CheckNRaise poker (ongame) reneges on WSOP Tickets

RobDoral

Dormant account
This will be crossposted on the forums at other sites so sorry for any duplication.

A while back, I, and a number of others were fortunate enough to win tickets to WSOP events through a series of promotions run by CheckNRaise poker, an ongame network (Poker Room) skin. I and a couple of regulars at BW even won ME tickets. The event that I won in particular was listed here, my alias on CnR, is pokerrobr.
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Well last night I get the following email:
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Hi Rob,

We regret to inform you that CnR will be unable, at this time, to make a lump sum payment for the 10 WSOP seats that were won this year through the CheckPoints to Millions and Freeway to Vegas promotions on ChecknRaisePoker. However, we plan to make this up to you over the coming months. We will deposit into your player account 5% or more, as cash flow permits, of the value of your entry in monthly installments starting July 31st , 2006 until 110% of the cash equivalent is paid in full.

Unfortunately our cash flow did not allow us to set aside sufficient funds from the time that you won your seat in March. If you plan to attend the WSOP in any event, we wish you the best of luck and we are sure you will have a great time.

Please accept our sincere apologies for having to break this news to you just weeks prior to the event we promised you. Please do not hesitate to contact us by return email, if you have any questions or comments. If you would like to speak to us by phone, please suggest a convenient time and provide a phone number and we would be happy to call you and provide more details and answer any questions that you may have.

Best Regards,

Erez and the ChecknRaise Team
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Now obviously I and the others I've talked to who won CnR promotions are devastated especially so close to the beginnning of the WSOP. Sure I could use the $11K and I most likely would have simply busted out on the first day like most of the field is going to do. But given the choice between $11k and a shot at truly life changing money I would have taken the ticket.

Now the extra $1000 CnR plans to throw our way is fine, but I incurred expenses well beyond this amount. I got a cheap hotel room and that alone is still more than $1000 for two weeks. I bought non-fundable plane tickets, as did my dad who wanted to see me play. I have a baby daughter at home and my father-in-law and a family friend bought non-fundable tickets so they could back up my wife for those two weeks I was gone.

Normally I wouldn't have gone to the WSOP this year, but again, a shot at life changing money was worth it when my wife and I talked it over (and life changing money for me is pretty low, heck, even making it ITM would have helped). We even rearranged work schedules and vacation schedules to accomdate this.

There's no way I can afford to buy my own $10K ticket and certainly not with only vague assurances that I'd be reimbursed. A smaller buy in tournament just doesn't seem worth it to me since I don't care about the bracelet and I could just play one online and not have to leave home.

And frankly the reimbursement rate they suggest is ridiculous. At roughly $500 a month the 2007 WSOP would be long done before CnR was done paying us off. I think $1000 a month is more reasonable and I don't really think an extra $1000 is enough.

There isn't a way to fully compensate us. I don't claim to be a tournament expert though I have some skills but having seen first time B&M tournament amateurs do so well over the last few years, I can't help but feel that a shot at destiny has been torn for me. Even if that destiny was to appear on the NUTS broadcast as the worst loser in the history of the ME (I imagined myself getting tasered in the nuts by Rio security after I slap some old granny for sucking out on me while the rest of the table looks on in horror, hey, I can dream big).

Anyways, it wasn't but a few days ago that I highly recommended CnR to someone in a PM and now they make me look like an idiot. Given the horror stories by folks using the Future Bet skins on the Ongame network it doesn't really seem like Ongame gives a crap what their affiliates/franchise do (CnR is NOT a futurebet skin BTW). I've been a strong supporter of Ongame sites but they really need to start cracking down on these places.

Oh, and anyone want to take odds on whether any of us see a dime from CnR? I expect to get maybe one or two payments and then for there to be a personnel change and no one knows who the hell we all are anymore or why we think CnR owes us money. I am also vaguely curious if CnR intends to run additional WSOP promos for 2007 even while they're still paying off those of us they screwed over back in '06. Keep your eyes peeled for my annual update.
 
online gaming

Hi
god i feel so sorry for you not that this will make you feel any better in any way but your right something must be done to crack down on online gaming..even the UK casino/poker sites DO NOT operate inside the UK because they would be made to adhere to rules .so what do they do they goto cyprus/gibraltar where rules are much more lenient and they can basically get away with murder.now im positive not all these sites are rogues but its time something far more stringent was laid down to all sites to make sure they are 100% reliable in every shape and form.lets face it theres 100s casinos poker rooms on here that have at some point done something not good to someone at sometime.what you have said in your post basically as far as i can see boils down to nothing but theft.they have 11000 belonging to you but will give you it IF theyre cashflow improves which i have to say is dubious.forums like this are good but it needs something more than this licences are handed out willy nilly in some countries but its time when this multi billion dollar industry was made accountable to a LEGALLY binding commission.what they have done to you is astounding and once again so sorry for you about this..
 
An update

Here's an indication of the power of the internet gaming community.

Just got this email:
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Hi Rob,

We would like to thank you all for your responses to our original email. A number of very good points were raised and we will be considering these further. For those of you who have already made travel arrangements, and especially those of you who have incurred expenses above and beyond the expense allowance that was awarded to you when you
won your seat - we regret the inconvenience that we have caused you. We do hope you enjoy the WSOP in any case.

Since there has been so much talk and doubt about whether CnR will even make the first payment, and to demonstrate our commitment, we have decided to make the 1st payment today. (The second payment will be made on July 31st.) This payment should be in your account by the time you
see this email.

We realize that a payout schedule that extends to 20 months is a long one. The reason that we made a commitment to 5% was that this was a commitment that we felt certain that we could keep. We would like to pay you for your WSOP seat as quickly as possible and therefore we left it open to pay more if cash flows allow.

We would also like to reassure everyone that their player deposits are safe. We are a member of the Ongame Network and player deposits are held by and fully secured by the Network.
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I just checked, and yes I have an extra $500 in my account (I appreciate the good faith gesture). I haven't even cashed it out yet. They didn't really address the extra expenses that some of us incurred (though they acknowledged that issue at least) but I personally got $1000 up front when I first won the ticket and I suppose the extra $1000 they intend to tack on the 10K about covers what I'm out of pocket.

I'll take the "so much talk" part to mean that they noticed the flak they caught on forums like this one (so thanks guys) and they are trying to reassure us that they intend to remain in business, that the 10 of us will get paid, and the rest of you can trust them or at least trust that your money is safe.

To be honest, I'm mildly impressed by the letter. It always irritates me a bit when someone obviously doesn't bother to address your concerns or read what you took the time to write. CnR obviously DID take the time to sift through our comments. All this seems like a reasonable attempt to regain our trust and demonstrate that they have a clear longterm goal. I'll let you know when we get the second installment and thanks again for CM's support.
 
The issues revolving around ONGAME skins is a mess. For the third largest network to have so many scandals going on in their network in 2006 is a bit scary, especially with the attitude ONGAME seems to have about it. I'm surprised these new skins are allowed to run their own banking. It doesnt even seem like they have a reserve set up either. The Futurebet skins have been a mess but as you mention it isnt exclusive to those licensed under Futurebet.

If ONGAME continues to allow this to happen they could easily find their network getting a bad reputation. With all the money at stake I cant see why they dont seem to care.
 
Hey Rob, we're just about to release this. Feel free to contact me directly.

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Poker.com saves the day for World Series of Poker hopefuls

The home of online poker, Poker.com, has generously offered to provide the WSOP packages won by ten ChecknRaisePoker.com members who have been told that ChecknRaisePoker.com is unable to fund their World Series of Poker prize packages as previously won through their website promotions.

According to various press releases surfacing on online gaming news sites, ten ChecknRaisePoker.com members that had won World Series of Poker seats have been informed that their prize packages are not to be honored. Via an email from ChecknRaise management they have instead been offered a series of small payments over the coming months.

Poker.com has attempted to contact ChecknRaisePoker.com management by email and telephone to confirm this situation and offer to cover the prize costs, but as yet have been unable to get a response.

Both the tournament entry fee and spending money according to the terms of each promotion will be provided by Poker.com if any of the affected players come forward.

Poker.com Director of Gaming, Paul Cherry said, "I don't want to comment too much at this time, as we are yet to obtain confirmation that the reported situation is accurate. But if the story is true, we are happy to help these players however possible.”

”From most players’ perspective, this is a chance of a lifetime, and I can’t think of anything more upsetting than to be told you are not going to Vegas, after having already won the prize. It’s only a few weeks away and the players may have already planned and paid for their travel arrangements.”

”Our own players are like family to us and we'd hate to see these ChecknRaise players miss out due to no fault of their own. That’s why we are offering to help them get to Vegas as a part of the Poker.com family and enjoy the trip they have won and earned. A trip that includes the chance to win a World Series of Poker bracelet!”

”I know that at Poker.com we keep all guaranteed tournament prizes and player funds in escrow, separate from operational funds to avoid such a situation ever occurring.” Mr Cherry said.

Poker.com has released this information in an attempt to resurrect the WSOP dreams of the ten players affected. If you have contact information for any of these players, please forward this offer to them and ask them to contact marketing@poker.com to arrange their compensation package. Spread the word to help us make sure that these players get the World Series of Poker experience that they deserve.

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Cheers,

Kris
 
Thank you for the generous offer, Kris.

I was the winner of the 2nd WSOP Main Event seat won in the CheckPoints to Millions promotion (Rob won the first seat). I've emailed the address given but have not gotten a response.
 
Thanks for the reponses guys.

We've now gotten a favorable response from CnR and are doing this with their co-operation, so all affected players will hear from us soon.

Have also contacted Casinomeister about becoming an accredited poker room so we can help more people that have problems elsewhere.

Cheers,

Kris
 
Poker.com said:
Thanks for the reponses guys.

We've now gotten a favorable response from CnR and are doing this with their co-operation, so all affected players will hear from us soon.

Have also contacted Casinomeister about becoming an accredited poker room so we can help more people that have problems elsewhere.

Cheers,

Kris

Poker.com is a total class act. I know I'm a bit biased but they have my vote for accreditation. :thumbsup:
 

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