Cardspike Resolution - Join The fight!

[LadyHoldem]

An Article on the subj.

Not my article, no interest in the site. But if ya guys are planning to link all these together, here's one for ya to include . I dugg it, n thought i'd spread it around a bit .

[Newjabber]

Can i duplicate an article or if anybodys interested in writing a few words, then ill put in on my front page of my cardspike site!

[LadyHoldem]

I'll put some info together for ya Jabber

[LadyHoldem]

I was originally going to write an article, and just offer it for free here for duplication, since it's late though, and I haven't been following the situation,and plenty of people have plenty to say..

I decided to start a roundrobin living type article..

So .. here's my share.. someone else feel free to take this article.. change it.. mold it.. add to it.. etc.. add more of the sites.. and quotes from them.. and anyone who wants to post it can post it as is, use it as a reference, or change it how ya see fit (By the way, for poker reviews, this could also be a fun idea ).

Just paste what i have here, and change it as you will, then the next person can do the same.. and i dunno, could be fun

Earlier this year, in September to be precise, Cardspike was introduced to the poker community as one of the hottest new treats in the online poker world! A fresh new face in the poker industry, Cardspike entered the scene offering juicy poker rakeback deals, and a live online casino. The poker room utilized the same network as one of the best new poker rooms, Cake Poker.

So what went wrong?

There have been recent complaints of nonpayment from both players and poker affiliates alike. Reports have been made on some of the most popular online poker forums. After much to-do, the site has been delisted from major supporter, Poker Affiliate Programs, Affiliates at another online poker affiliate website (Poker Affiliate Listings) have banded together to blacklist the poker room.

(http://www.bankrollboost.com/poker_b...poker-warning/)
Some players have been waiting months to receive a payment and there really is no end in sight to this issue.

There hasn’t been an uproar like this in the affiliate world since that of 888.com. The good news, is there’s hope yet. In the 888 incident, Casino Affiliate Programs moderator Dominique banned with other casino affiliates to shed some much needed light on a very volatile situation.

Soon news of shady going’s on spread like wild fire, and the casino took notice.

News of the shenanigans over at Cardspike is also spreading like wildfire:

(http://www.pokeraffiliatebible.com/c...ning-scam-site)

In November of 2008, it came to light that players were not being paid rakeback. The affiliate manager said that they would be paid November 7th. They weren’t, and the affiliate manager ignored numerous requests and questions as to when they would be paid, or would post stating that they were all paid when they weren’t. It took until November 17th, after many false promises, for the players to be paid their rakeback. Affiliates were also wanting to know when they would be paid, and the affiliate manager initially ignored them. One of the Cardspike investors then posted on November 19th to state that he had talked to Senior Management at Cardspike Poker, and affiliates would be paid that very week, and that if it wasn’t, he would remove them as a “Certified Program” that week. I should add that they weren’t removed until 6 weeks later.

The Cardspike affiliate manager was fired, and a temporary manager came in, who stated that there is problems with the reports, and affiliates would not be getting paid what they thought - it would be less. He also repeatedly made false promises as to when affiliates would be paid, ignoring affiliates requests and questions etc. On the 2nd of December, it was “another few days”. On December 12th it was “over the next few days”. On December 18th it was “today and tomorrow”, and as of this writing, January 3rd 2009, affiliates have yet to be paid, and Cardspike are ignoring all inquiries.

Compatible poker says that the site is blacklisted by them for the non payment of players:

Cardspike - On cake network and Cardspike is blacklisted by us for not paying players or affiliates.

In addition to the following, Poker News Team includes a link from our own Nat Arem, check out the article for the quote, while I look for the source.


http://www.pokernewsteam.com/poker-n...rdspikecom/289

The first red flag was in late October when cardspike players started complaining about not getting their Rakeback payment for the previous month. Then affiliates realized they had not been paid either. Red flag number two came at the beginning of November when players and affiliates once again did not recieve their payments.

Insight from FiveSomething.com

The Aftermath - WTF is going to happen Next?

http://www.fivesomething.com/busines...industry-drama

So, we have essentially seen 3 small and easily solvable issues amount to a substantial loss of business and possibly total loss of credibility of a multi-million dollar company. The lesson to be learned? Don’t piss off your most important and respected contributors, lie to them and try to strong arm them and conceal the facts. The problem with affiliates is most of us are smart motherfuckers, and we get really pissed when people try to rip us off and jerk us around.

Perhaps from that article, the industry as a whole can remember to get back to basics. If nothing else, maybe from this incedent, we'll all learn a little something new about starting and building a new business in the industry, based on honesty, integrity, and respect.

Additionally, Affiliate Managers ie Industry spokespeople will learn a huge lesson in research, and a hard lesson in connecting your reputation to failure.
Informative Link List:

(ie... references I used/didn't get to.. Please add yours )

http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-...ap-010109.html
http://blog.rakebackriver.com/2009/0...-problems.aspx
http://www.poker-prop.net/news/cards...ning-1264.html
http://www.pokernewsteam.com/poker-n...rdspikecom/289
http://www.recentpoker.com/news/cardspike-1747.html
http://www.natarem.com/2008/12/20/rakeback-followup/
http://www.fivesomething.com/busines...industry-drama
http://www.pokernewsteam.com/poker-n...rdspikecom/289
http://www.fuzionpoker.com/poker/car...-cardspikecom/
http://www.flopturnriver.com/blogs/a...cardspike-1171
http://pokerroad.com/news.php?id=897
http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv...e.asp?id=19578


Diggs:

http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Cardspike_Rakeback_Problems
http://digg.com/gaming_news/CardSpike_Player_Advisory

[MPC]

While it's nice to see everyone collaborate on this issue, the outcome will likely be that CS will shut it's doors and run with your money. They know none of you who participated in this will contibue promoting them after you get paid if they went for that route. So why would they bother? They're going down no matter what.

I have not promoted cardspike, or even ever posted the name on any of my sites so I don't want to simply start writing about them, but I would like to help by stumbling your CS pages. (Not 1 paragraph warnings but actual articles that describe the problems encountered and the risk to players and affiliates alike).

My other beef if with PAP. It seems to me like they're getting off the hook pretty easy and they need to take some serious heat for their actions and inactions. Do any of you have websites that specifically target affiliates and would you write articles about how PAP treated it's members by editing/deleting their treads when they raised serious concerns, about how they keept promoting the same BS over and over, about how they keept missleading and tricking new affiliates that joined the site by removing information that they could have benefited from, and of course, all along they kept CS on their list and keep pushing for affiliates to continue promoting them. The fact that they banned people because they reported a very bad experienced and were frustrated by it was not acceptable.

I makes me wonder if I missed some important threads while I was a regular there. Did others post about issues from rroms in their all in programs, rooms I may have been promoting, but the threads got deleted or edited before I got to them? What they did is completely unethical and NOT IN THE INTEREST OF AFFILIATES. They need to take some heat for their actions also otherwsie they will keep taking advantage of unsuspecting and inexperienced affiliates.

So if someone has sites that target affiliates and want to report some facts on PAP practices, I would stumble those as well.

Oh... one last thing: I have some kickass CS domains for sale. Anyone interested? lol!

[Newjabber]

Personally i dont want to spend time bashing them, when i can use that time and energy on other projects. I think that not promoting them will be enough.

But then again, when a PAL member asks for help, then you can count on me

My personal blog post:
http://www.blog.pkrplayer.com/cardsp...ker-a-failure/

My cardspike site

And a big thx to lady holdem

[PokerNations]

Wow, I take a little Nyquil and two more pages fill up overnight!

I have just dolled out a shit-ton of rep points. Very impressed with the work many of you have done to get the word out.

Sorry to hear about all the legal bullshit and threats being sent. Although doesn't really surprise me how they're responding. It's unfortunate they have to try and threaten you with goon squads.

I'm only 25% Italian, but I may know a guy who knows a guy, if anyone needs protection.

[MJ]

Agree that PAP is getting a free ride, even looking proper as being the first to "blacklist" cardspike.

Nothing much we can do except support Jeremy in wiping the floor with them in 2009

[CK]

(ie... references I used/didn't get to.. Please add yours )

http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-...ap-010109.html
http://blog.rakebackriver.com/2009/0...-problems.aspx
http://www.poker-prop.net/news/cards...ning-1264.html
http://www.pokernewsteam.com/poker-n...rdspikecom/289
http://www.recentpoker.com/news/cardspike-1747.html
http://www.natarem.com/2008/12/20/rakeback-followup/
http://www.fivesomething.com/busines...industry-drama
http://www.pokernewsteam.com/poker-n...rdspikecom/289

Diggs:

http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Cardspike_Rakeback_Problems[/SIZE]

http://www.fuzionpoker.com/poker/car...-cardspikecom/

http://digg.com/gaming_news/CardSpike_Player_Advisory

[Jeremy]

It's threads like this that are the only downside of the forum being private. Aside from the 200+ members here, the vast majority of CAP/PAP/GPWA affiliates have no idea of the Cardspike situation going on.

To me it's funny because there is a lot of speculation on this entire situation. I could probably write a book or expose on Cardspike, the companies involved, and the people involved.

I will not do that however unless a real lawsuit (not a C&D letter) is filed against me. If this indeed happens and my livelihood as well as everything I have worked for almost a decade to build is threatened, all bets are off. I know everything, and even things I shouldn't know. At that point I have nothing to lose since a multi-million dollar civil suit will bankrupt me and my family anyways. But again, the ball is not in my court, and at this time I have no motivation or intentions to do this.

Barring a lawsuit threatening my business and livelihood, my intention is to remain ethical and stay out if this situation. In 2009 I am going to try my hardest to be a leader in this industry and run my business based on innovation and ethical practices, not litigation against competitors.

I have spent 7+ years in this industry doing the right thing and being a leader. Over this period I have made millions of dollars for other individuals based upon my reputation, ideas, business acumen, and relationships. My loss, their gain. I shouldn't however be punished, threatened, or bullied for being an entrepreneur and going back on my own by starting my own business and hiring my own employees.

It makes me sick to my fucking stomach to think that because I decided to spend 9 short months as an employee of Lou and Warren in 2008, that now these individuals are trying to leverage their money to litigate me straight out of this industry. I don't think anybody in the online gaming industry at this point would question my motives for leaving the company. It is probably quite clear that I was not a good fit there.

In respect to the Cardspike situation, if somehow the owners are reading this, I have a message for them. Stop blaming everyone else for what has transpired here. Neither the past or present affiliate manager is responsible for company finances and assuring that funds are there to pay affiliates. At the end of the day in ANY company, the ultimate responsibility comes down to the CEO or owners of the company.

The recent actions of multiple affiliates is not a witch hunt or personal attack on Cardspike or anyone involved with the company. The same thing would happen with any company in our industry that didn't pay affiliates for 4 months and consistently made empty promises.