There was a pretty interesting article in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal about a recent gathering at Harvard University, which set out to bring together some of the brightest minds in academia to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that poker is a game of skill. (Uh duh.) Howard Lederer was the main poker dude on hand, along with famed Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson, Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, PPA honcho Michael Bolcerek, and a number cruncher who wants to run the math on billions of hands.

The WSJ’s unscientific poll is currently running 77-23 in favor of skill. Read the article and you’ll see this isn’t about rehashing old theories and debates … because really, what do you think the poll results would be if we asked: “Is life primarily a matter of skill or luck.” I am guessing 77-23 might be pretty close to the results here, too.

In the article, Lederer espouses a new talking-point argument that I hadn’t yet heard/thought of:

The “vast majority” of high-betting poker hands, he says, are decided after all players except the winner have folded. So if no one shows his cards, Mr. Lederer says, “can you legally argue that the outcome was determined by luck?”

Cool stuff — and good to see, in the ivory towers at least, a growing recognition of how some of what is currently shaking down in the poker world reaches into important future matters of internet law, international law, international business, and economics.

After his strategy session wrapped up, Prof. Nesson led the group to a bar for drinks. He was delighted, he said, at how the group “pushed game theory to the level of metaphor.” Sipping a scotch on the rocks, he tossed out the idea of creating a poker university, with himself as one of its teachers. Then, “we could infuse all levels of education with the skills that come from poker,” he said.

Ken in Arlington writes in with a reminder that the fight for good poker laws and righteous regulation is being fought on multiple fronts. While Lavigne and others are doing their political masterwork in Austin, Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) are actively involved in undoing the UIGEA on the Federal and International level:

Hey Dan — Maybe this is already old news to you, but if not I certainly think this is a worthwhile blog item and link for you to post. The only congressman who spoke up strongly against the Internet bill last year hasn’t stopped fighting (though it says this happened last Thursday???):
http://tech.msn.com/news/articlecnet.aspx?cp-documentid=4797708&GT1=10036

A copy of Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act is here:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/21frank_004_xml_(2).pdf

Love the site and all you put into it.

Ken Daley
NY Times and MLB.com free-lancer, former baseball columnist at Dallas Morning News
Arlington

Just got the press release from Rep. Menendez’s office. Dude, we are halfway there …

ALT HED: Floor!

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A lot of things have been going on despite this being “the breath before the plunge” (Gandalf 2003). Meaning, this is the last month before the 2007 WSOP.

Caesar’s Circuit Day 1 – David Pham, Steve Wong & Justin Bonomo led the Caesar’s Palace Poker Room filled with big name players such as Shannon Shorr, Layne Flack, Joe Bartholdi, Greg Raymer, David Plastik and Bull Riding Master Joe Sebok. See Photos here.

CardPlayer has posted a video with Howard Lederer and Alfonse D’Amato discussing Barney Frank’s new bill to help legalize and regulate (nice word) online poker in the U.S.

And since we’ve been on the topic of charities…check out this bit on Liz Lieu.

Or not … our beloved little HB 3186 still has a ways to go. But we are “this much closer” to legal-better poker in Texas … at a minimum, people in the law business are becoming more and more familiar with our “issues” … and an increasing number of political bidders are looking at dollar signs (and calculating implied pot odds) on an unusual bill that has, let’s say, 75 percent public support …

Here is the testimony presented earlier this month for and against legalized Texas poker to the legislative committee charged with making the first rounds of decisions about this bill. You will find it either totally boring or C-Span fascinating … and if you’re in the latter camp, you’ll probably hear much that you find encouraging. Listen closer, however, and you may get a sense that some hardline politicking has only just begun:

House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee
Austin, TX - 4/3/07

[display_podcast]

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Since Dan is on the road, I just wanted to let you know that us Texan’s stirrin’ the pot are creating quite a…stir. Articles are popping up on the net (including Cardplayer) showing support for tomorrow’s hearing in Austin. I will be on the road in the morning to join Batman and Robin for the exciting adventure. Stay tuned…we’ll be right back.

Headed to AUSTIN in a few hours … cards go in the air on Tuesday for a high-stakes political game that I sure-as-heck don’t wanna miss … $1 billion and the future of Texas Texas Hold’em is on the line. Like seriously. No April foolin’.

LYLE BERMAN, CRANDELL ADDINGTON, MICHAEL BOLCEREK, ERICK LINDGREN, Dallas DA CRAIG WATKINS, CLONIE GOWEN, Pokerati, et al. will be making the push for [tag]HB 3186[/tag] in front of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures committee.

Poker we know can make good TV, and you can find the live House video stream here. I get roughly THREE MINUTES to state my name for the record, tell bad beat stories, and scream “Go Batfaces!”

Hold’em Radio (which started in Austin) has moved into a NEW STUDIO in Las Vegas — at Binion’s, right by the poker room. Very cool! Live poker radio 24/7 and subsequent podcastable shenanigans just got more interesting.

Check this out … seen on I-20, en route to SHREVEPORT … a BAPTIST CHURCH dropping [tag]the hammer[/tag] in a cyber-evangelical effort to save degenerate gambling souls:

Two weeks ago, the GARDAI in NORTHERN IRELAND forced the cancellation of a similar not-so-underground event.

ONLINE GAMBLING is running into some problems in the CZECH REPUBLIC. But the companies behind the betting industry there are circumventing the legal nuisances by setting up shop in MALTA.

OK, circling back the globe … here’s the article (scroll down to the very bottom) … they are now running SATELLITES to the PPT (emphasis added):

Airport Casino Filipino Parañaque will host the first Metro Manila satellite/qualifying tournament for the 3rd Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) Million-Peso Hold’em Championship on March 31, 2007. Registration starts at 1 p.m., and tournament at 2 p.m.

[...]

Details of prize structure and tournament rules for the 3rd PPT Million-Peso Hold’em Championship are posted in the official PPT website, www.PhilippinePokerTour.com.

Meanwhile, POLAND is joining forces with ENGLAND, and I think ITALY … taking steps to officially legalize and regulate online gambling.

Speaking of ENGLAND, they’re getting on the charity poker kick there, too, raising tens of thousands of pounds for kids with learning disabilities via a PARTYPOKER televised event.

In CONNECTICUT, they’re using poker to send Pee Wee baseball players to COOPERSTOWN.

PHIL HELLMUTH is breaking new ground in non-pokery poker marketing … having just signed an ENDORSEMENT DEAL with an energy drink called “Pro Player.”

Could ENERGY DRINKS be the next poker? They’re exploding like online poker rooms in 2005, and there’s too much unregulated profit margin in these arguably addictive chemical products (that teens love!) for the Feds not to eventually take note/want their cut.

Just kidding Mr. Taxy-tax man!

Think the crackdown on online gambling — which became a clear reality with the arrest of Sportingbet’s Peter Dicks in September — is anything but a legal shakedown? Dicks, who had criminal allegations pending against him in Louisiana, had all charges dropped last week … for $400,000. (via NWP)

Yep … that’s all it takes, apparently. The money will reportedly be split amongst the St. Landry Parish DA’s office, the Louisiana State Police, and the state attorney general’s office.

ALT HED: Price of Doing Business?

I sent an email out a few days ago to all my poker friends. If you didn’t get it, here it is, and you can sign up to get on the Texas Poker PAC mailing list here.

Attention Texas Poker Players!

Legislation has been filed in the Texas House of Representatives that would allow real poker in Texas!
The bill is HB 3186 by Jose Menendez of San Antonio.

Highlights of the bill include:

• 4 live and/or electronic, raked tables allowed in each establishment that meets requirements
• Lottery Commission decides how many tables are allowed in each racetrack
• Charitable poker enabled
• Mandatory dealer training and licensing
• Licensing for distributors of commercial poker equipment
• Money raised will be dedicated to necessary state services
• Criminal penalties for dishonest operators
• Raises over a billion dollars for state services

More…

HB 3186 was filed today in the Texas House. If you want to play poker in Texas legally, this is the best flag we have to fight under. I encourage you to read the bill or at least the press release pasted below.

This is going to be a tough, potentially long fight. I’ll begin posting more regularly as our bill moves through the Legislature. The first step will be to get a hearing in the House committee after it is referred. HB 3186 should be referred to committee early next week.

When the hearing date approaches we will need as many folks as possible to congregate at the capitol and attend the hearing. Details to come on that.

In the meantime, the press release is below. Feel free to send Representative Menendez an email thanking him for filing such a great bill.

My html skill is akin to that of a 5-year-old, so please pardon my lack of fancy formatting:

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It’s snowing outside. If you don’t mind, please bear with me as we shut down about 30 open Firefox tabs that Pokerati has accumulated over the past few days.

First off, happy February 14. If you do a Yahoo! or Google image search for “valentine poker” (quotes excluded) here’s the first thing you see:

HOLLAND has officially legalized online poker, licensing the game to its government-run land-based casino. This development comes shortly after a round of raids on AMSTERDAM home games. (See the connection?)

UTAH has no intentions of legalizing gambling, but the state did amend some recent legislation to ensure that AMATEUR TEXAS HOLD’EM is allowed in bars.

Meanwhile, WYOMING is one step closer to legalizing “social” cash games in bars and restaurants, though big tourney action may still be outlawed.

A lot’s going down in MACAU, which apparently generated more gambling revenue than LAS VEGAS in 2006. This sorta expansion has Virgin pioneer RICHARD BRANSON putting a few billion into the Asian gambling pot.

But Chinese casino mogul STANLEY HO isn’t gonna let the round-eyes gank all his action.

JOHNNY CHAN has plans to eventually open shop in Macau (and elsewhere) — has partnered with the makers of The Block to create “the world’s first poker hotel.” Tourney director extraordinaire MATT SAVAGE is part of his team — we can only hope this doesn’t mean all of China will be taught to do the flop one card at a time.

Here’s a pokery valentine, from CUBA:

Speaking of communism, you probably have heard by now that the US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE has seized $55 million worth of Neteller funds as evidence.

About $520 of that belongs to yours truly. I suppose that makes me COLLATERAL DAMAGE in the [tag]War on Poker[/tag]:

Here is what Neteller has to say about how and when we will get our money.

Amy and the Shrink have an update on the investigation into a seriously BOTCHED COLOR-UP during last year’s WSOP main event.

It coincides with news that HERSHEY’S has been named the Official Chocolate of the 2007 WSOP. Mmmm, two million extra chocolate chips!

POKERTEK, makers of dealerless electronic poker tables, is being sued by TELLIS, a TEXAS-based software company that doesn’t even have a website.

Haley continues to investigate the legal battles between HARRAH’S and FREDERIC SCHIAVO over the rights to WSOP.COM.

This valentine from PKR.com suggests that while a man’s hand may seem stronger than a woman’s … it’s still possible that she’s holding the nuts:

UPDATE: Just re-watched the vid, and the lady actually would need some help on the turn to make her straight-flush.

Did you know the proportion of WOMEN PLAYING POKER continues to grow? The XX-chromosome set reportedly represents 30 percent of online players now.

BRANDI HAWBAKER, cute-as-pie poker girl and Full Tilt nipple-cover model, has reportedly found a new way to fund her bankroll by stripping at SPEARMINT RHINO. (Congrats on the new sponsorship deal!)

Remember, on February 14 and forever …

I just learned last night from a powerful lawyer playing next to me in an underground poker game that we’re not supposed to use the phrase “8-Liner” … because 8-Liners are bad. The preferred terminology is “VLT” — as in Video Lottery Terminal. Ahh, of course. Duly noted.

Upon returning home from that tourney (I finished 10th — three got paid) I learned that there was a big semi-raid on a Dallas VLT emporium. “Hank” in Dallas reports:

A friend of mine was at a local 8-liner establishment Friday night that was raided at 9:55. (N.E. Dallas area)

A lady playing a machine fell suddenly ill and asked a staff member to walk her out. Door was opened and in came 4 officers. The officers and the “ill” lady took it down.

All players, staff and the owner were given citations at $165. Monies and machines (55+ machines) were confiscated. Interestingly enough, no arrests, monies/winnings were not taken from players, no news crews and no warrant checks conducted.

I know for a fact had backgrounds been checked, arrests would have been made.

My only thought is - the money in the machines came from the government anyway - disability checks must have been looking good to the City of Dallas!

Hmm, I gotta say this is all very peculiar. But possibly a positive sign if authorities are simply doing their research to assess how much taxable money is out there for them to legitimize. But this, of course, could be just hopeful thinking on my part. And as all good Pokeratizens know, hope is seldom a good strategy.

Poker bloggers rejoice … this day belongs to us. This whole year, really. May the rest of the world go on tilt and make our wishes come true … at least for a little while. (I plan to celebrate at the home game tomorrow.)

Came upon this Gregorian epiphany while reading this more-important-than-some-might-realize article from Ireland. (Dated 07/02/2007, which is like 02/07/2007 to us.) Anyhow, the story’s about legislative fights in Europe over ISP liabilities … with the head of the London Internet Exchange (LINX) urging ISPs to resist pressure from governments to block various content. Obviously this will be a huge technology issue over the next decade, and leading the way are laws being passed (by Italy and Germany so far) prohibiting access to specific online gambling sites.

The next Hammer Day falls during the World Series, on July 2, 2007 … the same day the 270-day “pre-enforcement” period for the UIGEA expires and the law really kicks into effect. If the banks can’t figure out how to stop online gambling by then, it supposedly falls on the Internet Service Providers to lock us out. And that, you can only suspect, will be a very scary day for a lot of poker-related websites.

After that, we won’t see return of a very Hammery calendar year for another 20 revolutions around the sun.

CORRECTION: The next Hammer Day actually happens in another 20 days, on 2-27. Then the potentially not-so-happy Hammer Day in July … then another one on 7-22 and 7-27. Then we gotta wait another 20 years. So really, a lot can happen, but for obvious reasons we have to move fast.

Trying to clean up the place for a few new bloggers has left so much poker news passing us by. So in no particular order of importance, you might be curious to know:

CHARLES BARKLEY had a good weekend in Las Vegas, pocketing $700k on mostly blackjack. No word on where he played or how much he was betting per hand.

The first WSOP poker-bloggy marriage is set to go down, between the “all over the place!” JEN LEO and Stone Temple Pilots roadie-cum-PokerNews editor JOHN CALDWELL. Word spread via AMY C … should make for a festive Day 1B of the WSOP main event.

JAMIE GOLD has settled his case with CRISPIN LEYSER — no more lawsuit for the $6 mil … they’re gonna chop the pot instead. We’ll try to find out for how much, but clearly neither was going to win at this point, and any two SEMI-SERIOUS poker players can see the folly of letting LAWYERS take such a high rake in a heads-up match.

There’s an interesting tournament going on at THE BIKE … the $10,000 Poker Netcast HEADS-UP CHALLENGE. GAVIN SMITH sucked out hard on CLONIE (J7 vs AJ — 7 on the turn, 7 on the river) to knock her out.

Hey, check it out … a new generation of NEGREANU FANS are being bred educated at CANADIAN universities.

Despite CALVIN AYRE’s semi-fugitive status in the US, the COSTA RICAN billionaire is fixin’ to bring BODOG to AMERICAN TV starting next week.

By the way, what does the United States National SOCCER TEAM love to do while traveling? They play poker. (Or shall we say Pele poker?)

A PENNSYLVANIA JURY decides it’s not right to bust out of a poker game and return to shoot people. Duly noted.

THE WSOP CIRCUIT main event is underway in COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA. Pokerati finds it interesting that the WSOP in (what is essentially) OMAHA has no Omaha.

Note to self: WIN MORE. Lose less.

An interesting outline for HOW TO TAX online gambling from our good friends in HUNGARY. Summation: Take 30 percent.

Not surprisingly, LAWYERS with expertise in gambling are a hot commodity these days.

And anti-online gambling laws aren’t stopping Americans from trying to gamble online. Just ask SCANSAFE, a company that blocks employees of other companies from pissing off online while at work. (Looking at Karridy.)

COLLEGE KIDS at SYRACUSE are saying the same thing … they can’t be stopped!

But here’s a good article that looks into the hard-number connections between online gambling and TERRORISM.

The LA TIMES has a good op-ed on the ridiculousness of preventing wagers on the SUPER BOWL — more than $5 BILLION slipped through unchecked hands untaxed, experts say.

And here’s a quick little item that shows how/why US ATTORNEYS are trying to draw a connection between online betting and Al Qaeda-suited.

That should be enough for now. But as always, there’s more TK.

Oh, wait, almost forgot … Starting tomorrow, you are supposed to BOYCOTT online poker through SUNDAY. Oh, wait, no you’re not.

Texas supposedly has a “weak governor” system — where all the real power resides with the Lt. Gov. and the Lege. But it’s apparently not that weak … as Gov. Rick Perry just signed an “executive order” requiring all sixth grade girls to be vaccinated for HPV. Yeow.

No vote nor anything, but now it’s the way it is. If you are a pre-adolescent chickee, the government needs to inject you so men won’t get warts on their dicks from fucking you bareback to prevent cervical cancer. A few other old men will get extremely rich(er) off their legally enforceable access to your bodies … but hey, that’s not the point now, is it? Now please, enjoy your bump-free vagina (and .000004 percent increase in life expectancy) and be on your way …

Yep, with the stroke of his weak governor’s pen, Rick Perry — George Bush’s ace political understudy — has unilaterally imposed his will on millions of people. Awesome. He also happens to be one of the main guys in Austin pushing for various changes in Texas gambling laws.

I gotta think we might want him on poker’s side.

(Picture: Rick Perry speaking to the ever-poker friendly American Legion.)

UPDATE: Venerable Texas political observer Paul Burka points out that this is already one of the weirdest Legislative sessions he’s seen. And he has some extra insight into just how such an executive order might have come to fruition.

A good Pokeratizen is always on the lookout for relevant-to-poker news. Jackie in South Austin sends word of Gov. Rick Perry’s thoughts about privatizing the state lottery.

Jackie’s own valuable $.02:

… based on the article, the state is GIVING the lottery away. If the lottery is making $1 Billion a year, why sell the rights away for 75 years at $10 Billion. Wouldn’t 25 years make more sense. But I wonder if this opens the door to more privately run gambling in the state. If we can get the powers that be thinking big, then maybe we’ll get some card rooms in the racetracks. There’s plenty of room for them AND those stupid slot machines.

The European Union is considering following in Antigua’s footsteps and going through the World Trade Organization to fight the United States’ crackdown on online gambling. Charlie McCreevy, the European Internal Market Commissioner, is in regular consult these days with EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who would be responsible for pushing a formal dispute.

Critics accuse the US government of seeking to enforce their own laws on businesses based outside the country.

[...]

He argued that the US is protecting its own gambling industry by stopping foreign companies from building up an online betting sector.

[...]

Mr McCreevy, who takes a well-known interest in horseracing, said that the US online gambling rules were a “prima facie” case of protectionism and that the World Trade Organisation was a possible venue for tackling them.

Attention all felons/online poker players in Washington State … at least one person in your government is looking out for you. Rep. Chris Strow (R-Whidbey Island) has introduced legislation to amend last year’s legislation that made online gambling in Washington State a Class C felony.

“Most certainly choosing to gamble, or play a game of skill such as poker, should not have been made a crime equivalent to possessing child pornography or threatening the Governor.” Rep. Strow told the Media.

True dat … true dat.

More good info on “Operation Wheel Draw” (HB 1243) here.

However, the proposed legislation apparently doesn’t rewrite the component of the Washington State law that made it a felony to disseminate “GAMBLING INFORMATION” online … so poker bloggers are still in danger of going to the hoosegow with the same legal designation as pedophiles for talking about a game that may or may not be played for money.

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Tim in Switzerland informs us that the World Trade Organization has just thrown a wrench at the United States’ crackdown on online gambling. Granted, it’s an allen wrench, but still … the WTO has upheld Antigua’s accusations that the US is engaging in unfair protectionist practices for allowing some online gambling (horse racing) but not that offered by international competition.

“What can they do that will affect the US one iota? Nothing,” said Jonathan Winer, a partner at Alston & Bird LLP who has followed the case closely. A greater threat is that success at the WTO for Antigua could pave the way for the EU to pursue a fair trade case against the US over online gambling, which the US might have to take more seriously.

Interestingly enough, it’s the carve-out for horse racing in the UIGEA that seems to be biting America in the arse … and yet this is the same kinda carveout that the PPA is seeking for poker. Hmmm.

Talk about gambling (and anti-gambling) legislation in Texas spreads. Apparently the TEXAS GAMING COMMISSION is hard at work, though their website suggests they are more interested in the XBOX-360 than poker.

More here. HOUSTON and DALLAS seem to be on the same page. TARRANT COUNTY is potentially on board, too. In the American BRICK-AND-MORTAR world, Texas is seen the way RUSSIA is online — major untapped resource.

It’s all about JOBS and SCHOLARSHIPS. Governor RICK PERRY (R) effectively talks out of two sides of his mouth on this issue, thus allowing him to take money from opposing sides (in theory).

Any casino legislation may be more palatable to lawmakers if it provides for cracking down on eight-liners, he said, as the Texas Gaming Association is proposing.

“They’re totally unregulated, totally unlicensed and huge amounts of money,” Perry said. “You’re fooling yourself if you think there’s not substantial gambling going on in the state of Texas.”

We’re all fine with that, of course. As far as we know, you don’t have too many eight-liner blogs and there isn’t a World Series of Eight-Liners. So all good, but with that said, why are the Texas Gaming Association and Texas Governor and all the proponents of expanded slot machines not even acknowledging “Texas Hold’em?”

(And remember when Texas went so far as to name a football team after our proud wagering heritage?)

It didn’t take long for the latest U.S. Department of Justice anti-online-gambling action — subpoenaing at least 16 European banks that did business with PartyGaming, 888, and others — to rub some powerful Brits the wrong way. Though the UK banking industry and their political cohorts could presumably care less about poker, they are publicly balking at the insinuation that the US has any semblance of jurisdiction:

Alan Duncan, Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, said: “There is growing suspicion that the US Department of Justice is using its muscle in a highly unpleasant manner, and is targeting financial institutions beyond their own shores in a way that cannot be justified. I hope the Department will stop and review its approach so that its behaviour doesn’t sour relations between us.”

via Bill Rini

Of course if online gambling sites don’t feel safe in London, they can always set up shop on Sealand. Thanks, Shuttergypsy, for the link!

NOTE: The DOJ’s legal requests hardly constitute economic warfare … but they are hurting (at least temporarily) the legitimate British businesses that prosecutors want to make the bad guys.

OK, so I just did some checking … Indeed, UB won’t let me deposit via Neteller. However, when I log in to Neteller, I am greeted by the following screen:

Very interesting. I can only imagine the whole company is in a tizzy as we stand … perhaps even in “fuck it” mode. So we can’t as intelligent poker players expect them to make all the right moves.

As if the UIGEA were not enough … the FBI has arrested two founders of Neteller for allegedly conspiring to transfer illegal funds — crimes committed before the new, tougher anti-online-gambling law even went into effect. Some of you may recall that the Department of Justice has claimed online poker to be illegal all along. Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre (Canadian citizens) were both taken into custody on Monday in coordinated arrests in California and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Both face up to 20 years in prison, as federal prosecutors paint them in a Ken Lay light:

“Blatant violations of U.S. law are not a mere `risk’ to be disclosed to prospective investors,” U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said in an official statement. “Criminal prosecutions related to online gambling will be pursued even in cases where assets and defendants are positioned outside of the United States.”

Lawrence and Lefebvre led the company when they went public. Trading of Neteller (NLR.L) on the London Stock Exchange was suspended upon word of their arrests.

More information:
Reuters
The AP/Forbes
Bloomberg
The actual legal complaints
A detailed analysis of the charges
Business Week — on what the arrests bode for the online gambling industry

More…

The wheels of poker keep on turnin’. Proud Mary keeps on burnin’ Let’s get right to the news that may or may not be important to you …

PARTYPOKER is moving and shaking with business deals to solidify its presence in ASIA.

INDIA is booming — clearly, it’s the next Czech Republic/Thailand/China/Tibet all rolled into one — and 34-year-old PartyPoker co-founder ANARUG DIKSHIT plays a significant role in this presumably hot emerging economy. (via Forbes)

Here is a video of PartyPoker big-whig BD GOEL leading a panel discussion at a conference for the Bollytech elite:
NOTE: The interesting stuff starts about four minutes in.

And here is a video of some dancing poker chips:

(via LazyDork.com)

Soccerati is one of my new favorite websites — awesome name, by the way — because there’s more to life than just poker, DAVID BECKHAM is coming to America, and I’ve been playing a lot of FIFA ‘07 on the XBOX 360.Click here to see semi-naked pictures of his wife, VICTORIA, pka POSH SPICE. (Welcome to the United States!)

SEAN SALMON is my new favorite MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST. I just learned who he was yesterday last week, and on January 28 he’ll step into the UFC Octagon sporting Guinness-and-Fighting apparel.

Speaking of Indians … Sen. DAVID VITTER (R-Louisiana) wants to introduce legislation to limit campaign contributions from NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES (the kind that run casinos and send money to TEXAS Republicans to keep the busloads of players coming).

Pokerati is monitoring PARTYGAMING STOCK these days, in part because we just purchased some, believing the company is primed for rebound. But PG co-founder VIKRANT BHARGAVA might see things differently, having just sold a majority of his stake for $100 million.

Meanwhile, the BRITS are cracking down on amateur PUB POKER. Wait, we thought the UK was poker’s biggest ally. Poker world still TOPSY-TURVY.

So here are some more dancing chips:

And this video reminds us we’re still waiting for a true RON CEY of poker to emerge:

In NOVA SCOTIA, authorities are warning bar owners that the ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE will come after them if they keep hosting Texas Hold’em tourneys. (Can’t tell if they are talking about no-money games, too.) The government-poker shakedown seems to be worldwide.

Last year, police in SOUTH CAROLINA were raiding poker games. With trials still pending for 18 arrested players pleading not-guilty, Rep. WALLACE SCARBOROUGH (R-Charleston) is drafting legislation to legalize “recreational” poker games, in the state’s first major revision to its gambling laws in 200 years. (TEXANS, of course, should take note.)

The issue is near-and-dear to OTIS, who hails from the Cocks-loving state and points us to a quality story by BOB PAJICH at CardPlayer (Kudos Bob, and kudos CP, for all the real journalism poker’s mounting legal issues are bringing out in “The Poker Authority.” Refreshing!)

WEST VIRGINIA is also preparing for more-legal gambling, and declare INDIANA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, and SOUTH DAKOTA as the models of regulation to follow.

Here’s a video showing the effects of drugs and alcohol on spiders in a way that may or may not apply to plenty of poker players:

Thanks, Tom, for the link!

OK, that’s probably enough for now.

So Texas gambling laws are indeed fixin’ to change. (Yippee!) The powers that be are having real discussions about how expanded gambling should or should not help fund our beleaguered public school system. (Where do we rank these days … like 47th?)

Here’s a recent story from KHOU in Houston about the prospects of legalizing slot machines in Texas — saying, hey, Texas is missing out on some much needed dollars that the public clearly is willing to pony up.

Click here to watch the video report.

So hey, Poker, you do see don’t you that now is the time to make this matter? It seems a shame that the Houston story didn’t give at least a few sentences to how much money legal poker rooms in Texas could generate. I mean not a biggie in the small term, but something that poker players should be aware of before this every-other-year opportunity passes. Will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate right now. As far as I know, the best political entities working on behalf of poker here are the Texas Poker PAC and Texas Card Players Association. But both are still in relatively nascent stages, and will be needing the help of legal- and political-minded players and playas. (Full disclosure: Pokerati is totally in bed with Texas Poker PAC.)

And will the Poker Player’s Alliance take an interest in Texas players? This question is not rhetorical.

(I can only hope we’ve all learned some lessons about how the legislative game really works from Bill Frist’s Last Stand.)

Meanwhile, here’s an old article (circa 2001, I think) about the folks who will likely be trying to put a stop to any expanded-gambling ideas. And they’ll be better funded this go-round by our good friends running poker rooms in Oklahoma and Louisiana.

So Which Way Will Texas Go?

While doing some other research, I stumbled across this Channel 8 story that aired back in November … about illegal 8-liner and video poker rooms in Hunt County. I have long heard of their existence, but have never stepped foot inside one. Interesting — kinda like a poker room, only the patrons seem a bit more pathetic. (At least at a poker table you have a semblance of social interaction going on.)

Anyhow, the Texas Legislature is back in action this month … and according to the story, there are efforts in place to toughen-up Texas’ current gambling laws — making it a felony to run such an establishment. (The gist of the story linked-to above is that law enforcement can’t do much to wipe them out of business when the crime is only a misdemeanor.)

I haven’t seen the bill being championed by Rep. Ron Flynn (R-Canton) yet, and it sounds like he might be trying to tighten the screws just on 8-liners/slots, not worrying about poker. While that’s kinda-sorta a good thing, it also serves as a reminder that the legislative battle is on. Texas’ gambling laws will change. How they will change … is to be determined.

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My name is Mike Lavigne (AKA “Lavigne in Austin”) and I am the founder and treasurer of the Texas Poker PAC. Dan has invited me to start posting regularly in an effort to keep Pokerati readers up to date on the status of our fight to expand and regulate poker in Texas.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you in Dallas over the last year as we have gotten the Texas Poker PAC off the ground. Statewide legislative efforts like the Poker PAC take time to organize if they are to be done right, and I appreciate all the help and contributions thus far.

I have an extensive background in partisan politics, campaign and legislative strategy and public relations. I am also registering as an independent lobbyist this session. My client list is varied, but i will have a client (other than the PAC) that has an interest in the fight for poker.

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From a Swiss Avenue poker-playing eyewitness:

I was at Ace High earlier tonight when sometime before 11pm, Dallas SWAT announced their prescence with authority…well kinda. They started pounding on the front door as loud as you can imagine, but didn’t get through at first. So my first instinct was that the place was being robbed. While Barney Fife and company were dicking around with the door, there was plenty of time for all 20 or 30 folks to pour out of the back door and into the back alley. Pretty much complete chaos and every man for himself at this point. Come to find out that all of the fences are really high back there in the alley, so it was a bit anti-climactic…bummer.

After a few brief moments of scampering around and watching a few people make valiant attempts at scaling these walls, SWAT came out the back door and started waving their M-16s around as the’ve been known to do when bringing poker players to justice. Considering that just moments earlier I thought this might be an armed robbery, I was actually kinda relieved to assume the face-down-on-the-pavement position and receive my zip-cuffs. As I laid there, one of the cops actually razzed me a bit asking why I wasn’t long gone since they’d had so much trouble with the door. I don’t why he was messing with me, since by my estimation, not a single person escaped.

Not a whole lot of drama after they had us all bound, lined up, searched and ticketed (for “gambling”). Nothing too unreasonable, once the gun barrels were lowered. A&E camera crews weren’t there this time, although there was a camera from a news crew, but he wasn’t well labeled and I didn’t feel like hanging around to ask him who he was with (although I’m now dying to know).

You may have noticed we have a new poll on the right hand sidebar — looking into the behavior of poker players since the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. I know those of you who are voting for the cunniligual entertainment write-in candidate think you’re being funny, but really, stop it! You’re going to skew the results on a very serious matter. Besides, Pokerati feels like we know our readers well, and we’ll bet $10,000 that there’s no way six of you have been, uh, down to Panama with a paid professional in the past 31 days.

Am feeling very video-ish this evening … I may or may not explain why later (but it has something to do with particle physics, Ronald Reagan, and the now-defunct Superconducting Supercollider). Anyhow, have a look at some of the more relevant poker vids I’ve come across in recent days:

NOTE: These come from Bill Rini, Change100, Wicked Chops, and other link-clicky sources.

Rep. RON PAUL (R-TX), opposing anti-online gambling legislation …

Rep. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA), making some pretty strong arguments on why banning online gambling (heretofore called the UIGEA) would set some pretty bad precedents …

The MCLAUGHLIN GROUP declaring 4-1 (with PAT BUCHANAN as the lone dissenter) the UIGEA as bad legislation and insisting there’s no way it will pass …

ALT: “Wrong!

And here’s an intelligently crafted creative endeavor (by the “Association of Professional Casino Webmasters”) outlining the hypocrisy of Sen. BILL FRIST (R-TN) and Rep. BOB GOODLATTE (R-VA) …

Click here to see the other UIGEA videos created by these folks.

This kinda random fun one shows LEE JONES, poker room manager at PokerStars, taking on Frist with a big stick …

Another politician speaking out — Rep. SHELLEY BERKLEY (D-NV) making the most of her one minute at the mic …

And last but definitely not least, check out this (sorry, non-YouTubed) clip from The Daily Show revealing why GEORGE BUSH clearly doesn’t play (good) poker, but does understand collusion.

The tectonic shifts in the poker online gambling world are starting to rustle up the industry … with Sportingbet selling its U.S. operations for $1, and Leisure & Gaming following suit. (No details on the buyer or price yet for this one.)

There’s still a plenty-big pie to bite into, and with the American government sticking its finger in it, specialization and consolidation seem to be the key to still getting a piece.

The first online gaming company collapse just went down … World Gaming is no longer … or at least just a shell of what it used to be.

So says the Associated Press. Los Angeles braces for riots. Rodney King pleas for peace. Online players damage mouse buttons en masse.

More info throughout the day here.

UPDATE: It’s over. I mean not really when it comes to playing … but the legal fight enters a new phase, one that likely won’t end for a while.

I missed the Texas gubernatorial debate last night … then I caught the last two thirds of it on C-SPAN. Unfortunately, the two biggest pro-poker candidates, Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, gave two of the more lackluster performances. It was clear that Strayhorn is no Ann Richards, and Kinky is no Jesse Ventura.

Anyhow, before I saw the actual debate, Lavigne in Austin was kind enough to fill me in on what I’d be seeing, particularly as it relates to poker:

cool. you didn’t miss much, but kinky did mention legalizing texas hold’em. otherwise he came off as unknowledgable as the rest of them did boring.

So long road row to hoe. But is cynicism becoming the enemy?

I’m sure I’ll be stumbling across more and more must-click items throughout the week … the latest is Amy Calistri’s well-written take on what all came together to create the current online poker clusterfuck.

Wow, for the first time, the non-poker media is actually paying attention to non-poker issues. The result is some incredibly insightful stuff and the occasional pure bullshit:

First off, DICK MORRIS has an interesting column — penned a few days before the Safe Ports Act passed — asserting that were BILL FRIST still a doctor, he would be sued for malpractice for his tactics.

A finance site claims there’s nothing illegal about offshore banking poker middlemen (such as Neteller, Firepay, et al.).

But that didn’t stop NETELLER’S stock from taking a big hit.

Meanwhile, PARTY GAMING canceled its Oct. 31 dividends as it begins to shift some business gears. Here’s the best story I’ve seen so far explaining their numbers and future plans.

The blogging community in BUFFALO theoretically wants to engage in debate, but you aren’t allowed to use the word “poker”.

It is, however, good to see NON-POKER BLOGGERS calling a spade a spade and recognizing political fucked-uppedness.

British columnist SIMON YOUNG is questioning America’s whole “land of the free” concept.

The CALIFORNIA COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING believes regulation would do more good than prohibition, particularly when it applies to the internet.

AWARD for WORST JOURNALISTIC ANALYSIS: In Washington State the owner of the DRIFT-ON INN says his poker room has been hurting, and the online ban should be a boon to his business. Apparently he sees the fact that 80 percent of his customers play online as the reason they don’t play live more often, CHRIS MONEYMAKER be damned.

Though NEVADA casinos used to think online gambling hurt their business, now they realize how important online is to them and how much a ban could hurt their business.

We probably shouldn’t forget that JC TRAN won $670k last week in the World Championship of Online Poker. Kinda ironic that this event was such a smashing success?

The MOTLEY FOOL has a sober, intelligent analysis of it all.

In SOUTH KOREA, they are declaring online gaming ready to go bust. I, of course, blame SANG.

Here’s a quality essay from a kid at UCLA. The multi-generational nature of poker suggests the issue will be around for quite some time.

Kinda interesting to see the MIDDLE EAST TIMES declaring that the ban on online gaming is destined to fail.

Of course BUSINESS WEEK sees plenty of loopholes, too.

The TECH MEDIA agrees that this law is unenforceable.

Of course that doesn’t stop the hurt for legitimate gaming executives in Europe, who are (finally) asking the governments of the UK and EU why they haven’t done anything to stop this mess.

MARKETING COMPANIES are also sure to be hurt.

Another sober, non-poker analysis — seeing this as an issue of PURITANISM and PROTECTIONISM.

More on protectionism.

A July column by SEN. JON KYL likening internet gambling to crack cocaine, which received negative response from Republicans who actually believe in smaller government. (Uh-duh, if crack and poker are the same, crack is cheaper and therefore comes with a more positive EV.)

Trying to get my head around the new Internet Gambling law. Read an interesting piece on page 2 of today’s Business section in the Dallas Morning News (sadly, the website does not have the article). In it, the writer suggests that Internet sites might resort to setting up their own banks dealing in gold and silver vs. dollars and cents. It also mentions that the WTO, of which the United States is a member, may have something to say about it. Also saw this article in the Las Vegas Sun which interestingly suggests that the two biggest Casino congolemates (Harrah’s and MGM) stood far more to lose than the other Casinos, who offered little more than passive opposition. It would seem that Harrah’s, with a pending $15 Billion offer, is perhaps even more inclined to seek a poker exemption by clarification or carve-out.
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I’m confident the sky isn’t falling, but the stock is. PartyPoker’s stock is down 55