Online Poker War

While politicians bicker about budgetary problems, policy, and economic philosophy, the Department of Justice and the FBI have concentrated their efforts and our tax dollars on an issue that is clearly top of the priority list of most Americans; the scourge of online poker.

Right now, across this free country, millions of Americans are choosing to play poker online.  And the government has decided, having learned nothing from Prohibition, that we should be spending millions of our tax dollars attacking a business that is enjoyed freely throughout the free world.

While many Americans worry that big corporations are not paying tax, that they don't have a job, that their health care benefits are becoming more expensive and covering less, the government is apparently worrying that some Americans are choosing to play poker on the Internet.  Never mind that poker is a true all-American game, with a rich history in this country, never mind freedom, capitalism, or common sense.

So in a move so disgusting it can only have been pulled from the George W. Bush Douchebook, the DoJ and FBI recently seized the domain names of several leading online poker sites, forcing them to block United States customers from their sites.

It is truly mind blowing that with all the issues we face in this country right now, such a concerted effort should be put into this.  Especially given the obvious reality that it is not supported by the majority of Americans.

We live in a country where gambling is a way of life for the vast majority of states.  Whether it be horse race betting, the lottery, bingo halls, slots, casinos, card rooms, or dog tracks.  Gambling exists legally in one or several forms, in just about every state.  In fact some of the largest casinos and gambling competitions are here in the US.  And Americans benefit tremendously from this reality.  Gambling has brought enormous income that has helped keep taxes lower, and fund programs that benefit our communities.

So why is the government attacking legitimate businesses around the world, that attract law abiding American citizens?  Why is it that I can go and spend $100,000 on scratch off tickets this week, but not bet $1 on a hand of online poker?  How come I can go to a fucking gas station three hours from my home and put my entire pay check into a slot machine without breaking the law, but I cannot bet 1c on the small blind of a game of online poker?

It's time we had a 'grown up conversation' about this.  America has clearly decided that gambling is okay.  Only a handful of states outlaw every form of gambling.  So on that basis why is the Federal government spending money that could be given to teachers or firemen, to try and create some kind of hypocritical prohibition on gambling, that violates trade agreements America has made around the world, makes no sense whatsoever, and clearly doesn't jive with America's public opinion?

It's time to end this insanity once and for all?  Allow online poker (which by the way isn't even gambling compared to the lottery or other legal gaming), regulate it and tax it.  Tap into the billions of dollars Americans want to play with, and take a little slice for the Government.

We've been hearing that America is broke for most of 2011.  So let's look to issues such as online gambling, and online poker, as potential revenue sources.  Because if it's a choice between legalizing online poker, or laying off 10,000 teachers, it is as they say, a no brainer.

Ultimate Cheat

From the company that brought you the 2007 online poker scandal, Ultimate Bet are pleased to announce the sequel.

Last year Absolute Poker were slammed with substantiated allegations that one of their owners was using his administrative access to secret information (such as the cards players held) and was calling up his friend on his cell phone and helping him win.

This understandably upset a whole bunch of people. The friend of the owner was making a killing, clearly following strategy that indicated an inside knowledge of the hands other player had (like folding kings pre-flop with no action before).

But this year the big brother of Absolute Poker decided to go one better with a scandal of their own. This time it involves some horrific lapses in judgment and quality control, together with what can only be described as a plethora of incompetence and stupidity.

The upshot of all this is that the online urban legend of being able to see people's hole cards was actually true for a small handful of people. These people were able to make tens of thousands of dollars playing high stakes poker, because of an insurmountable advantage.

Ultimate Bet, home to such poker pros as Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth Jr., were compromised in a way never before seen on a major poker site. They are facing tens of millions of dollars of refund requests, a multi million dollar law suit has cropped up. Not to put too finer point on it, they are in the shit!

Frankly, I never liked their site. I thought the software was ugly and clunky. I've ran ads on PokerXL.com for close to four years, and never received a dime from them, despite getting money from other sites. I took down my links today.

With the fiasco at Absolute Poker, followed by this PR disaster at Ultimate Bet, it is surely only a matter of time before one or both of them go under. It will be interesting to see the fall out from this.

Maybe President Obama will take the smart step of legalizing and regulating online poker. Because I somehow doubt that Harrah's would operate a poker web site so badly, while being regulated by say the Nevada Online Gaming Commission.