One day the club says you are playing too well for their games. The next day your account is gone. And now you are asking for your remaining chip balance, and the club has no idea how to respond.
Poker club freeze balance from a winner occasionally and this is something which is not acceptable. If a club decides they don’t want you playing at its table, then that is its prerogative. However, the fact that they refuse to allow you to continue playing is not a valid reason to prevent you from receiving your remaining chip balance.
Firstly, determine whether the club claims you engaged in fraud or simply no longer wishes for you to participate. These two scenarios are entirely different circumstances.
Poker clubs ban winners for what reason?
There are several reasons why some private poker clubs wish to include only recreational players. The club or union operator may choose to remove strong players so as to maintain a casual atmosphere and avoid having a few winning players dominate all of the tables.
You may feel as though you are being treated unfairly by such an approach. In addition, the club operator may never have informed you prior to allowing you to join as to the basis upon which they operate their games. Nevertheless, certain operators prefer to run their clubs in this manner. Playing well may result in losing your seat at the table.
Settling your account
Regardless of the reasoning given by the club for removing your access, you are entitled to know exactly how much remains in your account and how soon you will be able to collect those funds.
As long as the sole basis for withholding your chip balance is that you played too well, the resolution is relatively simple. Your access to the game(s) ends, and you are allowed to retrieve your remaining chip balance based on the agreement established at the time of your membership/contract.
Playing better (or winning) does not constitute fraudulent play; therefore, it is unacceptable for a club to confiscate a fair-winning player’s funds due to the player’s success at the table.
May a club freeze your balance due to your skill level?
Freezing a player’s account solely based on the level of skill exhibited by that player is an unjustifiable action taken by the club in order to prevent the player from collecting their winnings.
A club should be able to provide a legitimate reason as to why they are withholding funds from a player.
While a club may articulate reasonable cause for banning a player (“we want only recreational players”) and thereby justify restricting future participation, failing to offer a reasonable justification for withholding a player’s account funds (“he/she plays too well”) is completely unacceptable.
Request that the club place their justification in writing. Was a specific accusation leveled against you? Has a security review commenced? Did the club operator simply elect not to pay out a winning player?
These types of questions are significant as they distinguish between a short-term investigation of suspected misconduct versus the permanent withholding of funds from a player. None of either type of action should occur without providing a legitimate reason for doing so.
Returning a player’s chip balance signifies that the club intends to fulfill the obligations outlined within the initial settlement agreement entered into with the club or representative. Said obligation does not signify that the app itself provides an assurance that such obligations shall be fulfilled.
What if cheating is involved?
Cheating is an entirely different scenario and results in a different outcome. Collusion, bots, and/or any form of unfair play significantly impacts the individuals participating in the games. It is acceptable for a club to prohibit players engaging in cheating activities from accessing the game(s), and for the club to retain monies earned through cheating activities. Conversely, permitting someone to cheat, withdraw monies associated with cheating, and subsequently exit the game(s) creates little incentive for that individual not to engage in similar behavior in the future at other venues.
However, accusations of cheating do not equate to proven cases of cheating. A high win percentage, aggressive style of play, or a successful stretch at the tables does not demonstrate cheating activity. If a club articulates a genuine security concern regarding a player’s potential engagement in cheating activity, they should outline specific details regarding alleged cheating activity and provide a transparent review process (even if limited disclosure occurs as regards their method for detecting such activity).
In addition, any temporary suspension pending completion of a review should not quietly transform into “the owner has elected to retain all.”
What can you do if your poker club freeze balance ?
When the balance is already frozen and the club is refusing to fix the situation, there is little protection for the player, if he chose the wrong agent/club owner, but here are some practical steps to try to recover the losses:
Step #1: document everything
Prior to losing access to your account, document screenshots showing your current account balance, your player id, your club id and any recent financial transactions related thereto. Also document communication relative to your removal, your cash-out request and/or any representations made by the club prior to your becoming a member of that particular club.
Document any correspondence relative to your removal specifically citing that you were removed from the club for being “too strong.” Include documentation as to date and amount where applicable.
Step #2: request specific information from the club
Maintain focus on requesting information relative to your unsettled account balance. Discussing your entitlement to return to the table(s) may cloud your efforts to resolve your dispute relative to your account balance.
Request confirmation from the club:
- Regarding your remaining chip balance.
- Regarding whether there exists any allegations of cheating activity.
- Regarding when they anticipate resolving/settling your account balance.
Example correspondence:
“you stated that i was removed from your club due to my performance being ‘too strong.’ Can you confirm whether there exist any allegations of cheating activity? If there are no allegations of cheating activity, can you confirm my remaining chip balance and when i can expect my account balance to be resolved?”
Ask for specifics as opposed to simply agreeing to “soon.”
Step #3: escalate to the union owner &/or another partner of the club
If your primary contact fails to successfully resolve your dispute, request whom you can escalate your dispute to. This may involve contacting the owner/operator of the club, another partner of the club or the union operator. Briefly describe your problem and attach any documents supporting your claim. Somebody above your contact should be able to evaluate your complaint or assist in resolving it.
Escalation does not assure success. It does however provide an opportunity for you to communicate with somebody with greater authority.
Step #4: ask your agent to honor their guarantee of protection for your account balance
If you signed up through an agent, ask them directly about resolving your dispute.
An agent who promised secure access and/or protection of your account balance should do more than merely pass along the club’s response stating that they are unable/willing to release your account balance. Ask them what they guaranteed would be covered and/or if they intend to settle your account balance while concurrently addressing any disputes with the club.
Our position at the poker agent
At the poker agent, we believe that an agent who offers protection for players’ account balances should honor that protection if an account is locked or frozen solely for being “too strong,” provided there is no evidence of cheating activity occurring.
The promise matters most when something goes wrong.
Policy of the poker agent regarding players using our services
For players utilizing our service, our position is clearly defined: we will cover any balances owed solely due to being “too strong” and we will immediately settle with you regardless of whether we have to address any disputes with the club.
You should not be forced to endure delays while we work on resolving disputes concerning those clubs.
Will we recover funds withheld through another agent?
Players have come into contact with us after a club froze their account/balance or ceased assisting them with their dispute.
Since 2020, we have operated in this industry; however, operating experience does not afford us control over each and every room. Our ability to effectively deal with these issues arises from representing our clients from inception.
Should you have utilized another agent for signing up, we cannot make assurances regarding recovery or extending our account balance coverage beyond disputes already created prior to our involvement.
Subsequent contacts should initially be directed towards entities affiliated with your agreement including your agent, club operator, another partner of the club or union operator. If your agent represented that they would protect your account balance, ask them to uphold that commitment.
Questions to ask before joining another club
Unfortunately, many players typically begin investigating protection of their account balance after a payout has been denied by their former club. Poker club freeze balance – players start investigating the best moves to do. It should be vice versa- educate yourself on who to trust to play safely, without experiencing such problems.
Before signing up with another club, pose one direct question:
“if i am removed from the club for winning and they refuse to settle my remaining chip balance will you cover my outstanding account balance?”
Receive written confirmation. Pose additional inquiries pertaining to exclusions, limitations and payment timelines.
“safely managed clubs” is easily spoken. A description of whom will reimburse you when they fail/refuse is far more valuable.
To avoid poker club freeze balance situations, you can choose from a big list of legit clubs, which come with our public promise that you will not be confiscated for being simply too strong of a player.
Other poker networks, which have not problem with players winning as much as possible, are Phenom, QQPoker and RAIZE.
