IGGY at PokerWorks

It’s like the founding of the USA in reverse. Instead of fleeing from religious persecution in Britain, it will be poker players fleeing to the lands of online poker, Neteller access, tax free poker winnings, and proper Guinness, to escape persecution by their own government.
Div

Well put, Sir.
When will the madness end?

I’m not even encouraged by the rumors and apparent impending announcement of former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato to run the PPA lobbying efforts. Hell, it’s a step in the right direction but I’m too cynical to think anything is gonna change for quite awhile.

Just in case you missed it, Mason Malmuth of 2+2 tyranny had an epic post on the PPA and it’s lack of transparency. Go read it, damnit.

Two Plus Two Statement on the PPA

I guess I should quote my hero, Gary Carson, about this matter.

The PPA is a fraud. Why do they make the argument that poker is illegal?

Why not approach the issue from the point of view of getting friends on our side instead of the idea of seperating ourselfs from those who can help us?

They take the position that online gambling of any kind is illegal and that the US has the jurisdiction to enforce it’s laws anywhere in the world and has the authority to regulate the internet world wide.

How about gaining some friends and taking the position online gambling isn’t illegal and the US does not have world wide jurisdiction nor the authority to tell the rest of the world how to use the internet?

Just think about how many people would be on our side if we took that position.

But PPA not only won’t take that positoin, they won’t say why they think it’s the wrong position.

Come on, they have a board of directors with people who used to tout land frauds in Costa Rica.

Gary’s always been about accentuating the positive, God bless him.

Continuing the political theme this evening, I found this fine post from RGP pertaining to the idiocy that is Bill Frist.

Subject: Former Senator Bill Frist’s New Website

I’m a frequent lurker, but rare poster, but I found Senator Bill Frist’s newest online venture. I thought the RGPers would love to take a look. As a former constituent of this remarkable idiot that is helping to destroy our online game, I thought I’d pass along the new website that the former Senator has just opened up.

It’s called “Your Ideas America” where everyday Americans can voice their own crazy ideas about how to improve our country. Of course, it seems that these ideas may be filtered through some type of internal review prior to getting published on the site.

Here’s an idea for you, Dr. Ex-Senator Frist, get the hell out of our business. Let Americans exercise that freedom that we’re supposed to have. Online Poker is a career for some people now, who you’ve turned into criminals or the unemployed.

Back off of the entrepreneurial poker site owners who are putting people to work, and demonstrating what would be “the American Dream.” If you didn’t interfere based on some idiotic morality based justification, you could bring these offshore companies to the USA. Not only could poker players play in a safe, legally protected environment, you could put Americans to work for these companies.

But no. This would make far too much sense to anyone in the public who’s not completely mind-numbed by ideology or ignorance. It’s pretty stinking obvious that Americans love to play poker. We love to gamble, and we’ll do so whether you kill our online access or not. In a nation built on a group of ambitious gamblers that though self-governance in a republic based on protection of individual liberty would work, surely you can see the logic of this.

Give us back our game.

I still suffer from an internal cringe every time I hear Frist’s name. Damnit, we shoulda google-bombed his ass.

Everyone knows Barack Obama is a poker player by now. I thought I’d link up a four-parter about him from Canada.com.
Holding his cards close
Barack Obama is the perfect political poker player: patient, humble and willing to take a risk

I really have to agree with Omaha Chris in this next post. What the hell.

What the hell has gotten into the feds?

The Frist thing was a political stunt (or at least it seemed that way at the time), but this is seriously getting intense.

I can’t remember the last time I saw the feds working this hard at stamping out ANYTHING. They are really pushing this anti-online gambling thing hard. Why so suddenly and vigorously?

These sites have been around for almost a decade. Then bam, within the last six months they’ve turned into the gestapo.

I don’t get it. What did I miss?

Got me.

Now let’s move the fuck along, shall we.

Great moments in understatement from Poker After Dark:

Shana asks Doyle what’s the difference between Ivey and Matusow.
“Phil’s a more stable player”

Here’s an awesome online chat from Mike Matasow, a Full Tilt pro, for Gods sakes.

Mike Matusow: that does require skill
Mike Matusow: online poker is so fake that its funny
Dealer: MSampoerna wins the pot ($397)
Dealer: Hand #1809600279
MSampoerna: huh? who you talking to?
Mike Matusow: i play anyone inpoker live poker any stake anytime
Mike Matusow: this is stupid
Dealer: MSampoerna wins the pot ($122)
Dealer: Hand #1809605046
Mike Matusow: u think cards just role on ioff likehere inlive game

Geepers, is there any other business in the world where you can impune the integrity of your product and still keep your job as a sponsor? Only in poker, my friends, only in poker.

I don’t usually post unsubstantiated forum rumors from new posters but I think this one is pretty solid. Personally, I don’t know why folks are surprised by this news, I guess I just assumed this would be the case this year at the WSOP.

Harrah’s decides ZERO ads allowed from .net sites for the WSOP…

Harrah’s board decided yesterday that no poker sites accepting US players would be allowed to advertise at the WSOP.

Meaning no .net, no nothing from Pokerstars, Fulltilt, etc.

Foreign sites not allowing US players will be allowed to advertise.

Fulltilt had bought the rights to the felt……guess that won’t be happening.

GG US poker sites.

Hit the whole thread for the skinny.

I’m so sick of this crap. Tis funny, I actually had a great strategy discussion with my boy GMoney over the weekend - he encouraged me to write about it but everytime I sit down at the puter to uber it up, this legislation insanity completely takes over. Can I dream the impossible dream and think about someday in the future when I can write about the actual play of poker again?

Good God, prohibition lasted over 12 years.

Don’t even get me started on Neteller.

And with that, I must let ya’ll go for the evening. I have some online poker to play.

Have I mentioned that I hate the timesink that is You-Tube? Geepers, I’ve spent way too much time there over the last few months. It’s becoming a problem.

But Maudie sent me this priceless video of a kitty playing the damn piano.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 18th, 2007 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Uber Posts.