AND DID ONE HELL OF A JOB.
I've recently returned to playing online poker. And I know I am not
breaking any federal laws. Recent events have confirmed this.
I never was a big Annie Duke fan. Before the poker boom she had a
history of belittling players. She even did it to poor Danny
Negreanu when he showed up on the scene. She quit doing such things
when the TV cameras showed up but I still wasn't impressed. But
after watching her in action at the House Judiciary Committee
Hearing on Internet Gambling on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, I've
changed my opinion. My attitude now is GO ANNIE!!!
She did an outstanding job in both her testimony and in the Question
and Answer Period. She took on the likes of notorious anti-gambler
Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginaia in the Q&A and bested him.
Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas thought he could pull a trick on
her by asking her about a hand that James Bond played in the movie
Casino Royale. He asked her:
"What are the chances of completing a one card draw to an inside
straight flush."
Her answer:
"About two percent."
But she also pointed out to the Congressman that if James Bond had
superior poker skill he would never have gotten himself into the
position of having only a two percent chance of winning the pot.
I was immpressed by others at the hearing, especially Congressman
Steven Cohen of Tennessee. He pointed out to the anti-gambling
faction that everywhere there was an intiatiave to legalize some
form of gambling, the anti-gamblers show up and predict doom and
gloom with such things as high divorces rates and bankruptcies. But
when the intitiative passes and gambling comes in their predictions
do not come to fruition. He even went so far as to infer that the
anti-gamblers were Chicken Littles.
He also pointed out that in his state, Tennesse, he sponsored and
passed the Lottery Bill. In the process the Christian Right
vehemently opposed him on the isuue. But when the bill passed and
the Lottery raised over a billion dollars for education, the faith
based schools were the first pigs at the trough arguing they should
get just as much or more than the public schools. He pointed out
their hypocrisy.
U.S. District Attorney for Eastern Missouri, Catherine Hanaway,
testified on behalf of the Department of Justice. She testified
that "all forms of internet gambling are illegal." But when she was
pressed in the Q&A she admitted that "it is not illegal for an
American resident to gamble online, but it is illegal for websites
to provide gambling services." When pressed further she admitted
that there was no specific law (sports betting excepted) that made
it illegal for websites to provide gambling services but felt
that "they were covered." Congressman John Conyers pressed her
on "why have their been no prosecutions for online horse betting if
all forms of internet gambling are illegal?" She evaded the
question.
Ms. Duke's testimony was impressive but I think the key sentence in
her speech was "I am here to express the views of the nearly 800,000
Americans who belong to the Poker Players Alliance." I belong to
the Poker Players Alliance and she was speaking for me. What a job
she did too. When a private citizen goes to Washington representing
800,000 people our representatives have to sit up and take notice.
They can't just blow us off as a fringe group.
I believe that if the Poker Players Alliance had been 800,000 strong
last year then online poker would have gotten a carve out from the
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The horse racing
industry got a carve out for one specific reason: They had a well
organized, high powered lobby, and had been Washington players for
many years. The PPA is a late player, but from here on out we are
gonna have the same thing the horse racing industry has, a well
organized, high powered lobby. The PPA got a bump from the
publicity of the hearings. Membership is up to 810,000 and growing.
I now have reason to believe we are going to see online poker
brought into the United States, taxed and regulated, in the very
near future. I believe this because of recent statements by
executices for the two biggest players in the brick and morter
casino business, Harrah's and MGM Mirage.
Recently, Gary Loveman, CEO of Harrah's has stated that they are
looking at creating an online poker site for European players using
the WSOP brand name. They want to do it in anticipation of legal
online poker in the U.S. Loveman believes it will be legalized in
the U.S. in the next 18 to 24 months.
Terri Lanni, CEO of MGM Mirage, has expressed interest in acquiring
a European online poker site for the same reasons as Harrah's. He
anticipates online poker will be legalized in the U.S. in the next
12 to 18 months.
For those of you who would like to watch video of the hearings go to
pokerplayersalliance.org and click on Congressman Robert Wexler's
picture. While you are there consider joining the PPA. You don't
have to join as a contributing member, you can join as a free member
and add your name to the list of people who believe they should have
the right to play online poker if they so choose.