Epic Poker League Puts Chino Rheem on ProbationPoker Pro Violated League's Code of Conduct |
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The Epic Poker League has put its inaugural $20,000 main event champion, Chino Rheem, on probation for violating the league’s Code of Conduct, after allegedly failing to pay back debts owed to other poker players.
According to a press release, the EPL acknowledges that Rheem’s “financial obligations incurred prior to the League’s formation,” but claims that they impacted league play.
The committee which handed down the disciplinary action consists of the following: Stephen Martin (chairman), tournament director Matt Savage, poker players Eric Baldwin, Andy Bloch, Chad Brown, Joseph Hachem, Michael McDonald, Nick Schulman, Alec Torelli, and league commissioner Annie Duke, who is a non-voting member.
Neither the EPL’s Standards & Conduct Committee or Rheem, who took $1 million for the win earlier this month, could be reached for comment.
Below is the complete press release from the EPL
As of today’s date, the Standards & Conduct Committee has voted to place Epic Poker League cardholder David “Chino” Rheem on probation subject to the rules and procedures governing the conduct of Epic Poker League members as a result of ongoing personal financial obligations incurred prior to the League’s formation but impacting the League during the Inaugural Epic Poker Main Event. The terms of Mr. Rheem’s probation, designed for the Committee to effectively monitor the personal conduct of Mr. Rheem as he works to meet his personal financial obligations as required under the Players’ Code of Conduct, are as follows:
1. Mr. Rheem’s probation will remain in effect until Mr. Rheem has satisfied his pre-‐league formation financial obligations.
2. Mr. Rheem must continue to proactively repay his outstanding debts by, from this point forward, using any and all proceeds Mr. Rheem personally receives from personal poker winnings worldwide to satisfy all of his remaining financial obligations in an orderly fashion.
3. Any new violation of the Epic Poker League rules (including the Players’ Code of Conduct) or the law by Mr. Rheem — now that the Epic Poker League play has been initiated — will result in an immediate suspension of Mr. Rheem’s League card and eligibility to participate in Epic Poker League events.
4. In reaching its decision, the Committee recognized that Mr. Rheem used best efforts and all of the proceeds he personally received from winning the Inaugural Epic Poker league Main Event to partially satisfy outstanding financial obligations. Mr.Rheem must continue to demonstrate this commitment to honoring all of his financial obligations.
Effective August 18, 2011
Signed, Stephen Martin, Chair, Standards & Conduct Committee
Comments
I_P_Freely
9 months ago
If all of these violations occurred prior to the league's formation, then shouldn't he have been suspended from the start of the league?
Why did this "Standards & Conduct Committee" give him a EPL card in the first place???
TerenceTheTurtle
9 months ago
I can understand how the league could suspend him based on his inability to pay his debts, but how the hell do they enforce #2? If they are personal debts they (to my knowledge) have no grounds to force him to pay them back, much less stating that he has to "use any and all proceeds he personally receives from personal poker winnings worldwide."
I'm not saying the guy shouldn't pay what he owes, he should. I just don't understand how this league can get so involved, and if they can then I'm certainly bothered by it.
MidyMat
9 months ago
It's never good to not pay back debts, but if the debt occurred before there was a EPIC League then how was he able to play at all?.....sounds to me because he won now they are going to enforce the "codes of conduct".......if he had not won, he would not be on "probation"
misfits
9 months ago
whats really scary is that he used all his winnings to "partially" satisfy his debts, which means he owes alot more than a million
tdda32
9 months ago
any league that has Annie Puke in it is a "garage" league at best...
nathalie111
9 months ago
Imo Chino performed like a champion and a man of character correcting past mistakes that he admitted to making. He's playing a 20k buy in with people that are posting about him owing them money on blogs that are read by a million people. He thrives to get through these very players. He goes into the final day with 5 of the best who are amidst major heaters while his story is posted on cardplayer the night before the final table. Wins the tournament and uses all the money he receives to pay people back. Thiers no way to create the past, but what could he have possibly do better in the present?
its_me_E
9 months ago
This is not high school, for every1 chino has "chino'd" you deserve it. He is a scam artist in a hustlers game, if you look around n you dont see the sucker at the table it prob you ever heard that be4. If you give chino your password to your acct n he busts your acct whos fault is it. Stop calling him a a scumbag n asshole be4 you look in the mirror. any1 he owes money gets paid as soon as he wins if you didnt know that when you loaned him the money then your an idiot n a sucker who was taught a lesson in life dont loan money or give your password to some1 you dont really know and im syre any1 whos talking bad about him doesnt really know him
its_me_E
9 months ago
im sure hes paid back most of the money he owed since hes won the epic poker tourny. y is all this coming out now hes been chinoing for years now if you dint know about it then y did you lend him money in the 1st place..
tdda32
9 months ago
Commish Duke and her bros Howies should know about not paying back debts...
Scammers, shut down the site (ftp) and keep the money. I am sure they have a bunch of millions up in there closest those 2.
Sick
bparmalee
9 months ago
I agree with its_me. If you loan money to someone to gamble you're an idiot. If you prop bet with someone and you dont get paid then lesson learned. The only thing that seems leagally binding is a backing agreement but even that can be suspect. Everybody that plays knows "that guy" that owes everyone at the table money and they know they are never getting that money back... its the way it goes. The only real surprise is that Chino took his payday and used it to settle his debts. I guess it shows that he wants to make good but it he hadnt its on the people that trusted him. There is not a debtors prison... people need to realize that.
drago619
9 months ago
if nobody has a written and signed contract of the money he was loaned or staked with his signature on it stating what he will pay back..sorry sucka mcs..fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, im a dumbass..