Le Monde du Poker.

October 29 2011, Chad Holloway

Four times a year, Las Vegas poker action heats up with the Venetian’s wildly popular Deep Stack Extravaganza. The tournaments, introduced in 2007, have grown in size and prestige over the past three years. In fact, the Deep Stack Extravaganza has inspired knock-off tournaments throughout Sin City. A generous starting stack, a kind structure, and a luxurious atmosphere are just a few of the things that make the Venetian the go-to place for tournament poker on the Strip.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Deep Stack Extravaganza IV kicked off with its last series of the year. Slated to last through Nov. 22, the series will span 27 days and feature two tournaments on most of those days. These tournaments will vary in buy-in and format, with each being carefully selected to satisfy the demands of the poker-playing clientele.

By putting players first, the Deep Stack Extravaganza has become one of Las Vegas’ premiere poker events, drawing an eclectic mix of tourists, locals, amateurs, and professionals. One pro who was eager to play in the latest Deep Stack installment, or at least to eat, was Dan “Wretchy” Martin, who encouraged his friend Jordan Young to partake in the Deep Stack fun — as well as the daily complimentary buffet.

Wretchy Daniel Martin @Jymaster11 come play Venetian deep stack so we can go to all you can eat buffets together October 27 2011

Aside from the tournament action and salacious buffet, players will find plenty of other incentives at the Deep Stack Extravaganza IV. For example, players can earn points and qualify for Best Overall Players cash awards and free Deep Stack merchandise will be given with every tournament entry (while supplies last of course).

DayDate12 PM Events3 PM Events$2,500 No-Limit Day 2 @ 2 P.M.$2,500 No-Limit Day 3 @ 4 P.M.

In addition to its Deep Stack events, the Venetian will be hosting two nightly tournaments: a 7 p.m. $175 no-limit event with 10,000 starting chips and 30 minute levels; and a 10 p.m. $120 no-limit event with 8,000 starting chips and 20 minute levels. These are great options for players who bust the 3 p.m. events but are still hungry for poker action.

Time and again, the Venetian proves itself a leader in the Las Vegas poker industry. PokerNews recently sat down with the woman behind the Venetian poker room’s success, Kathy Raymond, who serves as director of poker operations. Raymond was kind enough to give us a little insight on the Deep Stack Extravaganza, including what sets them apart from the competition.

Could you start us off by telling us a little bit about the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza, including its history?

Well, the Deep Stack Series really commenced in, I believe it was April of 2007, and that was based on players' requests. An acknowledgement of the fact that a lot of poker players were becoming much more educated, knowing the skills it took to play a tournament, and unfortunately many of the tournaments were low starting chip stacks, 10 to 15 minute levels. It was basically getting them in the seat and then out of the seat as quick as possible.

So [the players] really didn’t have the opportunity to use their skills. We decided to fill that void by offering a deep-stack event, which gave them not only significant starting chips, but gave them significant levels including the number themselves, but also the amount of time in each level. People were now able to be less dependent on luck, and more dependent on their own skill. They rallied for it and it became a successful event.

Which of your four yearly Deep Stack events tends to be the most popular?

Obviously, the June through July event because every poker player on the planet is here in Las Vegas. During that time we get our highest turnout, the highest pro volume, and you know, we get people from all over the world. I believe in the last Deep Stack we had every state in the Union represented, as well as 23 different countries. We definitely have the word out as far as our Deep Stack events, and there very well participated in throughout the year, especially in June and July.

Your format has proven so popular that other properties have begun hosting deep-stack events, including the World Series of Poker which added numerous daily deep-stack tournaments to its schedule. How do you feel about this and what are you doing to compete?

First of all, I have to say I’m very glad that the deep-stack mentality has proliferated throughout the industry, because I think that’s very good for the players, and that is what we’re here for, to make the experience the right one for the players. The fact that everyone has sort of jumped on board with that, I take it as more of a compliment than anything. As I said, our purpose was to do it for the players, it was really by demand I think, that players were demanding other casinos offer the deep-stack play. I think it’s great that they responded.

Obviously it does put much more of a competitive stance as far as our tournaments versus others. The World Series caters to a lot of higher buy-ins, although they did have their three deep stack events per day at lower buy-ins. That notwithstanding, our events have been known for not only just the starting chip stacks and the blind structures, but for putting on an extremely professional event where players feel confident that our staff knows what they’re doing, that there’s consistency in our ruling, that we put out our rules on paper and stick to them. That everything is very clear-cut and professionally run.

We typically have plenty of space to hold our tournaments, along with the amenities that come with it, like the table-side food service that we offer. Some other small things like self-service coffee stations throughout the tournament area, to something we’re running for our November Deep Stack, which is we started offering a free buffet daily, which is 27 days of free lunch to all of our tournament and cash players, just as an end-of-the-year thank you for their participation here at the Venetian.

So there’s a lot more to it than just the tournament structure. If you don’t have the right personnel, if you don’t have the right customer service . . . it takes all of those elements to keep an event successful, outgoing, and competitive.

We understand the Venetian is releasing a new mobile app for the poker room, can you tell us a little bit about that?

As of Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, you can actually go onto www.venetian.com/pokermobile/ and at that point you can get mobile app via your phone, or even check it out on your computer, and I believe it is updated every ten seconds as to the number of cash games that we have going, the number of players on the waiting list for those games, and also the number of players who are on any interest list for any games that aren’t going yet.

This provides our players a lot of information. We were doing this originally via social media, on Facebook and on Twitter, and usually updating like every two hours or so . . . now that we have this mobile site that players can go to, that will help with convenience. Players don’t have to call anymore and they can see up-to-the-minute updates.

Are players able to get on a list through the mobile app or the website?

That is actually phase two, and that will be coming along anywhere between three to six months down the road. What we do anticipate is that we would have the players sign up on a list via their phone, but they would be required to use their Grazie Club number, and that’s just really to limit what we would call a fictitious list. We wouldn’t want people going on their and throwing names up there when it’s not real. So it legitimizes it a little bit if they have a Grazie Card number, which would be verified against the name being submitted. They’d then be placed on the list as a call-in and would have an hour to come on in and retain their place on the list.

The other thing we’re going to add to this site is our tournaments, so on any given day you can go and see the tournament that is going to be played that day. We get so many calls from players saying, “How many players do you have so far?” So they’d be able to actually go to this site and see.

To learn more on the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza, be sure to visit Venetian.com. You can also follow them on Twitter @Venetianpoker and like them on Facebook.

Stay up to date on all the latest news by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter — @ChadAHolloway

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

October 29 2011, Chad Holloway

Four times a year, Las Vegas poker action heats up with the Venetian’s wildly popular Deep Stack Extravaganza. The tournaments, introduced in 2007, have grown in size and prestige over the past three years. In fact, the Deep Stack Extravaganza has inspired knock-off tournaments throughout Sin City. A generous starting stack, a kind structure, and a luxurious atmosphere are just a few of the things that make the Venetian the go-to place for tournament poker on the Strip.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Deep Stack Extravaganza IV kicked off with its last series of the year. Slated to last through Nov. 22, the series will span 27 days and feature two tournaments on most of those days. These tournaments will vary in buy-in and format, with each being carefully selected to satisfy the demands of the poker-playing clientele.

By putting players first, the Deep Stack Extravaganza has become one of Las Vegas’ premiere poker events, drawing an eclectic mix of tourists, locals, amateurs, and professionals. One pro who was eager to play in the latest Deep Stack installment, or at least to eat, was Dan “Wretchy” Martin, who encouraged his friend Jordan Young to partake in the Deep Stack fun — as well as the daily complimentary buffet.

Wretchy Daniel Martin @Jymaster11 come play Venetian deep stack so we can go to all you can eat buffets together October 27 2011

Aside from the tournament action and salacious buffet, players will find plenty of other incentives at the Deep Stack Extravaganza IV. For example, players can earn points and qualify for Best Overall Players cash awards and free Deep Stack merchandise will be given with every tournament entry (while supplies last of course).

DayDate12 PM Events3 PM Events$2,500 No-Limit Day 2 @ 2 P.M.$2,500 No-Limit Day 3 @ 4 P.M.

In addition to its Deep Stack events, the Venetian will be hosting two nightly tournaments: a 7 p.m. $175 no-limit event with 10,000 starting chips and 30 minute levels; and a 10 p.m. $120 no-limit event with 8,000 starting chips and 20 minute levels. These are great options for players who bust the 3 p.m. events but are still hungry for poker action.

Time and again, the Venetian proves itself a leader in the Las Vegas poker industry. PokerNews recently sat down with the woman behind the Venetian poker room’s success, Kathy Raymond, who serves as director of poker operations. Raymond was kind enough to give us a little insight on the Deep Stack Extravaganza, including what sets them apart from the competition.

Could you start us off by telling us a little bit about the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza, including its history?

Well, the Deep Stack Series really commenced in, I believe it was April of 2007, and that was based on players' requests. An acknowledgement of the fact that a lot of poker players were becoming much more educated, knowing the skills it took to play a tournament, and unfortunately many of the tournaments were low starting chip stacks, 10 to 15 minute levels. It was basically getting them in the seat and then out of the seat as quick as possible.

So [the players] really didn’t have the opportunity to use their skills. We decided to fill that void by offering a deep-stack event, which gave them not only significant starting chips, but gave them significant levels including the number themselves, but also the amount of time in each level. People were now able to be less dependent on luck, and more dependent on their own skill. They rallied for it and it became a successful event.

Which of your four yearly Deep Stack events tends to be the most popular?

Obviously, the June through July event because every poker player on the planet is here in Las Vegas. During that time we get our highest turnout, the highest pro volume, and you know, we get people from all over the world. I believe in the last Deep Stack we had every state in the Union represented, as well as 23 different countries. We definitely have the word out as far as our Deep Stack events, and there very well participated in throughout the year, especially in June and July.

Your format has proven so popular that other properties have begun hosting deep-stack events, including the World Series of Poker which added numerous daily deep-stack tournaments to its schedule. How do you feel about this and what are you doing to compete?

First of all, I have to say I’m very glad that the deep-stack mentality has proliferated throughout the industry, because I think that’s very good for the players, and that is what we’re here for, to make the experience the right one for the players. The fact that everyone has sort of jumped on board with that, I take it as more of a compliment than anything. As I said, our purpose was to do it for the players, it was really by demand I think, that players were demanding other casinos offer the deep-stack play. I think it’s great that they responded.

Obviously it does put much more of a competitive stance as far as our tournaments versus others. The World Series caters to a lot of higher buy-ins, although they did have their three deep stack events per day at lower buy-ins. That notwithstanding, our events have been known for not only just the starting chip stacks and the blind structures, but for putting on an extremely professional event where players feel confident that our staff knows what they’re doing, that there’s consistency in our ruling, that we put out our rules on paper and stick to them. That everything is very clear-cut and professionally run.

We typically have plenty of space to hold our tournaments, along with the amenities that come with it, like the table-side food service that we offer. Some other small things like self-service coffee stations throughout the tournament area, to something we’re running for our November Deep Stack, which is we started offering a free buffet daily, which is 27 days of free lunch to all of our tournament and cash players, just as an end-of-the-year thank you for their participation here at the Venetian.

So there’s a lot more to it than just the tournament structure. If you don’t have the right personnel, if you don’t have the right customer service . . . it takes all of those elements to keep an event successful, outgoing, and competitive.

We understand the Venetian is releasing a new mobile app for the poker room, can you tell us a little bit about that?

As of Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, you can actually go onto www.venetian.com/pokermobile/ and at that point you can get mobile app via your phone, or even check it out on your computer, and I believe it is updated every ten seconds as to the number of cash games that we have going, the number of players on the waiting list for those games, and also the number of players who are on any interest list for any games that aren’t going yet.

This provides our players a lot of information. We were doing this originally via social media, on Facebook and on Twitter, and usually updating like every two hours or so . . . now that we have this mobile site that players can go to, that will help with convenience. Players don’t have to call anymore and they can see up-to-the-minute updates.

Are players able to get on a list through the mobile app or the website?

That is actually phase two, and that will be coming along anywhere between three to six months down the road. What we do anticipate is that we would have the players sign up on a list via their phone, but they would be required to use their Grazie Club number, and that’s just really to limit what we would call a fictitious list. We wouldn’t want people going on their and throwing names up there when it’s not real. So it legitimizes it a little bit if they have a Grazie Card number, which would be verified against the name being submitted. They’d then be placed on the list as a call-in and would have an hour to come on in and retain their place on the list.

The other thing we’re going to add to this site is our tournaments, so on any given day you can go and see the tournament that is going to be played that day. We get so many calls from players saying, “How many players do you have so far?” So they’d be able to actually go to this site and see.

To learn more on the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza, be sure to visit Venetian.com. You can also follow them on Twitter @Venetianpoker and like them on Facebook.

Stay up to date on all the latest news by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter — @ChadAHolloway

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

11 Août 2011, Chad Holloway

Le 1er mai 2007, la femme au Poker Hall of Fame a été fondée par les Dames International Poker Serieset a été "conçu pour honorer les femmes qui ont acquis la notoriété et ont apporté des contributions au monde de poker au poker". Maintenant, quatre ans plus tard, une nouvelle classe de femme est honorée avec induction dans le WiPHOF : Kristy regards, Margie heintzet Phyllis caro. Nous vous dit tout d'abord sur la classe de 2011 dans l'édition 4 août de la Turbo tous les soirs, mais maintenant, nous allons de fouiller un peu plus profondément dans les intronisés.

Conformément à l'énoncé de Mission de WiPHOF : "les femmes de Poker Hall of Fame est une association de joueurs de poker, les gens de l'industrie de poker et autres parties intéressées. Nous travaillons à améliorer la sensibilisation et de célébrer, des contributions et les réalisations des femmes de poker comme reconnu et respecté et les promoteurs de la femme au poker". Classe de cette année n'est peut-être pas la plus familière pour les masses de poker, ils incarnent certainement les caractéristiques du Hall of Fame.

Phyllis Caro

Vous avez sans doute entendu le nom Caro au poker avant, mais vous probablement associer à l'auteur notable et « Mad Genius of Poker, » Mike caro. Alors que Mike n'est pas admissible à le WiPHOF, son épouse Phyllis est certainement. Né le 17 juin 1947, Phyllis diplômé Hunter College en 1969. Dix ans plus tard, elle s'aventure dans le Royaume de poker lorsqu'elle travaille comme un concessionnaire à El cortez Casino de Las Vegas. Qui conduit à des séjours face dans les autres salles de carte, conduisant finalement à une rencontre fortuite avec son futur époux à la Golden Nugget.

De 1984 à 1995, Phyllis travaille aux côtés de son mari à la Bicyclette Casino en Californie, desservant un certain nombre de capacités différentes de poker. Elle a finalement séparés et en juillet 1995, Phyllis devient Directeur des opérations de Poker au Casino de parc de Hollywood à Inglewood, un poste qu'elle occupe encore aujourd'hui. Le succès de cette salle de 60-table au cours des 16 ans a été attribuée à de Phyllis dévouement intense et connaissance de poker.

Phyllis Caro peut n'avoir quelques notables encaisse à son nom, mais ses contributions au jeu lui a valu une place dans le WiPHOF.

Palmiers Summer Poker Series 200 $ NLHEWinnin' o ' le Holde moitié vert de 50 $suis moitié Stud équipe événement

Margie Heintz

Crédité d'être la première femme à jamais traiter les world series of Poker, Margie Heintz a eu une longue et riche carrière dans l'industrie du poker datant du début des années 1970. Heintz a été à l'origine du Montana, un fait qui lui profiterait plus tard dans la vie, où elle a joué et portait sur le poker en Billings. Un an plus tard, elle déménage à Las Vegas et a obtenu une saisie de position à la pépite d'or.

Alors comment Heintz a fait gagner la distinction comme le premier concessionnaire de la femme à la WSOP ? Lorsque le El Dorado Casino a appris de mise en candidature du Heintz, ils ont écrit un communiqué de presse sur leurs employés qui a raconté l'histoire.

« En 1977, joueur de rodéo célèbre cowboy et poker Byron "Cowboy" Wolford suggéré Heintz deal à la World Series of Poker à venir à Gambling Hall de Binion. Lorsqu'elle se rend à se renseigner, elle a dit aucune femme n'avait jamais traité le tournoi ou avait même demandé à face avant, donc elle est allée parler au propriétaire Benny binion. Les deux il a frappé au large immédiatement lorsqu'elle a mentionné ses racines de Montana, et elle a été embauchée.

« Bien que beaucoup d'hommes jouant dans la série mondiale de 1977 ne pensais pas qu'elle était capable, Heintz a pris les rênes et se termina pouvant donc hautement recommandé qu'elle a été invitée à faire face à la table finale. En face d'un auditoire national couvert par la SCS Wide World of Sports, Heintz traité le championnat ronde du tournoi, ouvre la porte pour les femmes dans l'industrie du poker à travers le pays. »

Heintz est actuellement directeur des opérations de Poker au Casino d'El Dorado de Reno.

Poker Classic 100 $ Mesdames EventWorld Poker défi 100 $ Ladies NLHEPeppermill été Poker Tournament 100 $ 7-Card StudHold'em printemps Poker tournoi du 1 St annual Binion

Kristy regards

Contrairement aux Heintz et Caro, Kristy regards est un joueur tout d'abord et avant tout, avec une liste interminable d'encaisse pour le prouver. Ses résultats du tournoi datent de 1998 et total une stupéfiante $1,026,056. Qui met sa 755th sur la liste d'argent sans précédent et 19e sur liste d'argent sans précédent de la femme. Fait intéressant, collègues WiPHOF Kathy liebert (1ère), Jennifer harman (6e), Barbara enright (12e) et cyndy violette (14e) sont parmi les noms avant de lui sur la liste de ces dernier.

Né le 28 octobre 1967, regards a commencé à jouer au poker il y a 25 ans et est connu principalement comme un joueur de jeux d'argent. En fait, son surnom est « Regards mixte Jeux. » Elle était autrefois mariée à poker pro Bill regards et devient familier pour le public à travers des apparitions à la télévision sur l' Ultime défi de Poker poker et Poker Royale du GSN : bataille des Sexes.

Regards a trop nombreuses réalisations d'inscrire individuellement, donc Voici quelques-uns des faits saillants :

25 000 $ NBC National Heads-Up ChampionshipAussie Millions $10,000 principal événement$ 20,000 NLHE FullTiltPoker.Net Championship

Regards, Heintz et Caro a survécu le processus de mise en candidature (qui comprenait également nani dollison et liu JJ) et seront honorés le 2 septembre 2011, au Golden Nugget Casino dans le centre-ville de Las Vegas. Voici un aperçu de la compagnie exclusive que les trois lauréats se joindront à moins d'un mois.

La fête aura lieu du 6 à minuit dans la grande salle de bal et comprendra la cérémonie d'intronisation et une célébration de dîner. WiPHOF membre Jan Fisher servira de maîtresse de cérémonie, avec une marche de tapis rouge coup les choses. L'événement ne manquera pas seulement de la classe de 2011, mais célébrera également le Mois National de Poker par la collecte de fonds pour la charité officielle de la WiPHOF, Poker donne.

Poker donne est une "organisation caritative dont la mission est de fournir une aide financière et les efforts humanitaires pour intégrer les organismes de bienfaisance grâce au soutien de l'industrie du poker. Collectivement cette industrie et les joueurs ont la possibilité de réellement faire une différence et à créer un monde meilleur en offrant une variété de services sociaux aux personnes dans le besoin. »

Bonne nouvelle pour ceux qui s'intéressent : l'événement est ouvert au public avec des billets disponibles sur le site Web WiPHOF. Le coût est de 75 $ pour le dîner et cérémonie de remise des billets ; 25 $ vous obtiendrez dans la cérémonie seulement. En outre, il y aura un encan silencieux avec une variété d'articles. Enfin, le lundi, le 5 septembre 2011, à midi, le Golden Nugget sera l'hôte du Tournoi de charité donne de Poker. Le buy-in pour cet événement est $125 + 25$, avec 50 % de l'aller de pool de prix au profit de PokerGives.org.

* Les statistiques compilées à partir de Hendon Mob

Pour en savoir plus sur la WiPHOF, veillez à nous suivre sur Twitter et comme nous sur Facebook.

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August 04 2011, Matthew Kredell

There is a new organization advocating for the licensing and regulation of online poker in the United States that is asking for the support of poker players.

The relationship between FairPlayUSA and poker players could be mutually beneficial as long as players understand what the coalition is and what it isn't. It is not an organization that will look out for the interests of poker players the way the Poker Players Alliance does.

FairPlayUSA is the brainchild of Caesars Entertainment and is openly funded by casino giants Caesars and MGM. It is being run by a public relations firm called Middle Coast LLC located in Washington, D.C. The executive director, Marisa McNee, works for Middle Coast.

However, the interests and agenda of FairPlayUSA should align with players who are looking for a safe and secure environment in which to play Internet poker. The organization will not be lobbying Congress for legislation that favors Caesars and MGM. The casinos have their own lobbyists for that.

The purpose of FairPlayUSA is to create an organization that will encourage parents, law-enforcement officials and people with no desire to play online poker to get involved in the push for legislation by focusing on the child-safety and consumer-protection aspects of regulation. Lawmakers hear from poker players and casino representatives all the time. While that has made an impact, hearing from regular citizens might be what is needed to give the issue that final push.

"There are reasons to want online poker regulated that don't just have to do with the desire to play," McNee said. "We need to reach those people."

Greg Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, respected poker pro and PPA board member, has lent his name to FairPlayUSA's cause to be a voice for poker players on the organization's initial three-person board of advisors. He is joined by Parry Aftab, an expert in consumer and family cybersafety issues, and Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. secretary of homeland security. McNee said the board will be adding new members, including another poker player, by the end of the month and will continue to expand.

"We're hoping to get as many people as possible to support this idea, tailored in a way that we hope will be more appealing to politicians," Raymer said. "There are plenty of politicians who support our cause now. A majority of members of Congress haven't ever taken a strong stance on either side. Some of those undecided voters have concerns with things like law enforcement and child safety. We want them to know that, if that is their concern, they should vote for these bills because most Americans will feel more comfortable if the U.S. is regulating this industry."

The first act of business by FairPlayUSA is a petition calling on Congress to pass federal legislation to ensure the integrity and safety of online poker. McNee said the organization will eventually deliver the petition to Congress, though FairPlayUSA would never lobby Congress itself but would rather urge its supporters to speak with their members of Congress on their own.

The organization is still finding its way. Raymer isn't sure what his responsibilities will be. He figures that, in addition to doing media interviews, he might be involved in rallies or other events that FairPlayUSA could hold to raise awareness.

FairPlayUSA has been in the building stages for a while. Raymer said he was first approached to become involved with FairPlayUSA in late June by David Satz, a senior lobbyist for Caesars. PPA executive director John Pappas said he has been in contact with FairPlay since even before Black Friday. The PPA has offered its support to FairPlayUSA.

"They bring a different coalition and different set of interests to the table," Pappas said. "I think they will be valuable and complementary to the PPA in the goal of getting regulation and licensing for Internet poker."

On its website, FairPlayUSA offers its 10 principles, which include items to strengthen the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and to provide tools to crack down on unlicensed foreign operators. Principles that are of more interest to players include, to mandate technological safeguards to ensure that games are fair and honest, and that players' deposits be maintained in escrow accounts and available on demand.

"You look at the Ultimate Bet scandal," Raymer said. "The general opinion on who is guilty is pretty clear, but there's been no involvement of any government and there's a good chance there never will be. If there was a U.S. regulatory agency, there's a good chance this never would have happened, but if it did people could go after the guilty parties in court and prove them guilty. Russ Hamilton, if proven guilty, wouldn't be able to sit back and enjoy the dollars he's sitting on. We would be able to take all that away from him, just like with Bernie Madoff. Every asset of Bernie Madoff's has been liquidated and that money returned to victims. It would be nice to say the same thing about the Ultimate Bet/Absolute scandal."

One point of contention regarding FairPlayUSA is whether it is truly a grassroots organization, as is indicated on its website. Grassroots movements usually apply to groups that are started by the people rather than groups orchestrated by casinos.

"I think everyone's definition of grassroots is probably a little different," Pappas said. "I think what you really need to have for an effective grassroots campaign is boots on the ground, and that's what the PPA has. Perhaps as that organization grows it will have boots on the ground, but I don't think they're looking for poker players to be those boots. They're looking for other individuals to be the grassroots for the organization, not necessarily poker players."

The truth is that FairPlayUSA doesn't really need poker players to make its point that regulating online poker will prevent criminal activity within the industry and better protect underage children from gambling. It's a nice gesture for FairPlay to want to include the players, and in return the players can help strengthen the numbers supporting FairPlay. And professional poker players can make the unique point that they want Congress to give them the same consumer protections they would receive for playing the stock market.

"Players have a stake in this and the point is to represent as many people as possible," McNee said. "I can't imagine an organization working on this issue that didn't include the players. To pretend they don't have a stake in it or a voice would be silly."

McNee said that FairPlayUSA was not going to get into advocating for one piece of legislation or another. Instead, it would support the general concept of regulating online poker. This is why FairPlayUSA does not specifically support Rep. Joe Barton's bill to license and regulate online poker, even though the Texas representative's legislation matches up very well with FairPlay's 10 principles.

That sounds like a fair way to go about advocating for this issue, though the organization would lose credibility if it changes its tune and supports a future bill from Nevada Senator Harry Reid. That would show that FairPlayUSA is not truly advocating for its principles but waiting for one bill, and that the claim of not advocating for one piece of legislation is just a way to explain why it is not supporting any other bill that meets its principles until the Reid legislation comes along.

The American Gaming Association, the casino industry trade association that claims Caesars and MGM as two of its biggest members, recently announced that it did not support or oppose Barton's bill. Caesars also has said it has no stance on the Barton bill. There are indications the casinos are waiting on a Reid bill, which they would presumably be able to control better due to their influential position as big-money donors to Reid.

When questioned about whether FairPlayUSA would commit to not advocating for a specific legislation for the life of the organization, McNee would not make such a promise.

"We do not know what will happen in the future," McNee said, "but at this time we have no plans to endorse any specific pieces of legislation."

Raymer said he had to go with what he sees now, and that is an organization that he thinks could help make playing online poker in an officially legalized, regulated environment a reality in the United States. He will also continue on the board of directors for the PPA. He isn't paid for either position.

"Maybe that's what is going on in the background, they're waiting to support one specific bill down the line," Raymer said. "I don't know if that is the case. I'm going to continue to help them as long as I think it's good for poker and poker players. If that changes, I will withdraw my support and advise poker players to do the same. I'm just trying to get a bill passed."

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