A few posts ago I wrote about the extremely strict poker laws that exists in the state of Washington and how it can be considered a felony just for playing cash games online. I also mentioned how the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has been fiercely arguing against these ridiculous laws.
Well lately, I’ve actually been seeing some commercials turn up online for the PPA and how more people can get involved in the effort to keep poker going. You can find several of these commercials on YouTube.com that feature several different poker stars and personalities telling how players can help the effort to keep poker going.
People like Phil Gordon, Mike Sexton, Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, and Jennifer Harman appear in these short spots to push across that players really need to get involved to prevent certain politicians from making poker illegal.
As Mike Sexton said, “I believe that a big part of the problem is that most politicians don’t really understand the game of poker.” And this might really be the whole problem as many people on Capitol Hill aren’t comprehending that poker more than just gambling – it’s got a lot of skill.
Poker is definitely different from other forms of gambling in that one can actually come out with a positive bankroll in the long-term whereas games like Black Jack and Craps are ruled by house advantages. Still, as Phil Gordon stated, “They’re intent on making poker illegal, especially online.”
Now I don’t truly think that they’ll ever truly succeed in making online poker illegal in all states but you never know. After all, they’ve done it in Washington so what’s stopping other states from making the same type of decision.