The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) held a press conference at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to announce several of its latest projects including National Poker Week, a national poker petition, and a new website called mypokerstory.com. I hope you will check out some of these projects.
Please log into pokerpetition.com and sign the online poker petition that will be presented to President Barack Obama during National Poker Week, asking his support to exempt the game from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and for its legalization and regulation. To date, almost 300,000 people have signed and we are hoping to have 200,000 more signatures in the next 10 days. You should also log onto mypokerstory.com and listen to average Americans talk about their love of poker and how much it fulfills their lives.
Midway through the press conference, Greg Raymer and I were called up to make a short speech to the media and attendees since we are members of the PPA Board of Directors. I didn’t know in advance that I would be asked to speak and although I like to be prepared and rehearsed, I had to adlib about how appalling it is that in this great country, we do not have the same rights that people in other countries do regarding playing online poker.
I spoke about an elderly friend of mine who is going through very tough chemotherapy whose enjoyment in life right now comes from playing online poker. I spoke about the fact that there are many handicapped and disabled citizens who can’t travel to card rooms, but can have fun playing poker in their own homes.
I spoke about the need to get involved by contacting our Congressional representatives and letting them know that we don’t need them to legislate what we do in our free time with our own money. I also committed to going to Washington, DC during the July 19th to 25th National Poker Week to meet with members of Congress and ask them to help protect my right to play poker online.
I’m looking forward to returning to Washington, DC. It’s been a year since I was there to attend a charity event to benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America. While I was there, I met and befriended two very high-ranking military personnel who gave me a nighttime tour of our Capitol. This time, they have invited me to the Pentagon for lunch and a behind-the-scenes tour. We will also be going to the 9/11 Memorial and to Arlington National Cemetery.
There’s a lot of lobbying that needs to be done for our cause as part of National Poker Week. From July 20th to 22nd, professional poker players including Annie Duke, Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, Dennis Phillips, Jan Fisher, and Andy Bloch will be joining more than 30 PPA State Directors to meet with members of the House of Representatives to ask them to co-sponsor HR 2267, introduced by Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank. We’ll also be meeting with Senators and asking them to support online poker legislation. We’ll be on a panel to educate Congressional staffers on the need for regulation and licensing of online poker. We’ll be helping to host a charity poker tournament to benefit the USO and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the pros and State Directors will play alongside members of Congress and at least 35 wounded servicemen and women. The PPA is underwriting the whole tournament so that 100% of the proceeds will go to the charity.
All poker players are invited to visit the PPA website and send a letter to their member of Congress during National Poker Week asking for their support of licensing and regulation. Also, please go to MyPokerStory.com and record your own poker video. Let’s all get involved to protect this game we love!
