Perhaps the most well-known aspect of Full Tilt Poker is its consignment with a multitude of today’s top professional poker players, like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer and Jennifer Harman. Recent actions, however, are dropping those numbers at an alarming rate.
Two cases in point would be the sudden disappearance of French poker pro David Benyamine’s Red Pro status at Full Tilt Poker, and the sudden discharge of long-time Team FTP member, Cycalona Gowen, better known as ‘Clonie’.
In Benyamine’s case (pictured left), there has been no official statement regarding who chose to end his Red Pro status, Full Tilt Poker or Benyamine himself. We do know, however, that David spoke of leaving Team FTP in late 2007. The WSOP Bracelet winner said during a poker table chat, “im done at full tilt”, along with a few other choice statements.
David “Degenyamine” Benyamine can still be found playing online poker at Full Tilt, but without his fashionably red name tag, or the 100% rake-back all members of Team Full Tilt receive.
Clonie Gowen’s case is a bit different. Gowen (pictured left) joined Team Full Tilt Poker back in 2004, signing a contract that granted her 1% of Tiltware LLC (FTP’s parent company) and Full Tilt Poker. Since that time, the stunning celebrity has worn FTP apparel and other marketing paraphernalia to promote the online poker room. However, in 2007, when all Team Full Tilt members received their annual distribution checks, Ms. Gowen’s was not delivered.
In November of that same year, fellow Full Tilt Pro Howard Lederer offered Clonie $250k to commend her performance for Tiltware and Full Tilt Poker. Ms. Gowen refused, stating that $250k was a mere fraction of what was owed her, estimating the company to be worth $4-billion.
Despite her lack of payment, Clonie Gowen continued to play at and promote Full Tilt Poker, that is up until November 11, 2008, when she was informed that her services would no longer be required, and that Full Tilt Poker would be issuing a press release stating the her dismissal from Team FTP.
Last Thursday, Clonie took action by filed a law suit in the Nevada courts. The list of charges against Tiltware, Full Tilt Poker and numerous members of Team Full Tilt Poker include:
1. Breach of Contract
2. Breach of Fiduciary Duties
3. Breach of Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
4. Intentional Misrepresentation / Fraud
5. Unjust Enrichment
Clonie Gowen is seeking $40 million in the case against Tiltware, et al.
Ex-Fellow members of Team Full Tilt Poker named in the court filing are Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Erick Lindgren, Chris Ferguson and Patrick Antonius.
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