November 19, 2008
It’s rare to see a poker player take to the courts to settle a dispute. In the high stakes poker world, a verbal contract is often as solid as rock. Apparently this isn’t the case in the matter between Clonie Gowen and Full Tilt Poker. After being told that her services were no longer needed as a “Team Full Tilt Pro” player, Clonie filed suit in a Nevada court this past weekend.
In her claim she asserts that she had a verbal contract with the owners of Full Tilt Poker that goes back to 2004. She goes on to say that she was promised 1% ownership of the company, despite there being no legal agreement on paper between the two. The case is interesting because according to her own affadavit, she wasn’t paid the $275K due to her in 2007 but continued to play on the poker site and wear Full Tilt gear to live events. Why she waited until the end of 2008 to file suit is anyone’s guess but perhaps her motive will be revealed if and when this goes to court.
Most expert eyes that are watching this case expect an out of court settlement. The company that develops the software that Full Tilt runs on, Tiltware LLC, is also named in the suit. Major backers of that company? Howard Lederer, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, and Jennifer Harman. It could be very interesting if the court demands additional discovery around these famous US pro players and their true connection to the gaming side of Full Tilt Poker, which still operates in a legal gray area under US laws and the UIGEA.
We’ll update on any developments in this story as they occur.
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