Did Ozzy Sheikh and Michael Higgins play online b/f turning 18?

[NickMPK]

These are the two 18-year guys on tonights' WPT. Ozzy apparently is already a big name online. Did either or both of them play online before turning 18?

If not, how did they (or at least Ozzy) get so good in what couldn't have been more than a couple months of experience?

If so, why isn't everyone up in arms about how they cheated just like everyone was with Prodigy and ZeeJustin? And why haven't their online accounts been suspended when their cheating was discovered?

[Clayton]

Ozzy played on bigslick789 which wasn't his account to begin with.

Poker rooms don't care because they can't enforce minors to not play on accounts owned by legal customers, assuming they have permition.

[ajizzle]

If my sources are correct, I think Ozzy 87 used to be bigslick789 on Pokerstars. bigslick was a big time tourney and NL player who was always on top of the TLB. Anyways, I think I read in ZJ's blog that bigslick is ozzy, which would mean that he definitely played before he was 18. Though I think punishing him for this is stupid, rules are rules, and you make a good point

[NickMPK]

If poker rooms don't enforce their rules and shut down the accounts of people who are playing who are underage, isn't that a huge argument in favor of prohibiting online poker as it currently exists? If the poker sites want to stay in business, they should get serious and ban the cheaters.

[Kyo Souma II]

[ QUOTE ]
If so, why isn't everyone up in arms about how they cheated just like everyone was with Prodigy and ZeeJustin? And why haven't their online accounts been suspended when their cheating was discovered?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why should we care if we aren't affected?

Cheating and breaking the rules aren't synonymous. Playing underage is only unethical in that it violates the sites rules. It does not create an unfair advantage like the multitabling did.

[Kyo Souma II]

[ QUOTE ]
If poker rooms don't enforce their rules and shut down the accounts of people who are playing who are underage, isn't that a huge argument in favor of prohibiting online poker as it currently exists? If the poker sites want to stay in business, they should get serious and ban the cheaters.

[/ QUOTE ]

And let's start forcing people to get permits to drink beer to make sure that no one gives it to underage drinkers.

Name a few ways online sites can enforce this sort of thing. Even identity verification (driver's license, etc) wouldn't be foolproof.

[Jeremy517]

[ QUOTE ]
If poker rooms don't enforce their rules and shut down the accounts of people who are playing who are underage, isn't that a huge argument in favor of prohibiting online poker as it currently exists? If the poker sites want to stay in business, they should get serious and ban the cheaters.

[/ QUOTE ]

Banning online poker won't stop people under 18 from playing. Legalizing would do more to help, as you could actually get some sites that operate in the US.

[tom10167]

How is playing under 18 "cheating?"

[the jerk]

It's not like he gets carded when he logs onto the computer.

[N 82 50 24]

[ QUOTE ]
How is playing under 18 "cheating?"

[/ QUOTE ]