Merge Poker Falls Through on Promise to Pay PIC Club

Merge Poker PIC Club

In a hotly contested dispute over payment, online poker payment platform PIC Club claims it has yet to receive monies promised by Merge Poker, an online poker network.

PIC Club states that Merge owes much more money in fees, however, Merge has argued that some customers of PIC Club have been "taking them for a ride" by joining Merge poker rooms and quickly leaving.  Each deposit into a Merge poker room results in fees as do withdrawals.

Gambling911.com has obtained a "settlement" email correspondence between PIC Club CEO Chuck Kidd and Merge Poker CEO Anthony Taylor.

 

From: Chuck Kidd CEO picclub.com

Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 4:53 PM

To: 'Anthony Taylor'

Subject: RE: Settlement

 

NO WIRE PLEASE SEND ME SWIFT TRACKING INFO...

 

Chuck

 

From: Anthony Taylor

Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 11:24 PM

To: Chuck Kidd CEO picclub.com

Subject: Re: Settlement

 

Hi Chuck

 

Hopefully by now the wire has hit your account.

 

I think, unfortunately, we are still a long way of from where we need to reach agreement. I appreciate your offer to reduce the fees for Whales, but its not the amounts that bother me. Its the behaviour of this particular "whale" and the way he deposited and withdrew.

 

As I said, I am happy to pay your fees and a premium to cover your time etc but $80,000 is still way too high.

 

As an slight aside. we are also in the midst of all his Chargebacks via credit cards which is causing us grieve with our processors. You assured us many times of his standing. I know he has fucked you too and in this respect I was wondering if there is anything we may do jointly to recover?

 

Your further thoughts would be welcomed

 

 

Anthony Taylor

CEO

Merge Gaming Network

 

  

On 24/08/2009, at 7:13 AM, Chuck Kidd CEO picclub.com wrote:

 

Hi Anthony,

 

In looking at this issue I of course want to come to an amicable solution. I do want to point out 2 issues that need to be considered.  1. Merge could have stopped this behavior at any time. 2. **** contacted each room and asked if they wanted his action. This needs to be considered in the equation,

 

I propose the following take place and any future business of a similar manner be treated as follows:

 

  •          We jointly agree ahead of time that a player is a WHALE STATUS and we treat his play as such with a revised FEE plan.

 

  •          I suggest that we process the whales at 4% in and 1% out and PIC receive 15% of the losses by the player. So I am gambling with you that the player will eventually lose.

 

  •          Future processing rates for Carbon and PDC is at 6% in 1.5 % out. The other Merge rooms at 6.5% in 2% out.

 

  •          Current **** issue I accept reduced funds immediate payout of 80K, this is working from your numbers (ours show a bit higher)and saves you 32723.56.

 

I think this is a good solution for all as it will allow you to save and make money on all future processing via PICCLUB and lowers the risk on whales.

 

Your thoughts?

 

Chuck

 

 

 

 

From: Anthony Taylor  

Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 12:14 AM

To: Chuck Kidd CEO picclub.com

Subject: Settlement

 

Dear Chuck

 

Thanks for our chats over the past couple of days.

 

As promised yesterday, we will send a wire for $50k. i am chasing my CFO as this may be today; if not tomorrow.

 

Now turning to the thorny subject. I have a huge problem with the fees you wish to charge. The total fees for his behaviour during this period total $112,723.56. I do not wish you to be out of pocket for any fees you may have been charged, and of course, some juice on top for your time and effort, but sincerely this amount is just too high. i know there is a contract in place etc. but I hope you see my point of view here and we can come to an amicable solution.

 

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

Kind Regards

 

Anthony Taylor

CEO

Merge Gaming Network

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher 

Submitted by C Costigan on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 11:59
Tags: 

Comments

nice....real nice

Mon, 11/16/2009 - 18:06 — Guest
on the basis of giving gambling911 personal client emails REGARDLESS of the issue at hand, PICCLUB is a slimy gaming operator at very best.... there is no room for lowlifes that will take this to a public forum in this manner PERIOD. wtf is with % fees on money going out??? CHUCKS an IDIOT....if Merge ever pays him now their just as big an IDIOT cats out of the bag... what a lowlife posting these emails all your clients should now know their one day away from you dropping the dime on them LOL your a funny fukr

Official Merge Response

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 20:23 — Guest
This is Anthony Johnson and this is absolutely ridiculous. Chris Costigan won't even respond to my email or phone calls. It's retarded that myself or my company has to represent itself through a public forum like this but I guess that is what it comes down to. Those emails have been altered, and I can send the originals. The 50k was sent to Chuck and received by Dave Brink (CFO) shortly thereafter. Chuck told me in a phone conversation that he would lower the fee based on the abnormality of the Whale's play and this is just absurd that it's being dealt with this way. I feel I have to defend Merge Gaming here but it's absurd. We severed ties with them because they were asking for too high of fees....something his competitors offer for way lower than 7%. Chuck is a fine salesman, but a horrible businessman. Don't beleve all you read.

Anthony Who?

Thu, 11/12/2009 - 10:21 — Guest
Though I agree that Pic Club is the one doing shady business here, along with gambling991's shady reporting, Anthony TAYLOR would have been the correct name to use in your fake post.

Aren't you the horrible businessman?

Wed, 11/11/2009 - 00:44 — Guest
You said that "Chuck is a fine salesman, but a horrible businessman."? WTF. Didn't you agree to these "high fees" and do business with him for several years, but all of a sudden, when the 7% (abstract number) turns into $160,000 (real number), you cry foul? Merge needs to man up, and pay what they owe, and end this ridiculous back and forth BS. Personally, I won't play another hand at Merge.

Both are foked an I will never use

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 19:29 — Guest
Merge is fucked for signing a contract an then when it doesn't go their way they renege. Pic is foked for trying to turn their business into an affiliate deal for the whales action. Chris please stop reporting this shit as it is all BS and they both are complete fuckin idiots!

Enough already

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 19:25 — Guest
This is boring. Lets get back to articles that aren't co-sponsored by G911 and Chuck Kid

Fees

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 14:34 — Guest
Seems like the fees picclub were charging were ridiculously exorbitant and adding them as they went. Looks like merge tried to point this out several times. Very lame that piclub went crying to G911 for help. This whole issue needs to be dropped back offline and sorted out by the two companies, not G911. This is the wrong type of crusade to be leading.

FEES this kills me.

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:01 — Guest
Epassporte charges the player 5$ per 100 to fund your acct. eWalletExpress charges the player 8.8% to fund their account. And I am sure they charge the poker rooms and casinos for their service also they don't do it for nothing and the rates PICClub is charging is typical for an ewallet service.. Think about this for a minute. The contract between PICClub and Merge is over one year old. Did Merge have a problem all this time? I guess not they seemed to promote PICClub as a preferred deposit method for a long time. This issue is really very simple so don't complicate it. Simple Issue here that you and many other distractors of PICClub seem to miss. Merge wouldn't even pay the 40K for their players cash outs. Thats players money not Merges not PICClubs and their shouldn't have been any issue to stop that money from being sent so PICClub could pay the players withdrawals. I seen many threads in forums beating up PICClub over late payouts when in fact it was Merge causing the lateness. Why are you so quick to slam PICClub or Chuck Kidd over fees when the Poker Room you defend basically blew off their players cashouts. Set all the fee stuff aside.. How can you justify the delay in sending the players money. PICClubs procedures on this are typical in this industry. Do you think Neteller or ewalletExpress send the players money before they get it from the poker room. Hey MERGE what about us players money?

take er easy

Mon, 11/16/2009 - 18:08 — Guest
take er easy there chuck

LOL. "How can you justify

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:17 — Guest
LOL. "How can you justify the delay in sending player's money?" Pic Club holds your cashout for a minimum of 30 days before they even process it.

How can you justify, it is easy

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:25 — Guest
They most likely had to modify their procedures due to the poker rooms being late. Again should they send you cash from their pockets when it is really the poker room that the funds are withdrawn from? Hmmm would you front a poker room thousands of your dollars for 15-30 days? I don't think so

no. they hold it so you

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:34 — Guest
no. they hold it so you will get sick of waiting, cancel the cashout, and deposit it somewhere else. any idiot knows that.

$50,000 wire?

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 14:06 — Guest
Did the $50,000 wire ever arrive? In one email Merge says it was send, next email Chuck says nothing received? Very curious if this $50,000 is part of the $160,000 in question or is this related to other business? Would be downward sinister if Merge used the old "the wire is in the mail" trick, but never actually sent it

50K wire LETS SET THIS STRAIGHT from Insider at PIC

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:11 — Guest
The 50K wire did eventually show up as this was also money due from arrears that took place prior to the issue at hand of the 160K. The 2 items are not related. I don't want an incorrect perception as to this seperate issue. Mr. Kidd authorized me to post this to avoid confusion or mis direction of the real issue take place

LOL. chuck kidd is

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 13:19 — Guest
LOL. chuck kidd is pathetic. not only does this prove nothing, but I am even more suspicious of chuck now. if he really thought that the charges were legitimate, why would he instantly wipe away 10s of thousands of dollars in charges. he's was just trying to squeeze anything he could from merge from this fraud.

If all you have to offer to this discussion

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 13:33 — Guest
OK DrCheckFOOL If all you have to offer to this discussion is venom and unfounded inuendo why don't you give it a rest. We all know your agenda here is driven by your backdoor deals with Merge to try to discredit PICClub and build an interest in your second rate website.

i don't know who you are

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:14 — Guest
i don't know who you are talking about, but that's not me. i simply play poker on merge and i don't want this crook from pic club trying to kill my action.

The Crook is the guy your defending.

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 15:20 — Guest
The Crook is the guy your defending. Your action will stop when they close their doors and take your money with them.

READ THIS FROM BOTTOM UP BY DATES

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 12:51 — Guest
READ THIS FROM BOTTOM UP BY DATES

YAWN

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 12:50 — Guest
Chuck..seems juvenile and low class to give G911 your private email correspondence.

I agree

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 17:51 — Guest
Thought he was stand up...but this makes me seriously question him.