Just trying to move the convo here to keep it fresh.
Click here to watch the hearing live.
* Ooh, he read an email to former special counsel Royce Poinsett right off the bat — letting him know that Texas already sees poker as a game of skill, and therefore doesn\’t need a Constitutional Amendment — hey, we went to high school together! Fun!
* Wow — Michigan charity revenue up from 7 million to 72 million … and their population is way less than ours!
* Hey, they mentioned the emails! Woot!
* Ooh, now they\’re talking about actual card rooms! OK, they want Menendez to clarify the licensing issues. Fair enough.
\”The definition in the bill is too broad.\” … hmm, actually I agree.
* Lavigne in Austin is up! Representing the PPA!
* Lavigne is making some points we\’ve brought up right here! About pizza and beer.
* Rob Kohler from Christian Life Commission is speaking against. Boo! Boo!
He\’s got three issues:
1. not a game of skill
2. electronic tables need a class 3 gaming license
3. ???
Oooh, he\’s making a losing skill argument! And he says that is the issue it all comes down to. We can win on skill argument!
* OK, back in action here … John Pitts is up now. He\’s one of our lobbyists. Representing the electronic table makers. (Amaya Gaming now … no longer PokerTek.)
* They\’re having to fight the technical stuff now — Class 3 gaming device issues, Indian issues, etc. That\’s probably our oppositions best chance … just fight on technicalities of the bill\’s wording. But Menendez is happy to work with the AG or whoever to recraft the language accordingly.
* He\’s trying to explain electronic tables now … why is this different from video poker? We understand why … but I can see why it\’s tough to comprehend for the uninitiated.
* Ooh, I think Pitts just lied and said they have electronic tables in Oklahoma. I\’m pretty sure they don\’t. But still, now he\’s clarifying that these are very different from \”video lottery terminals\”.
*Michele Lewis is up. Go Michele!
OK, Michele … c\’mon … get to the point! 🙂
*Senofria Thompson wants to know if Michele is the same woman as Clonie. LOL.
Boo-yah … Michele brought up the new study we haven\’t told you about yet.
* Nice! Michele brings up the charity angle … important … and the woman issue.
* Vernon Harrison from the Texas Card Players Association. He\’s talking about the need for a safe environment.
* Vernon is laying out so nicely the need for legitimate poker rooms.
*PPA has 65,000 members in Texas. TCPA has 500.
* Brett Kinds (sp?) a poker pro from Texas.
* He spends $100k a year OUTSIDE of Texas on poker incidentals — food, lodging, buy-ins, etc.
* He\’s making the point about all the jobs it creates.
* He\’s contending there\’s 0 chance. He just mis-stated Aces as occurring 1 in 18 hands.
* Brett Kimes\’ grandfather (father?) was shot and killed in an underground card game.
* Nice finish about playing OUR game in OUR state and his being scared to have a legal rake-free home game for threat of robbery.
* They\’re now reading the non-testifier opinions … There were like 10 for and 2 against.
* Menendez is closing … $26 million $40 million $60 million … that\’s how much the state will make in each consecutive year.
* He\’s bringing up the race track issue now … and offering poker as a way to save the race tracks! Yes! \”New fresh blood!\” I agree … poker will save racing!
* Yes, they\’re talking about our emails that we just sent them! Nice job Pokeratizens!