I was also scammed at a charity poker event. Aces and Angels a few years back hosted by Michael Eakman at the Playboy Mansion. $10k WSOP Main Event seat for first place.

brag: shipped tourny at playboy mansion
beat: still haven't been paid
super epic beat: tourny took all night until the party was over so couldn't even enjoy my time there

If this is in reference to my post I don't really get what you're asking. I've been in touch with Michael via e-mail and he basically said he lost 60k hosting that event and didn't have the money to pay me but would work on getting it to me eventually. I don't really know what to do other than wait it out. It's just lame that I've asked him to put something in writing and he hasn't because I currently have nothing. Unless of course the limited e-mails prove that he owes me $10k. Just don't know how that would work out in court since he filed for bankruptcy but "didn't want to include me in the case."

Strange that they have a massive event coming up:
http://www.aces-angels.org/
Are these the same folks?

wow, bad if true...

Yes. I wouldn't call the event 'massive' - just another Super Bowl party. He threw one in Dallas last year but it tanked "due to the inclement weather." He got another 40k+ "hickey" as he called it from that. It's a really awkward dynamic since it's not in my best interest to badmouth him as I'm relying on his ability to make money in the future in order to pay me. I really do want to believe that the guy isn't a total sleazeball and just really bad at managing charity events in a down economy, but it's really tough as he's gone 12 months at a time without making any effort to contact me. Plus there's the question of if he can afford to lose another 40k at an event why can't he pay me? I don't really understand how his events work. Where is he getting the money to burn on these? Does he just get bank loans and default on them? He claims the charities always get what they're due but I can't help but have doubts.

Obviously I'm posting here looking for some kind of help so any advice is much appreciated. I was just a 21 year old kid when I won the event and now three years later I'm just a 24 year old kid still wondering what to do.

Well, posting your experience on 2+2 is a start. You won a $10K main event seat, and were never paid?!? Tarheelbluez brought down an entire charity for $140 worth of Kid Rock tickets (and spoiler: Kid Rock sucks). I understand your reluctance to come forward if you expect this guy to ever make good on his debt, but come on... if you're getting scammed, time to make it known.

This guy sells $2500 annual memberships to his "private membership organization". God knows what that means, but he can't scrape together $10K???

This might also be a clue. You may have to get in line:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/director...el-Eakman.aspx

He's also apparently not super-prompt about paying his charities:

http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/palms-...omplaint-6357/

lets get to work detectives. time to clean up poker

PP, can he start a new thread for this?

"There is nothing wrong with charity... as long as it ends up in your pocket."

It should be noted that Michael Eakman's business does not seem to be a 501(c) charitable organization; it just looks like an event planning company that donates %'s of proceeds to charities.

So you won't have any recourse to local charity licensing agencies. Short of legal action (i.e., suing him), probably the best you can do is file a report with the Better Business Bureau...

http://www.bbb.org/southern-nevada/b...vegas-nv-75243

...or the variety of "scam/ripoff" consumer webpages that are out there. And of course, 2+2 and "social media" sources.

Was this a guaranteed seat, or "subject to promoter's discretion", or some other such weasel language?

http://nvsos.gov/sosentitysearch/Cor...53d%253d&nt7=0

Was that event on July 11 '09? Because according to this complaint from a vendor he stiffed for $6k, that event was hosted by the Kardashians. Maybe you could go after their deep pockets and shame them into making good. (Scratch that, they have no shame, better go another route )

I don't know man but after three years and sparse emails it really sounds to me like you are never going to see a penny. If he is still holding events that has to be a major tell that he is a serial scammer. I'm not 100% on this but if his foundation went bankrupt he can no longer use that foundations name until the debts are paid. I would be calling the police or F.B.I and letting them know this guy can be possibly running a huge fraud.

If I read your post right, he is putting up $40K for another tournament before paying you the $10K he owes you from the prior tournament? If he has $40K, he should've paid you the $10K first.

Here we go again. Go go go 2+2

Looks like he owes quite a few people/companies.

Heres 1 from 2006 :-

"Michael Eakman booked a show at the Las Vegas Expo on 12/5/2006.
For reasons we do not know the show was cancelled. Mr Eakman owes
American/Kitchencraft Cookware $2,000 from the cancellation."

doesnt look good at all.

Also found another in 2006 on Ripoff Report :-

Michael Eakman advertised on Craig's List for people with a TAM card
i.e. experienced liquor severs to pour wine at an International Food
and Wine Event in Vegas. Around 20 people were to be paid $100
each for 2 days work.

It looks like none of the workers were paid according to the post
on said site.

just posted that link for the complaint on their facebook page.....

should start a sticky with all confirmed scammers and cliffs.

http://www.michaeleakman.com/ returns a 404 not found.

The google cache of the page includes a picture of the scammer in question:

http://www.michaeleakman.com/

Contact Kardashians' reps. Let them know all details, and that you will be going to TMZ if they do not somehow make it right.

At the very least, it's possible they could exert some pressure in the right general direction.

And if you feel guilty dragging in someone who really has nothing to do with the debt...

...IT'S THE KARDASHIANS.

www.charitynavigator.org, www.charitywatch.org/ and Guidestar.org have nothing on this group. They have listed themselves here: http://www.casinovendors.com/vendor/...ls-foundation/

oh man he's here in Vegas..... huge cajones this guy has

Oh no, not another one............

Email sent to the address at the bottom of that page (info@michaeleakman.com) returns as undeliverable.