Epic Poker League's treatment of Michael Di Vita - MTT Community

Bonified · 09-08-2011, 04:18 PM

http://www.stayonpoker.com/headlines...-sex-offender/

OK, so just let me make a couple of things clear. What Di Vita did and whether he should be lynched for it is not the issue I want to talk about. Whether it's right for the EPL to be making judgements on who can and can't play its tournaments isn't the issue either (although I might raise that on another day). My issue is exactly how this was handled, as follows :

Quote:

Having been blocked from registering, DiVita was refunded the $1,500 he paid to enter the Pro/Am and his seat at the Main Event was awarded to tenth place finisher – Jamie Kaplan.

DiVita won a $20k seat in the satellite. He was then told he couldn't play, and then "refunded" his $1500 entry fee. Now I realise that the EPL didn't pocket the $20k, and that they gave the seat to the next guy, but how can it be right for them to do that? That seems completely wrong to me. How would you feel if it happened to you? If they didn't stop him entering to start with, they should either let him play the event or at a minimum give him his $20k, IMO. Thoughts?

**mlagoo** · 09-08-2011, 04:21 PM

Yeah that seems like a pretty absurd joke that he didn't get 20k. Like, just insane. He won the money and they're now stealing from him.

BC62 · 09-08-2011, 04:22 PM

that's just plain wrong. They took his money, allowed him to enter (is that a contract?) and he is due the $20K.

**augie_** · 09-08-2011, 04:22 PM

he should probably file a complaint with the NGC. i don't think a licensed nevada casino is allowed to reverse-freeroll someone.

phishman · 09-08-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlagoo

Yeah that seems like a pretty absurd joke that he didn't get 20k. Like, just insane. He won the money and they're now stealing from him.

.

Unta8 · 09-08-2011, 04:33 PM

How stupid is this league? Thanks for putting the poker community in a spot to stick up for a child mollester rather than the brand new super awesome Epic Poker Fail.

Xaston · 09-08-2011, 04:33 PM

As the sole benefactor of the decision I have a hard time speaking objectively about it. Also every time Annie was asked about it she just said that the league took no formal action against him and that he voluntarily withdrew.

Also Erik Seidel runs and plays really good.

Al Wallace · 09-08-2011, 04:36 PM

Would be interested to hear the whole story behind this guy's charges before I decide to laugh at him and give EPL a thumbs up for ****ing him over. Even with date filters haven't been able to google up anything more than just that same brief statement tho

BC62 · 09-08-2011, 04:59 PM

it isn't relevant

Hooverdeuce · 09-08-2011, 05:01 PM

So people are surprised that annie duke is a thief? Lolol

Bonified · 09-08-2011, 05:04 PM

It actually says a lot for the EPL that none of this surprises me in the least. When the whole Chino Rheem thing kicked off I said they were on a slippery slope, and now they're even further down it. What's next?

SlevinUp · 09-08-2011, 05:11 PM

The only way I think this could have conceivably happened is if that he gave false information or failed to declare information to the EPL prior to this. I understand that the EPL has some form of ethics committee (paging Timex) and if there is some form completed before which would ask players for info such as prior convicitons etc and he deliberatley omitted these convictions, then it's understable.. Obviously if not, it's outrageous, but hardly suprising since all this league is about is profit and you obv need good PR for that.

In the UK this past weekend a man won a £1,000,000 freeroll on live tv, it has since been brought to the public's attention that he had a prior conviction for assaulting a woman. Although the production company despite protests have decided to let him keep all of his winnings, without disclosing whether or not he had infact disclosed the prior convcitions, they have since removed two potential contestants, either due to prior or more recent disclosure of previous convcitions.

TT_fold · 09-08-2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlevinUp

The only way I think this could have conceivably happened is if that he gave false information or failed to declare information to the EPL prior to this. I understand that the EPL has some form of ethics committee (paging Timex) and if there is some form completed before which would ask players for info such as prior convicitons etc and he deliberatley omitted these convictions, then it's understable.. Obviously if not, it's outrageous, but hardly suprising since all this league is about is profit and you obv need good PR for that.

In the UK this past weekend a man won a £1,000,000 freeroll on live tv, it has since been brought to the public's attention that he had a prior conviction for assaulting a woman. Although the production company despite protests have decided to let him keep all of his winnings, without disclosing whether or not he had infact disclosed the prior convcitions, they have since removed two potential contestants, either due to prior or more recent disclosure of previous convcitions.

QFT.

Unfortunately, most people are blinded by the nature of his crimes, and don't see this situation the way the posters in this thread do.

He did his time. He could have murdered 100 people for all I care. The Epic Poker League mishandled this, given what we know.

MaverickUSC · 09-08-2011, 05:26 PM

I don't like the way this has been handled. I don't like that Annie's only been talking to people on breaks about it. The entire league should have been notified by email about what's been going on already.

We talked about it a lot yesterday. I don't think that he "withdrew" or is getting $1500 only. If this is the case he should go straight to his lawyer.

When I signed the Code of Conduct, Annie said, "We don't care about what you've done in the past." Be good now though, and "don't commit any felonies."

CoC and other league documentation can be found here:

http://www.epicpoker.com/events/leag...mentation.aspx

FatalError · 09-08-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickUSC

I don't like the way this has been handled. I don't like that Annie's only been talking to people on breaks about it. The entire league should have been notified by email about what's been going on already.

We talked about it a lot yesterday. I don't think that he "withdrew" or is getting $1500 only. If this is the case he should go straight to his lawyer.

When I signed the Code of Conduct, Annie said, "We don't care about what you've done in the past." Be good now though, and "don't commit any felonies."

CoC and other league documentation can be found here:

http://www.epicpoker.com/events/leag...mentation.aspx

well, we all know he won't go to a lawyer, it's not worth 18.5k - lawyer costs for him to make a big deal about being a convicted pederast who is being unfairly treated by a poker tournament. I'm assuming when you're in a position like his you try to hide your past as much as possible, not have it on the 7 pm news