The World Championship of Online Poker on Pokerstars was a stunning success. The huge fields and massive prize money left everyone staggered.
Then we came to the final event. A $2,500 buyin No Limit Championship event. First prize was the little matter of $859,000. Pokerstars could justifiably hope the champion could be plastered all over the internet and the media as an example of how to win nearly a million bucks in the comfort of your front room while just wearing your boxer shorts and scratching your balls.
But, for 'Stars disaster struck. The winner was a player called Panella86. His name is Jordan Berkowitz. And as
this article proves Mr Berkowitz is only 18 or 19, ie according to American law, an underage gambler.
Now, whether or not he should be allowed to gamble is not the point. (The fact he is old enough to father a child, drink a bottle of Jack Daniels and die "for his country" in Iraq but not play $1-$2 limit hold in his local casino is pretty bloody ridiculous). The simple fact is that he not old enough to play poker.
I wouldn't like to be in the Pokerstars office today faced with the thorny issue of what to do about this case. Should they pay out Mr B and be accused of supporting under aged gambling? Or should they withhold the loot and be accused of cheating a player of nearly a million dollars?
Ladbrokes had a similar case about 15 years ago. A kid went into a betting shop and had a £5 tricast on the Derby. Nashwan to beat to 150-1 shots. It copped. Now, bookies don't accept tricasts on non handicaps and they tried to pay him out with the forecast. (About £5000 if I remember correctly instead of £250k if they had taken tricasts). They was a huge outcry and after a week or so, Laddies agreed to pay out a special dividend for their trifecta of about £100,000. The kid still wasn't happy and refused to accept it. Then Ladbrokes found out the punter was only 16 years old. They then just returned his stake money and threatened to take his parents to the police! Of course a million punters then worked out if they sent their 17 year old niece into the betting shop to put their bets on they couldn't lose! But that's another story....
But the principle is the same for Pokerstars. I guess they will pay out the money and quietly close the account of Mr Berkowitz. Still, I wouldn't like to be the member of staff who has to make the decision of what to do...
