Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Online payments

Even before Black Friday, those in the know were warning that online poker sites were being forced to turn to ever-shadier payment processors, as more reliable ones were either forcibly shut down or voluntarily stopped doing service for U.S.-facing sites.


I decided to cash out some of my recent MTT and SNG success on Bodog. I received the check today (via FedEx, presumably to avoid any potential federal charges regarding use of the mail). The check was not from Bodog, but from "Guru Novelty Wholesale, Inc." of Troy, Michigan. The check was drawn on an obscure bank in Hamtramck, Michigan. (Raise your hand if you've ever heard of this thriving metropolis of 23,000 citizens.)

I don't have any serious doubt that the check will go through. I've never had any problem with payments from Bodog. But man, this is feeling pretty dodgy.

Be careful. It's a jungle out there.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Rake,

How long did it take to get your
check?

Is it true one hase to withdraw a minimum of $300.

After playing PL HL (2-5c & 5-10L)
I'm in the profit column---generally,
most player on these tables are really bad.

Rakewell said...

This time it was 12 days from request to check in hand, which is pretty typical for Bodog, in my experience.

No, it appears that the minimum for a check is $20. (That's the number that is, by default, in the "amount" section of the online form you fill out, so I'm assuming that's the minimum.) I've never done less than $100 at a time.

Memphis MOJO said...

I can say that I just heard from Bodog that my check is arriving Thursday which would be 10 days from my request.

I don't think there's a minimum, but if it's less than a certain amount, you can only withdraw once per month (if I remember correctly).

sevencard2003 said...

the photos u are posting of poker online tables, are those photos of bodog or another site? how many different sites do u play at? which ones? i opened a bodog account many years ago but its been inactive a while.

Rakewell said...

They're Bodog--as suggested by the word "BODOG" across the middle of the table.

I think I have accounts on every network, but lately I've only been playing on Bodog and Carbon (via Black Chip).

Anonymous said...

OT: How is the Horse and Razz action at Bodog? Trying to get a low level $1 - $5 SnG at Stars is really tough these days.

Rakewell said...

There is none.

Mark T said...

Not only have I heard of Hamtramck, I know how to pronounce it (three syllables, baby!).

The check I got from Bodog a couple months back was from some weird bank in Singapore, but it cashed just fine with no problems.

Not sure what to make of it, actually.

Anonymous said...

i just got a check from guru novelty wholesale - the bank it was drawn on was comerica bank - it was from intertops - AND IT BOUNCED. they paid me via wire transfer the next day - BUT i also had to ask for the returned check me in addition to the wire, it was not immediately offered. very surprising because i have been dealing with them for over 10 years yet at the same time not surprising at all, if that makes any sense.