The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) will host a fly-in in two weeks as part of National Poker Week. Greg Raymer, Chris Ferguson, and Andy Bloch are among a handful of poker pros that will meet and greet representatives of Congress in an effort to legalize and regulate the game in the United States. Poker News Daily caught up with the trio at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer
On Washington lobbyists:
“The whole thing is such a joke. If you look at the people who say they’re against gambling on moral grounds, the money funding those groups is from other gambling interests that are against online poker or online gambling. The horse lobby, which wants people to come to the physical racetracks, is giving money to the conservative Christian group that says they’re anti-gambling.”
“Online poker is easier to regulate than live poker. It’s impossible for the live venues to do some of the things you can do online in terms of tracking. On PokerStars, we can save every hand you’ve played and know how much money you put into the pot, how much you won or lost, and the hours you’re playing. We can even track the IP addresses to know where you logged in from. There’s so much tracking we can do, so if you’re worried about minors slipping in or problem gamblers who want to be stopped, the online sites can deal with those issues. We can do it more effectively than a brick-and-mortar casino.”
On why the issue is important: “I’m a Libertarian in terms of my general philosophy. I don’t think the government should ever tell me what to do with my own time and money. If you’re committing a crime against me, that’s where the government is supposed to stop you, but if you’re going to be at your own home doing something by yourself, the government shouldn’t have anything to say no matter what you’re doing. If a child is there, the government should step in and make sure you’re not doing something that’s harmful. The child is not old enough to give their consent to certain activities.
“Even things that I find totally ridiculous like methamphetamine, the government shouldn’t be stopping people from doing it. I think you’re a total idiot if you do that, but if you’re an adult and you want to do something stupid, it’s not the government’s job to step in.”
Full Tilt Poker Pro Andy Bloch
On the PPA Fly-In:
“It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for me. Hopefully I’ll make it to the WSOP Main Event final table. If not, I’m flying to London for a poker event and then on the way back, I’m stopping in Washington, DC for four days. The PPA did a fly-in last year and it was a great success. I think we’re going to bring in more people and be able to talk to more Congressmen this year.”
On why being active politically is important:
“I went to law school because I thought I wanted to get involved in politics or human rights. If the government can stop you from playing online poker in your own home, what can’t they stop you from doing? That’s one of the reasons why Barney Frank is one of our biggest supporters: He believes in personal freedoms. That’s why we have Ron Paul and other Republicans supporting us. If the government can come in and say you can’t play $0.05-$0.10 poker or $5 sit and gos in your living room, what can’t they stop? Where does it end? They can tell you what you can do, what you can buy, what clothes you can wear, and what kind of food you can eat. I don’t want to live in a world like that.”
Full Tilt Poker Pro Chris Ferguson
On the PPA Fly-In:
“There has really been an attack on poker, particularly on online poker, during the last few years. We really think it’s unjustified. We think poker is a wonderful game and everyone should have the right to play it. We have casinos all over the United States where you can play poker. Why can’t you play online? What we’re doing is very good for poker and it’s going to bring the game to thousands of people all over the world.”