"The Social Pool Network" and the return of a predator?

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
I am not sure if this has been discussed on here... But a lot of my pool buddies in Colorado are getting into something called "The Social Pool Network".

It comes across as very MLM-oriented, and I have seen quite a few friends starting to go nuts with their marketing of this "league" or whatever it is.

Through a few Facebook threads, I have heard that a gentleman named Allan Hendrickson is involved at the top layers of TSPN, if not the outright owner. Here is the information about him - He got disbarred along with his entire law firm for filing thousands of malicious lawsuits against small businesses, in hopes that they would just settle out of court. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/23/us/bar-suspends-3-lawyers-in-california-over-lawsuits.html

Here is the site itself: https://tspnpool.net/MemberToolsDot...px?ProductID=17890&CatalogueID=208&MG=3&G1=70

What say you?

Short Bus Russ
 

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2003/02/24/daily44.html

The Trevor Law Group of Beverly Hills was sued Wednesday by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer for allegedly trying to shake down thousands of small California businesses by threatening them with lawsuits unless they coughed up settlement money.

"The Trevor Law Group operates a shakedown operation designed to extract attorneys fees from law-abiding small-business owners," Mr. Lockyer says. "With its unlawful practices, the Trevor Law Group has abused one of the state's most important consumer protection statutes and dishonored attorneys who practice law in the public interest."

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of the people of California, seeks full restitution of money acquired by the defendants. The lawsuit also asks for $1 million in civil penalties and for Trevor Law Group to drop all lawsuits that they have brought under the state's Unfair Competition Act and false advertising law.

Finally, the complaint seeks a permanent injunction barring the defendants from filing new lawsuits under the UCA and false advertising statute without court approval.

The action also names as defendants: the Consumer Enforcement Watch Corp. (CEWC), the organization used by the Trevor Law Group as the plaintiff in their cases; Damian Trevor, Shane Han and Allan Hendrickson, lawyers with the firm; and CEWC owner Ron Jamal Kort.

The defendants have filed 22 lawsuits in which they have named as defendants 2,207 auto repair shops, more than 1,000 restaurants and markets, and 210,000 "Does," or unnamed plaintiffs, according to the attorney general's complaint.

According to Mr. Lockyer's lawsuit, Trevor Law Group and CEWC used form letters to contact businesses to try to obtain quick settlements. They told auto repair shop owners the cases typically settled for $6,000 to $26,000. The settlement range they provided restaurant and market owners was $7,000 to $13,000, court documents say.

If all the named businesses settled at the low end of the ranges, the complaint notes, the Trevor Law Group and CEWC still would realize a $20.2 million windfall.

Trevor Law Group, which could not be reached for comment about Mr. Lockyer�s suit, has in the past denied similar allegations, and has said they have been flooded with complaints from consumers about being ripped off by auto repair shops and other small businesses.
 

noMoreSchon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
And if you want to sign up...Use Finney045 for your reference code...

I was skeptical of this also, but it is gaining traction in multiple places, CO just being

one of them. Is it MLM? Yes it is. They are hosting a free roll $50,000 tourney coming up

in September for members.

Johnny Archer, Justin Bergman, John Schmidt, Rodney Morris to name a few of the pros

playing. Now being a skeptic...I was sold on it when a friend of mine was able to play

the Rocket in Orlando while visiting...that is worth it to me. Being able to play 20 games

of pool with a professional, and not be an exhibition match.

As for it being MLM...yeah, now you can actually get paid to play pool. Isn't that what

most players wanted anyways? For the $40 a month you get to play in 8 ball, and 9 ball

league. Cheaper than what I am paying now. So since I have chosen down this path,

I will update you on what becomes of it. For me throwing $40 a month isn't that important,

I have spent way more in the past for league fees, hopefully I can quit one of them and save some $$$.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Do I need to use these official $hi##y balls?

Arranging my own matches sounds like something I don't need to pay someone to do. I can't even begin to imagine the shenanigans that will be going on with prize money involved.
 

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JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
It irks me to no end when people rack like that in 8 ball. The APA I found out doesn’t specify that the corner balls be different but jeebus how can one stand such a rack? And for taking a picture? Not only that but they have the triangle upside down like how people do in bars to somehow offset the horrid table conditions/ old balls preventing a tight rack.

And if you be playing take what you make you have to have two different balls behind the head ball or else how can you smash down center T and expect to make one of each and have an easy runout? HUH!?!?
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
It irks me to no end when people rack like that in 8 ball. The APA I found out doesn’t specify that the corner balls be different but jeebus how can one stand such a rack? And for taking a picture? Not only that but they have the triangle upside down like how people do in bars to somehow offset the horrid table conditions/ old balls preventing a tight rack.

And if you be playing take what you make you have to have two different balls behind the head ball or else how can you smash down center T and expect to make one of each and have an easy runout? HUH!?!?


agree, i like tossin em in there and letting it be what it is
 

poolhustler

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jeff Jerome is the guy I talked with on FB regarding TSPN. Seemed like a very nice guy. No idea what position he holds in regards to the league itself though.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
But they are going to add money...I mean it's your money they are adding...but still...ADDED MONEY!!...no idea how much, depends on how much you give us.

ADDED MONEY!!!

Read the fine print and see where nearly half of all the money goes. HINT: Its the part that isn't mentioned. It's all on the website.

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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This post is the first I ever heard of it. I went to their website and read parts of it and I’m quite confused what it even is.

One thing that stood out at me is players can schedule their own matches. From personal experience in two or three sessions of in-house leagues, this never works. Something always comes up and ppl postpone their matches week after week.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
This post is the first I ever heard of it. I went to their website and read parts of it and I’m quite confused what it even is.



One thing that stood out at me is players can schedule their own matches. From personal experience in two or three sessions of in-house leagues, this never works. Something always comes up and ppl postpone their matches week after week.
Will it be a Tinder type thing where you walk around town swiping opponents looking for a match?

They have a video explaining it all..so classy

https://youtu.be/3KA6a3-cOvI

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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, I feel almost that social media, and the internet in general, has taken players away from the game. Even die-hards would now often rather stay at home and watch a stream, rather than go to a physical pool hall and play.

So, I commend this effort to try to use internet/social media to improve participation in actual play.

There were a couple of other apps that tried this, and I don't think they had any success. It will be interesting if this one catches on. I vote no, and mostly because pool players are loners, and don't want to be part of any team or any league obligation. That is why there is such a disconnect between the "players" in a room and the "league members".

The other part of this whole particular app, brought up by Russ, is the pyramid scheme aspect of it. Whether it is or is not, who knows. But, every "player" I ever met knows these schemes inside and out;)

IMO:)
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
In my country, and probably in the US as well there are some people who prey on greedy people by guaranteeing 200% return or some other such idiotic number on every investment and naturally steal all the money. Even though they have been caught, convicted and people KNOW this, there is always someone, more like a long line of people, eager to invest with them, when they finally get out of prison. "THIS TIME it's going to be different", they say.

Good luck going into this league.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In my country, and probably in the US as well there are some people who prey on greedy people by guaranteeing 200% return or some other such idiotic number on every investment and naturally steal all the money. Even though they have been caught, convicted and people KNOW this, there is always someone, more like a long line of people, eager to invest with them, when they finally get out of prison. "THIS TIME it's going to be different", they say.

Good luck going into this league.

Back in 2006, there were people on this forum defending Kevin Trudeau even though some of us were trying to warn them he was nothing more than a con man. I would bet if you asked, there are STILL people on here who would defend him and curse the 'naysayers'.

Some people are short sighted, and only care about a quick payday without putting in the groundwork to have something thats actually sustainable.

Bullshitters and carnie style con men will always have their suckers. If greed and stupidity would die off, their craft would have disappeared long ago.

People dont change, they only change the presentation they let you see.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Unless you have a home table and have no issue inviting the random opponent of the week into your home you still have to find a place to play and pay whatever that costs. Regardless, maybe the MLM nature of it doesn't repulse you and the idea of trying to set up your match of the week sounds like a good time then by all means have at it. Nothing about this appeals to me. Even if you are as pure as the driven snow and just want to make 4 new friends a month you are going to contend with a whole lot of others who see it as a side hustle.

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ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been seeing this pop up on Facebook in the last several weeks, but pretty much ignored it. Sounds really dicey. Good to know.

Here's a Facebook group that appears to be devoted to drawing attention to the shady aspects of TSPN: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157834261712946/

Mr BRussell, that URL points to my Facebook & I have nothing to do with the organization... there must be a typo in there....
 
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logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Mr BRussell, that URL points to my Facebook & I have nothing to do with organization... there must be a typo in there....
It goes where it's meant to for me but I do not have my own face page for it to default to...I think it's something on your end.

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