Rich "TheEngineer" Muny, PPA Vice-President, spitefully outed my 2+2 fake account

[Dan Druff]

As most of you know, I had Rich "TheEngineer" Muny on PFA Radio two weeks ago. We had a three-hour debate regarding the effectiveness and tactics of the Poker Player Alliance.

While the conversation became contentious at times, I treated Rich respectfully, and in fact let him have far more speaking time than I did. I even offered him the opportunity at the end to make a long statement on behalf of the PPA. Rich even posted a link to the debate afterwards on 2+2.

Since then, Haley Hintze wrote an article accusing PPA Director John Pappas of helping lobby for payment processor SunFirst -- the same bank that was at the center of the Black Friday busts.

This further led to discussion on 2+2 where a user posted (apparently accurate) information that the PPA was funded 99% by the online poker sites in 2010. This kicked off a long discussion on 2+2 that spanned well over 20 pages.

As most of you know, I was banned from 2+2 in 2008 for my association with Neverwinpoker. Mason Malmuth himself admitted I had broken no rules on the site. Despite many users rallying for my reinstatement, Mason stood firm and said that I would only be allowed back on 2+2 if I disassociated myself with NWP.

While I have been officially disassociated with NWP and its successor DonkDown for about 18 months, I never attempted to take Mason up on this offer because it was clear he hated me. However, 2+2 is still (by far) the largest poker forum in the world. It contains a lot of valuable information, and it is the most visible connection to US poker players. Sometimes I read 2+2 and feel the need to chime in on important issues -- usually the same issues I make a big deal about on the Scams, Scandals, and Shadiness forum here.

I have had a fake account there since November, 2009. This account has followed all 2+2 rules to the letter, and has only been used to engage in intelligent discussions regarding various issues in the poker community. Many people have known for a long time that I was on that account, including certain 2+2 mods. However, nobody was a dick about it and outed me, because I was not causing any problems, and was clearly only there to participate in real discussions. Even Eric "Rizen" Lynch, manager of Lock Poker, knew who I was, but he actually had enough class to keep his mouth shut, despite my endless (and valid) criticism of Lock.

Recently I have been making a big deal under that account regarding the PPA's "99% funding" in 2010 from the big online poker sites. Again, I was respectful and maturely discussed my points, never degenerating into trolling or personal attacks. I guess this finally got under Rich's skin enough to where he posted this short message a few hours ago:

Druff,

Like I told you in our debate, PPA has over one million members. We have an active base who are dedicated to standing up for our rights against those who'd ban this.

I'm proud to be a part of it while at the same time humbled by the efforts of those who take action day in and day out without fail.

He quoted the fake account asking how the PPA is "the poker community", as Rich had earlier asserted.

Mason Malmuth has been very active in that thread (mainly arguing with Haley Hintze), and Rich knows that.

Rich also knows that I'm banned on 2+2, both because he's an observant guy and because I reminded him a few times during our debate two weeks ago.

This was a dirty, snake-in-the-grass, passive-aggressive move to get my account banned -- pretty much a "fuck you" for daring question the precious PPA.

There was simply no other reason to start out addressing me as "Druff" in that message. None of his other messages to others in the thread started out addressing them by name.

I'm sure he will make excuses about this and claim this was unintentional, but I think anyone with half a brain realizes exactly why he phrased his message that way.

Truth be told, while I have flown under the radar using that account for well over 3 years, I never put much effort into hiding who I was. It was actually more of an open secret among anyone who reads both this forum and 2+2. However, everyone else up until this point was respectful enough to keep quiet about it, and Rich decided to be the jerk who had to out it.

I would have at least had a little more respect if he started his message like, "Druff, you are banned here, you aren't supposed to be on this site....", but instead he just inserted "Druff," at the beginning of the message, knowing it would be enough to get Mason to ban me, yet not draw attention to being a spiteful snitch.

Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, and I'm not going to do anything about it, but boy did this really kill any respect I had for the guy.

Very disappointing.

[BeerAndPoker]

Snake in the Grass move perhaps but why post over on that site anyways?

[Hockey Guy]

Yup, a douchey thing to do.

[DRK Star]

Any chance you could have Mason look back at your posts under that other account so he could assess that all you have done under that account is provide good talking points and conversations, as opposed to anything that would negatively impact 2+2?

Im sure if it were to become public that you have held up your part of the deal (distancing/disassociating yourself from NWP) that it would be awkward for him to continue your ban at this point in time.

[Dan Druff]

Snake in the Grass move perhaps but why post over on that site anyways?

I posted there because I felt it was more important to call out shady companies/organizations such as Lock Poker to a bigger audience, and the gain to the community from doing so was more valuable than whatever tiny increase in traffic I might have brought to Mason. I'm pretty sure my presence on 2+2 didn't put a single extra dollar in Mason's pocket. It's not like I was actively posting every day. My total number of posts, spread over 3+ years, was quite low.

[Hockey Guy]

Any chance you could have Mason look back at your posts under that other account so he could assess that all you have done under that account is provide good talking points and conversations, as opposed to anything that would negatively impact 2+2?

Im sure if it were to become public that you have held up your part of the deal (distancing/disassociating yourself from NWP) that it would be awkward for him to continue your ban at this point in time.

This is assuming MM is reasonable. We all know he's not.

[BUBBLES]

We should all cock bomb 2+2 tonight.

[DRK Star]

that is why his statement about allowing him needs to be seen publicly, so that he, being a person of reason, would allow Druff back there.

[SrslySirius]

Kind of a petty move by Rich. I thought he was above that sort of thing. Then again, I guess there's a lot of unprofessional behavior from PPA staff in that thread.

[Dan Druff]

We should all cock bomb 2+2 tonight.

Actually, don't do that.

I'd like PFA to be seen in a different light than NWP/DD. Many of the pahticipants are the same, but the forum has a different tone, and the rules here are also different.

I don't have a desire to harass 2+2 over this. I just think Rich was a passive-aggressive dickhead to do something like this.

[RichardBrodiesCombover.]

Kind of a petty move by Rich. I thought he was above that sort of thing. Then again, I guess there's a lot of unprofessional behavior from PPA staff in that thread.

little bitch move

[simpdog]

Definitely a jerk move, although Druff you are a stickler for rules. If you're banned, you're banned.

So while you can fault Rich for being a jerk, your account still deserves to be banned until you clear the air with MM.

[BUBBLES]

Definitely a jerk move, although Druff you are a stickler for rules. If you're banned, you're banned.

So while you can fault Rich for being a jerk, your account still deserves to be banned until you clear the air with MM.

Druff is no longer associated with NWP, A few months ago i pm'd Mason and asked about Druff and i was banned for being undesireable.

[BeerAndPoker]

Snake in the Grass move perhaps but why post over on that site anyways?

I posted there because I felt it was more important to call out shady companies/organizations such as Lock Poker to a bigger audience, and the gain to the community from doing so was more valuable than whatever tiny increase in traffic I might have brought to Mason. I'm pretty sure my presence on 2+2 didn't put a single extra dollar in Mason's pocket. It's not like I was actively posting every day. My total number of posts, spread over 3+ years, was quite low.

I get it but with your credibility wouldn't you rather people know who the person is behind the posts even though I guess it means you couldn't post there?

Their will be some people who are 2+2 fanboys but many others do respect your opinions when it comes to shady scandals.

[Gordman]

Not that this is truly relevant to the topic right now, I question the the reality of the "one million members" that he constantly boasts. Sure, he may actually have one million members, but if I remember correctly, at the sites height, Pokerstars (and maybe even other sites but im not sure) had freerolls sponsored by the PPA where if you simply registered in the freeroll on the poker site, you were automatically signed up as a member of the PPA. Seriously...on a site where you have tens of thousands of players playing every day and you are promising prizes in freerolls to sign up for another site with literally one click of the button, how hard is it to really sign up a million members?

All in all, I would venture to guess that a large percentage of those PPA "members" didn't actually go directly to the PPA site with the sole intention of signing up, but instead with the freeroll scheme.

[Shizzmoney]

I will say Rich does get quite defensive about the PPA and it's lobbying "business".

After FairPlay and the AGA, we pretty much know what these "associations" usually end up being, anyways: pseudoPAC entities who represent mass concentrations of wealth and activism (usually more of the ladder).

I think the one for porn companies is even called, "The 1st Amendment Movement" or something lol

[Rollo Tomasi]

[SrslySirius]

pseudoPAC entities who represent mass concentrations of wealth and activism (usually more of the ladder).

I've never seen this one before! This is definitely making my list of reasonable malapropisms.

[TheEngineer]

Druff,

I'm an NVG mod. If I were a snake, I'd have either banned you myself without you knowing it or I'd have PMed another mod behind your back.

It was obviously you. I had no tools to identify you beyond your words. For purposes of the discussion in that thread, your background mattered, so I mentioned you by name. I don't believe you'll be banned, as you've not violated any 2+2 rules under that handle.

[TheEngineer]

Kind of a petty move by Rich. I thought he was above that sort of thing. Then again, I guess there's a lot of unprofessional behavior from PPA staff in that thread.

He didn't have to admit to it. Just sayin'.