Summary

Brett CB, a college student, impersonated his father to enter an online poker tournament with a chance to win $10,000 and potentially$ 200,000 on live TV, an opportunity usually reserved for new players, and despite his initial success, he ultimately lost in the final heads-up play.

Abstract

In January 2006, Brett CB, a 21-year-old college student and avid poker player, found himself in a series of personal setbacks, including the loss of his car and a breakup. His fortunes seemed to change when he discovered a promotion on the online poker site Ultimate Bet, which offered a chance to win $10,000 and compete for$ 200,000 on a televised final table on Fox Sports. However, the promotion was for new players only, so Brett created a new account using his father's identity. Remarkably, he won the qualifying tournament, but his victory was overshadowed by the ethical and legal dilemma of his deception. Despite his father's initial disapproval and the potential consequences, Brett managed to convince Ultimate Bet to allow him to play in the televised tournament. In Los Angeles, he faced a variety of opponents, including a frat boy and a retired construction worker, and even caused some chaos on set with his interview antics. During the tournament, Brett attempted to negotiate deals to share the prize pool but was unsuccessful. In the end, after leading the tournament, a series of bad hands led to his defeat by a player known as Viking Helmet, who won with a rivered flush. Despite the loss, Brett expressed gratitude for the experience and the lesson learned about the risks of pretending to be someone else.

Opinions

Brett CB initially viewed his plan to use his father's identity as a "delightfully devilish" scheme to seize an opportunity he wouldn't otherwise have.
Papa CB was not angry about the identity theft but was skeptical about Brett's plan to either confess or teach him to play poker for the live event.
The other players in the tournament seemed indifferent to Brett's situation, allowing him to participate despite knowing the truth.
Brett was critical

I Faked My Identity So I Could Play Poker For $10,000 On Live TV

The Biggest Bluff I’ve Ever Pulled Off

It was January 16th, 2006, and I hadn’t had much going my way lately.

Earlier that day, I had watched my broken-down 1991 Mazda Protege get crushed into a cube for scrap metal. Later that afternoon, my heart was also crushed into a cube after getting dumped over AOL Instant Messenger.

The only thing I had to look forward to was playing poker.

I had been playing poker for 2 years in low-stakes games online and in my college dormitory. At the time, I had only been playing in $10 buy-in tournaments and cash games. But the Moneymaker Effect showed that anyone could achieve fame and fortune in poker. All you needed is one chance.

Later that night, it looked like I finally got dealt that chance I needed.

Upon logging into my account on the online poker site Ultimate Bet, I noticed a new promotion. If you finished in the top 3 in one of two weekly freeroll tournaments, you won an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to play for $10,000 live on Fox Sports. If you beat the 5 other qualifiers in your televised final table, you won $10,000. You would also get the opportunity to play for $200,000 against the 5 other 1st place champions of their respective televised final tables.

I had never even had $500 to my name — having $10,000 and even $200,000 would be surreal. Think of all the Ramen and Bud Light I could fill my dorm fridge with with such riches!

There was only one problem: I wasn’t a new player since I already had an account. My dreams dashed in mere seconds as usual.

But then I got a crazy idea — what if I created a new account under someone else’s name so I could play in the tournament!? If I won, I’d come clean, tell Ultimate Bet that it was me that played in the tournament, and let me go on to fame and fortune.

“Delightfully devilish plan, 21-year-old Brett CB” I thought as I uploaded a copy of his driver’s license that I nicked from his wallet to set up the account.

What were the chances I’d actually finish top 3 out of 1293 players and have to explain my light identity theft anyway?

Better than I expected.

Despite being last place in chips for several hours of the tournament, I won!

But my biggest challenge lied ahead — getting myself out of the ridiculous bluff I got caught in.

Papa CB was incredulous of my decisionmaking so far.

He wasn’t angry that I “borrowed” his identity to play a free-to-enter poker tournament. But he wasn’t onboard with my plan to fess up.

Or the back-up plan that I’d teach him to play poker well enough to play the actual live tournament himself.

I only had one move left — call Ultimate Bet, show my bluff, and beg for mercy.

Through live chat, email, and a phone call with Customer Support, I pled my case of blissful ignorance. I was but a mere college boy trying to achieve the American dream of going from rags to riches! Sensing possible defeat, I threw in another bluff. I explained that if my father played in the televised tournament (instead of me), that he wouldn’t know what he was doing. He had never played a hand of poker in his life! Ultimate Bet would look stupid letting someone like that play on national television.

Customer Support said they would talk to management, as well as the other players, and get back to me. The next day, Customer Support said that the other players didn’t care that I had played under my father’s account. They would be booking my flights shortly.

I couldn’t believe it. My bluff worked! Looking back, it’s not a surprise Ultimate Bet let me play anyway.

They allowed far more shady things to go down years later.

The following Friday, I flew out to Los Angeles.

I’d be playing poker for a prize 100 times larger than what I played for back home.

My opponents consisted of a frat guy, a Jersey kid in a lucky Viking helmet, a retired construction worker, and two businesswomen. There was also an alternate player on standby in case anyone decided they didn’t want to play, or got kicked out. Amy Alternate made snide remarks throughout the weekend about how I shouldn’t have been playing despite agreeing to let me play before.

Me on the far left, in my cliche distasteful “Big Lick” poker t-shirt

Despite making it on the show, I continued to cause chaos on the set. The producers didn’t care for me trolling the pre-show player interview segments.

“Brett, you can’t say that you’re addicted to Lifetime Originals and Illuminati conspiracy theories on-air” scolded the lead producer.

Since the blinds (stakes) doubled every 10 minutes, luck mattered more than skill. I also tried to strike a deal with the other players. One deal was to split the $10,000 prize between 1st and 2nd place. The other was for everyone to swap 10% of their equity with the other players. That way, it wouldn’t be winner-take-all (which is especially not fun for the 2nd-place finisher). Those ideas also got shut down by the producers.

It was every man, woman, and manchild (myself) for themselves.

Once the cameras started rolling, the action was slow to start. as None of us had played on live television nor at this high of stakes before. I got lucky a few times and managed to bust 2 players. Viking Helmet eliminated the other 2 players. I had a 7–1 chip lead going into heads-up play against a Viking Helmet.

I could feel that $10,000 sliding into my cargo shorts pocket.

But then I proceeded to go completely card-dead for the longest 15 minutes of my life.

Every hand I got dealt was hot garbage. The blinds were so high that I could justify going all-in with any dealt hand with an Ace, King, Queen, or even a Jack in it. But those cards might as well have been in the witness protection program. They all ghosted me. I instead suffered through a barrage of 7–2, 3–2, 9–3, and 8–4.

I wouldn’t wish that run of cards on my worst enemy.

Even when I saw the flop, I couldn’t make a pair or draw to save my life. Trying to bluff was too risky considering how few chips each of us had relative to the blinds. Vikings Helmet pulled ahead of me in chips from my endless folding. When I finally got an Ace and a Ten, I shoved all-in. Vikings Helmet called with 8–4 of spades. I made a pair of Aces on the flop, but he turned a flush draw and made the flush on the river (the last card dealt) to win. If I won that hand, I’d have had 98% of the chips in play. Instead, I had 0 in chips, and $0 in prize money.

As I walked off the set dejected, I saw Amy Alternate watching on the side, cackling. Justice served to the identity thief in her mind I’m sure. Still, I was thankful for the opportunity and everything it entailed. It was the first, and hopefully, the last time I pretended to be someone I’m not to get what I wanted.

But it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last time I go all-in on myself.