Chat ban

Magicalman · January 2014

Firstly I am hoping this is the right location for this thread. If not then would the moderator please relocate ty.

I am writing this as honestly and as impatial as i can be. I wish to share with all readers the scenario, as best as i can recall, along with the outcome.

To summarise.. I was playing in the 1.00 am or 2.00 am £5 buy in guaranteed. These torneys i play regularily.
We were down to the last 7 players I was on the short table. The other table happended to consist of ,shall we say, loose, wild shoving type players, as opposed to disciplined.
I was Chip leader with 12k whilst my two opponents had about 10 and 6k.. Blind were 200/400.
Whilsts we were chatting I said something like.. i am guessing wer play nice and let the other lot kill each other... please understand this was part of just a friendly ongoing converstation.
The following day, one of the players from the other table, who we shall call MrX, went out of his way to find me playing. Railed and started accusing me of being a cheat, colluson and he had proof... Please understand that I really don't like being called a cheat AND i would never accuse anyone, even if i suspected, without serious proof.
He had decided that the words "Play Nice" was some form of code to collude together. I explained to him that it didnt mean that at all, no one had agreed anything and it was just another way of saying.. we are the poker players so we will play firm and wont get out of line.
He wasnt happy with any reason given, he certainly ignored the facts that no one had folded away to each other. Then an ally appeared and she( her name is female so i am assuming) also started on the same screaming mantra.
He then procceded to stalk (rail) me for 5 days banging on about the same thing calling me a cheat.
Basically he must have visited me on at least 8 different tables doing the same thing yet he hadnt reported it to sky (whichy was suggested on more than one occasion)
On one of the days i was at the table with the other 2 players, I am happy to name them purely so if anyone knows them then i am sure they will happily add to this thread. Sandhu and TonySix.
At this point please let me stress that I don't not know these players other than coming across them at the tables and chatting.
At this point he was told emphatically by all of us that no collusion was going on.. He was also told that if he bothered to look at the activity the table finally broke with blinds at 500/1000 and by that time there had been at least 2 all in shoves by each of us and i was down to about 6000. Not once did we all fold away and go round the merry go round.
On Wednesday night/Thursday morning i finally snapped at the guy after repeatedly saying the same thing to him and if we was that annoyed speak to sky.. Yes i did call him a moron. To stop talking ( hairy balls )and F! off BUT it was after 5 days of stalking harassment, slander, calling me a cheat and even suggesting all 3 of us were in touch somehow and best of buddies.. (I have never spoken to any of them outside the chat box)
As soon as i finally snapped he calmly announced he was going to go to Kingston Police station and report me for using absuive foul language. At this point i used Livechat and explained the situation
In the morning, I found i had a chat ban.. Well i really wasnt surprised because if you looked at my final comment to this chap it wasnt pleasant BUT if one considers the constant hapassment, accusation and public slander then I am guessing you can all sympathise when one finally has had enough.
So I rang sky and explained the situation. The person i spoke with was great, he listened carefully.. I said to him I was definitely at fault when i snapped but i had enough... (Back to my comment about I really dont like being called a cheat or cheats for that matter)
This sky representative went through everything and lifted the ban.
During this conversation he also asked me if I had received notification from sky about this as it was standard procedure. I hadn't
On Friday, the chat ban was re instated and when i spoke with Sky they stated a full investigation had been undertaken and that 2 parties had received a Life ban being irreversible.

Conclusions

If one was to investigate the hand history and betting activity it is totally apparent that NO Collusion was going on. If it was then protocol would be to Ban me and the other two players (Which hasn't occurred)

If no collusion was going on then MrX was totally in the wrong, from the outset.

More importantly. Mr X did all the stalking. All the Slander and followed me to over 10 tables in 5 days.

The reason for this post is. I do not believe i have been treated fairly and i do not understand how anyone who does an investigation can come to the conclusion that I was the perpetrator. The Lifetime ban also has connertations of implying i was colluding!

I am unable to gain any feedback from sky CS however am hoping that one of the Sky managers who oversee these posts will consider the facts and re consider.

Please only comment with considered structured views as there is no need for emtion or personal feelings regarding this. It can happen to any of us and its important to get clarity.

Thanks H