Why I Joined the Poker Players Alliance

Two things I like:

1. Staying within the law.

2. Playing poker.

And yes, in that order.

So I may as well tell you up front that if something even appears to be illegal, or could be illegal, I stay away from it.  This is, in my opinion, a very wise policy, and thus far has served me quite well.  If you want the opposing view, feel free to go visit your local prison.

Continuing in the spirit of full disclosure, I also need to advise you that I am not an attorney.  I can't give you legal advice.  (Hint: That's what attorneys are for.)  I can't interpret the law for you.  Everything that follows is personal opinion.

Is it legal to play poker in the United States?  Seems pretty certain that it is; there are properly licensed casinos all over this great land - including a lot in Las Vegas and Atlantic City - where you can play to your heart's (or wallet's) content.  There are poker parlors in the great State of California where people play poker legally all day, and all night. 

Is it legal to play online poker?  Seems pretty certain that it is, in some countries; Great Britain and Ireland come to mind, and there must be others. 

Is it legal to play online poker in the United States?  Ahh . . . now we're getting somewhere.

Seems that there are some individual states that have made playing online poker a crime.  And, as of this writing, it appears (remember, I'm no lawyer) a sure bet that you can't operate an online poker site in the United States.  Heck, even if you run one overseas and come to the United States, you're taking a chance. 

I'm going to let the question of what's legal and what's not drop right there for a minute, because the larger issue - the one important to guys like me who like to stay within the law and who like to play poker - is that there's this big dark cloudy question mark hanging over the whole issue. 

And what I'm sure about, absolutely, positively sure about, is that this whole thing has gotten really stupid.  Not for the first time in American history.  Years went by when it was illegal to go somewhere and buy yourself a beer.  Never a shortage of bright ideas in Congress, is there? 

Anyway, today I did something about it. 

I joined the Poker Players Alliance.  You can join for free (not a bad deal), or you can actually donate some bucks.  Tightwad that I am, the freebie was really tempting, but in the end I donated twenty bucks and I think they're sending me a t-shirt. 

Why did I actually do something about this issue and join the Poker Players Alliance?

Because this whole right-wing Christian fundamentalist you-can't-play-poker-online-ridiculousness has finally annoyed me to the point where I felt I needed to do something about it, besides hanging around the water cooler whining.

And because former U.S. Senator Al D'Amato has just become Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance.  D'Amato was a Senator back when I lived in New York, and I used to vote for him.  The newspapers used to call him, "Pothole Al."  Maybe they meant it derisively, but it never hurt.  Al D'Amato was one Senator who actually could get the machinery of government to fix the potholes on your street.  And in Queens, that was no small feat. 

I think playing poker online should be clearly legal in the United States.  I think Al D'Amato and the Poker Players Alliance will make that happen.  And yes, I think you should join. 

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