Gossip Column: Berkey & Kuhn Twitter Feud to be Settled in a Heads-Up Match & PayPal Refunds $12K to Moneymaker

Poker feuds on Twitter have a way of escalating very quickly, and more often than not, they end up in a heads-up challenge. And it has happened again – this time between SolveForWhy founder Matt Berkey and Elite Poker Coaching founder Robert Kuhn, who were bad-mouthing each other on the micro-blogging site. This escalated to such an extent that Bill Perkins offered to sponsor a $200K prize on a boxing match between the duo. However, sanity eventually prevailed, and the duo will now be going head-to-head in a 16,000-hand $200/$400 heads-up challenge starting July 6.

Poker legend Chris Moneymaker‘s threat of suing the California-based online wallet PayPal for seizing his funds bore fruit, as the company refunded $12K to the iconic WSOP Main Event champion.

Matt Berkey & Robert Kuhn Agree to Settle Differences Through a Heads-Up Challenge Instead of Boxing Match

In our previous ‘Gossip Column’ edition, we had briefly mentioned how Bill Perkins had offered to sponsor a $200,000 prize boxing match between Matt Berkey and Rob Kuhn, provided he won his ongoing heads-up challenge against Landon Tice.

Somehow I wound offering (if I win my match w/@LandonTice ) to sponsor 200k prize boxing match between @berkey11 and @pokerguru740 . I must review my life choices immediately……. #HowDidIGetHere

— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) June 18, 2021

Before we get into how Berkey and Kuhn reacted to the offer, let’s dig a little into the backstory on the animosity between the two.

Berkey, the SolveForWhy founder, and Kuhn, founder of Elite Poker Coaching, have been at loggerheads with each other for a while now, and that turned into quite the Twitter spat.

It started when Kuhn voiced his opinion on ‘cancel culture,’ which led to Berkey calling out Kuhn’s past misdeeds.

remember when you said a homophobic slur on live stream, chose not to edit it out, and still SOMEHOW managed to be a sponsored pro/company owner? Please tell us more about cancel culture oh wise Guru pic.twitter.com/c5YlaKNhdu

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) June 18, 2021

Kuhn bounced back with a response of his own.

Remember when I apologized literally 3 seconds later. Tried to call Ryan and sent him a thoughtful dm? Also the context of my slur was for someone annoying. Keep trying bud

— Pokerguru740 (@pokerguru740) June 18, 2021

The Twitter exchange carried on for a while.

A) @me coward
B) There’s more to life than being excellent at a game. Some of us are on the grind to improve morally, mentally, physically & socially rather than just trying to collect that bag. It’s easy to project that you’re quietly beasting when you lack substance or results

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) June 16, 2021

Around this time, Perkins stepped in with his offer to sponsor a boxing match between the duo. Kuhn was the first to respond and seemed to be up for a boxing match as long as it had a UFC format.

Fwiw I still want boxing match to happen (prefer ufc)

— Pokerguru740 (@pokerguru740) June 18, 2021

Kuhn even tried to egg on Berkey to accept the boxing match.

Relax I’m in the gym you fat fuck. I’ll deal with you in due time

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) June 18, 2021

Berkey, however, didn’t much fancy trying to bridge the 90lb weight gap, so the talk turned to a more civilized poker challenge.

Alright so me and @berkey11 have (tentatively) agreed on terms as follows:
16k hand 200/400
8konline/8klive(idk If live first)
Alternate every 4.5k hands
Either player can stop at 1mm loss
We start with 80k(200bb)
Starting roughly July 6th on wsop AZ

— Pokerguru740 (@pokerguru740) June 18, 2021

Kuhn even went on to apologize for his previous tweets.

Today I choose peace, me and Berkey are still on and money is being escrowed. I was a bit of cunt yesterday because of some news I got. Sorry if I was absurd. No excuses for being a douche but the match between me and @berkey11 is still on. @JeffGrossPoker will be escrow sent 2mm

— Pokerguru740 (@pokerguru740) June 19, 2021

While the terms of the heads-up match are still to be worked out, the match start date has been set for July 6. The duo will play 16,000 hands of $200/$400. It will be a hybrid challenge, with some of it taking place on WSOP.com and some live, although the distribution of live and online hands has not been ironed out yet.

Chris Moneymaker Gets Back $12K Confiscated by PayPal Over DFS-League Dispute

In May, Americas Cardroom (ACR) brand ambassador Chris Moneymaker had announced that he would be suing online payment engine PayPal for wrongfully seizing his entire $12,229 balance on the grounds that he was flouting the site’s anti-gambling policy. He also gave an open invitation to everyone in the poker community to join his campaign against PayPal.

The 2003 WSOP Main Event winner and his attorney, Eric Bensamochan, declared that while it was legal for PayPal to boot customers off its platform for violating its anti-gambling policies — as Moneymaker had — it was illegal for the company to pocket the seized funds.

It seems that PayPal wasn’t fond of a viral effort to gather unhappy customers for a class-action lawsuit against the payment processor. When dozens of people quickly contacted the Bensamochan Law Firm to add their names to the list of people who had lost money in the same way – from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars – PayPal decided to refund Moneymaker and do away with any legal hassles.

Well, the “Moneymaker effect” is hard to stop, as we have all seen. Despite PayPal refunding Moneymaker, the lawsuit will likely move forward. While Moneymaker will not be a plaintiff in the case anymore, he plans to consult on the case and use his platform to give a voice to others with claims against PayPal.

2/3 I guess @paypal chickened out and gave me my money back when they heard about the lawsuit and backlash. Unfortunately, for @paypal I have been contact by over 50 people that you have done this too. The lawsuit I am filing will continue!! pic.twitter.com/wUYOzsVyRy

— Chris Moneymaker ⭕ (@CMONEYMAKER) June 16, 2021

3/3 I will not be a plaintiff in the lawsuit anymore but an advisor and facilitator to get people that do not have a big platform their money back. I gave you a shot but Hell is still coming @paypal

— Chris Moneymaker ⭕ (@CMONEYMAKER) June 16, 2021

While Moneymaker did get justice, PayPal didn’t actually resolve the issue or even attempt to explain it. The precedent of a globally dominant payment processor freezing accounts based on algorithms and “conducting investigations” only to confiscate the funds would not stand. At least not from what he and his attorney had to say about it.

Bensamochan did provide a statement:

“PayPal, clearly feeling the heat from the pending litigation, thought that by simply giving Chris Moneymaker his money back, that things would end. They could not be more incorrect. Mr. Moneymaker will continue to consult with the Bensamochan Law Firm in proceeding with the class action on behalf of the thousands and thousands of people who have had their hard-earned money seized at will and with impunity by PayPal. This weak attempt to quell the litigation has only ignited a larger fire now. Mr. Moneymaker is committed to giving a voice to those without one, and the Bensamochan Firm is honored to be by his side for this.”