I hate to waste even one speck of bandwidth on a nonsensical conspiracy theory, but now that it is picking up some followers (shadroch, cpanther), and I'm trying to clean up some loose ends, I have no choice.
I already addressed the issue in my post here:
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?p=163379#post163379
For me to have addressed the issue already, and ZG to continue posting about it is equivalent to ZG saying I'm a liar. But, for everyone who hasn't followed previous threads, let me say that no one but me has or has ever had access to the ExhibitCAA account. Every letter ever posted or chatted was from my own fingers. As an old-school programmer, I would never even give a password away to ANYONE for any personal account of any kind. To suggest that multiple identities are behind the ExhibitCAA handle is absolute rubbish. And to suggest that Radar (someone I haven't had any contact with whatsoever in years) or PMank (someone who criticizes/questions my wasting of time here) would have any connection makes it a pretty pathetic conspiracy theory, as far as conspiracy theories go.
ZG, before you get impressed with yourself about how well you push people's buttons, let me clarify something: YOU don't push my buttons at all, but OTHER people push my buttons when they believe your garbage. So, if I knew that everyone here could see through your garbage, I'd have no need to reply to you whatsoever, but then I read stuff like this gem from cp: "... that may make some sense... as to what I know of JG I highly doubt he would have went off on any one on a public forum like someone did on you."
cpanther, of course I would go off on someone in a public forum, if I considered that person a poser of the lowest character (being "quirky" is not much of a defense). Mike R. and I SUED the Griffin Detective Agency, trying to end Beverly Griffin's livelihood. I can't think of any more public, personal, and damaging attack than that!
ZG: "Yeah, thats the one. She's Arnold Snyder's wife and she's a real spitfire, even when just posting as herself."
ZG, you're worse than Griffin. YOU start it by posting a nonsensical conspiracy theory regarding my handle, and now pile on as if that theory is an accepted fact, with the phrase "even when just posting as herself," which implies that she is in fact posting using other handles, which in the context of the latest debate, implies using my ExhibitCAA handle.
But regarding other issues, notice that all the evidence that you are digging up is completely consistent with my recollection of things. Barfarkel's article in BJInsider is one example. Someone (probably Aslan) posted the nonsensical statement that I must be jealous of your growing reputation, and that maybe I will lose out on the acclaim I deserve. Yeah, that's it, I worry that on the rankings of holecarders, Casey Kasem will announce that ZG has passed JG. That's what I'm worried about. (My other favorite suggested motivation--that I'm trying to sell books. That's a gooder!!)
Actually, it irks me when posers give bad advice. For you and Barfarkel to give bad advice to inexperienced players is as bad as the conmen progression sellers. Regardless of whether the bad advice applies to games in which there's an edge anyway, it's still bad advice that will cost people. Splitting Tens (which you continue to defend) is a rookie move. Don't for one second use my chart as a rationalization. The chart would also say that hitting or surrendering a hard 19 is better than standing against a 20, but only a moron would make either of those plays. When I see rookies in the wild playing hole-card games badly (usually by getting absurdly low), it REALLY stresses me out. It's terrifying, actually. It's just not the way you do it. My favorite line from Top Gun (paraphrasing): "Your old man? Yeah, he did it right."
As for my other main issue, your exaggeration of your involvement in my legal case, your post is probably the best example (but there were others):
ZG: "When [stalker's] partner was sitting in the slammer for a play gone bad in Y2K he didn't hesitate to call me (THE NEOPHYTE) for advice, and that advice led to a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar settlement for the partner."
Where do we start correcting the misinformation? First of all, I wasn't stalker's partner. My partner was MRus-so. Second, doesn't stalker say that he didn't call you (but since that one's hearsay, I'll let it go for now). Third, the advice did NOT "[lead to]" a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar settlement for the partner.
By your latest claims, all you did was pass on the name Bill Terry. Bill Terry's name was not news to us (he's only one of the most well-known, respected lawyers in the state). We have personal connections with Bill Terry going back decades. We needed two lawyers; my personal attorney was Richard Wright. Furthermore, the criminal attorneys did nothing. There were never any charges filed. Finally, the settlement we achieved in the CIVIL suit had nothing to do with Terry and Wright, who are the CRIMINAL attorneys. In fact, our criminal attorneys advised AGAINST pursuing a civil action. We pursued a civil action anyway, back in an era when the expectation of such an action was negative. We didn't even have a lawyer to handle the case, and M and I interviewed several, including Bob. I can even recount some of those interviews. What made the difference was that Bob conveyed to us a passion for the case. We said to each other, "This guy Bob gets it. He wants to win. We need a dogged wrestler for this one." It is BECAUSE of the hard work, doggedness, conviction, financial stamina, and cleverness of our small crew that suing casinos is now a positive play for the AP. You had NOTHING to do with it.
Our case against the casinos was the perfect storm. The weeks in court, prepping at the office, dining at Jazzed with M at night--it was an intense experience. No one, not even family and friends, will ever quite understand what we shared during that fight (much like what I imagine the bonds of soldiers, or the flight passengers in Alive). I consider my days on the witness stand to be one of my greatest attacks on casinos ever. Bob and Thea are now building quite the reputation with their "boutique practice" now, but then there is Mike, who was the perfect teammate for this case, but who is the unsung hero. Our foursome was perfect, and I also thank the several personal friends and APs who came to the courthouse, too, like Al Rogers. I don't recall seeing you there even. In fact, I would say that you had NOTHING to do with any of it. So when I read any statement suggesting otherwise, I think it cheapens the achievement of our crew (Bob, Thea, Mike, and me).
For me to participate extensively here requires constant rationalization, and also some attempt to minimize the cost (such as chatting when I'm working on numbers in other windows). Many of the high-end APs do not participate here, because they don't have numbers-running, multitasking capabilities to reduce the cost, and their benefit is about the same as mine--almost zero. Your ability to win flame wars with some of these APs is not based on superior persistence or unflappableness; you can win because with these APs, apathy will kick in, and they will lose their ability to constantly rationalize.
