Email Informs FTP "Red Pros" Contracts Will Not Be Honored
Numerous questions have lingered since the acquisition and relaunch of Full Tilt Poker by the Rational Group, which also operates PokerStars. One of these questions concerned former FTP “Red Pros”, who had been left in the dark by former FTP management. In an email obtained by PokerNews France, the new management has informed “Red Pros” they will not carry over the red-pro status, nor will their contracts be honored.
“The ‘Red Pro’ team is not being continued by the Rational Group and a new team has been launched under the name of ‘The Professionals’. Unfortunately, we do not have any immediate plans to expand the Full Tilt Pro team at this time,” the email, which was written by newly appointed Manager of Team Pro for FTP Dustin Iannotti and sent to former FTP Red Pros, read. “We do not rule this out as a possibility in the future, and because of that, we will keep your contact on file should that plan change at any point.”
The email went on to say: “Other than the non-US player balances, The Rational Group did not assume any liabilities of the previous Full Tilt Poker companies and therefore previous contractual agreements that Full Tilt Poker may have had including with FTP Red Pros were excluded. As such, The Rational Group is not liable and will not pay for any amounts which may have been due to you under your agreement with any former Full Tilt Poker company.”
In addition, the email also informs recipients they will have the option of either keeping their screen name or changing it back to what it was before they obtained “Red Pro” status, and that they have the option to keep their custom avatar or change it to a generic one.
Here’s a look at the email obtained by PokerNews in full:
Hello,
I understand many of you have had little to no communication with regards to your Full Tilt Poker Pro status for quite some time. I was just recently brought in to assume the role of the new Team Pro manager for Full Tilt Poker and relay some of the information below. While I cannot take responsibility for the silence you dealt with for the past few months, I can tell you that I can understand and appreciate how frustrated some of you must have been. The news below will likely answer some of the questions you have had during this time.
I am contacting you today to give you some information on the following:
- FTP Red Pro Team Status
- Your FTP Screen Name and Avatar
- Rational Group Liabilities with concern to the old Full Tilt Poker============================
FTP Red Pro Status
The "Red Pro" team is not being continued by the Rational Group and a new team has been launched under the name of "The Professionals".
Unfortunately, we do not have any immediate plans to expand the Full Tilt Pro team at this time.
We do not rule this out as a possibility in the future, and because of that, we will keep your contact on file should that plan change at any point.
============================
Your FTP Screen Name and Pro Avatar
For players who changed their screen name once they became sponsored by FTP, we would like to give you a one-off opportunity to change your Screen Name back to the name you used right before you became a sponsored player. We will not allow you to change it to any new screen name, or any screen name used other than the last one used right before you began representing FTP.
We do intend to announce to the poker community via forums that we will be doing this, and we will also keep a list with support staff that can be mailed to any FTP player that writes in and requests a list of players who changed their screen names as a part of this process. We feel this is fair to you, and also fair to your opponents who play with you on a regular basis.
You are welcome to keep your screen name what it was changed to after signing with FTP if you so choose. The same goes for your avatar. If you choose to change your avatar to a Public avatar, you are free to go into your account settings from within the client and change as you wish.
If you wish to change your screen name back to the name you used just before being signed by FTP as an endorser, please reply to this email and state the following:
I want to change my screen name back to (Insert former screen name).*This way, we can confirm we have the same information.
============================
Rational Group Liabilities with concern to the old FTP
Under the settlement agreement with the Department of Justice, The Rational Group committed to make available for withdrawal the online poker account balances of all non-U.S. players of Full Tilt Poker. As you know FullTIltPoker.com launched on November 6, and since then non-U.S. players are able to withdraw their balances which relate to previous player activity on the site.
Other than the non-US player balances, The Rational Group did not assume any liabilities of the previous Full Tilt Poker companies and therefore previous contractual agreements that Full Tilt Poker may have had including with FTP Red Pros were excluded. As such, The Rational Group is not liable and will not pay for any amounts which may have been due to you under your agreement with any former Full Tilt Poker company.
============================
Regards,
Dustin
Manager of Team Pro
Full Tilt Poker
PokerNews has reached out to numerous FTP “Red Pros” for comment. As of press time, only former Red Pro Joseph Cheong has responded and confirmed receipt of this email.
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