Justin Bonomo Allowed Back On Pokerstars

[herly33 1]

allowed back just in time for Scoop-link to story, http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/zeejustin-un...okerstars-1800/

[HubDub04 0]

Sweet! Old News!

[armen13 0]

played with him yesterday...

[bigbadbeat 0]

i absolutely know that many people hate him for what he did, as do i to a certain extent, but he has paid a large penalty. he has lost money, friends, prestige, reputation and he is very lucky he didnt serve jailtime because of his actions. yet he has not shied away from the poker community and has continued to play poker at the highest levels and there has been no hint of scandal attached to him. The top pro's haven't said very much about it, some online players still speak well of him, and it has been years. Time for closure on this particular case.that being said, cheating is cheating, and we should heed what has happened to Bonomo. When you cheat it can be profitable. If you are caught cheating you will pay a far stiffer price.

[gatortom64 1]

Who authorized him to stop burning in hell???

[Dirtydutch 8]

...he is very lucky he didnt serve jailtime because of his actions.

I would go as far as to say such a consequence would be earth-shatteringly unprecedented.

[bigbadbeat 0]

I would go as far as to say such a consequence would be earth-shatteringly unprecedented.

Not saying he should have, but if i was a republican prosecutor somewhere in the U.S. at that time, i would have liked my chances if i could have gotten it in to court.

[bobbywithani 0]

Not saying he should have, but if i was a republican prosecutor somewhere in the U.S. at that time, i would have liked my chances if i could have gotten it in to court.

What law did he break?

[Suited_Up 2]

Not saying he should have, but if i was a republican prosecutor somewhere in the U.S. at that time, i would have liked my chances if i could have gotten it in to court.

You couldn't have.

[Jam-Fly 8]

let's not get into another Zee Justin argument.I'll just say this, I'm in the pro-Justin camp. I do not feel he is the scum of the earth. That is all/

[aucu 3]

let's not get into another Zee Justin argument.I'll just say this, I'm in the pro-Justin camp. I do not feel he is the scum of the earth. That is all/

[x]

[BigLebowski 0]

let's not get into another Zee Justin argument.I'll just say this, I'm in the pro-Justin camp. I do not feel he is the scum of the earth. That is all/

[xx]

[dlingdling 0]

Justin Bonomo is the poster boy for "actions speak louder than words." Since the controversy, he gave up online poker and just went about his business playing great live and building a deserved reputation there. Contrast that with Josh Field, whose shallow apologies get undone by his cheating over and over again. Bonomo made a mistake and learned from it. I think it's great he's back online.

[aucu 3]

His latest blogReinstated On PokerStars! 04-03-2009 I want to take this opportunity to comment on the media and forum posts that have surfaced today, in regards to my reinstatement on PokerStars. For those of you that don't know, I was banned for multi-accounting tournaments on Stars in February 2006. Over time, through reflection and maturation, I feel that I have shown that these actions are mistakes of the past, and do not characterize me as a person. Since then, I have acted as ethically and honestly as possible. For what I can imagine was a very hard decision, I would like to thank Stars for giving me a second chance, and I swear I will not let them down. I am forever grateful to everyone that was willing to look past my mistakes, understand the progression of my growth and see the person for who I am today. I'm not going to go into too much detail about my past actions. We can all agree that what I did was both wrong and stupid, and not much else needs to be said. I was 19 at the time, and used some very twisted logic to convince myself that I wasn't cheating. I let factors like, "Lots of other people are doing it." and "technically there are no rules against it" convince me that it was ok. The goal was never to collude or even be at the same table as myself, but simply to play more tournaments. This is by far the biggest lapse of judgment I've had in my entire life, and I would give anything to travel back in time 3.5 years to smack myself around a bit. I had a huge ego at the time, and felt that I made great decisions in every facet of life. I would like to clear up some misconceptions before I move on. I had some big tournament scores around this time, but they were all 100% legit (publicly confirmed by Lee Jones). In the short period of time that I was multi-accounting, I actually lost money. The very small amount of money I cashed for was confiscated by Stars. I don't have a record of these tournaments, but I believe it was about 8 times total that I used a second account on Stars. I am not saying this to defend my actions. The main reason is to refute those that say I profited greatly from my actions and have refused to give the money back to the players I stole from. I do agree that I did a great deal of damage. Many people think that multi-accounting is bad because of the rare chance for collusion, but in my opinion that isn't why it's such a big deal. I think what is terrible is that online poker has such a negative reputation. So many of the would be casual players are extremely afraid of being cheated. I can't tell you how ashamed I am that I have permanently labeled myself part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Nothing I can ever do will change this, but I will continue to try none the less. After I was banned I fell into a deep depression. I had a lot going for me, a great source of easy income, tons of amazing friends, and a great deal of respect in the poker community. Overnight that was gone. I went from being loved to hated. I don't even want to think about some of the more cruel messages I received. Most of you can probably imagine (or remember) them. I was so distraught that I quit poker for six months. I literally did not play a single hand (live or online). It has been over three years since these events, and things have changed a lot. I have grown a great deal as a person. I understand why my actions are extremely important and that ethical lines should never be crossed, not even the gray ones that may seem unimportant. I have transitioned to a live tournament player, and my peers will tell you that I am a very trustworthy honest person. These include many of the most respected professionals in the entire poker industry. The fact that these people have grown to trust me in spite of my past actions means the world to me. I'm sure some will always disagree, but I feel that I have paid my dues. Not only by serving my time, but by acting ethically and responsibly in all facets of life. PokerStars apparently agrees with my point of view. Here is an excerpt of their statement: " 'ZeeJustin' has served a long punishment; he has expressed regret for his actions to us and to the entire poker community; and he has even become a crusader for fair play. Consequently, he has earned the respect of many of his peers. Though some in the poker world will never forgive him for what he did, many already have. While we do not condone his actions in the past, we do accept they are now in the past, so 'ZeeJustin' is now welcome to play on PokerStars again." I am very thankful that I have been allowed back into this community that I was once a huge part of. I cannot say that I can now put my past mistakes behind me, but I am indeed one step closer, and I will continue to strive to accomplish this. Thank you PokerStars, as well as everyone that has supported me over the years. I would be nowhere without these friends today. So what does this mean for me? Yes, I will be playing on Stars again. However, I am first and foremost a Bodog pro. The vast majority of my online play will continue to be on Bodog. I'd be lying if I didn't say it was because the games there were great, and that I've made a lot of money on there, but I also owe a great deal of gratitude to Bodog. Almost two years ago I started my relationship with Bodog. They knew of my tarnished reputation, but were still willing to put their faith in me. They gambled on me, and I hope that I have never let them down. The fact that they were willing to put so much faith in me is a big deal, and I am an extremely happy member of the Bodog family. Although I will be playing some of the big tournaments on Stars from now on, I am still first and foremost a Bodog pro. Thank you Bodog for sticking with me. Finally, I want to address some of the issues that have been posted on the forums. I actually agree with many of the people that are upset by my unbanning. Poker rules need to be harsh, and enforced thoroughly. Honesty and ethical play are important in all facets of life, but are even more important in the poker world. The game still has remains of a shady reputation, and that obviously needs to be changed. However, as I have said, I feel I have served my time and paid my dues and I vow to continue to act on a morally sound and aboveboard level. Many people on Pocket Fives are complaining that my "lifetime ban" has been repealed. I want to make it clear that this was not a lifetime ban. Lee Jones has publicly stated that it was never meant to be permanent. It just so happens that no duration was specified at the time when I was banned. There has been no hypocrisy on the part of PokerStars, and no punishment has been reduced. Please don't believe everything you read in these threads. Many people, even some well respected posters are stating things they believe to be true that are blatantly false. My personal view is that I do not want to correct these people because that is basically the same as defending my past actions, and I have no interest in doing that. What I did was incredibly wrong, and I will be the first to admit it. I will, however, defend my actions since these incidents, as I believe I have lived my life as ethically as is reasonable possible, and those that know me will back me up on this. Many people have assumed that I have spent these years playing on Stars despite my ban. I want to make it clear that this is not the case. I have respected my ban, and have not been playing on Stars. Don't take my word for it. Ask those that live around me (Panorama Towers, etc.). They will all confirm this to be true. For those that say I got off lightly, I can't disagree more. I acknowledge that it was 100% my own fault, but if you think I had it easy, you are wrong. Many are concerned that this decision will serve as encouragement for future cheaters, and I do not believe this is the case. Cheating does not pay, and I feel I serve as an example of that. My whole world was taken away from me. I can't stress how important it was to be a major part of the online tournament community, and overnight all of that went away. It wasn't just the PokerStars account. My life as I knew it was gone. One more time, I want to make it clear that I will never give PokerStars a reason to regret this decision. I will continue to play in nothing but the most honest and ethical manner possible, both live and online. This is not only because I am under a microscope, but because I have chosen it as the way to live my entire life. On the tables I am a professional and will act like one. Off the tables I still find the same need to be an honest, respectful human being. Over the past few years, I have learned a great deal from some of the best players in the world, as well as from some of the best friends in the world. I will not let them down, and I will certainly not let PokerStars down. Finally, I want to thank those that have supported me over the years. This includes so many people that I cannot possibly name them all specifically. All my friends and family, and even those people that I do not know personally and have simply stood up for me on the forums. Thank you all so much. I would be nowhere today if it wasn't for all of you, and I am forever thankful that I have you all in my life. -Justin Bonomo

[dna4ever 2]

good blog post

[Jelly-Filled Ace 1]

I wonder if Stars will ever have a 'confiscated funds' freeroll someday?

[HiN8s 0]

I'm wondering if PS would have reinstated him if he was a "nobody" who got caught cheating. That being said, it doesn't bother me one way or they other that he's back online.