At the 2007 World Series of Poker, 2004 Main Event Champion Greg Raymer told Poker Players Alliance President Michael Bolcerek, “If you don’t believe poker is a game of skill, you shouldn’t hold public office because that should be a litmus test for intelligence.” The sentiment those words carried echoed loud and clear throughout the halls of the Rio in Las Vegas, the site of poker’s Super Bowl. Over 6,000 poker hopefuls entered the Main Event against the backdrop of the expiration of the 270-day period following President Bush’s signing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into law last October. When Doyle Brunson is eliminated from a major tournament, time stands still. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter that you’re holding pocket rockets. All that matters is, at that moment, the greatest player in the history of the game was just ousted from a competitive field. On Day 1-D of the WSOP, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) felt a similar nostalgia. Upon his introduction and short rally cry amidst several hands already underway, applause rumbled through the massive Amazon Room. Wexler recently proposed H.R. 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act, which exempts games defined as skill (such as poker) from the UIGEA and clarifies the Wire Act as well. The bill’s passage could mark the end of turbulent waters for online poker players. According to Bolcerek, bringing Wexler to Las Vegas shows first-hand how competitive the poker world really is: “I wish I could bring every Representative to see what a great skill game poker is. Even with bad beats, good players dominate. Phil Hellmuth won his 11th bracelet. That doesn’t happen out of chance. Those are clear, obvious examples of the skill aspect of poker.”
On this week’s PocketFives.com Podcast, you’ll also finally hear when we could expect to see passage of one of our “outs” that currently exists in Congress: “I don’t expect the wait to be as long as people would expect. The battle is really going to be over the next six to nine months. We have legislation that’s been introduced. We’re hoping to get some of them to a mark-up hearing, which is when members of specific committees add their changes and mark up a bill before it goes to a House vote. We’re still fighting tooth and nail to get additional co-sponsors.”
Meanwhile, the PPA membership has ballooned astronomically. Every time I go on to view the PPA website, I am amazed by the organization’s growth. According to Bolcerek, “It’s certainly helpful to get the support of our members. Our membership has grown from 100,000 when the President signed the bill in October to over 600,000. We’re hoping to get to one million. That’s the number when we’ll have a significant voice, but we’re getting that traction and momentum. We’ve asked for poker players to get active and I think we can get one of these bills across the finish line. Join our cause or at least write your member of Congress and tell them that you want to keep online poker legal. Support the Wexler or Frank legislation.”
PocketFives.com favorite Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, which outlines the means to provide U.S. customers with access to legal, regulated online gaming firms. Two other bills also exist in the U.S. House and PocketFives.com will be doing a more in-depth analysis of each bill in the coming weeks. In the meantime, it’s up to you (yes you) to make a difference. I know you’ve heard it before, but Bolcerek wants to make sure it rings loud and clear, get active: “The members are going to be back in their home districts in August. They’ll be holding fundraisers that you can visit. They’re open to the public. If you bring a donation and say you’re an online poker player and you want licensing and regulation of the industry, we think that works very effectively. [It shows that] you’re an active political participant who’s willing to give money at a fundraiser. They’ll be having town hall meetings and you can ask a question. I think the first step is to get registered. It’s more important for them to know you’re talking as a vote in their district.” Remember, Congressmen can’t get re-elected without your vote.
Check out the PocketFives.com Podcast featuring Poker Players Alliance President Michael Bolcerek. A special thanks to Bolcerek for taking time out of his hectic schedule to speak to us.
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