Multi-accounting – another scandal?

I guess. But, what is clear? Can a case be made for multiple accounts? I have multiple accounts. I only use the one and have had multiples for a variety of reasons that won’t send me to the slammer or purgatory. Mea Culpa? I guess…if you insist…

At the WSOP this year, Joe Sebok (Dan M at Pokerati say it was Phil Laak — making matters worse.) showed up with a full prosthetic makeup by a Hollywood professional. He looked older than me by a bunch and certainly didn’t appear as himself. There was some confusion at the time he took his seat and a private conversation with one of the TD’s people got him the seat. No multi-accounting there but it does demonstrate the deception available with such a setup.

Brian “sbrugby” Townsend is the latest and doing better damage control than those who went before. But he shouldn’t bother. You don’t get sympathy when you fall from any heights in this world. And his willingness to reduce his bankroll to ‘just’ 100K exacerbates that tendency with a lot of folks. The charitable donation gets no credit because it happened under duress.

I don’t know Brian Townsend. He appears nicer or at least more sober than Scotty. He’s making money off poker in non-traditional ways but I won’t look in any mirrors at this point in the discussion. He is a name. I imagine he has ‘people’ that are looking after his career. California Jen calls him ‘a good looking kid’ in her blogging. Not sure what that means. Would Jen appreciate my overview of her appearance as a judgment? And, I’d say he of average looks. Good looking I’ll associate with those that go beyond the normal. Attractive I give her but that isn’t all physical.

OK, I have insulted Jen – a good looking girl – married to an attractive but folliclely challenged fellow. Let’s get back to trashing Brian. I am drifting again.

From what I know of the law – head of a pin comes to mind – it requires not only being on the wrong side but also has a requirement of intent — the difference between manslaughter and murder. There are lots of laws out there. The UIGEA comes to mind. There are also a set that came down from a mountain. Then there are all those class ones – like class 5 misdemeanor or class A felony. Then we throw in a stupid Federal Sentencing Guidelines to muddy the water a bit more.

I try to avoid climbing onto high horses. Sometimes I do and am lucky when I get back off in one piece. Brian did a no-no. He did it in an industry that is an angle shooting dream and that is on the high side. A little look away by the house can net big bucks. So, it is a place that deserves scrutiny.

Brian lost his ‘red status’ at Full Tilt. That is a slap on the wrist. It also seems appropriate. It isn’t the ‘death sentence’ directed at others. Yet, it acknowledges the misdemeanor aspect that is tempered to that by intent. He had the account to play down where he could be invisible and have some fun. Hey, that why I play – at least for the most part. May I add that I am also a former ‘good looking kid’ — well, not without some likely multi-accounting of a different nature. BTW, PokerStars hasn’t done its sentencing yet and I hope they, too, are moderate.

I guess Brian wouldn’t get called an A-list guy in tournaments or blogging> but with a solid online poker presence that is upper eschalon. I thought he played a solid though uninspired game on High Stakes Poker. It seemed to show a capability beyond the cards he got though.

So, lets not run for the rope or thumb screws. I am willing to call it a faux pas and move on. It is more traffic court than criminal. He is willing to pay the fine and should keep his license.

ADDENDUM:

If you read Brian’s blog, you saw this: The past two years I have made a lot of money playing poker.  This year I have been breakeven.I guess I’m doing better than I thought. I still have a small profit. He was embarrassed to play low but his low and your’s or mine are two different beasts. He does talk about why he plays and it shows a maturity that others might do well to emulate: For me it’s correct to play smaller when things aren’t going well.  I have never played poker for the money; it has always been a byproduct of my play.  Whatever I do I want to be the best at it. We can all play for any number of reasons and his seem as reasoned as any.

On the home front I had a couple of good session. One was ‘playing up’ at 1-2. The other came from ‘playing down’ at .25-.50. He talked about ‘playing down’ at 200-400. But, nah-nah-nah, Brian – I am above water here. ROFL

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Journal, Poker Thoughts.