To whom could give a flying flip about Poker Stars and their integrity !
Now that I have deflated my blood pressure from the upper elevations of the above heavens over the last 3 days, I am going to share what was the WORST ever experience in the Pokers Stars PCAs history. I am a rec player who has always enjoyed the great times spent at the tables with ALL of the best players to the avg Joe's in the world, especially the times when I have left the snow and cold in Indiana, made the trip to the Bahamas in January for the Poker Stars sponsored PCA. This year being no different , I set my sights on tournaments that are in my poker bankroll , including satellites for the main event. Arriving late Wednesday I decided to play a $300 turbo to start the trip off, all went well and made it deep into the tournament. When we got to 18 players, as is, in all tourney play, it was announced that we were going to hand for hand, approximately 45min. later , being short, it was with great pleasure to hear the director announce "Congratulations everyone,you have made the money, dealers continue dealing , no more hand for hand "..After a few hands of play I found myself in a standard spot (since we were all now getting paid) to push AJ from the button, get called and lose. No big deal , onto the payout table to collect my ticket for 17th place.
I put the ticket in my pocket to cash later and go to play one of the "flipout tournaments', when I get approached by a nice young lady who was assisting the tournament I just cashed in and was asked "if I had cashed my ticket yet". I let her know I would cash it later as I was playing a flip out. She proceeds to tell me that I cannot just hold onto the ticket and was supposed to go directly the the payout stand to turn it in. Having done this a few times, now befuddled, I told her I would go over and take care of it now , she smiled and said "I will go with you to show you where it is". I set up a PS Live account to assist not having to carry cash around before I left the states and had the bank window just deposit the $500 into my account. No problems here..................and then
About 30 minutes after I was paid, the nice young assistant returned to the table where I was playing the "flip out"and asked if I could come with her for a talk with the assistant floor director. I follow her over to hear the director inform me that they had made a mistake and I was actually the bubble, NOT the 17th place finish................... I looked directly at him and said...."I'm sorry to hear that, but what do you want me to do ?" he then proceeds to tell me " The right thing would be to just give the money back", (blood pressure going way up again) ....I look at him and say #1 I cannot even believe you have the gall call me over and bring this up , let alone ask for me to give money back, #2 I am in no way going to give the money back for what is clearly a mistake by your floor man, my play was for SURE changed after the announcement we were in the money. #3 I need to get back to a tournament I am in and that is the end of this.
He replies with his best effort to guilt me into paying for their mistake by saying " So you think that's fair and right huh ? " me. ' Again , I cannot believe you are even talking to me about this".................I left, end of story.
NOT yet , hold on there TONTO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, I return to the scene of my crime, feeling good 1-2 tournaments for a little cash and good start. I go to sign up for the first mega satty , give my favorite, friendly cashier my players card and hear "Sorry Chris, there is a problem with your account and you will need to see the tournament director Mike"....., I say "Whats the problem", they "you will need to see Mike as your account is suspended and locked up".....(blood pressure going way, way up again )
I storm out of bank room to find Mike in the tournament area, quickly locate him , approach him:
me "Mike ?"
Mike: "Yup, what can I help you with"
me: " I'm Chris Underwood, was told to see about a problem with my account"
Mike: " Oh, there's no problem, I just need to inform you that we are taking the $500 back that you wrongfully collected, thats it "
me: (blood pressure at app.597over300) "You have got to be kidding, is this a joke?"
Mike: "No joke, we will take it back or you wont play anymore due to your account being suspended" with a nice eat shit and leave look for me ta boot
me: (blood pressure now approaching lift off) " Mike , I am calling you out for what you are, you sir are a THIEF, CHEAT, awful piece of work, who is in charge, as well as the worst tournament director in the history of such a position"
Mike: (now with a bigger look of just eat shit and whata you going to do look says) " Its your choice, pay it back or don't play anymore ?"
me: (thinking as quickly as possible to myself, do I really want to get kicked off the Bahamas for life, with customs holding me in a straw jail cell beating me with conch shells daily, or cave into the thief? ) " Mike , again, you sir or a THIEF, you take your 500 and get my account back open so I can play"
Mike: (now grinning that you eat shit and die) " Follow me back to the bank room"
We get back to the bank room where we need to be to open my account back up, are about in the center of a partially filled room when Mike yells over to one of the 30-40 people behind the counters, loud enough for all in the room to hear...
" Go ahead and reopen up Chris Underwood's suspended account and take our $500 back out of his account"
BLOOD PRESSURE JUST WENT TO MARS AND BACK !!!!!
me: (in a heat of the moment loud enough tone for all in the room to hear ) "Mike , thanks again and just so you remember, I say you are a Thief and crook for stealing my money , have a good day thief "
Mike: now, not just grinning, but smiling that eat shit , die and kiss my ass look says " Anything else ????????? ...........................................have a good day"
Actually there was plenty more on my mind , but that jail cell and being stoned to death by conch shells woke me again
Sorry for the long rant over what I feel, certainly was wrong , but, I would not have cared any less if they would have stole just $1.00 , it is still the same principle I am calling Poker Stars and Mike out on this . Poker already has a tough time building a reputation for players to be looked upon as decent people without the likes of world class promoters like Poker Stars allowing this type of behavior from within. It has surely soured my perspective of what Poker Stars and many other promoters of the game are really doing to all players , NOT just a rec player like myself. At this point I am now pondering the idea of getting a plane out here due to my "MEGA SUPER TILT MENTALITY" that I cannot seem to lose.......I do not care who you are, if you believe in right and wrong, this is indeed very unsettling , there is nothing I can do, but stand my ground on that very principle.
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Originally Posted by Hockey Guy
