Duplicate Poker Closes Unexpectedly

[pokeraddict]

Dear players,
Duplicate is sadly bidding farewell to its players. Caught in the middle of the global financial situation the company is not able to continue to provide service. We are a small victim of the global financial crisis.

Regretfully as of the today, October 5th, 2008 we are closing our service. We thank our players for being with us. Hopefully at later time and in a better economic climate Duplicate Poker will re-appear.

Sincerely,
The Duplicate Poker Team

http://duplicatepoker.com/

I always thought this place was questionable. Cheating was too easy and their legal claims didn't really fit in many players opinion. Lately they have had serious problems paying players, now they abruptly closed.

[winbig]

Originally Posted by pokeraddict

http://duplicatepoker.com/

I always thought this place was questionable. Cheating was too easy and their legal claims didn't really fit in many players opinion. Lately they have had serious problems paying players, now they abruptly closed.

Global financial crisis? Last I heard, it's only the USA's problem, not the worlds. And now that Dubya has bought off enough votes to pass the bailout, there's going to be a few more foreign investors that's gonna be a little richer....w/e

[jetset]

Nope, it's a world thing - stocks down and banks in trouble and being supported in Europe and just yesterday Germans being assured by Angela Merkel that their bank balances would be secured as the government launched a 50 billion rescue package to one outfit.

[winbig]

Wild.....

I actually had a balance there. I deposited $25 right after they first opened, but didn't like the format, so I never played there again. I have a feeling that it's the lack of customers that drove them out of business, and not the reasons they state.

Your request for a withdrawal of $1.40 was successfully submitted and is currently being processed. A notification will be emailed to you when your request status changes.

Thank you for your support of Duplicate Poker

Sincerely
Duplicate Poker Team

[jetset]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081006/.../world_markets

[winbig]

Also, what's going to happen with their "Duplicate Poker World Championship?" Are they going to refund everyone's money that participated in this?

NEW YORK, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- DuplicatePoker.com announced today the
launch of the first-ever Duplicate Poker World Championship. The inaugural
competition aims to determine the world's best poker player by using the
Duplicate Poker format, which dramatically reduces luck and emphasizes skill.
Players can qualify now to earn their chance to play in the world
championship.
Duplicate Poker's innovative twist on poker limits the luck of the draw by
dealing to each table in the tournament from the same deck. Players in each
seat are ranked against players at other tables who were dealt the exact same
cards. Since Duplicate Poker is viewed as a skill game, it's legal in most
jurisdictions within the United States.
The Duplicate Poker World Championship combines online and live poker.
Initial qualifying rounds are now running online at DuplicatePoker.com.
Qualifications began on February 4 and continue for 30 consecutive weeks
through September 14th, when the first round of regional online tournaments
will take place. The regional round is divided into six distinct geographical
regions totaling 180 players. This will be followed by a round of
quarterfinals, also to be played online at DuplicatePoker.com.
Quarterfinal winners will be placed on a regional team of seven players.
These finalists will win complete travel packages (hotel accommodations,
airfare and meals) at a live venue where the semi-final and championship
rounds will be played. The championship round will be scored both
individually and as a team. An announcement of the exact location and dates
of play will be made soon.
Entry into the Duplicate Poker World Championship costs nothing; players
just need to make the top of the weekly Duplicate Poker Tournament Leader
Board during one of the qualifying weeks. This means a new player who makes a
very small deposit and plays for as short as a week could conceivably become
the first Duplicate Poker World Champion.
Qualifying details, terms and conditions are available here. For new players, the website also
offers a short and fun interactive video tutorial which explains how to play.
DuplicatePoker.com offers both play money and real money games. Play money
games allow new players a chance to become more familiar with the nuances of
Duplicate Poker. Real money players, even in the US, can deposit funds using
either Visa or MasterCard.
DuplicatePoker.com also offers cash bonuses just for signing up and
frequently holds free tournaments for its players. The site now offers a 200
percent sign-up bonus on initial deposits up to $100, and even provides $3 in
free money for new players to experiment with playing for real money.
Visit the web site to try out the next big thing in skill-based gaming
which can be found at: www.duplicatepoker.com.
More about DuplicatePoker.com
Duplicate Poker is a high-tech company that creates online and offline
skill-based poker games for consumers. Our mission is to create fun, secure,
and user-friendly poker games, as well as to develop innovative and
groundbreaking technologies.
Duplicate Poker was patterned after Duplicate Bridge, which is popular
worldwide in clubs, tournaments, and online. What makes Duplicate Poker such
an original concept is that it functions as the supreme test of pure poker
skill. No player can ever complain about bad cards or suffering bad beats,
simply because all players in the competition get dealt the same cards; hence
the name "Duplicate Poker." Each player faces an identical set of
circumstances, where skill and not luck is the primary component.
DuplicatePoker.com is a skill game site, not a gambling site, and is legal
in most U.S. jurisdictions. U.S.-based players may use standard forms of
payment -- such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express to make deposits
into their Duplicate Poker accounts.
The management and shareholders of the company are well-respected
individuals in their respective industries. The assembled talents of the
Duplicate Poker Team have developed a new way of playing online poker that
elevates the image of the game to a new level of respect in the gaming
community. All employees and shareholders are proud to be a part of this
unique enterprise that converts poker to a mentally challenging sport, while
providing financial rewards to its best players.
Duplicate Poker was established in 2004 as a privately held Delaware
company. Headquarters are based in New York, NY, with satellite offices in
Los Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, NV and Tel Aviv, Israel.
SOURCE DuplicatePoker.com

http://www.reuters.com/article/press...08+PRN20080221

[jetset]

I wouldn't bet on that...the abrupt nature and manner of the closure, allied to reported slow-pays and the following statement issued as recently as 15 July 2008 suggest to me that these guys will simply cut and run on promos like a World Championship.

In July this year Duplicate Poker's chief operating officer, Moshe Davidovich, described his company as "...one of the fastest growing online poker communities" and announced that it would add Ring games to its growing repertoire of playing options. He urged players to "visit the next big thing in skill-based gaming at Duplicatepoker.com."

[Casinomeister]

What a shame. It was one of the few US facing companies that provided LEGAL games (skill gaming) for US players. I know that their main financiers were US businesses, so perhaps that's where the "global financial crisis" comes into play. Bummer.

I wonder how the "real" poker rooms are holding up.

[LOOKAWAY]

Originally Posted by winbig

Global financial crisis? Last I heard, it's only the USA's problem, not the worlds. And now that Dubya has bought off enough votes to pass the bailout, there's going to be a few more foreign investors that's gonna be a little richer....w/e

Americans are spoilt anyway, there living in the land off plenty and normaly you will find them complaining about the price off gas wtf says me who is actualy properly taxed uk style, and is actualy used to paying ridiculous prices for everything.

If the usa wants to get some serious money fast give the uk some special friend tax we will lap it up, and that 400 bill will be yesterdays news.

I will have to add i am not anti american so please dont flame. only flame on non anti american quotes im kinda like that.

On duplicate poker because i derailed sorry that site was pretty much poo from the beginning it was a new idea but, its just not poker.

Also the site looked cheap and it was not that easy to get it (game play)

[brentcam]

hello all
new at this ,but here goes.
Been playing some online poker more or less since they started with it and think ive played most of the sites. Won some lost a little more :-))
But play only for fun.Started playing duplicate poker about 10 weeks ago and really enjoyed it, could play a lot of games and a long time for little money.
deposited in that time 60 dollars and had on closeing 250 so a lot of fun more or less for free.Felt it was the first time i had some controll over the hands and compition play 4 or 5 hours and still come out on top.
Agree there are somethings that should be inproved and teams of players could cheat but playing with small amounts and it taking so long it really isnt worth there while.The cards seemed to be dealt more real as well ,not like most of these poker sities with asses always on the last card and high cards nearlly every deal or flushes every 5th hand.
A lot of the sities when you enroll you win on nearlly everything and after a while you cant win even with 4 kings so it seems strange.
Ive played a lot of bridge and won a lot of compititions so have a good eye for the cards and still havnt found a poker room that has a normal deal. So if you know of one please let me know.
So just like to say Ive really enjoyed Duplicate poker and hope it comes back with some inprovements
Cheers