*** OFFICIAL *** NWP Radio Thread for 2/18/09, Screwed by Pokerstars 25 Billionth Hand + $100 Added Lock Tourney

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I actually did some work as show producer this week, working hard to get Pokerstars player "Confedrate" on the show. He is confirmed for tomorrow's show, in what I believe is the first interview with the guy since Pokerstars screwed him out of his 25 billionth hand prize a few days ago.

The story: Pokerstars had a $250,000 prize package to be split amongst the players at the table where the site's 25 billionth hand was dealt. I, like many others on NWP, attempted to be at that lucky table, but it ended up being six lucky players at an Omaha H/L table.

Make that five lucky players.

That's because player #6, a guy named "Confedrate" from Sacramento, hadn't posted his blind yet. Confedrate tried to post out of position because the 25 billionth hand was rapidly approaching. Indeed, his table was selected for the 25 billionth hand, but he wasn't allowed to post due to terrible server problems on Pokerstars' end. He was not dealt in, and was therefore not eligible for any of the prizes.

In the meantime, the hand itself didn't exactly play out smoothly, either. Due to the continued server problems, player "Neon Frost" had his hand auto-folded, despite having a decent draw at the high side of the hand. Indeed, he would have split the pot with low-hand winner "tupapi777", but due to the server-related timeout, he did not get a chance to split the pot (and the $150,000 prize).

At first, the prize distribution was as follows:

tupapi: $150,000
Neon Frost: $20,000
Player 3: $20,000
Player 4: $20,000
Player 5: $20,000
Confedrate: 0

After review of the situation, Pokerstars did half of the right thing. Neon Frost was considered to have split the pot with tupapi, allowing him to split the first prize. However, Confedrate was still denied any money. The new distribution was:

tupapi: $75,000
Neon Frost: $75,000
Player 3: $33,333.33
Player 4: $33,333.33
Player 5: $33,333.33
Confedrate: 0

Confedrate has since lodged a complaint to Stars, which is "under review", but is most likely to result in a denial.

I was on Pokerstars that night, trying to win myself, and the server problems prior to the 25 billionth hand were horrendous. Disconnects and freezes were happening all over the place. Stars needs to give Confedrate the benefit of the doubt and award him another $33,333.33, just like the other 3 losers of the hand got.

This is wrong, and I wanted Confedrate to have his voice on our radio show to make his case and express his displeasure with Stars.

This was a promotion primarily aimed at good PR for Stars. They ruined a lot of this by being cheap with Confedrate. $33,333.33 sounds like a lot of money, but it is a small fraction of the total amount of money awarded throughout this promotion.

Confedrate will definitely appear on tonight's show. Neon Frost may also come on and talk to us.

Alvin Finklestein will be offering pro bono legal services to help Confedrate, if he so chooses.

We'll also check in with Jewdonk, Ken Scalir, neverheeb, and our usual gang of characters.

DON'T GET SHUT OUT!

No Scott Matusow? Rigged

Also:

Once again we'll be hosting another Lock Poker tournament for Wednesday February 18th - 8pm (PST)

Buy-in - $5+.50 (no rebuys)
Password: Radio (make sure you type this in with a capital "R", and lower case "adio")
Time: 8pm (PST)
Lock Poker to Add $100 to prize pool! + $20 bounty for the person who busts Micon!

As usual if anyone is looking to trade $$ (any amount) from Stars/Tilt please send me a private message. For other rooms we could potentially transfer however it will need to be more then $50.

If you don't already have an account please use any one of the links provided on the site. (Go to the "Poker Rooms" tab near the top of this page and click on it.)

Good Luck!

If someone can arrange Scott Matusow to call in (or if someone can get me his phone #), we will have him on, too.

Jewdonk was talking about going to pick him up for the show, but that might just have been Jewdonk bluff and bluster.

Are you sure he got screwed ?

He kept telling this story about a server message that said "please wait..." ???

I have never seen one of those messages during a server problem at 'Stars, I am not saying it isn't true... it just seemed odd.


His version of it while sitting at the table sounded like somebody who knew he had screwed the pooch and desperation was setting in. Pokerstars could tell that Frost guy got shut out by the server, why would they have not seen the same thing about him and fixed it at the same time... why would they pick on this guy and invite more heat than they were already going to take to begin with, especially with so many people watching it ?




Zero reason for Pokerstars to steal from him, they were dividing up the same amount for the losers regardless of how many there were.

I don't think Stars "stole" from him. I think they were too firm in their belief that not posting his blind was 100% his fault, when the server problems were so severe that it was just too tough to tell what really happened.

It's not like the guy was sitting out. They needed to give him the benefit of the doubt, given that it was their server shitting the bed big time.

If they didn't want to reduce the other players' share from $33,333 to $20,000, they could have just awarded him an extra $33,333 ouf of their own pocket.

Pokerstars is typically a class act and usually evaluates matters like this intelligently, but sometimes they just make mind-bogglingly stupid decisions that are more of a result of stubbornness and ego than anything else. I think that's what happened here. They were so blinded by the fear that he was trying to just make excuses that they overlooked the fact that their server was terrible to the point that it was impossible to know for sure what happened.

He agreed to be on the show but hasn't responded to an email I sent him yet. Honestly I doubt he remembers.

someone spam the shit out of his email box and get him away from his keyboard and spewing cash on Full Tilt long enough to remind him. I'm sure he will call in if you can get a hold of him in time.

scottmatusowshow@cox.net

I was watching that table for the 25 billion hand. That guy Confedrate did NOT get screwed at all. He was actually there two hands before the big blind and decided not to post (someone had the previous hand history where he was at the table and didn't post). After the Neon guy timed out after the restart (which was stars fault), Confederate decided at that point to say that he tried to "annie"(his word) but couldn't. This was like 15-20 minutes after he was denied, BTW.

2+2 was having a field day with this clown, read this thread, starting with post #680 http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/28/inter...506/index7.html.

Just letting you know Druff so that you don't look foolish by believing this guy. I saw the whole thing unfold, and he didn't get screwed at all.

was this his first hand at the table
he may have posted wait for bb then it crashed

what threebet said ftw

Micon if you still love Martha, you will not let creepy ass monster Scott Matusow in your apartment. Just have him call in.

And 3bet, obv Druff siding w confederate so the guy agrees to come on show in the first place, they can discuss the details when he is actually on.

I'll read the twoplsutwo thread a bit later.

But how does everyone know that he didn't decide to post out of position UTG when he saw that 25 billion was coming so soon? Like, how can anyone be sure?

I admit it's possible the guy is just making it up in order to get the money, but unless it's a sure thing, they should give him the benefit of the doubt.

However, I will read 2+2 later and perhaps I'll change my mind if something compelling is up there.

Ahhh, I totally forgot about that 5th level thinking that goes on for obsure poker radio shows to lure guests. Thanks Michael, Carry on.

Druff, How did you get in contact with Confedrate?

and don't say through pstars chat.

Hand Before:

PokerStars Game #24999962428: Omaha Hi/Lo Limit ($1/$2) - 2009/02/16 1:34:12 PT [2009/02/16 4:34:12 ET]
Table 'Susilva' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: NeonFrost ($7 in chips)
Seat 2: tupapi777 ($112.25 in chips)
Seat 3: FrtSpkndMn ($22.25 in chips)
Seat 4: n47j25s ($43.50 in chips)
Seat 5: chris12080 ($43 in chips)
FrtSpkndMn: posts small blind $0.50
n47j25s: posts big blind $1
Confedrate: sits out


Seriously that thread on 4 is a must read. While this hand was going on and I was was reading that thread I was laughing so hard I was tearing up. It was such a giant clusterfuck of events, but believe me this guy didn't get screwed in the least.

This pretty much sums up what I was trying pointing out....


He kept saying the "sever" wouldn't let him post his "annie".... given the fact that "rebellooking4you" also appears to have screwed up the word "confederate" when he opened his account I am guessing he might not be on point.


My money is on PokerStars having NOT screwed him... no motive, too many people watching, no reason not to hook him up like they did Frost. If they were screwing people they could have screwed Frost at the same time but fixed it and did the right thing.

wouldnt that make him the sb next hand. maybe he had post blind button checked

No he was UTG+1 in the hand posted and UTG in the 25th bill. hand. He could have posted either time.