Aba found multiaccounting - his statement

Quoted from his blog on CardRunners:

My Apology
+ Show Spoiler +

I made a thread here because it's a pretty big event in the online poker world and worth some discussion as it's a controversial topic that raises many issues. Thoughts? I'll post mine later

Age 5: Superman
Age 12: Michael Jordan
Age 20: Haile Gebreselassie
Age 25: Aba20

This is the chronology of who were my heroes. It wasn't so much what aba did that makes me regret adding him to the list, but why he did it.

Pretty well played apology imo, I dont think hes going to get alot of shit for this.

Personally, I dont think this is a huge deal considering he used the accounts to play lower than his normal games(?) but its still a very stupid thing to do and it seems like he realizes this.

Brian has showed a bit of poor judgement, but then again, which reg at 100-200 and above havent had multiple accounts at one point or another? For example, from what ive understood, Patrik Antonius has had more accounts than Paris Hilton has had pairs of shoes...
Not defendig his actions though, but BT has done enough for me and prbly for you too, so forgiving him wont be the hardest thing ever.

i still <3 aba

weird moral to ban him and not PA tbh

I see nothing wrong with having a different acct or name u play under as long as he didn't collude/cheat/abuse/etc so insta forgive

Not a big deal imo ???

But I am not knowledgeable about this sort of thing...

He seems cool.

On August 27 2008 10:42 tloapc wrote: I see nothing wrong with having a different acct or name u play under as long as he didn't collude/cheat/abuse/etc so insta forgive

So he was ashamed that he had to play lower and he smurfed on it?

Dunno doesn't seem that bad to me. Still think he should've told his friends though.

i dont get why all people jump on him and ignore when Patrick or Benyamine or Durrr or any other high stakes player have done the same in the past.

On August 27 2008 10:42 tloapc wrote: I see nothing wrong with having a different acct or name u play under as long as he didn't collude/cheat/abuse/etc so insta forgive

main things to note surrounding the issue:

- using secret accounts is a way to gain a very significant "unfair" advantage at high stakes where the pool of regulars is small and elite against ones opponents and also can 'trick' people into playing you when they otherwise wouldn't if they "knew who you were" (inverted commas for unfair because there is no set universally-agreed upon definition of online poker ethics and this is a grey area).

- (re: sakisaki) he IS getting a LOT of shit for this and has inherited the generic label of 'cheater' from many. Though many other notable online players are known to have multiaccounted in the past and the public outcry against them was not nearly as severe. Examples: Lars Luzak (LarsLuzak, Tie53, present etcetc) having a double figure number accounts on full tilt and publically admitting this in chat. Patrik Antonius having had secret accounts for years and even explained in interviews posted on the web why he does it and how it gives him an advantage and gets him more action (more recently it has been announced by full tilt that they've 'told him to stop doing it' now that he's on team full tilt), David Benyamine playing on a bunch of accounts, Urindanger/trex bros (I even unwittingly gave one of their accounts a bunch of 50/100nl hu action last year not knowing it was them), and Barry Greenstein himself has publically talked several times in the past year about how he and his notable live pro friends such as the late Chip Reese were playing on several secret accounts online and doing well, and that it's just a part of online poker. Guy Laliberte the owner of Cirque du Soleil, billionaire and recreational poker player has several accounts he plays on ftp nosebleed stakes with though there's a commonly accepted double standard that it's perfectly fine for the 'fish' to have several accounts.

- Does he deserve to be treated differently to many other multiaccounters because he's a great player? Or because of his greater position of responsibility than most high stakes secret account users, to be a full tilt pro and lead cardrunners pro? is it even wrong to multiaccount when so many do it? Wouldn't you just be levelling the playing field against the other 'cheaters'? Since it's very hard for poker sites to enforce their TOC rule about not changing accounts should the major sites (Stars/FTP) just scrap it and allow account changes every few months like you can on party? Or every week like you can on Cake? While that's not the case right now probably most regulars do not use secret accounts and play only on their one account. Is it their own fault for being at a disadvantage? Is it the sites' fault for not taking proper measures to make it harder to have other accounts? Or not properly punishing most of the ones already now known not to have done it? Or is it the multiaccounters' fault for cheating and getting an unfair advantage by breaking rules that a lot of their opponents adhere to. Should BT have gotten the punishment he got from FTP? Is it okay to crucify him in order to make an example out of him to discourage future potential multiaccounters (like what was done to ZeeJustin for playing several accounts in the same MTT - different to the issue here)? Do you think this diminishes his respect in your eyes? If so do you feel the same about PA, durrr, benyamine, Guy, etc etc? If not what do you personally think makes it different for different people whether its 'right or wrong'? So on and so on, tons of questions trying to make black or white out of the grey area.

On August 27 2008 10:42 tloapc wrote: I see nothing wrong with having a different acct or name u play under as long as he didn't collude/cheat/abuse/etc so insta forgive

you are crazy and clueless if you see nothing wrong. a lot of people will have lost a lot of money to him that they would not have lost had they known it was Brian Townsend on those accounts, either through playing vs him differently bearing past history in mind or not playing him at all. it's definitely wrong, it's a question of how wrong and how punishable

Well, at least he knows how to say sorry.

Nguyen's appology about his shitty acting on HORSE $50k ft was a joke compared to that.

aba using new accounts has been fairly common knowledge for a while now, this is just the first time hes confirmed it.

Kinda lol since hes a 'bigger' name and has CR ties that FTP only suspend him for 6months, but Little got removed permanently

On August 27 2008 10:51 Baal wrote: i dont get why all people jump on him and ignore when Patrick or Benyamine or Durrr or any other high stakes player have done the same in the past.

yep this is definitely the biggest issue. clearly there's no set ethical code and both the community and poker sites are making it up as they go along with their thoughts on the issues at the time of them happening. This gives rise to inevitable inconsistencies and hypocricies. One possible 'difference' between BT and patrik+durrr as i said before is that they weren't affilated with any sites at the time they were doing it (durrr still isn't) so they have less of a responsibility to represent the site and lead by example in following its rules. Then again, I'm pretty sure DB was a red pro when he was using tons of different accounts and the fact ftp took no action against him is very puzzling? Maybe it's different depending on how important you are to ftp what you're allowed to get away with? DB is a high profile household-name pro whereas less people will be familiar with BT so DB gets off lighter than BT? Wasn't there some young online mtt player who had a couple decent luckboxed live tourny results and managed to become a red pro then got found just playing mtts on stars when his contract said he can only play ftp, and he just got straight up fired from red status? Who was that again? Clearly compared to BT and DB he was a total nobody so he just gets insta-booted for a much less severe infraction?

On August 27 2008 11:11 TwistedEcho wrote: aba using new accounts has been fairly common knowledge for a while now, this is just the first time hes confirmed it. Kinda lol since hes a 'bigger' name and has CR ties that FTP only suspend him for 6months, but Little got removed permanently

What little did was different -- he got friends to play on his account when he wasnt available to play so they could get 100% free rakeback and also make the hourly wage that these ftp pros get. I am pretty sure this is why little got removed. =

well i think there is something wrong with this. i dont think its THAT bad relatively, and i do not think the ppl who have done this in the past got nearly the rep hes getting for this, which isnt fair @ all.

that said, i still respect him for coming forward and giving a solid apology. gl to him!

Im not gonna argue about what he did and if it was good or bad since I think its besides the point. As long as he is treated like everyone else I dont see a problem, I dont know what the standard punishment but he should get it. I wouldnt be surprised if he doesnt get it tho, since thats how thing go.

On August 27 2008 11:17 KrappyKonnect wrote: Show nested quote + On August 27 2008 11:11 TwistedEcho wrote: aba using new accounts has been fairly common knowledge for a while now, this is just the first time hes confirmed it. Kinda lol since hes a 'bigger' name and has CR ties that FTP only suspend him for 6months, but Little got removed permanently What little did was different -- he got friends to play on his account when he wasnt available to play so they could get 100% free rakeback and also make the hourly wage that these ftp pros get. I am pretty sure this is why little got removed. =

yes i know what little did. I just wonder if it was someone like PearlJammer who made new accounts to play tournaments and got caught, if they'd bother with a 6months ban, or just kick him off (since no one would care really)