The future state of online poker

Much has been written and voiced over the past several weeks regarding the future state of online gaming. If this is a hobby, past time or profession for you then I’m sure you are more than familiar with what has occurred. For those of you who are unaware let me share with you the actions of our fine elected officials from the “Right”. Let me preface that I have been one of those classified as being on the “Right” yet quite a bit closer to the middle.

Sen. Bill Frist (R) from Tennessee had been championing a bill to attempt to ban internet gambling and in some 11th hour back room activity, before the Senate broke for the November elections recess was able to attach the “Unlawful Internet Gambling” bill onto a Homeland Security bill which was relative to US Port Security. The un-Distinguished Gentleman from Tennessee initially tried to get this bill attached to a Defense bill which was to provide additional funding and support to the troops who are on the ground in this global war on terror and someone with some sense put their foot down and told the Senator to get lost. This situation was a bit different in that the sessions was about to end and this was basically the last item of business to be presented.

Now you may be like me, asking yourself how internet gaming has anything to do with US Port Security. Let me tell you…absolutely nothing. Sen. Frist knew that the Port Security bill was a bill that would pass as no right minded lawmaker was going to be seen as opposing a law which would make our ports safer in these times of the war on terror. In a post 9/11 world both the “Right” and the “Left” know that there is a need to make things safer.

I do believe that there is a sense of deteriorating morals within the USA however I do not think it is the result of internet gaming nor do I think that it is the primary function of our elected officials to legislate either sides particular morals on the entire nation. It also seems a bit hypocritical of the “Right” to jump on their soap box over this particular issue when there is a flood of more reprehensible acts with which our elected officials have been exposed of being involved in. Can you say Mark Foley? Did anyone read the transcripts on ABC News of this guys instant message with one of the pages? What I think is more hypocritical with this particular bill is that there are carve outs for State run Lotteries, Horse betting and Fantasy Sports(?).

Given the current state of affairs that our economy is in and the spiraling deficit why would we not choose to regulate and tax internet gaming which is a multi-billion dollar a year industry? There is a strong opposition on the religious front regarding gambling however if it is that big of an issue why do 48 of the 50 states have some form of legalized gaming? Why the carve outs for some forms of gambling? This country and our politicians are so jacked up it is unreal. Let me end by saying that people who want to gamble will gamble and just as back in the days of prohibition people continued to drink. A flat out ban is not the answer.

Crazy players...

And to think that I thought there were a bunch of fish playing online poker. Heck you haven't seen fish until you play in a $2/$4 or $4/$8 game in Las Vegas. It's almost as if I need to forget everything I know about playing poker and see every flop, turn and river calling down whatever bets are made and then only if I don't have better than bottom pair fold. And by the way these players talk you would think they are the best poker players in the world. Good thing I brought my laptop so I can offset any live game losses I have at the online tables. The good news is I'm up overall between the two thanks to the online games.

I did play in a NL tourney today and got busted out in 4th when I had the winning hand up to the river. I flopped a set of 3's and the flush knocked me out on in the end.

More to come....

On my way...

Well here I sit in the Eastern Iowa Airport trying to sharpen my skills at PokerRoom for a week in Las Vegas. Not that it will be a week long poker fest but I will get my fair share of hands in as the week goes along. I'm actually heading out there for a business related conference which kicks off tomorrow with a round of golf and then sessions, etc. start in full on Monday. I figured since I was already going to be out there I might as well stay a few extra days for some additional fun. Hopefully
the cards will be live and chips plentiful. More to come as the trip unfolds.

Poker Legislation/Regulation

OK so it’s been a day or two since I’ve posted anything at all about poker. It’s not because I haven’t been playing because I have. I’ve just had some other things going on as well and just haven’t taken the time. I haven’t weighed in up to this point on the proposed legislation to ban internet gambling because I really didn’t know what I thought about it as a whole. I realize that a lot of my thoughts will probably be in contradiction to some who may stop by and check out what’s going on over here at “the younger” site. Others I know will be in near complete agreement with me. So let me see if I can effectively state my views on the subject.

First of all there are several bills that have passed in the House of Representatives moving on to the Senate. The two getting the most talk are H.R. 4411 and H.R. 4477. Essentially the legislation makes efforts to block financial institutions in the US from processing transactions involving online gambling sites. It also has provisions dealing with ISPs, so access concerns can be addressed. If anyone has tried to use their credit card to make a deposit into an online gaming site in the past year or two it has most likely been denied as the card companies have already taken actions to curb internet gambling. The odd thing about this legislation is that it exempts betting the ponies. Is betting on the horses somehow not gambling? What about the lottery? Another question is this, if internet gambling is a multi-billion dollar a year industry why would we not move towards regulation rather than prohibition. Shouldn’t we have learned already that prohibition really doesn’t work? If you look at what is going on, at least from my view point, it is all about who gets a cut of the pie. Here is but one example, when reading this pay particular attention to the last portion of the 3rd paragraph. The online gambling sites are off-shore so “Big Brother” isn’t getting his cut which is where the biggest rub comes in. Then you throw in all the money from special interest groups who wish to impose their thoughts and beliefs on everyone else by funnel huge amounts of money into the political machine.

Well there is still some meat on this bone but I’ll save it for another day.

Monte Montgomery - Little Wing

Now this is some insane guitar playing. Thanks to Mark Riddle for pointing this one out.

Trifecta Champion

I am proud to announce that I am, as predicted the 1st Annual Trifecta Champion while taking 1st place in the Fishing segment, a tie for first in the Golf segment and coming in dead last in the Poker segment. These young northerners up here can't keep the old man from the south down. Can't wait until next year to defend.

Slowing down

Well I really haven’t been working towards the quest at all lately. I’ve been working towards a reload bonus over at Hollywood Poker which has gotten off to a rocky start but is coming around. Party Poker is also having a reload bonus which I will be taking advantage of as well so the tourney quest is on indefinite hold for now. In the past I have chased bonuses at various sites, the majority of which turned out on the positive side let’s not talk about Absolute Poker which is the only site to have absolutely raked me over the coals. I am now to the point where in the overall scheme of things I make more money in play than I do chasing bonuses so with that I will maintain a presence at a couple of sites and play strictly for cash and their occasional reload bonuses.