Why was the Washington State Gambling Commission ordering PR Web to cease and desist? And what’s the good news from the Bodog camp? We cover these stories, plus interesting online gambling news from Europe.

It’s becoming less and less of a secret that I get excited about most things soccer-y … and since moving to Nevada from Texas I really miss Mexicans. (We have Latinos here in Las Vegas, but the food, the music, the lawn care … not the same.) So you can imagine I was quite delighted to see PokerStars getting in bed with Mexican Futbol’s Primera Division.

This development actually probably has more to do with recent WPT World Championship-casher Boris Becker and “sports” in general than it does poker-and-soccer specifically, but still … here’s a sample of the ads they’re running on Mexican TV, this one featuring CD Chivas’ Luis Michel:

More at 2+2.

The PPA has been keeping an eye on Texas for a while … seeing it as a potential “battleground state”. Now it seems they’re ready to put some resources behind it, as they’ve launched a new website to anchor their Texas efforts:

http://www.legalizetexaspoker.com/

I contacted retired Pokerati-er and the PPA’s Texas state director, Lavigne in Austin for an interview on this web development, a transcript of which is pasted below:

Michalski: This is good, right?
Lavigne: Yes

Fans of the National Football League probably didn’t start off on the right foot anyway, since football is done for awhile and they’re forced to see baseball games/references everywhere. But there is another source of annoyance for NFL’ers, and that is the knowledge that the biggest opponent of online gaming in the United States is their very own football organization.

The NFL has promised to fight any effort by Rep. Barney Frank to push legislation that legalizes online gaming. With a lobbyist, an office in D.C., and a PAC donation committee in place, the NFL is ready to fight online gaming with the help of the Christian Coalition and Rep. Harry Reid of Nevada. Wait…What? Reid on the same side of this fight as Bob Goodlatte? Yessirreee.

Well, one NFL fan in particular sees the ridiculousness of it all. Dan Boone, of Bleacher Report:

The NFL, always a bright beacon of morals in a blighted land, has decided to self-righteously step into the public morals debate. The NFL does not want a bill allowing online gambling, that is a current bill legalizing poker, to pass.

The NFL behemoth is so against people playing online poker that they have hired a high priced Washington Lobbyist, opened a DC office, and set up a PAC Donation committee to help its noble cause.

So that’s where ticket increase money goes. That’s why the stadium beers are nine bucks and the exhibition games are full priced flops. Perhaps that explains the PSL’s. The league needs just craves some spare change to pay some politicos for favors.

Read the rest of “NFL Declares War on Poker” here.

Dr. Pauly joins the mix today … and he and I will be talking about the all-important topic of Celebrity Apprentice. Gary and BJ will be talking about the less important 38 percent drop in field size for the WPT Championship:

http://www.pokerroad.com/radio/the-poker-beat/

Rep. Barney Frank has yet to introduce (or reintroduce) the legislation, but the likelihood of its passage has already been debated and practically set up for defeat. But just as the words in poker and mainstream media outlets were being penned that any UIGEA repeal effort will likely fail, the PPA raised that bet.

Poker Players Alliance Chairman Alfonse D’Amato first put his thoughts into an article for The Hill with regard to the bipartisan support that has been building for this effort. Shortly thereafter, the Associated Press reported that the PPA has allocated $3 million for lobbying Congress during this upcoming session. (More details can be found in my article on the Bluff Magazine website.)

Sure, the NFL and other opposing groups may have stacks big enough to call that raise, but the PPA might just have the best hand in the end. Still early in the game…

‘You gotta have two things to succeed kid – you gotta have brains and you gotta have balls. Now you got too much of one and not enough of the other’ – Paul Newman to Tom Cruise in The Color of Money.

“Being able to show players that you are willing to three barrel bluff, or call them down with a small pair, pays massive dividends in the long run as it makes your game much harder to exploit.”

Although taken from a film about pool hustling, this comment really applies to poker very well. From how you approach the game hand by hand at the table, all the way to the obvious divide between the new generation of hyper aggressive online players and the wily old school pros, poker is a game where balancing courage and intelligence is critical to long term success.

Another good analogy for this concept is in military tactics. Just as the SAS or other elite army unit do not just go tearing in to every combat situation, but instead exercise controlled, well thought out aggression, good poker players tend to use their brain to work out where they stand, then use their courage to make the most of that position.

More…

I’m just assuming they’re talking about WSOP.com … but really, it doesn’t have to be. Still, despite semi-denials of former PartyGaming CEO Mitch Garber’s coming on board, it looks like Harrah’s has something in the works regarding the web that may or may not be different from their current Bluff-run site:

From Monster.com …

Senior Web/​Flash Developer

Working for the Director of Web Development, you will join a dynamic group of professionals to launch and maintain a premiere destination on the web for the world renowned World Series of Poker, a subsidiary of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.​ This is a full-time IN HOUSE position located in Montreal with competitive compensation and growth opportunities, with the expectation to learn a wide range of business activities.​

First thought: Boo, Flash! Second thought: Montreal?

The WSOP just sent out their 2009 Media Guide, and damn, gotta say … there’s a lot of stuff in there.

In an attempt to show the true bigness of it all … Beyond the basics like schedules, past winners, etc. (complete with bar-graphs of bracelet winners so you can get a visual understanding of how Phil Hellmuth’s 11 bracelets compare to Doyle Brunson’s 10), this thing has: stats and factoids, history, info on the Hall of Fame and new HOF selection process, details about the PAC …

Click here to download and peruse the 45 pages for yourself.

Pokerati prides itself on being able to spot trends in poker … and one we see developing: the games in prison are getting juicy! One guy who might end up put in this game, whether he likes it or not, is 23-year-old Philip Markoff, the Boston University med student accused of picking up purveyors of erotic services off of Craigslist, robbing them, and killing at least one of them.

Police have discovered that Markoff apparently liked to keep their panties as souvenirs … and was playing at least semi-frequently at Foxwoods, and therefore they are looking at tilt gambling debts as a possible motive. Markoff was on his way to Foxwoods (with his fiance – poor girl) when he was arrested.

Beyond that, it’s hard to figure out much about his play … but you know how the non-poker media gets when it comes to doing table math:

When Markoff was arrested Monday, he and his fiancée were headed to Foxwoods, and he was carrying a suitcase with more than $1,000 in cash, a police source told the New York Daily News.

Markoff had recently started frequenting the poker tables at the casino, playing as much as $1,000 a hand, the source said, who added that Markoff won $5,300 last week.

Though one would’t think you’d need a whole suitcase to carry just $1k … the numbers they quote most likely make him a 1/2 player, possibly 2/5. That, of course, assumes he’s playing no-limit and not limit … but c’mon, listen to the descriptions of how he liked to prey on the weak and dominate … sounds like no-limit to me.

UPDATE: More of his gambling details here.

Markoff also was active in College Republicans … so clearly not good for the GOP either.

If you ask me, Annie Duke and her new fans are blowing this Hitler comparison waaayy out of proportion. I mean we’re poker players for chrissake! Who else do you know can show up for a day at the office and talk about being “crippled” with total disregard for the Americans with Disabilities Act … who can talk about RAPING our friends and having a blast while doing it!? Seriously, it would hardly be a big deal in mixed poker company to say, “Dude, I totally got raped by Clonie, but she was kinda getting raped by Tomer Benvenitsi.” Pretty much the only thing we can’t say is “fuck” … and even that rule is hardly enforced.

As far as Annie vs. Joan Rivers is concerned, it’s really just a matter of table image. And really, if experienced poker players can’t appreciate the humor in a 70something Jewish lady embracing Der Furor over Annie Duke … who can?

Meanwhile, this website has put up a humorous comparison between Adolf and Annie:

http://www.shreddingradio.com/duke.html

I know if Shronk were around, he wouldn’t be happy with all the ink he’s been getting … but he’s not, he’s left … so fuggit, sorry dude, you’re outta luck — here’s another tribute that beautifully explains why everyone who regularly dons a poker press badge is still so friggin’ bummed:

http://www.aimlesslychasing.com/?p=352

http://twitter.com/pokerati To follow my play updates

Here’s some other articles from media outlets that Justin Shronk previously worked for before joining Pokerroad:

Bluff magazine

Pokernews

Here’s a couple more Youtube clips with Shronk from the 2007 WSOP from the Pokernews article:

Another fine tribute — from Pauly … with links to other fine tributes, and a video of Shronk taking on a Vegemite prop-bet at the Aussie Millions:

Pauly, btw, has been in Argentina for the LAPT, where he’s been huffing paint and engaging in bar fights. True story — at least half of it.