Aggression

[Darren B]

They are then just patrons of the venue, they may both happen to be poker players but they might both be Catholics, gay, short, or whatever else you can think of too so who cares?

I know u dont have a problem with Catholic gays.....but stop knocking the short people!!!

[BigPete33]

<in best Kamahl voice>

Why are people so unkind?

[bobneil]

Where exactly does the line stop.. If someone follows someone else home and does the same thing, would a ban result?

the point is, the line does not stop, it does not exist. the NPL must protect itself, it stakeholders and its integrity. if an inncident extends from something that happened at an NPL event, as the severity of the outcome grows, so do the ramifacations for everyone involved. in the same way schools can discipline kids for something that may have happened off school grounds (but been related to something at school) or bar workers/venues can get in the poo if they do not apply RSA and a drunk customer kills a family driving home.

how would you all feel if there was someone (or a group) that followed you home from an NPL tourny and beat you up? would you demand action from the NPL or be happy to let the guilty parties continue playing at venues with you?

to say this is not the business of the NPL is about as far off the mark as you can be.

[BigPete33]

I'm going to disagree.

The example of a drunk driver is not comparable as in that case it's a direct result of the bar staff continuing to serve the drunk driver that contributed to the events that followed. That's why they get in the poo for doing it.

Let's say we rock up to a venue, play poker, finish, go to the front bar and have some drinks, and then I tell you that your mum is crap in bed or something and we have a blue.

What's that got to do with poker? It isn't relevant and nor should it be. The venue however can ban us or whatever they like, not to mention the whole legality of it all. That in itself isn't the NPL's problem.

[Scotty]

how would you all feel if there was someone (or a group) that followed you home from an NPL tourny and beat you up? would you demand action from the NPL or be happy to let the guilty parties continue playing at venues with you?

I believe the police would be my first port of call if i had the **** kicked out of me by a group of people.

[Garth Kay]

The incident occurred as a result from actions taken and words said at an NPL poker tournament. These two players would not have been there were it not for the poker. And to be quite honest I do not care where the incident occurred, at what time, how many hours after the event or where it occurred. If an incident of this nature stems from a poker tournament then penalties will be issued.
Some of the previous comments made, in opposition to NPL been allowed to make a judgement on this are just ridiculous.
Verbal abuse towards a player will not be tolerated and physical violence will not be tolerated at all. As far as I am concerned fighting or physical violence is the worst act a player can perform and thus is entitled to the maximum penalty.
As an operations manager one of my top priorities is to ensure the safety of staff and players across all venues. Let's see, for those of you who are dissenting against the punishment or whether it is NPL's dominion, how you would feel after been attacked or even physically threatened once.
Although it was not a pleasure to ban this player, it was something that had to be done, not only to send the message out there that these actions will not be tolerated and that our TD's are there to resolve these issues.

[Des]

Well that pretty much closes the discussion

And i agree 100%

[southern_lizi]

Case closed, learn from it and move on,

[Bacon]

I have been threatened with physical violence at an NPL game, and have raised it with NPL TD's.

This player still plays, and I have previously avoided venues I know he's played, because he comes across as a loose cannon. I now play at these venues again, because I know that, if something was to happen, I'd have avenues to persue.

Having someone given a life ban has proved to me that the NPL does respect their players, and gives me confidence to be able to enjoy my poker at different venues.

Thanks NPL.

[bobneil]

your mum is crap in bed.

oh yeah? well she says you're hung like an infant!

i know what you're saying pete, but if the NPL takes no action and something happens or they take no action to prevent another incident from occuring, they can find themselves right in the poo and that is why it is comparable. also, if incidents are occuring and venues are linked to them (even worse if they are happening at the venue), i think you would find them less enthusiastic to host poker events and the game is up for everyone who enjoys free poker in this state.

I believe the police would be my first port of call if i had the **** kicked out of me by a group of people.

yeah scott, i hope that they would be. but maybe if you were savy you would put in a call to a few local media outlets to take a few photos and drum up some publicity, so that once the scum bags cop a conviction you can sue them?

in my line of work, one of the first questions you have to ask yourself when something happens is "how will this look on TodayTonight?". the last thing anyone involved with NPL would want is the organisation being linked to violence, general bad behaviour in public or undesirable people, as this would give every community group do-gooder and Xenophon wannabe a big megaphone to tell an audience larger than you can imagine how bad this all is for our community and how it must be shut down.