NOT! I’ve only put small amounts of money into online poker over the years, and the only site that I cashed from numerous times was Party Poker back in the good old days. I have one big flaw in my poker play that keeps me from cashing out. It doesn’t take a lengthy explanation – it’s my game choice. I like to play tournaments. I’ve never felt committed to grinding, like playing multiple low buy-in SNGs all day long, normally opting for the gigantic donkey filled fields that mean you have to fight your way down through thousands of runners to even score a mere pittance over your buy-in.
I include myself in the donkey field. I will never confess or pat myself on the back to state that I play really great poker. Even a monkey with chips gets lucky now and then, right? Right! That’s me. Every now and then K-K does hold up, although it didn’t in the Daily Dollar last night – twice at the same table…see ya desertblade.
Which brings me to the point that I can’t cash out at Full Tilt Poker – of course an explanation is needed and here it is:
One of my boys recently signed up a new Full Tilt Poker account – and I transferred a small amount into his account. He’s a grinder, playing 10c SNGs & MTTs and has ran that amount into over $600…see, it can be done if you have the time and energy to commit. He transferred me back a healthy chunk and I tried to cash it out. I can’t. Full Tilt Cashier is convinced that I’m trying to cash out FOR a player. Throughout too many emails that have passed back and forth between us, they are telling me I’m cashing out for him, that he sent me back too much money for what I gave him originally, that I need to keep my account in good standing, that if I don’t plan on playing on the money he sent me back I should transfer it back to him. Repeat-a-lotsky! That’s their big response each time.
I told them I was cashing out for me, not for him, that he was my son and owed me money. Believe me, all my kids owe me one helluva lot of money.
The cashier continually tosses in the ‘keep your account in good standing’ like, hey…dipshit…what did I do to put it out of good standing? Absolutely nothing! All I’ve ever done is play poker and I finally attempted to cash out funds that were given to me – it’s my money – but I can’t have it. The ‘cash-out-approval-police’ have disapproved. Perhaps one of the on duty police will read this and close my account because I’m bitching about their policy.
I’ve been around the world of high limit poker long enough to know what goes on and who gets away with what. Believe me when I tell ya that there are couples and friends that play from the same household/IP, more than one account allowed to a player, and all sorts of money transfers that take place. And we all know how easy it is to set up multiple accounts, it happens all the time. Let me add that I’m not naming any specific poker sites or players in this statement and I only have one account at each poker site I play at. I don’t like cheaters or liars.
I’m just a small, teensy minnow in the big pond of poker and I’m obviously trying to ‘pull’ something by requesting a cash-out. Guess I need to win a real tournament so I have additional funds in my account and can be verified as being a real player instead of someone that’s trying to do something ultra sneaky like cash out transferred funds. Pf-f-f-f-f-f-t!
Sometimes, without knowing for sure, just reading blogs, I think FTP doesn’t care for withdrawals from anyone except their pro’s.
Linda,
FTP is on particularly thin ice when it comes to the US government, given that so many of its owners reside in the States. As a result, I’m going to guess that they are particularly sensitive to anything that even in the slightest looks like an attempt to launder money. I totally agree with your stance that people should be able to pay one another money they owe through FTP,but I can also understand their concern.
Jan,
I do not believe, after all the emails that have passed back and forth on this issue – through about 4 different cashier police at Full Tilt – that they would ever believe this is money laundering and they did say they reviewed my account which would speak for itself. And since they review an account before they allow a cash-out, they know exactly what you have/have done/have not done and the whole nine yards. If they think you are doing something they don’t like, they just freeze your account and take your money.
If I weren’t so aware of favors and money transfers and everything that happens with name brand players, it probably wouldn’t bother me as much, as it is the grunt peon never stands a chance because they MUST ABIDE BY THE RULES.
Money won in a poker account – or transferred in or deposited – belongs to the player, not to Full Tilt, that’s another reason it’s so irritating. They want you to play it so they get their rake, that’s the bottom line.
All the sites are great — as long as their rake comes without the user surfacing.
So, you need an intelligent answer from their support?
Fergitabotit!
The only answer they have is to grab a form letter. FT offshores that. They should get that fortune telling bird I saw in Hong Kong. It picks out a random envelope. That has about the right potential compared with the sites form letter lottery.
Good luck in getting your money. I have heard from people that FTP is having issues with getting people their money. Checks not clearing and wire transfers not happening. When they stopped us from playing in WA State I quickly went and asked for a wire transfer. It took about 3 days and I received it. Now it is getting harder to get the money.
I deposited 3k over 90 days ago from my checking account with eChecks. The money is still sitting in my bank account! Does anyone really know whats going on. I’m hearing 3rd party problems, US Gov and FTP going bankrupt, whats the truth?