Online Poker

Check out the New York Times article today about new Poker Players Alliance chairman Alfonse D’Amato. It's a nice little beat up about how cool this guy is and how he plays poker - and also how he knew nothing about the organization of which he is now chairman...

Most will say it's good step in the right direction for the rights of poker players in the USA to have a man with Mr D'Amato's experience and contacts lobbying on the PPA's behalf. Poker does need this type of mainstream publicity to try and combat the lies and misinformation spread by supporters of the UIGEA.

The PPA is hoping that Mr. D’Amato, long known for his connections to Washington insiders and his ability to deliver perks to his constituents and interest groups, can help them overturn a new federal ban on Internet gambling — or at least exempt poker from its provisions.

Even former Representative Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican and one of the authors of the Internet gambling ban, said that Mr. D’Amato certainly added heft to the effort. “Don’t ever underestimate Al,” he said on hearing of Mr. D’Amato’s role.

I guess Mr Leech learned his lesson after he lost his seat at the last election, partly due to a push from poker players to swing the vote against him for his role in creating the anti-online gaming legislation. Of course he's going to say something nice because he's already been turfed out for his lunacy!

We need this D'Amato guy to ruffle a few more feathers and actually make some progress in the corrupt underworld of the US government. Like a lot of things in life & business the entire process revolves around money. The 'right' people have to end up earning the cash in order for any decisions to be made. That's why I'm not sure anything will ever get done - unless politicians or friends and family of politicians are making big money by legalizing online poker, it simply won't happen.

You can be sure D'Amato will earn himself a pretty penny, but he just might as well be banging his bald head against a brick wall unless he can funnel some cash to the decision makers.

It's just how the US system works... Democracy & freedom may as well be removed from dictionaries in the US school system because kids, your leaders just don't recognize those words any longer.... Make sure BLING, BANK & PAPER have their definitions revised though - that's more in tune with the vocabulary of today's governmental officials.

The fact that a guy like D'Amato has a job at all proves this point. He's being paid to influence people that should be using their integrity, morality & logic to make decisions. They shouldn't need a lobbyist to tell them what is best for the people they are supposed to be representing.

But if you can't beat them, I guess you have to join them.... Good luck Alfonse.