceed
Sand’s summation also pointed out that, although the claim can still continue against Filco, Pocket Kings and Vantage Ltd, it can’t proceed against the original complaint’s individuals.
Sand added: “Plaintiffs have pled sufficient facts to establish a plausible inference that defendants Pocket Kings, Vantage and Filco ‘played some role’ in the conversion.
“The fact that the three defendants worked together to maintain the Full Tilt website makes it plausible to infer that they also worked together to block plaintiffs’ access to the money in their accounts.
“We therefore deny defendants’ motion to dismiss the conversion claims against defendants Pocket Kings, Vantage and Filco, but grant it with respect to Tiltware and Pocket Kings Consulting.”
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