The Equity Poker Network (EPN) is apparently banning winning players on the grounds that being aggressive at the tables is not compatible with the game policy of the network.
Online poker rooms and networks are waging a bitter war for recreational players and use a variety of methods to reach and keep them. Some introduce unique features, like Microgaming’s Blazing Cannon, where each 20th raked hand won grants you a free shot with a cannon at a house of cards with golden tokens and a bonus of up to €100 up for grabs. Other options include allowing changing screen names to make it harder for regulars to find weaker players or the ban on utility software, like in the case of now independent Unibet Poker.
More questionable methods include the PartyPoker approach, where separated tables got introduced without any previous notifications, effectively keeping regulars from seeing a portion of the player field. However, not even bwin.party has gone as far as PokerHost.
The room has just recently switched to EPN from Merge and it has announced the banning of aggressive players. Of course, this does not mean users insulting others in the chat box; rather, those who prove to be winning regulars playing aggressively.
PokerHost user ‘PhiAlphaWET’ posted the following letter from the room support on 2+2:
“At this time your Poker Host has been closed, since our network has come to this decision after checking your table activity and have notice your aggressive play within the network, they have done a serious of background checks in order to come to this conclusion, at this time since we are in a small but growing poker network we cannot afford your aggressive behavior , we are now in a network the focuses on having recreational poker players and you do not meet this criteria, we thank you for your business at Poker Host, but at this time we will restricted your account, and the we will proceed with the normal process to cash out your funds in a prompt matter. We will be happy to hear from you in about 6months to a year, time the we expect to be big enough to afford your activity and continue the good relationship the we have had,” the mail from PokerHost support reads.
At first, forum members were a bit sceptic as to whether this was legit and ‘PhiAlphaWET’ himself was wondering whether they did mean his behaviour after all. However, he has never displayed such an attitude at the tables and soon the contents of the letter got confirmed: trusted forum and affiliate member ‘kahntrutahn’ was able to verify the letter as follows:
“For those of you that were unaware, Equity Poker Network has been closing accounts for high winning players, props, etc. I *think* that these players will be welcomed back by EPN at an unspecified future date, but of course there is no guarantee.
“With that said, all player funds are going to be returned as there is no confiscation going on,” he wrote.
Later, a number of players checked in and reported the same thing as ‘PhiAlphaWET’.
EPN launched in 2013 as a non-profit network, which means they do not earn money from the rake generation of players; instead, they distribute the whole money among the skins. In return, rooms pay a maintenance fee and a fixed rate.
Banning winning players’ accounts has obviously shocked and outraged the poker community.
