Fortune Poker To Close After Nine Years
Yet another of the smaller online poker sites has made the decision to cease operations with Fortune Poker announcing its intention to close within the week. First launched in 2004, Fortune Poker is licensed out of Malta and is one of about 20 skins operating on the non-U.S. facing International Poker Network owned by Boss Media headquartered in Vaxjo, Sweden.
While players have been given short notice regarding Fortune Poker’s intentions, it appears the site is doing what it can to ensure the return of players’ funds in a timely manner.
Earlier this week a “Notice to All Players” appeared on Fortune Poker’s web site announcing the decision to cease operations. An email message was sent to players on Monday as well notifying them of the site’s closing and the planned-for timetable going forward.
According to the notice, play will continue as usual at Fortune Poker through Saturday, March 31 at 23:59 GMT, with players advised to use these last days to make cashouts. Then for the next two days (April 1-2), players will no longer be able to access tables yet will be able to continue to access the cashier so as to facilitate the return of their funds.
Players eligible for rakeback or other play-through bonuses will receive such payments into their accounts on April 1 prior to their cashing out. Also, the notice informs players who are due any affiliate or partner payments that those payments will be made by April 10.
All players with questions about their accounts are urged to contact Fortune Poker via email through April 15, after which date the notice instructs them to contact either the payment service provider Envoy Services or the International Poker Network.
A poster on Two Plus Two began a thread in the Internet Poker forum to discuss the closing of Fortune Poker, and reported that upon receiving the email from Fortune Poker “I immediately requested a NETELLER cashout for my (small) remaining balance, and the money arrived within 12 hours.”
The tracking site PokerScout currently reports the International Poker Network ranks just outside the top 25 in its site/network rankings, only averaging 400-500 cash game players over the last six months. According to the Fortune Poker website, this morning more than 2,000 players were currently logged onto Fortune Poker at just over 500 tables — a total that no doubt includes both play money players and those simply logged on to begin the process of cashing out.
While the communication with players and apparently smooth handling of player cashouts by Fortune Poker perhaps distinguishes the site from others, the suddenness of the announcement of its closing down follows a pattern shown by other smaller sites of late.
The sudden shutdowns of Merge sites Hero Poker, Bluff Room, Feltstars, and RPM Poker last December all occurred with little or no any advance warning, with players in each case advised to transfer to other Merge skins. The shutdown of PokerRoom.com last month also came abruptly and without any prior notice.
I would just like to say that I have known the man behind Fortune Poker simply known as James and was a loyal customer for years. He is a very honorable man who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that all of his customers are well taken care of and I can truthfully say that his standards of excellence have far exceeded those of his jealous competitors and those of the gaming regulators who have failed many players in protecting their funds from dishonest operators. I remember he told me something once, “your best poker hand is an education”.
James is the most honest man in the poker business as far as I am concerned.
He is a man that has worked 7 days a week for the past nine years with maybe one short vacation, often answering 500 emails per day when the site was at its peak.
I believe the reason for his closure is the constant struggles and frustrations with his software provider Boss Media now called Gtech who have destroyed the poker network and he probably reached his limits with them.
Being a Danish player, I believe if you read this forum post on a Danish forum, some of it is in English, you will understand how genuine this man is and it is a big shame for Boss Media to allow this to happen and a loss of a poker room with the highest integrity. The heart and soul of the Boss network just closed down.
http://www.pokernet.dk/forum/lukning-af-fortune-poker.html
And as you mention in the article, players can be sure that if James say you will get paid, you will be paid.