My take on the IPT and conversation with Harry Platis

rackmsuckr

rackmsuckr

Linda Carter - The QUEEN!
Silver Member
I have been in contact with a great-playing IPT member via email and he asked me what Mike's and my takes are on the IPT situation. Basically, it comes down to what happens on Friday when Kevin sends us another letter.

My belief is that Kevin is working frantically behind the scenes to get us our money and has been stalling us because he doesn't have it or it has been inaccessible. However, because I talked to Eydie yesterday, that belief is now teetering to 50/50 hope/no-hope.

I just returned from 3 intensive days in Denver from work (days and nights occupied!) and have not had time to reply to the forums much, and still have not made it through most of the new posts or threads...which are mostly redundant anyway.

Anyway, the following was taken from an email (edited after the fact) that I sent to this player who expressed his concern to me and did not know what to think:

We aren't sure what to think either. Either KT is getting all the money he can through the qualifiers and jetting to Europe to live/hide and putting a positive spin on things before he leaves or he really is scrambling to get the deal done. 2 positive things we see are 1. Sigel told Danny Medina last night who told Jay Helfert that the IPT had been sold. 2. KT sent a letter directly to Puyat Sports that said he was in the final phase with Ho. Now of course, both of those could have been a tall tale from KT.

One very positive thing is that Ho hates Wynn and said he wouldn't have anything to do with the IPT if we were aligned with Wynn, so KT has cancelled the Wynn and been scrambling for extra time in Chicago to run the KOH/2007 qualifier back to back after the Chicago tournament. If he was planning on terminating, then why would he be going to all that trouble? That was confirmed by some knowledgable people back in Chicago. And he wouldn't have cancelled the Wynn (unless he wanted to save the $ and only make it LOOK like Ho was the reason.)

Of greater concern is that Eydie, who lives in Chicago and runs the Windy City Open, went directly to their offices and was not given many answers, but was told later by someone high within the organization (not Deno), that there is no sale.

One other thing I find positive is that Deno and his staff are being paid and have not quit. With all his inside knowledge, the letters and flak Deno has taken, the damage to his credibility and other things he has had to do, I don't believe that if he had lost all belief, that he would still be there. With a new baby and a family to support, not to mention a background in another field that he can turn back to, the fact that Deno is staying on means something.

I still believe in KT. I know he is smooth and has been a con artist. I know he has lied to us. But ultimately, I think he really wants this to succeed and enjoys himself at the tournaments. I know what it is like to start a tour. There are fumbles, there are mistakes, there are haters. But I also know the immense pride at the tournaments, seeing your baby become a realization. I also truly believes he cares for us pool players, but has gone about it the wrong way through embarrassment and stalling in the hopes that he can cover the checks.​

Please do not give me grief over my feelings, fellow posters. I am not stupid. I see everything you have seen and more. So please respect what I wrote in a private email to another player which brings me up to where we are today.

I am going to give Kevin until we get his letter on Friday, as are all of you. IF we do not get an actual date of payment or something substantial besides promises, I know that Randy is going to start legal action. I believe, as Russ has mentioned, that Harry Platis is the best man for the job. I also believe I could be an integral part of any action against the IPT as I have everyone's email addresses that are members of the IPT, so that we could unify.

Harry is THE best lawyer for the job because:

1. He has handled many multi-million dollar lawsuits before.

2. His love for and the knowledge of pool, the players, and the situation.

3. His experience with gaming laws and gambling. (He went to court and won in a case that upheld him in that pool is a game of skill and betting on yourself is legal (while sidebetting is not).

He also is in the final stages with the Nevada Gaming Commission who has reviewed his proposal for new software which will allow a different kind of online gambling, (and yes, on pool). He presented a new version of his software to them 2 days ago and made amendments regarding pari-mutuel betting. He says the new law does not affect him like it would Ho, because he has a land-based license and because there are 4 exemptions to that law. One is the PASP (Professional Athletic Sports Protection) Act which is the law that he made his application through. He said that after approval which looks imminent, then he is good to go with it.

4. He told me he has the time and the inclination to handle it for us.

He has been contacted by Mark Trainer (doesn't that kill the theory that he is involved?) and a few other players regarding the handling of the IPT matter of non-payment and his cursory opinion is that there is potential for a HUGE class action lawsuit against the IPT, AS WELL AS HIS PURCHASER. (If there is one.)

He does not think it would be smart if there is any pulse at all in the IPT for the negativity a lawsuit would bring and would kill pool's future in his opinion.

With that said, he said his preference is to file in Chicago or Las Vegas, as they have laws for punitive damages. (WA does not.) The Federal Court system has started setting limits for those punitive damages, however, he was confident that with the combination of filing in those states and the enormity of debts owed, mental suffering, etc. for over 200 individuals, it would not hamper the limits too much.

Harry said he would take the case on a contingency basis, HOWEVER, there would need to be some costs incurred upfront that would need to be paid - around $25K-30K which would cover depositions, filing fees, legal research, and other documents. He would incur a lot of travel costs. He said he would need to get KT's deposition right away, so the money would need to be paid ASAP.

Now, I want everyone to know that from my perspective, hope still springs eternal. I am HOping that there is a buyer, that Kevin is getting his ducks in a row, and that the IPT will go on stronger than ever. I do not want the players to be forced to go into litigation. But if there is nothing more than promises on Friday or something insubstantial for a reason of delay that insults our intelligence, then I can't help but think that our only recourse is legal action.

I know that Randy is going to pursue it after Friday, no matter what I say, think or do. If a lawsuit is our only recourse, Randy, would you be willing to step up to the plate to pony up that amount on a contingency basis? It would come out to over $600 per player, but I know not every player can even afford that. And would you also be willing to use Harry instead of your own attorney? I can give you his home, office, and cell phone numbers, as well as his email address.

Harry also told me that in the event that Chicago is on, he could arrange that a bond be put up for the players for payment of the remaining tournaments (he would need to be paid up front for this.)

Dreams die hard, but in the face of reality, we need to take care of our own. I have been loyal above and beyond most other's breaking point and I am not stupid. But, it still bothers me that Deno is hanging in there so he MUST KNOW that there is a future, doesn't he?

Linda
 
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Part 2

One of the IPT employees gave me an update, and it is not good. They had a staff meeting last Tuesday and while KT smiled and laughed about how much money he would be making on his new Weight Loss Secrets book and his new MLM he has formed, he also told them that most of them would be laid off on Friday. It is the opinion of this employee that KT does not care about anyone else but himself and the money he makes.

He said the Ho deal is not dead, but it would take a month or so to open up the purse strings, according to KT, and that he did not want to support the employees until it went through.

I think someone needs to get to the IPT website and start recording all the player's meetings and promises of income before they are taken down.

When asked about Deno, he said some not so nice things and that Deno will go down with the ship and will probably be taken care of by KT. :(

I guess we will see what spin we get tomorrow.
 
So the Wynn is cancelled? That sure looks ominous in itself.

I would expect that KT most certainly has connections with management at Rosemont and most likely plays golf with them so he can opt out of Chicago at any time otherwise he would have been out of there.

$600 per player? That comes to $120,000. I see Harry does not work cheap.

There is $5,000,000 in player prize money plus any punitive damages at stake.

I would hope you e-mail all the players and see what they say. And of course stop posting on a message board. It is no ones business but the players. Unless, of course, you posted under advise of counsel.

Good Luck,

Jake
 
rackmsuckr said:
Dreams die hard, but in the face of reality, we need to take care of our own. I have been loyal above and beyond most other's breaking point and I am not stupid. But, it still bothers me that Deno is hanging in there so he MUST KNOW that there is a future, doesn't he?

Linda
Click to expand...

Linda, dreams don't have to die. They will only die if you allow somebody or something to kill them. Keep hope and remember that there are people working hard to ensure that the players have an alternative to this mess. Arbitrarial representation should have been part of the initial gameplan, not an afterthought. Either way, I hope the players think twice once they get their cash.
 
rackmsuckr said:
I have been in contact with a great-playing IPT member via email and he asked me what Mike's and my takes are on the IPT situation. Basically, it comes down to what happens on Friday when Kevin sends us another letter.

My belief is that Kevin is working frantically behind the scenes to get us our money and has been stalling us because he doesn't have it or it has been inaccessible. However, because I talked to Eydie yesterday, that belief is now teetering to 50/50 hope/no-hope.

I just returned from 3 intensive days in Denver from work (days and nights occupied!) and have not had time to reply to the forums much, and still have not made it through most of the new posts or threads...which are mostly redundant anyway.

Anyway, the following was taken from an email (edited after the fact) that I sent to this player who expressed his concern to me and did not know what to think:

We aren't sure what to think either. Either KT is getting all the money he can through the qualifiers and jetting to Europe to live/hide and putting a positive spin on things before he leaves or he really is scrambling to get the deal done. 2 positive things we see are 1. Sigel told Danny Medina last night who told Jay Helfert that the IPT had been sold. 2. KT sent a letter directly to Puyat Sports that said he was in the final phase with Ho. Now of course, both of those could have been a tall tale from KT.

One very positive thing is that Ho hates Wynn and said he wouldn't have anything to do with the IPT if we were aligned with Wynn, so KT has cancelled the Wynn and been scrambling for extra time in Chicago to run the KOH/2007 qualifier back to back after the Chicago tournament. If he was planning on terminating, then why would he be going to all that trouble? That was confirmed by some knowledgable people back in Chicago. And he wouldn't have cancelled the Wynn (unless he wanted to save the $ and only make it LOOK like Ho was the reason.)

Of greater concern is that Eydie, who lives in Chicago and runs the Windy City Open, went directly to their offices and was not given many answers, but was told later by someone high within the organization (not Deno), that there is no sale.

One other thing I find positive is that Deno and his staff are being paid and have not quit. With all his inside knowledge, the letters and flak Deno has taken, the damage to his credibility and other things he has had to do, I don't believe that if he had lost all belief, that he would still be there. With a new baby and a family to support, not to mention a background in another field that he can turn back to, the fact that Deno is staying on means something.

I still believe in KT. I know he is smooth and has been a con artist. I know he has lied to us. But ultimately, I think he really wants this to succeed and enjoys himself at the tournaments. I know what it is like to start a tour. There are fumbles, there are mistakes, there are haters. But I also know the immense pride at the tournaments, seeing your baby become a realization. I also truly believes he cares for us pool players, but has gone about it the wrong way through embarrassment and stalling in the hopes that he can cover the checks.​

Please do not give me grief over my feelings, fellow posters. I am not stupid. I see everything you have seen and more. So please respect what I wrote in a private email to another player which brings me up to where we are today.

I am going to give Kevin until we get his letter on Friday, as are all of you. IF we do not get an actual date of payment or something substantial besides promises, I know that Randy is going to start legal action. I believe, as Russ has mentioned, that Harry Platis is the best man for the job. I also believe I could be an integral part of any action against the IPT as I have everyone's email addresses that are members of the IPT, so that we could unify.

Harry is THE best lawyer for the job because:

1. He has handled many multi-million dollar lawsuits before.

2. His love for and the knowledge of pool, the players, and the situation.

3. His experience with gaming laws and gambling. (He went to court and won in a case that upheld him in that pool is a game of skill and betting on yourself is legal (while sidebetting is not).

He also is in the final stages with the Nevada Gaming Commission who has reviewed his proposal for new software which will allow a different kind of online gambling, (and yes, on pool). He presented a new version of his software to them 2 days ago and made amendments regarding pari-mutuel betting. He says the new law does not affect him like it would Ho, because he has a land-based license and because there are 4 exemptions to that law. One is the PASP (Professional Athletic Sports Protection) Act which is the law that he made his application through. He said that after approval which looks imminent, then he is good to go with it.

4. He told me he has the time and the inclination to handle it for us.

He has been contacted by Mark Trainer (doesn't that kill the theory that he is involved?) and a few other players regarding the handling of the IPT matter of non-payment and his cursory opinion is that there is potential for a HUGE class action lawsuit against the IPT, AS WELL AS HIS PURCHASER. (If there is one.)

He does not think it would be smart if there is any pulse at all in the IPT for the negativity a lawsuit would bring and would kill pool's future in his opinion.

With that said, he said his preference is to file in Chicago or Las Vegas, as they have laws for punitive damages. (WA does not.) The Federal Court system has started setting limits for those punitive damages, however, he was confident that with the combination of filing in those states and the enormity of debts owed, mental suffering, etc. for over 200 individuals, it would not hamper the limits too much.

Harry said he would take the case on a contingency basis, HOWEVER, there would need to be some costs incurred upfront that would need to be paid - around $25K-30K which would cover depositions, filing fees, legal research, and other documents. He would incur a lot of travel costs. He said he would need to get KT's deposition right away, so the money would need to be paid ASAP.

Now, I want everyone to know that from my perspective, hope still springs eternal. I am HOping that there is a buyer, that Kevin is getting his ducks in a row, and that the IPT will go on stronger than ever. I do not want the players to be forced to go into litigation. But if there is nothing more than promises on Friday or something insubstantial for a reason of delay that insults our intelligence, then I can't help but think that our only recourse is legal action.

I know that Randy is going to pursue it after Friday, no matter what I say, think or do. If a lawsuit is our only recourse, Randy, would you be willing to step up to the plate to pony up that amount on a contingency basis? It would come out to over $600 per player, but I know not every player can even afford that. And would you also be willing to use Harry instead of your own attorney? I can give you his home, office, and cell phone numbers, as well as his email address.

Harry also told me that in the event that Chicago is on, he could arrange that a bond be put up for the players for payment of the remaining tournaments (he would need to be paid up front for this.)

Dreams die hard, but in the face of reality, we need to take care of our own. I have been loyal above and beyond most other's breaking point and I am not stupid. But, it still bothers me that Deno is hanging in there so he MUST KNOW that there is a future, doesn't he?

Linda
Click to expand...

Linda FYI,

If each of the 200 players put up $150, that comes to $30,000! Not nearly $600 per player.
 
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rackmsuckr said:
One of the IPT employees gave me an update, and it is not good. They had a staff meeting last Tuesday and while KT smiled and laughed about how much money he would be making on his new Weight Loss Secrets book and his new MLM he has formed, he also told them that most of them would be laid off on Friday. It is the opinion of this employee that KT does not care about anyone else but himself and the money he makes.

He said the Ho deal is not dead, but it would take a month or so to open up the purse strings, according to KT, and that he did not want to support the employees until it went through.

I think someone needs to get to the IPT website and start recording all the player's meetings and promises of income before they are taken down.

When asked about Deno, he said some not so nice things and that Deno will go down with the ship and will probably be taken care of by KT. :(

I guess we will see what spin we get tomorrow.
Click to expand...

You have been a real Trooper through this whole ordeal. For that I admire and respect you. You have taken a lot of grief and handled it well.

Good luck to you and Mike. I truly, truly hope all works out well for you two and for all the players.
 
It's good to hear that the legal issues are being studied by a professional. Hopefully it's possible for the players to decide as a group what their next move is, if needed, as the players actions may have more leverage than any court order would in Mr. Trudeau's mind. Mr. Tudeau had been down this path many times before and is likely several steps ahead of everyone else.
 
rackmsuckr said:
One of the IPT employees gave me an update, and it is not good. They had a staff meeting last Tuesday and while KT smiled and laughed about how much money he would be making on his new Weight Loss Secrets book and his new MLM he has formed, he also told them that most of them would be laid off on Friday. It is the opinion of this employee that KT does not care about anyone else but himself and the money he makes.

He said the Ho deal is not dead, but it would take a month or so to open up the purse strings, according to KT, and that he did not want to support the employees until it went through.

I think someone needs to get to the IPT website and start recording all the player's meetings and promises of income before they are taken down.

When asked about Deno, he said some not so nice things and that Deno will go down with the ship and will probably be taken care of by KT. :(

I guess we will see what spin we get tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I'm REALLY sorry to read this, its much worse than I thought it was. You guys really need to start getting together, you can do it behind the scenes just in case he pulls a rabit out of his hat. :mad:
 
jjinfla said:
So the Wynn is cancelled? That sure looks ominous in itself.

I would expect that KT most certainly has connections with management at Rosemont and most likely plays golf with them so he can opt out of Chicago at any time otherwise he would have been out of there.

$600 per player? That comes to $120,000. I see Harry does not work cheap.

There is $5,000,000 in player prize money plus any punitive damages at stake.

I would hope you e-mail all the players and see what they say. And of course stop posting on a message board. It is no ones business but the players. Unless, of course, you posted under advise of counsel.

Good Luck,

Jake
Click to expand...

OK, my bad, did not use a calculator. It looks like only $150/player. Collecting even that would be a chore though. Are you saying I should stop posting here? :( :confused:
 
rackmsucker...<<Randy, would you be willing to step up to the plate to pony up that amount on a contingency basis? It would come out to over $600 per player, but I know not every player can even afford that.>>

TAPS for your post,in general Linda. A couple of thoughts. First, as I think your lawyer would agree, no matter what state court any IPT suit might be filed in, it will almost certainly be "removed (a legal term) to a Federal Court that may or may not be in the state in which the original suit is filed.

Secodly, while the $600.00 per player figure would certainly be a handsome "war chest" fund the actual litigation, if one is commenced would, unless it is settled early, cost FAR in excess of that amount to prosecute...unless, of course, a lawyer would take it on a contingency. If one were to agree to do so, in my personal opinion, that would be an enormous "act of charity" to the pro player community since there is a significant chance that the IPT would go into bankruptcy leaving little but an empty pocket. As I noted in another thread, while there are ways to get at corporate executives personally, I am sure your lawyer would agree that doing so is VERY difficult...at best.
Regards,
Jim
 
Yes Linda, you shouldn't post about this issue here. Everyone knows that Deno and KT are reading this forum, and now they can prepare for whatever your plans are!

Btw: These posts were really bad reading... I feel sick, and almost want to cry... Hope everything will be ok, but doubt it...

Anyway, wish you all the best with the work you will, most likely, have to start with...
 
Linda,

I am so sad to hear about the negative developments in the story. Though my posts have mainly been very critical of the IPT, I have been hoping you guys will be paid, and that KT had in fact changed his stripes and decided to go legit, and was just having some problems.

At this point, I am just hoping he has not covered his butt legally as well as he could have, and that he can:

1. Be held personally responsible for the IPT debts.

and

2. That he doesn't leave the U.S., or if he does, that the debt is still collectible, according to how well he hides his money.

One positive thing, however. It has people thinking about how to get some tours going, and a lot of thos epeople have some really good ideas.

Russ
 
rackmsuckr said:
Are you saying I should stop posting here? :( :confused:
Click to expand...

I don't see any advantage to you by posting such specific legal details on an open forum. It would only help the other side. KT has been down this path before and is perfectly aware of the legal risks he's facing.

Good luck!
 
Just hearing this takes me back to the PBT Mackey days, if it plays out this way one has to wonder how quickly someone will be wanting to get involved with pro pool in the future :( oh well no more kick ball in the playground eh? Hope I'm wrong, either way tho it has to sour the affair somewhat.
 
Roy Steffensen said:
Yes Linda, you shouldn't post about this issue here. Everyone knows that Deno and KT are reading this forum, and now they can prepare for whatever your plans are!

Btw: These posts were really bad reading... I feel sick, and almost want to cry... Hope everything will be ok, but doubt it...

Anyway, wish you all the best with the work you will, most likely, have to start with...
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree Roy. Let this forum send a warning to KT and his Sunshine Band. Although I am not a lawyer, I have been involved in a suit or two. Often, an attorney begins by sending out a threatening letter, warning of an impending legal action if certain terms are not met, as is the case here.

Go ahead Linda, sound off! Your voice should be heard loud and clear. If KT sees that even some of his staunchest supporters are questioning him, he may do the right thing. And then again, he may not. But that is why you have an attorney in the first place. To protect your interests.

To just sit back helplessly really plays into his hands. He would like everybody to just throw up their hands in despair, and say woe is me. I'm sure that has worked for him on many of his "deals" (I almost said scams).

Fight back is what I say. You earned it, you won it. Now go collect!
 
The more I think about it, I think it would be best if you deleted this thread and started over without getting so specific.
 
rackmsuckr said:
When asked about Deno, he said some not so nice things and that Deno will go down with the ship and will probably be taken care of by KT.
Click to expand...
I stated what while at the Open there were quite a few players that referred to Deno as a "pompous pr!ck". I've also heard from a few people that the staff in general are not very fond of him. Last night I was given a new word that I think is more fitting... Napoleonistic.


I said two days ago that I was sick of this stuff and that if something ground breaking happend, give me a call. Otherwise I was done fooling with all of this for awhile. I'm simply disgusted and burned out. Well... I got a phone call last night telling me that someone else wanted me to call them, that they had some IPT updates from a staff member. I haven't had a chance to call that person but some of what was relayed to me was that most of the staff are being laid off. Linda's post confirmed that.

Last night the Q & A section was still up and there were roughly 8 to 10 qualifiers listed for this wkend. The Q & A is gone, the qualifiers are down to three, and all the contact emails have been taken down with the exception of Deno's.

If I'm given anything different than this or can further confirm what Eydie or Linda has said, then I'll post it. Otherwise I'll go crawl back under my rock and take a break from the whole mess.
 
This Is NOT Good News

Linda, when I read your post, all that I kept thinking about were the 'lawyer' shows on TV, where the Judge says, "turnover your passport and do not leave this jurisdiction."
Doug
 
rackmsuckr said:
Are you saying I should stop posting here? :( :confused:
Click to expand...

As for me I would love for you to keep on posting. I love gossip. You do know that men are worse gossips than women.

I just don't think it would be wise for you to post stuff about a possible lawsuit on a message board. It may come back to haunt you in court as a printed document. And of course you may have your own home computer confiscated, although highly unlikely, they have done that in the State of Illinois offices in Downtown Chicago because of a complaint filed by my stepdaughter over her firing. Heads will roll there.

Keep in mind that the delete feature does not remove data.

Pass it by your attorney.

Jake
 
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