{"id":5998,"date":"2018-05-09T13:43:49","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T13:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=5998"},"modified":"2018-05-09T15:48:44","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T15:48:44","slug":"2016-wsop-runner-up-gordon-vayo-suing-pokerstars-over-700000-scoop-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/2016-wsop-runner-up-gordon-vayo-suing-pokerstars-over-700000-scoop-win\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 WSOP Runner-Up Gordon Vayo Suing PokerStars Over $700,000 SCOOP Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a02016 World Series of Poker Main Event<\/strong>\u00a0runner-up is suing the world\u2019s largest online poker site.<\/p>\n

Gordon Vayo<\/strong>, who earned more than $4.6 million finishing second to 2016 WSOP Main Event Champion Qui Nguyen<\/strong>, alleges PokerStars<\/strong> refused to pay him almost $700,000 he won in a Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP)<\/strong> event last year, after falsely accusing him of breaching the site\u2019s terms of service by surreptitiously playing the event from inside the United States.<\/p>\n

Vayo filed suit with the US District Court Central District of California Western Division<\/strong>\u00a0on May 2.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint<\/a>, Vayo is a US citizen and Los Angeles, California resident who resides part-time in Ottawa, Canada. He lives in Canada for the purpose playing online poker on sites forced out of the US since 2011. Particularly PokerStars.<\/p>\n

Vayo wins PokerStars 2017 SCOOP event<\/span><\/h2>\n

Vayo claims on May 22, 2017, he was part of a chop in the 2017 PokerStars SCOOP\u2019s first event. The five players split up the remaining prize money and left an additional $100,000 for the winner. Vayo ultimately went on to win the event and earned a total of $692,460<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Vayo claims to have transferred as much as $90,000 to other PokerStars players over the next few weeks. Plus, he continued playing on the site. However, when Vayo attempted to withdraw the money on July 25, 2017, he was suddenly notified his account was being frozen. Plus, he was under investigation of suspicious activity.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat ensued was a nearly year-long inquest, during which (PokerStars) engaged in an appalling campaign of harassment, prying into every aspect of Mr. Vayo\u2019s record, demanding Mr. Vayo produce detailed retroactive proof of his location, and even opening meritless investigations into his friends\u2019 accounts, in order to gin up a pretext for not paying Mr. Vayo what he had won.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PokerStars allegedly lowered the bar<\/span><\/h2>\n

Vayo claims to have previously submitted documents to PokerStars establishing Canadian residency \u2014 documents that he says PokerStars approved, allowing him to play on the site to begin with. He then claims PokerStars demanded proof he was in Canada on each day of the tournament in question.<\/p>\n

He says he complied, providing evidence that he was in Canada at the time. However, PokerStars allegedly lowered the bar, insisting that despite the evidence he produced, it was \u201cnot inconceivable\u201d<\/strong> that he was in the US at some point during the event.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, on April 7, 2018, PokerStars sent Vayo a letter stating its investigation had concluded. The letter said Vayo had failed to produce evidence sufficient enough to rebut PokerStars\u2019 suspicions regarding his location. Therefore, he would not be paid.<\/p>\n

Vayo also claims PokerStars threatened to counter-sue him for breach of a provision in its terms of service. The provision requires all legal claims brought against the company be brought on the Isle of Man. According to the complaint, this essentially shields PokerStars from being sued altogether.<\/p>\n

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