Monday, September 01, 2008
High-Profile Player Admits To Being Online Cheat!
Another high-profile professional poker player who also writes a blog has confessed to being an online poker cheat. Well known player (and now cheat) Brian Townsend has admitted to multi-accounting at two prominent online poker rooms, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars.
In recent years, the discovery of multi-accounting - a practice that is strictly forbidden by PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, as well as every other respectable poker site - has caused several scandals in the online poker industry, according to 4Flush.com.
According to that website, Full Tilt Poker has already handed down punishment to Brian for his iniquitous actions. Townsend has been suspended from Red Pro status at Full Tilt Poker for the next 6 months. PokerStars, usually at the forefront of anti-cheating, on the other hand, has yet to comment on the matter.
Multi- Accounting in online poker rooms has become one of the most popular ways of cheating in recent years. It involves a player registering multiple accounts, often assisted by friends, then he or she will play with all the accounts by him or herself. Multi-accounting can also be done through the use of more than one computer, allowing for the online poker player to have a number of accounts on a single site. This method is often used in order to have a substantial edge in multi-table tournaments.
Townsend, who is from Santa Barbara, California, is largely known for his success playing no limit hold 'em and pot-limit omaha at Full Tilt Poker under the name of 'sbrugby'. He began playing online poker at $0.50/$1.00 blinds but gradually moved up in stakes, eventually becoming a regular player in some of the highest stakes games online. Townsend appeared on season 3 of GSN's High Stakes Poker.
Townsend also appeared on NBC's Poker After Dark and won beating Doyle Brunson heads up. He won the 120,000 thousand cash prize.
He is co-owner and lead instructor for Cardrunners.com, an online instructional website where he posts instructional videos and writes about his daily life and poker experiences in a blog.