PokerWorks

The boy who cried wolf is crying again. Online poker player Josh Field, who is better known by the moniker JJProdigy, has posted another apology on an online forum. And it seems to have fallen flat because even those who believed his last open apology may not put much stock in the latest one. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

In December of 2007, Field posted an apology to the online poker community for recurrent cheating, including playing underage, under false names, and multi-accounting. With pressure from his parents, Field posted the statement on the 2+2 forum. At the time, the apology seemed somewhat genuine with the sentiment being directed to the players affected and the community as a whole. “I give my word,” he wrote,” that I will never multi-account again, and I will not play online until I am 18… I hope I can earn the forgiveness of the community, the sites, and even my friends.”

Upon turning 18 years of age soon after, he began to play in tournaments where he was legally able to do so, such as in the Aussie Millions. He had hoped to play in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, but his ban from PokerStars was extended to the live event, and he was not allowed to play. While he had not played much on the live circuit since then, he recently reared his head again on PocketFives, with a post on their forums. You guessed it; it was another apology.

The September 15th, 2008 post begins with apologizing for failed past apologies. “It has always been my wish to come clean and be accepted into the community like I was at the very beginning of my career, but the reasons behind my words weren’t what they needed to be for me to realize the impact of my actions on the players, the poker community, and the outlook on online poker by the rest of the world. I have made the decision that it is time to move on with my life and to finally mature. It is necessary that I put myself on the back burner and dedicate myself to promoting this game and to repairing the image that I have created for it.”

Field then launched into a wide-reaching apology…again…to all of the players affected by his cheating, the bad reputation he contributed to online poker, those offended by his actions, and those affected by associating with him. Then, his ego seemed to kick into full gear.

“I would also live [sic] to say that I am not the poker god that I tend to be talked up to be on the forums. My accomplishments have been vastly exaggerated, even by those close to me. I am aware that a part of this persona I have been given is because I have been the mentor to many phenomenal poker players in their own rights. I have to renounce this, however, and say that I have been very blessed to have such great minds come to me with the desire to improve and learn. I did nothing for them that they could have not have done for themselves. I merely helped them open their minds and to see their potential… It is unfair how highly I am looked upon as a poker player, as well. No one should ever get some of the praises I get.

“I also haven’t made nearly as much money as people think I have. I have lost a majority of my worth through the forms of failed staking arrangements. This is also something that tends to be greatly exaggerated.”

He went on to state that he wants to right his wrongs by working with major poker sites to help eradicate cheating completely. “I understand that the road to recovery is long and bumpy, but I assure you I will do everything in my power to amend my past and move on to a more ethical, aware, and self-understanding future.”

Understanding that it is human nature to forgive, especially when someone seems to be putting their heart and soul on the line in an apology for wrongdoings, there will be some who buy it. But there is more to consider. Not only is Field a mere 18-years old, but he is clearly not a successful online player or backer. His reputation has been sullied by his own admitted wrongs, and he has been able to regain little, if any, respect in the poker community.

Field is several years away from being allowed to play in live tournaments in the United States, and being banned from several major online poker websites inhibits him from even attempting to make money in that way. Does he think that he can repair his image in the same way that it took Justin Bonomo years to do? Bonomo had two things that Field doesn’t seem to know the meaning of - modesty and true remorse.

Anyone can post on the forums. Field has taken advantage of that platform to call attention to himself once again, since living up to promises and achieving success in any legitimate fashion seem to be out of his reach.

Fool me twice? Not a chance.