This will be fairly long, so I have put cliff notes at the bottom.


Background info

I won the Fort Knox SNG Jackpot last year.

During the time of the Jackpot win I played for Badbeat.com as a sponsored player. I essentially was allowed to play MTTs and SNGs for them with a daily loss limit of $1,000.

Ipoker run something called Jackpot SNGs. They are basically 6max SNGs with added rake which counts towards a jackpot. To win the Jackpot you need to win 6 sng's in a row. If you finish in the top 2, 6 times in a row you get a consolation prize.

I have had a top two run of 6 before, and this was paid out without an issue. (750$)

At the time of attempting to win the Jackpot, the prize was at $160,000 (for the $50+5+4 buy in level).

I had also just accepted a new job working for Betfred in Gibraltar, it was a senior position within in the web dev team. Once winning this jackpot I turned the job down (despite having flights booked, a place to stay and having quit my old job). To say this whole ordeal left me in the **** is an understatement.



The Jackpot

So I played a number of these SNGs, around 50 or so (they weren't my bread and butter game, I just played them with profit to try and string a win together).

One evening I got lucky, and won 6 in a row. I was over the moon, as anyone would be after winning 160k!

Anyway, as is standard procedure with these wins, ipoker investigated the SNGs for collusion. No problem, I helped them where I could and answered any questions they asked in an honest manner.

Then, after a few weeks of investigation ipoker decided that I had colluded to win the jackpot, banned me from their site and refused to pay out the claim.

Devastated is an understatement. I took the accusations they made as deeply offending, not only were they refusing to pay out my winnings but they also were making judgement on me as a human being. They were effectively saying I had no ethics.

One of the issues I had with this situation, is Badbeat were my backers and they owned the accounts I played on (a deal between them and ipoker). As such everything I wanted to say / ask had to go through badbeat first, who would then relay it onto the skin provider why would then relay it onto ipoker. As you can see this is a long process, as the information also has to make a return journey.

After weeks they eventually provided their report into the collusion, sadly I am not allowed to post the full document. But these are the points they made:

1. I played in the same SNGs as another badbeat player, they accused of hand sharing and soft play.
2. There were a higher than normal amount of people from the UK in the SNGs (1 extra above the mean in each one).
3. A new-ish account blew up and gave me all their chips with Ace high on a 4 straight board. (nothing special in a SNG?)


I'll now expand on each point:

1. When we challenged ipoker to provide actual evidence of this taking place, they sent one hand history. I essentially open folded Q10o when 3 handed because ICM wise it was very marginal spot (blinds 50,100 and there is only the BB, I am first to act we all have 15 bb+). The guy in the BB had KK, therefore ipoker assumed it was collusion.

Also on this point, they claimed we agreed to meet up in the SNGs to seek an unfair advantage and allow me to win the jackpot. However:

a) The first SNG the other player busted in the first 5 hands, none of his chips went to me.
b) The second SNG started while the first one was still 4 handed, so there was no way of knowing if I'd win it.
c) If that is something you'd do to win the jackpot, why would it be done on the first 2 games of the run. Surely you'd do it at the end games?


2) Higher than normal amount of UK players. No idea what they mean by this, it was played between 8pm and 10pm UK time of course there will be more UK players.

3) I believe they were clutching at straws with this one, they appears to have added this right at the end of the document. I don't really know what to say to disprove it, the guy just blew up and stacked off to me. Happens in every SNG I play.

As you can see their evidence is not really evidence, its speculation. I have provided FULL HH's to a number of people to review. They 100% agree that no collusion took place, and that I never did anything out of the normal.

I believe that Ipoker jumped to conclusions very quickly with this case, and then realised that really what they were saying didn't have much evidence and so they started looking deeper for anything that could be viewed as strange.


Right to appeal? not with ipoker you don't

Since then I have contested the decision a number of times, but it is falling on deaf ears. Ipoker have repeatedly refused to re-open the case and have since paid out the jackpot to someone else.

It is to my knowledge that all gambling companies have to have a procedure in place where by a "punter" can dispute a decision, in which case the evidence from both parties is handed to a 3rd party independent who then reviews and makes a decision. Ipoker have point blank refused to go through this 3rd party, and have refused to have anyone else look at the case.

They are being completely unfair, unlawful and unethical in this situation.


I appreciate that what I have posted is long, and its hard for people to form an opinion on what's been said. However I would like to make clear that I am an honest guy, I have never cheated and never will. I've been through the ringer with this one, my emotions have been as high as they've ever been followed by one of the lowest weeks I can remember.

I just really hope that there is some way I can take this further, however I am relying on Badbeat to handle the situation (which they aren't doing very well). If anyone could offer advice that would be great, I don't know where to start.


The plus side

I've experienced such violent swings of fate with this, but I have come out stronger and more determined. I will win more than $160,000 and it will be this year. I've taken a new approach to life since and am more focussed and determined than ever.





Cliff Notes

- I won 6 Jackpot SNGs in a row, for $160,000.
- ipoker accused me of collusion
- They provided no solid evidence, and one hand history that isn't even suspect play
- They refuse to re-open the case, or to allow a 3rd party investigate it
- I feel I have been robbed and my character questioned.
- Ipoker still owe me $160,000.

Cliff Notes: Don't play on iPoker

too long of course do you have the complete hhs from the last game at least? post it ty

I stopped reading after you pointed out what a SNG jackpot is.

BUT,

I think Stars and Fulltilt should implement something like this! Actually sounds pretty sweet!


oh, and THAT SUCKS!


EDIT: after thinking about it for a little bit, I think it would be awful to implement because in general it would promote a ****load of collusion and team playing.

I have all the HH's, I'll post them if there is enough interest and more importantly if it helps with the case.

You sound like you have a great attitude and I wish you well. If this happened to me I don't think having my character questioned would even enter my mind, I'd want my money and I'd want it now. The facts should speak for themselves.

Post all correspondence

I was gonna say they only did it because they dont wanna pay out 160k. But then you say they pay'd it out to someone else... So it obviously is not about the money for them. Maybe they actually think you cheated.

Now the evidence you gave is not really evidence obv because I can not know you are telling the truth. But assuming you are, I feel very bad for you. If it were me I think I would in bed right now, either to depressed to get out or, well You know what is worse than that. lol.

If they wont go to a third party is there no someway you can take them to court? Make them go to a third party, get a review and try and get the money that way?

There is actually no way of knowing if they did pay it out to someone, all that happened was the jackpot got re-set to 50k.

aaahhh. Well then in that case I will go with my origional thought. They are only doing this because they don't fancy paying out 160k.

This is what I hate about online companies they think they can do what ever they want. This is 160k for god sakes. You could do alot with that. An online casino welched out of paying me 3k once and refused to let me withdraw. I mean that was only 3k it was 4 years ago and I STILL can't get it out of my mind. I can only imagine how insane I would be going if it were 160k.

maybe they did all i can say is was it single table sit and go? because i know players that have won more than 6 in a row and it seems a bit crazy to offer such a large jackpot for such a little accomplishment.

Ipoker is owned by Playtech which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange so you might be able to do something through the UK courts.
At least go and see a lawyer or something and see if you have a case.

.

this is the problem when you make online poker your bread and butter. It is unregulated in the US and you really have no course of action when you get shafted like this

All I can say apart from see a lawyer is maybe you should post HH and alot more info in this thread. Make a stand prove you did not cheat. 2+2 seems to have a way of getting companies to notice.