If you haven’t had enough of famous politicians running for President, now you can throw a playa into the mix.

Greg Raymer for (Vice) President!

Hmmm, I see campaign contributions flowing already.

A Pokerati friend whose name may or may not rhyme with Rudy Giuliani writes in with some good reminders about how the political process works:

Condolences on your temporary setback, but don’t give up. If the Texas legislature is anything like New York’s (where I spent years as a staffer) then the following things are true (and if they sound facetious, they’re not):

1) No major bill becomes a law in the first year that it is taken seriously. (unless it bears the name of a child who died a tragic death.) That could be due to a healthy prudence that insists on letting an idea ripen before turning it into a law; or it could be a cynical ploy to extract more campaign donations and/or raise the political stakes before delivering the goods. Most often, I think, it’s just the rhythm of the institution. It takes a couple of years to see if the public support for the bill is serious enough to make it worth the confrontations that will be needed to get it passed.

2) No bill ever becomes a law just because it’s obviously a good idea; somebody with the clout to push it through has to have a political motivation to do so.

3) When a bill has strong public support, and enough sponsors to ensure its passage, but somehow gets held up in the process and never makes it to a vote: that’s when it gets interesting. Nine times out of ten, somebody loses money if this bill becomes a law, and that person (or industry group) has a lock on some powerful member who is able to hold up the process. The point of resistance needs to be identified and the sponsor of the bill has to be pushed into a confrontation with the powerful member. (Getting a law enacted is like giving a deep massage: you have to find the hidden resistance point and work it real hard, and if it isn’t painful you’re not working the right spot.)

Just some thoughts from a scarred veteran of many political wars. If you want to post this on your site, please don’t post my name; I’m still active in state government and it might be awkward if this came up when my name is googled.

Anyway, keep at it; the second year is the most important one. As the crap dealers say when you buy in for the second time: Better luck, sir!

Sorry I didn’t post immediately after HB 3186 saw its untimely demise this week, but I went out and drank to bed Thursday night after it became evident that we weren’t gonna get there.

Lets bring the vitriol down a notch and look at the big picture here. I’ll do a proper post-mortem later, but for now lets remember a few things:

1) All good bills take time to pass. I was one of the primary organizers behind the legislation to give Texas teachers paid health insurance. That took us about 4 1/2 years in a time when the state was pretty flush with cash. Not because we did anything wrong, not because the system doesn’t work, but because that is just how long it takes to tell everyone what you want to do and why. We are WAY ahead of the curve on this one.

2) Nobody expected a bill this good to get filed…much less out of committee, through calendars and given a slot on the floor.

3) Our bill didn’t die because legislators don’t like/want poker. Our bill died because there were some major bad bills ahead of it that legislators didn’t want to get to. That is just the way it goes. Frankly, we are probably better off that some of those bills didn’t get voted on.

So, where does that leave us? That leaves us with about 2 1/2 weeks left of session. The possibility does still exist that we could amend our language onto another eligible bill that has already made it through one chamber. I’ll spare y’all the procedural civics lesson for now, but it is a possibility.

If that doesn’t work, we have 1 1/2 years to get ready to do this again. That isn’t very long. We will need to build up a better organization, raise money and stand together until then.

Stay tuned. The fatcats may be singing, but the fat lady isn’t even getting warmed up.

I’m sure this won’t piss anyone off … but check out the letter Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) sent to a concerned poker citizen who requested his support on HB 3186:

click to enlarge

Wow. Way to encourage participation in the political process, sir. I think a lot of elected officials — perhaps the majority even — forget that regular people like Mr. Rogers are their bosses, not their bitches. I may be a little jealous because he has way better hair than me tilty based on the way he belittles a citizen who simply did what he was supposed to do to let his representative know where he stands on an issue. You’ll notice McCall doesn’t actually take a stance … he pretty much just calls Jason stupid for doing so.

Click below for more insight into what a simple-minded congressman Rep. McCall may or may not be …

ALT HED: Why We Lost, Exhibit A

More…

Just because our little poker bill in Texas didn’t make it over its biggest hump doesn’t mean the fun of fighting for legal poker is over. We got all sorts of federal fisticuffs on hand, and here we are talking about putting people in jail for life and the battle for control of an online economy! Woot!

From our good/Myspace friends at APCW:

HB 3186 explains that he is one of the lucky ones and it’s not easy to become a law.

See his story here!

Lavigne in Austin just called me with something close to a concession speech. He won’t say it’s definitely not gonna get through, but he would be surprised. They’ve made it about halfway through the calendar in about eight hours. We have until midnight by house rule to get this done.

Lavigne says he has seen them disable the clock before so they could go past the deadline, but that seems unlikely … because what we have been seeing go on right now is something called “chubbing” — where people on the same side of an issue ask each other questions simply as a delay tactic. Apparently there is some very contentious bill on page 19 or 20 … and many of the members would rather not get to that. If they do, then it will have a long debate.

“We’re getting blinded out,” Lavigne says.

This reminds me of watching the UIGEA go down … with the clock ticking it looked like they might not get to that. But there, the man with the gavel (Sen. Bill Frist) had every reason to make sure they did. Not the case here with Speaker Craddick.

Meanwhile, in the Florida Legislature, they flew through the gambling and poker bills — correcting some betting limit problems passed in the last session — even though it upsets some of the conservative bedrocks of that state.

OK, I am losing faith … I am thinking a few people need to die before poker becomes a priority.

Right now the debate on the Texas House floor is about some consulting fee to improve county jail standards — and it’s turning into a bitter fight about who’s got a worse lock-up, Dallas or Harris County. (Dallas has had major inspection failures four years in a row — and the Dept. of Justice is not happy.)

It’s all reminding me of the last time I followed a specific legislative push in Texas — looking to address dire circumstances faced by prison guards in 2000. The correctional officers had been getting stabbed and beaten at an alarming rate, Hepatitis was running wild, and the gangs were growing stronger with the violence seeping into the free world … and they never got anything heard on the floor. Why? Because too many pols (who weren’t specifically opposed to improving things for prison guards) were afraid of looking soft on crime.

The best EV in the eyes of the Legislature came from just not getting to the matter.

ALT HED: RE: Not-so-Super/System

UPDATE: Here’s the totally non-poker article on Texas’ prison woes, for those who happen to be interested in the potential for bad decision-making by elected officials.

I’m watching the House floor right now … in the background. HB 3186 ain’t coming up anytime soon … and if they don’t get to it by midnight, it is dead dead dead for 2007. So I may be updating this post throughout the next few hours to point out other things that have made their way to the legislative fore:

• Hispanics want to shoot of fireworks for Cinco de Mayo. Interestingly, it’s a matter of police having resources to fight illegal fireworks shooting if it remains illegal. (It’s apparently also good for schools and charities.)
• They are voting now on the fireworks thing … the amendment failed 29-110, but the bill itself passed! (I think. Can’t be sure.) Only 170 more bills to go before they get to poker!
• OK, they just passed three bills in like three minutes five bills in four minutes — something about rural railroads, money for colleges in Central Texas, mentors for teens in foster care, and a pilot program to save Medicaid money.
• Apparently reaching HB 3186 is mathematically possible. Am thinking poker would benefit from a relationship with Red Bull. If anyone can get a few dozen cases to the floor shortly after the dinner break — perhaps with a note saying “From Texas poker players in support of HB 3186″ — that would be pretty cool. No idea if it would be legal, but hey …
• It’s nearing an hour talking about some county jail monitor. It is getting FEISTY! Legislative tilt clearly in play.
  Unknown Legislator: Do you know why democracy takes so long?
  Rep. Craddick: Wha…? Oh … democracy?
  UL: That’s a foreign term around here.
  Craddick: We’re interested in what you have to say.
• OK, maybe there is no dinner break … someone just brought in barbecue (from Tuffy’s?). Seriously, next time … Red Bull.

The Thursday calendar is out. Poker is on page 21 of 23.

Oy.

It seems the other side (who that really is, I’m not sure) made its straight on the turn and we’re lookin’ for a boat on the river. Or quads … Ten-outer.

ALT HED: Not-so-Super/System

Dale Hansen comes out of the closet to admit that yes, he has played and will continue to play illegal poker. You know, he is pretty good on the radio. He should so think about getting into podcasting.

Hour of Hansen
ESPN 103.3 FM - 5/8/07
[display_podcast]

Part 1: Dale Hansen speaks with Rep. Jose Menendez about HB 3186 and why legalizing poker in Texas is an uphill political battle / scared Republicans (and problems caused by redistricting) / luck vs. skill / Lottery hypocrites / the Governor will sign if it gets to him.

Part 2: Hansen speaks with Pokerati about underground poker in Dallas and the hypocrisy of the state not taking a rake on poker / what about fishing tournaments? / Oklahoma and Louisiana advertising on the highways / the impact of raids.

Part 3: Hansen takes calls / a sweet old lady busted in the VFW game / would Dale legalize drugs?

My only regret is that I forgot to push the charity angle … and talk more with Dale about how his attempt at a major benefit (Cards for Kids with DallasCAN!) was stymied, and would not have been under the purview of a new law.

Tune in to Hour of Hansen on ESPN radio (103.3 FM) here. He’s talking poker right now. Rep. Menendez is currently speaking with Dale Hansen from Austin on how far we’ve come and the obstacles we still face.

Yes, we women think from time to time — or at least the men allow us. Especially down here in Texas where all men are rednecks and women are stupid, no? Offended? See fine print below. Anyway, I was thinking about HB 3186 and the paradox of why we are unable to play raked poker in Texas. Here is just one example:

Considering the process of Natural Selection, poker tournaments are a great example of Darwinism. When the first poker hand is dealt, Herbert Spencer’s phrase “Survival of the fittest” becomes most poker player’s motto. We are forced to learn this scientific theory in our public schools while forbidding Creationism. Let’s get something clear right now…Creationism over Evolution is not the point of this post. Darwinism vs. Creation or Intelligent Design is not the point of this post, either.

My point is … why do we force children to learn the scientific theory of evolution over the 5,000-year-old historical book of Genesis only to tell postgraduates they’re unable to practice the forced theory and make decisions on their own in life. Isn’t it confusing the government will choose what you learn in school such as capitalism, free trade and freedom (which we pay for) only to forbid these things later in life? Is it me or does it seem the government takes religion away from children and then uses it against adults?

*Sew - Pun on women being stupid and knowing how to sew. Also read the comments on this post.
*Fine Print
The statement pertaining to Texas men being rednecks and Texas women being stupid is not true. State names have been changed to protect the ignorant innocent.

Tim in Dallas writes in with a late-night update on HB 3186, and a question that I think he was hoping was rhetorical:

From: Tim B
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 2:07 AM
To: dan michalski
Subject: woo WOO! HB 3186 made it through calendars!

Placed on General State Calendar 05/09/2007

they havent released the calendar for the 9th yet, so i dont know where in
the agenda it is, but this does mean its going to get a vote on the floor,
right??

Indeed, Tim, this is a really good thing … but it may not be enough! Being on the general calendar is no guarantee that the House will get to it … and if they don’t, then despite all hard work and good sense, it simply dies.

To be sure the bill gets heard on the floor, it needs to be on the Major State Calendar. Rep. Jose Menendez, Lavigne in Austin, and the lobbyists are actively trying to make that happen … but that’s why pressure still matters today and tomorrow. In fact, if you happen to be a big-time Republican donor … now would be a really good time to get in touch voice-to-voice with your highest-ranking peeps and encourage them to make poker a priority.

Fingers crossed, buttons clicking, stomachs turning … it feels like we’ve flopped a set only to be up against open-ended-straight and flush draws with two cards to come.

More…

Not sure if this helps or hurts the poker cause … but the Texas Lottery has introduced a new $50 scratch-off game. Could spark an anti-gambling uproar, you gotta think, that might make the “no-no-no more gambling!” minority scare a few undecideds against the Texas Poker Act, which is still waiting to see if it can get on the “major state calendar” for a vote this week.

Or it could plausibly put the Lege into “fuck-it” mode … “hell, if we’ve got the biggest lottery game in the nation, then why not Texas Hold’em, gowl-dangit?” After all, even the Southern Baptist-lovin’ Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas) has publicly shilled for gambling in Texas — full-fledged casino variety, no less — on the grounds that it is the will of the public to see these dollars stay in state. Interestingly enough, it’s the Texas Lottery Commission that would be charged with the regulation and oversight of poker, as per HB 3186.

Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has an article with instructions for wagering on Texas-related politics online via Bodog. I wonder if the ST realizes how much money they could make if they linked to Bodog with an affiliate code.

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.

We’ve gotten some decent ink going into the weekend, with some more expected.

The biggest threat to our little bill is that the House of Representatives is just on this side of a total meltdown over totally unrelated issues. The Capitol Letters blog is a pretty good one if you want to learn more about that.

We have to have our bill heard on the floor of the House by Thursday if it is to continue on to the Senate. This is doable, but we need to keep applying pressure.

A Pokerati reader created a web page to make that even easier. GO THERE NOW!

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

ALT HED: Floor!

More…

HB 3186 was voted out of the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee. We will be seeing our first Texas House vote on Poker as early as Friday. More to come, but for now please contact your State Representative and ask them to support HB 3186, The Texas Poker Act.

It has been a little while since I last updated y’all on the progress of our Texas Poker Bill (HB 3186). When we last left our little bill it had had a great hearing in the Texas House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures. At the end of that hearing it was left pending and the real work began behind the scenes.

Your team has been busy…and successful. We anticipate it being voted out of committee very soon, but we need every poker player in Texas to do something between now and Monday afternoon. Call the legislators on the committee and let them know you support the regulation of poker, specifically HB 3186.

When you call, please remember a few things:

1) Be nice
2) Tell them specifically you support HB 3186
3) Ask them to support HB 3186 too

It will only take about 30 seconds a call and there are 9 members of the committee.

We are very close to getting this bill to the floor of the House, where we believe we may have enough votes to pass this thing.

Hopefullly, I’ll be updating you with some very good news on Monday night!

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]

More…

The Dallas Police Department continues its crackdown on illegal gambling … busting a poker game at the Audie Murphy VFW Post 1837 just several hours ago. There were reportedly seven full tables running when nearly 20 police officers entered the room. It was the vice squad this time, not the SWAT team … though some undercover player-officers were donning black hoods, face masks, and sunglasses to keep their identity sealed — one of whom responded to the name “Curtis.”

No official numbers yet on tickets, arrests, and money seized … but it’s looking to be about 70 players issued gambling citations, and a dozen employees handcuffed and taken to jail[UPDATE: It appears they, too, may have just been ticketed] for “keeping a gambling place.” According to Deputy Chief (Vice and Narcotics) J.A. Bernal, most of the alleged poker criminals “appeared to be hardworking, normal citizens; average everyday working joes. That’s what we found here today.”

Tonight’s VFW bust comes after an attempted armed robbery at one Dallas room Friday night as police were reportedly raiding other poker rooms (including the Island Club and new Top Shelf). DPD tells Pokerati they also hit a couple 8-liner joints Friday … and that more gambling raids are to come.

Meanwhile, legislators in Austin are considering a bill to legalize some semblance of poker games similar to the one taking place at the VFW. Several state and local politicians support this bill ([tag]HB 3186[/tag]) … presumably as an example of sensible government … including Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins, whose office now has at least another 100 poker-related misdemeanors added to it’s caseload.

More…

Another pretty good Texas-poker-bill story … You know, it’s almost encouraging when you see a reporter who clearly is not a poker player “get it” … troublesome kicker or not.

Click here to view the story.

Remember to contact your state representative(s) to voice your support for legal poker.

Click here if you need help with what to say. And in the interest of trying to come across as an unbiased champion of true democracy … Pokerati also halfheartedly encourages opponents of the bill to probably someday get around to eventually writing someone in the Legislature so they can sound impractical and stupid reserve the right to complain if/when things don’t go their way.

UPDATE: Yet another good story … this one in today’s Dallas Morning News. Remarkably unbiased and balanced (in Pokerati’s not-so-unbiased-and-balanced opinion).

The public support is clearly there … it’s just a matter of letting the politicos know that they will gain supporters, not lose them, by supporting this bill. Check out not so much this story out of Austin … but the comments:

More…

Gary Carson offers his $.02 on the pending poker legislation in Texas … and I couldn’t help but mouth off to my respectable colleague. (Thanks, Tim, for the link!)

As for the rest of you … don’t forget that now — as in like today, maybe next Tuesday at the latest — is the time to flood the legislative voicemails and in-boxes with your support for HB 3186.

It’s pretty simple where things currently stand … if a majority of the House decides to support this bill (that would be 76 representatives), it will be put to a vote and it will pass.

UPDATE: Here’s a better video of the November Dallas poker raids, better than the one I linked to in Gary’s comments. When it comes to dealing with poker, it’s pretty much either this or HB 3186 — our choice.

OK, these videos may not be as good as the stuff you see on Raw Vegas, but still … worth a look:

Michael Bolcerek thanking the 20,000 Texas members of the PPA:
(via the PPA Blog)

Clonie, Michele, and Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) laying it all on the line:

And this vid … I’m not so sure about. Are Nixon and G.W. Bush really the presidents you want to ally yourself with? Either way, this almost seems like something the “other side” might have put out:

Things have been busy here in A-town as we work to bring Hold’em to Texas. We had a successful day on Tuesday as we bombarded the state with our media outreach and made a strong case for Poker in the committee hearing. I’m sure Dan and Michele have/will post(ed) links to the Pokerpages video and some other resources if you want to follow what went down.

There are way too many people to thank for the success we had yesterday and its a little early to pat ourselves on the back just yet, but please know that the Texas Poker PAC, PPA and Texas Cardplayers Association are in collusion right now and working well as a team.

Our witnesses testified perfectly and were really patient as we were delayed about 6 hours. There are worse things in the world than being holed up in a hotel conference room with Clonie and Michele…not to mention two Poker Hall of Famers (Lyle Berman and Crandall Addington) and Erick Lindgren. I even learned that there is such a thing as “Perfect Chinese” poker, though none of it was on display there.

The bill was left pending in committee which is standard operating procedure for major bills and even most smaller ones.

Michele already recapped much of the action and i’m sure Dan will be doing so as well when he’s done gloating over his half victory in last night’s drinky rules debate…

We have a really good chance at passage of the poker bill this year. Admitedly, I didn’t even think our chances would be this good at this early stage in the fight.

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW!

Call and email your State Representative and ask them to support the Texas Poker Act, HB 3186 by Menendez. Click Here to find out who your Representative is and to get their contact info.

We need you to do this right now! We will be polling members next week to see where we stand so please let them know you are out there today. If you get a machine leave a message and call back tomorrow or send an email or do both. We want to make it known that there are a lot of us, we vote and we want poker.

Stay tuned, we are just getting started here…

As always, you should feel free to contribute to the effort monetarily by joining the Texas Poker PAC.

PS. Does Dan play the same “questionable” hands in Dallas or does he just save that crap for when he plays us Austin donkeys?

Check it out … Fox4 in Dallas has a poll … and it’s running roughly 74-21 in favor of HB 3186.

While I love Austin, yesterday I wished Houston was still the Capitol of Texas so I wouldn’t have had to commute. Nonetheless, it was a swell time spending the day with Dan Michalski, Mike Lavigne, Lyle Berman, Crandell Addington, Clonie Gowen, and Erick Lindgren.

I arrived at noon to quickly learn that many local news stations were hot for information on the new bill. After our first interview, we lunched in a nearby hotel board room as we listened to Crandell’s old poker stories. If you love old Doyle Brunson stories then ask Crandall about the time Doyle mucked Aces Full (on the turn – formally known as the flop).

Lyle Berman spent most of the day entertaining us with his brainstorming — further proving that Crandell was indeed accurate on his analysis of Lyle’s intellect. “Do you know what Full Tilt should do?” asked Berman. “What?” asked Clonie. Lyle then declined to share the information because it was just too good of an idea.

More…

AUSTIN–It took me to get awhile to get some wi-fi here at the Doubletree across from the capitol … but eventually I hooked into the system by going to the front desk and asking for a password, which they were happy to provide at no cost.

5:17 pm — There is nothing to report. We are waiting. Crandell Addington says he won’t tell bad beat stories … but he will apparently tell “amazing fold” stories that take a long time to listen to. Lyle Berman is the smartest man he knows. Just ask him.

7:36 pm — Still waiting. The Fresh Princess looks pretty today. Clonie is missing a button in the middle of her blouse. Crandell is nodding off. We’ve busted out the Chinese poker. Erick Lindgren had to go home.

7:38 pm — We just got the call. Headed over to the capitol in five minutes.

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.

The World Trade Organization has confirmed that the United States and our laws against online gambling violate international trade agreements.

I’m not really sure what this latest “ruling” means for all practical purposes … I guess we’ll see in coming years just how much clout the WTO carries. The US has about 14 different appeals and redraws should they choose to even acknowledge the decision has been made. But a most basic translation of the WTO message: The rest of the world thinks the US is wrong when it comes to the prohibition against online gambling — well the rest of the world except for Turkey and France — and the world may soon authorize the mighty nation of Antigua to try and wield fiscal harm in an effort to get America to change its protectionist ways.

Hey, the world loves an underdog, right … ?

PartyGaming’s stock surged more than 10 percent on the news.

A big thank you to the PPA for sending out this email to their Texas membership today!
_____

Dear Texas Poker Player,

As you know, the Poker Players Alliance is fighting on your behalf in Washington, D.C. and at the state level to defend your right to play poker. The fight for legal, safe and fair poker is taking place here in Texas right now.

The Texas Poker PAC is an ally of the PPA and has worked hard to get great legislation introduced that will regulate and expand legal poker in Texas! House Bill HB 3186 was filed by Representative Jose Menendez of San Antonio. This will have a public hearing on Tuesday, April 3rd in the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures and poker in the great state of Texas needs your support.

This is a unique opportunity to have your voice heard in support of the game you love! Testifying in favor of the bill will be some high profile folks like Gavin Smith, Erick Lindgren, Lyle Berman, Dallas DA Craig Watkins and others.

Please join us in Austin on the afternoon of April 3rd to make your voice heard! The hearing will be held in the Capital Extension Building (North side of the Capitol) Room E2.030 (3rd Level Downstairs) at approximately 2 PM. I would love you to join me and other members of the PPA and stand up for Poker in Texas!

If you cannot make it to Austin then, please click here to send an email or call the committee members’ Austin offices. Here is a list of Committee members with their e-mails and phone numbers. We encourage you to call for poker in Texas.

More…

***It will remove the limit on the number of tables an establishment may have and significantly lower the asset requirement on bars to apply for a permit to a monthly gross receipt of $7,500.***

Mike, just playing devil’s advocate here … but $7,500 seems low. I mean I can see why ho-hum bars might want an electronic poker game in their establishments. But if any ole bar could open up a poker room … yeow, is that really a good thing?

Poker players aren’t big drinkers, we know. Yet every so often a drunk person shows up at a poker room to test their impaired skills. Good fun. But that person, even while drunk, is choosing to go to a poker room, and if he gets his ass handed to him, he understands why. But what’s going to happen when a drunk guy in a bar stumbles into a poker game … not because he is a player, but simply because he is drunk? If he ends up getting cleaned out on a really really bad beat levied by a slow-rolling asshole … well, that’s the kinda thing that could lead to someone getting shot! We are in Texas, after all.

Full disclosure: I say this as someone who would love to run a brand-spankin’ new poker room at The Lodge and/or elsewhere. Suspect this law would be financially beneficial to a guy like me.

I just played in my weekly game and won a whole five bucks. Freakin’ awesome. But what is awesome is this story from Poker News, about efforts to make better poker legal in Texas. I have to give props to Haley Hintze for actually reading the poker bill (60+ pages) and reporting on it thoroughly and accurately. Maybe bloggers should be issued press passes after all.

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:

More…

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.

Episode 2.4.2

The European Union considers fighting American anti-online-gambling laws via the WTO / Washington State looks to undo felony online poker statute / Dan questions Poker Players Alliance lobbying strategy // Tom’s sick of the war in Iraq / Fermat’s Last Theorem in the Middle East // Chaka Khan, Chaka from Land of the Lost, and Amarillo Slim at gunpoint // Russians betting their wives away

Click to listen (15 min, 14 meg)

aired live on Hold’em Radio 1-31-07

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.

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.

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.

More…

In a recent interview with PokerNews, Greg Raymer reveals that he is mostly a Libertarian politically (good thing) and is in discussions about becoming the perennially underachieving third party’s 2008 VP candidate (dude, we should talk). Seriously, not trying to discourage … you are exactly what the Libertarian Party needs … and poker certainly needs to be more involved in politics … But I’m just sayin’ — think about it. Or talk to Gonz; he knows, too. Libertarians are fun, but they don’t really know how to “party” play the game.

UPDATE: Then again … as an “issue candidate,” hmmm … maybe it’s not so much about the votes, right? Maybe it’s about finding the best way to put an important issue in front of the other candidates and press … and for Raymer, simply running would do that, actual votes be damned! OK, you could be on to something, here, Fossil-Champ … so carry on … Go poker.