[warning] Pineapple Telegram Poker Game

[GxSTxV]

I wanted to share my recent experience with a Telegram poker  that have announced their platform here Pineapple Poker

What happened: yesterday a friend of me wanted to learn more about online poker so I decided to try out this poker on Telegram knowing that I have tried before lately, also as help from him since I had to self-exclude from my usual casino due to excessive gambling other than Poker. We were only looking for a casual and fun experience.I made a deposit of approximately 60 USDT in two transactions, which took hours to confirm.

The deposit address : TYZNSSyLxNADfaQxRjDKz5G5w9QjH8DqLy

Issue: Things took a turn when we stopped playing and it’s time for my friend to leave, I attempted to withdraw the rest of the balance (transfer from my friend account to mine as well) to avoid fees, as well my friend isn’t a crypto user . However, I waited for hours without any funds received, surprisingly our accounts were closed without any explanation.



Despite repeated attempts to contact their support service which was a only bot in Telegram as well for clarification or assistance, I received this one and only answer after waiting hours:

Hello, thank you for getting in touch. We've noticed some concerning activity on your accounts, which violates our terms of service.
As we are committed to providing a safe and fair game to all of our players. We can’t tolerate / allow
such activity.

My suspicion is that their AI system may have mistakenly took our activity as multi accounting and considering that I have transferred the funds to his account which is a feature they offer on the platform itself. This is a big misjudgment without answering my requests, or just a scam refusing to pay back a small deposits since they don’t have much players.

Advanced Gameplay Monitoring: Our platform utilizes sophisticated algorithms
and AI-based systems to detect and analyze patterns indicative of unfair practices like multi-accounting and collusion.

I don't believe that playing a few games with a friend, where we mostly lost and mainly competed against each other violates any rules in poker.

In Conclusion, I don’t advise anyone to try their Telegram console game with any high funds, possibly you will get banned after few games or after making a deposit.

[BitcoinGirl.Club]

My suspicion is that their AI system may have mistakenly took our activity as multi accounting and considering that I have transferred the funds to his account which is a feature they offer on the platform itself.

It seems somehow you connected your wallet with your friends wallet and in that case as far as I know some other regular casino and sportsbook may also consider it as the same owner which means you are multi account. I am not saying it's the case here. Pineapple Telegram seems new to the community. Ann posted only less than two months ago.

[GxSTxV]

It seems somehow you connected your wallet with your friends wallet and in that case as far as I know some other regular casino and sportsbook may also consider it as the same owner which means you are multi account. I am not saying it's the case here. Pineapple Telegram seems new to the community. Ann posted only less than two months ago.

Sorry, but I'm unclear about which wallet you are referring to? My friend doesn’t have any wallet as I mentioned isn’t a crypto user or a big fan of online gambling.
 I transferred the funds to him using his account ID, as requested by the feature within their transfer section of the pineapple telegram bot. This feature allows for transferring funds to other players instead of withdrawing to a USDT wallet. So does this mean that anyone using this feature is considered a rule breaker and risks being banned? That’s not logic

[BitcoinGirl.Club]

It seems somehow you connected your wallet with your friends wallet and in that case as far as I know some other regular casino and sportsbook may also consider it as the same owner which means you are multi account. I am not saying it's the case here. Pineapple Telegram seems new to the community. Ann posted only less than two months ago.

Sorry, but I'm unclear about which wallet you are referring to? My friend doesn’t have any wallet as I mentioned isn’t a crypto user or a big fan of online gambling.
 I transferred the funds to him using his account ID, as requested by the feature within their transfer section of the pineapple telegram bot. This feature allows for transferring funds to other players instead of withdrawing to a USDT wallet. So does this mean that anyone using this feature is considered a rule breaker and risks being banned? That’s not logic

For my lack of understanding, you don't need to be sorry. I did not understand the fund transferring between accounts. I thought you withdraw the fund to your friends wallet and somehow both wallets were found connected. My apology.

Did they tell you that specific account username or ID? If they didn't then you still don't know if they are suspecting between you and your friend or someone else.

[GxSTxV]

For my lack of understanding, you don't need to be sorry. I did not understand the fund transferring between accounts. I thought you withdraw the fund to your friends wallet and somehow both wallets were found connected. My apology.

Did they tell you that specific account username or ID? If they didn't then you still don't know if they are suspecting between you and your friend or someone else.

No, it wasn’t the case and the only address I tried to withdraw the funds is my USDT-TRON wallet. Without much explanation both accounts got banned, for this reason, they created a feature of sending funds between players and their system or whatever is detecting it as something forbidden or a rule breaker.
They banned both accounts, my friend’s account also at the same timing I requested a withdrawal order of 24 USDT. It’s not even a win for me, the reason I made this withdrawal is their poor platform services, the servers were slow and sometimes they freeze and lead to folding the game which lead to losses.

Anyways, I’m still trying to reach their support team to explain everything or at least get an explanation, But I believe that they won’t answer and they are just stealing whatever they could since the game failed to gather players.

[BitcoinGirl.Club]

Anyways, I’m still trying to reach their support team to explain everything or at least get an explanation, But I believe that they won’t answer and they are just stealing whatever they could since the game failed to gather players.

A good start is to PM their forum representative.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3607347
If you have not sent a pm to the account then let's begin with it. I hope they come and give some explanation. You are always welcome to create the flag and ask for support but give them time to speak their side first.

[GxSTxV]

A good start is to PM their forum representative.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3607347
If you have not sent a pm to the account then let's begin with it. I hope they come and give some explanation. You are always welcome to create the flag and ask for support but give them time to speak their side first.

Thank you, I have just sent them a PM here as well. I believe they are already aware of this case since they responded to me once on Twitter (X platform) regarding the delay of my first deposit, then again I sent to them the link of this topic but without any answer. I hope they at least provide an explanation for what happened. And if what I did, which involves only playing poker with a friend, transferring funds to his account using a feature they provide inside the bot, and playing few hands together at one table with and without other players is something that violates their rules, I would like to understand why, and where did they mention such rules.

In any case, their lack of response and activity in their only support chat which is a Telegram bot, is something negative for anyone considering to deposit money or use the platform. As for the red flag, I may wait for an answer for a week or so before asking others here to support it with the evidence I have of them refusing to explain anything and withholding a small withdrawal.

[yahoo62278]

Just the fact that they don't respect users enough to talk to them regarding support is enough for me to not want anything to do with the platform. Is there not an email address to send concerns to or anything?

[pineapple_poker]

Dear GxSTxV,

Thank you for your message. We take all player feedback seriously and conduct thorough investigations into all reported issues. After a detailed review of the account activities in question, we've identified patterns that are consistent with prohibited behaviors, such as multi-accounting and collusion.

Policy Enforcement:
Our platform's integrity and the fairness of the games we offer are paramount. To uphold these standards, we implement strict policies against any form of cheating, including multi-accounting and collusion. These actions disrupt the competitive balance and enjoyment of our games for all players.

In your case, the decision to close the accounts was based on clear evidence of such activities, where the same individual controlled multiple accounts, engaging in gameplay that was non-competitive and irrational, aimed at manipulating outcomes.

Resolution:
While we understand that this decision may be disappointing, it is final and based on a firm commitment to maintaining a fair and trustworthy gaming environment for all our players. Our terms of service, which all players agree to upon registration, clearly prohibit these actions, and we must enforce these rules consistently.

Further Communication:
We believe in transparent communication and are available to discuss this matter further if you have any questions or require clarification on our policies and the evidence leading to this decision.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the integrity of our gaming community.

Best regards,

Pineapple Poker

[GxSTxV]

In your case, the decision to close the accounts was based on clear evidence of such activities, where the same individual controlled multiple accounts, engaging in gameplay that was non-competitive and irrational, aimed at manipulating outcomes.

Thank you for finally responding after many attempts to reach you. Unfortunately, the only way to get a response was by opening an accusation against you otherwise you would just ignore me. However, if you aim to be a reputable platform within this community, I think it’s important  to provide clear rules about your game and also to evidences against what I have said.
If the reason for closing my account is an accusation of controlling multiple accounts and cheating then I must say that it's baseless. Is it forbidden to play with a friend in this game? How can you conclude that I'm controlling multiple accounts when the only connection between me and my friend is the funds transferred through the ingame feature?
Logically, the reason you closing my account is based on cheating so why would someone open two accounts just to lose money and play at the same table, especially considering you charge 5% or more on every poker round pot? If our gameplay was non competitive so how can you suggest for me to play with this friend?
We were using different devices and in different locations. If someone is attempting to cheat, do you truly believe they would transfer funds between each others.
If there are no rules forbidding playing with a friend in this case then I fail to see any reason for your actions.

In any case, this topic is mainly to clarify things for the community knowing the deposit and the withdrawal amount are very small, for users who want to enjoy poker here and I’m sure many friends here played Poker before (Betnomi). I have participated in many poker tournaments here only for fun and I knew friends from here, doesn’t it mean it is cheating? So I believe you are implementing new rules banning anyone who uses the transfer funds between players feature or tries to play with a friend now?

[pineapple_poker]

Thank you for your patience and for bringing your concerns to our attention. We understand your frustration and want to provide some clarity on our process and actions.

Investigation and Response Time:
The time taken to respond was due to our thorough manual review of the activities associated with your account and the linked account. We take allegations of unfair play seriously and invest significant effort to ensure our investigations are comprehensive and fair.

Privacy and Evidence:
While we have substantial evidence to support the decision, including irregularities in login patterns, gameplay, and transaction behaviors, our policy is to maintain the privacy and security of all our users. Therefore, we do not disclose specific evidence publicly. This is to protect user data and the integrity of our investigative processes.

Commitment to Fair Play:
Our primary goal is to provide a safe, fair, and enjoyable gaming environment. Decisions to close accounts are never made lightly and are based on a comprehensive review of all available data.

We understand that you may not agree with our decision, but please be assured it was made following a detailed and fair investigation process. Our actions are aimed at protecting the integrity of the gaming experience for all our users.

We are committed to continuous improvement and take your feedback seriously as part of this commitment. Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you the best in your future gaming endeavors.

Best regards,

[GxSTxV]

Well, I respect your final decision since it’s your platform and rules, I don’t have clear evidence that what I did is only a game between a friend, not as you are accusing me with, controlling multiple accounts: you can verify the IP addresses and devices of both accounts.
collusion and multi accounting: you can see that I have played many times only me and my friend in empty tables so if we talk logically both accounts combined lost money and didn’t cheat to win against your rules or create an unfair gaming environment.
However, I understand that it’s hard to make a conclusion of what happened exactly here and in this case, I will just leave the topic as a warning for users to decide in case someone wants to join your platform.
Moreover, I you you upgrade the security measures and really look deep into such situations, or at least warn others to never invite a friend.

Beside that, it’s unprofessional to respond here same as your bot assistant in telegram with AI generated texts rather than making good human sentences to explain things better.

[yahoo62278]

I'm not exactly sure the whole situation only that you transferred your friend money using their in game feature. From my experience, transferring funds to a friend is fine. Transferring funds and then playing on the same table is usually not accepted. It would look like collusion pretty easily. Even if you lost money doing it.

That may not have been your intent and may not be how it happened. In the future I would suggest if you want to play with a buddy that you have them have their own wallet and make their own deposit from it. You will save yourself a headache.

Regarding the accusation of fraudulent activity, seems pretty unlikely you were colluding or you were very bad at it lol.

[albon]

Sorry for your loss. Pineapple Poker seems to be new and unknown, and I have never tried a casino via Telegram, but it seems that this casino does not require KYC if I am not mistaken. How did they block your account and your friend's account and accuse you of cheating and creating multiple accounts if they do not have conclusive proof and knowledge of their customers' identities? Also, the fact that you sent the crypto to your friend’s account is actually a feature on their platform to send USDT to another player if he does not have any USDT to play, so this should not represent one of the types of collusion and cheating, as it's your money and you have the freedom to use it as you wish. Also, if they do not accept playing with friends at one table or transferring funds to them, they must mention this in the terms of use as well.

Also, through their Telegram bot, they know your IP, your friend’s IP, and your Telegram IDs. Frankly, their auditing processes don't seem transparent. It is worth noting that most of their tables contain 0 players, and I haven't found any reviews related to this Telegram casino. Therefore, it's better to avoid it, as there are more reliable alternatives available.

[Aanuoluwatofunmi]

They cant just hold your account on ransom without you doing anything, but from your way of explanation, you have your account being connected to that of your friend and i think under their terms and conditions, such is not allowed and you just probably multi account with them, how can they establish the fact the the other account was not yours and it belong to your friend, this is very difficult to do on their own side, they now have their strong evidence as against you than what you have in convincing that you have done nothing, moreover, telegram is never the best platform of getting a reliable poker gambling site because many of them could be the fake ones.

[holydarkness]

OP, I'm curious of the amount being confiscated by this platform. I don't think you've mentioned it? Or did I miss the number?

[...]

Investigation and Response Time:
The time taken to respond was due to our thorough manual review of the activities associated with your account and the linked account. We take allegations of unfair play seriously and invest significant effort to ensure our investigations are comprehensive and fair.

Privacy and Evidence:
While we have substantial evidence to support the decision, including irregularities in login patterns, gameplay, and transaction behaviors, our policy is to maintain the privacy and security of all our users. Therefore, we do not disclose specific evidence publicly. This is to protect user data and the integrity of our investigative processes.

Commitment to Fair Play:
Our primary goal is to provide a safe, fair, and enjoyable gaming environment. Decisions to close accounts are never made lightly and are based on a comprehensive review of all available data.

[...]

I understand that through your manual review, your findings that support your suspicion of multi-acc abuse are as I bolded? Given OP played with his friend and they tried to withdraw through OP's address, wouldn't it explains a lot about the irregular login pattern, gameplay, and transaction?

They always played together, hence the relatively similar login and logout pattern. They played on the same table, as they intended to compete against each other. Thus, same gameplay. And the transaction behaviors... well, that's kinda self-explained.

[GxSTxV]

Regarding the accusation of fraudulent activity, seems pretty unlikely you were colluding or you were very bad at it lol.

Well, to be honest I was just dumb giving them much benefit of doubt and totally forgot about the collusion thing in poker. The problem here is their tools or ways to verify this matter or what happened exactly which I find unfair. But fortunately, our deposits were a slight amount of money.

Sorry for your loss. Pineapple Poker seems to be new and unknown, and I have never tried a casino via Telegram, but it seems that this casino does not require KYC if I am not mistaken. How did they block your account and your friend's account and accuse you of cheating and creating multiple accounts if they do not have conclusive proof and knowledge of their customers' identities?

It wasn’t a significant loss at all, I wouldn’t really care about the money as much as sharing what happened with us here in public. Pineapple team could just verify well my gameplay history, I joined them months ago, played in their tournaments before and when my friend joined I shared some games in empty tables with him.
If they verified everything and failed to confirm what I did wasn’t something against the rules, then I don’t suggest to anyone who wanna play with a friend or uses the inside account transfer feature. If they could verify everything and still refusing to unban and withdraw that small sum of USDT, then it’s an obvious scam.
 

OP, I'm curious of the amount being confiscated by this platform. I don't think you've mentioned it? Or did I miss the number?


They always played together, hence the relatively similar login and logout pattern. They played on the same table, as they intended to compete against each other. Thus, same gameplay. And the transaction behaviors... well, that's kinda self-explained.

The amount confiscated was only 24$ and one more thing I missed to mention is I made the withdrawal order right after their servers were down for few minutes (about 10 minutes).

I didn’t always play with my friend or only with him, we shared few games together the day before I tried to withdraw my money and surprisingly got banned from them without even leaving an explanation.

Collusion means cheating when two or more players secretly working together against others while we were competing against each other.

[Poker Player]

From my experience, transferring funds to a friend is fine.

Well, I am not so sure,  because in the old days in Pokerstars that could be done and years ago they eliminated that possibility.

What strikes me is this:

Resolution:
While we understand that this decision may be disappointing, it is final...

This is another reason why I don't play on crappy crypto sites. If I had a similar problem on Pokerstars, I could appeal externally to the gaming supervisory body or the relevant ministry, but I doubt you can complain anywhere about a poker game on Telegram. In any type of company or business that makes a decision you don't agree with you have external tools to fight with but not against this. They decide, period. And it doesn't do me any good if they say it's based on honest investigation, their protocols, etc.

[holydarkness]

OP, I'm curious of the amount being confiscated by this platform. I don't think you've mentioned it? Or did I miss the number?


They always played together, hence the relatively similar login and logout pattern. They played on the same table, as they intended to compete against each other. Thus, same gameplay. And the transaction behaviors... well, that's kinda self-explained.

The amount confiscated was only 24$ and one more thing I missed to mention is I made the withdrawal order right after their servers were down for few minutes (about 10 minutes).

Thank you for the number, I'll add that info to my list.

I didn’t always play with my friend or only with him, we shared few games together the day before I tried to withdraw my money and surprisingly got banned from them without even leaving an explanation.

Collusion means cheating when two or more players secretly working together against others while we were competing against each other.

This is my understanding too, that those findings they found are there simply because two players are friends, who share time and wanted to enjoy some game together, instead of deliberately trying to collude. Especially that now you've add that you've been around for a while and plays on other matches alone, and not exclusively always together.

If they found strange behaviour on some of the matches where one [perhaps] deliberately lose to the other, and very visibly guiding the winner, on empty tables, I believe it's simply because:

[...] yesterday a friend of me wanted to learn more about online poker [...]

pineapple_poker?