Luske developed and copyrighted the International Poker Rules in 2008, through his Federation International de Poker Association (FIDPA), which he founded in 2007.
Luske says he created the rules to provide a single set standard that could apply to live poker events around the globe and help to protect the game’s integrity, as well as its players.
Marcel Luske was PokerStars’ top professional from 2009 to 2014, but says PokerStars strung him along to get his International Poker Rules.
Luske developed and copyrighted the International Poker Rules in 2008, through his Federation International de Poker Association (FIDPA), which he founded in 2007.
Luske says he created the rules to provide a single set standard that could apply to live poker events around the globe and help to protect the game’s integrity, as well as its players.
Previously, he says tournament organizers used the Tournament Director Association rules, but routinely changed them to benefit casinos and poker tournament hosts, at the expense of players.
Luske says the Bellagio in Las Vegas was the first casino to adopt his rules in 2009, and he carefully selected which casinos he would license to use his International Poker Rules, to ensure only the most reputable used them.
He says PokerStars, which controls 70 percent of the global online poker market through its PokerStars and Full Tile Poker brands, offered to buy his poker rules and made him its top pro. Luske says a PokerStars official agreed to pay $25,000 per year to use the International Poker Rules, and would help to promote Luske’s FIDPA during live events.
Instead, Luske says PokerStars strung him along long enough to copy his poker rules and present them as their own, called PSLive.
Luske says he had another buyer for his International Poker Rules, but he backed out of the deal when PokerStars approached him with its offer.
Once PokerStars published its PSLive rules, Luske says it terminated his contract and prevented him from playing for a year via a non-compete agreement.
He sued PokerStars in Nevada’s Clark County District Court on August 4, and accuses it of Fraud and/or misrepresentation.
He seeks general and special damages.
Luske is a 25-year professional poker player with more than $4.4 million in lifetime winnings. He won the European Poker Awards Player of the Year award in 2001 and 2004, and a Lifetime Achievement award in 2008.
