Pocket Kings CMO resigns
Resignation of Lothar Rentschler comes as several Full Tilt pros push for dismissal from class action lawsuit.
Lothar Rentschler, chief marketing officer of Full Tilt Poker (FTP) holding company Pocket Kings Ltd (PKL), has announced that he will step down from his post on 13 September.
The German national, who previously worked for Bacardi and media agency MEC, has been in the role since February 2009.
However, in an email seen by independent poker broadcaster QuadJacks this weekend, Rentschler said of his decision: “Given the current circumstances, I do believe it is a long overdue step towards the right direction.”
He went on to say: “I do apologise for the inconvenience the current circumstances at PKL have caused for you personally as well as for your respective companies. Our hands in marketing were bound and at the end even every communication was stopped.”
Meanwhile, several of the Team Full Tilt pros named in the first class action lawsuit brought against the company in June have sought a dismissal from the case, according to a motion filed on Friday.
One player, Phil Gordon, had already obtained a dismissal, and a motion has been filed on behalf of Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andrew Bloch, Mike Matusow and Allen Cunningham.
Five companies affiliated to FTP “ Tiltware, Vantage, Filco, Pocket Kings Ltd and Pocket Kings Consulting Ltd “ are also included in the motion for dismissal, which was filed by Ifrah Law PLLC, the legal firm representing the individuals and corporate entities.
The motion was accompanied by a 38-page memorandum of law issued by Jeff Ifrah and David B Deitsch, partners at Ifrah Law.
Ifrah has previously told eGaming Review that he hoped a potential investment in FTP would “help take care of the class action suit,” but it is unclear whether the investment in question has any connection to the decision to file the motion for dismissal.
eGR is awaiting comment from the lawyer at the time of writing, although he has recently confirmed that the exclusivity agreement between FTP and one potential investor – reported by this publication in late July – has expired.
Meanwhile one sponsored Full Tilt pro has officially announced the termination of his contract with the company. Austrian player Erich Kollmann made the statement on his blog at the UniPoker website on 12 August, explaining that “There was no information on where, how and when everything would be started again.”