[dad604]

Article "Poker is Good for You" by the authors regarding poker at 2+2. Mason Malmuth gives everyone the right to reprint the article without charge.

Two Plus Two Internet Magazine - September 2007
Two Plus Two Internet Magazine - September 2007

[ipgyst]

Good article. Helps to put into words things that I've realized about enjoying poker but never fleshed out and wrote down. The points are valid, and they are things that you can't say about any other casino "gambling" game.

To me, legalized poker (online or otherwise) is like alcohol - there are a whole lot of rich white people who will partake in it whether it's legal or not, so the government will eventually legalize, regulate, and tax it. The only reason there is resistance is because Harrah's, Steve Wynn, MGM, Sands, and all the other giant casino corporations don't get a dime directly from online poker and never have, and they are the ones with the pull in Washington DC. (They have all built new poker rooms in the last decade, however, so they have made a profit from the poker boom, just not the online poker boom so they want to squish it unless they can control it - typical capitalism)

And Bill Frist - Go suck a big fat one. Alfonse Damato forgot more about politics than you ever knew.

[the3rd]

Originally Posted by ipgyst

Good article. Helps to put into words things that I've realized about enjoying poker but never fleshed out and wrote down. The points are valid, and they are things that you can't say about any other casino "gambling" game.

To me, legalized poker (online or otherwise) is like alcohol - there are a whole lot of rich white people who will partake in it whether it's legal or not, so the government will eventually legalize, regulate, and tax it. The only reason there is resistance is because Harrah's, Steve Wynn, MGM, Sands, and all the other giant casino corporations don't get a dime directly from online poker and never have, and they are the ones with the pull in Washington DC. (They have all built new poker rooms in the last decade, however, so they have made a profit from the poker boom, just not the online poker boom so they want to squish it unless they can control it - typical capitalism)

And Bill Frist - Go suck a big fat one. Alfonse Damato forgot more about politics than you ever knew.

Not true. American casino management want in on the online market. Just ask them. They would gladly allow the government to regulate and tax their participation because it would still add to the bottom line. Harrah's lost thousands of main event buy-ins because of the ban and the related income that would have accompanied them.

[ipgyst]

Originally Posted by the3rd

Not true. American casino management want in on the online market. Just ask them. They would gladly allow the government to regulate and tax their participation because it would still add to the bottom line. Harrah's lost thousands of main event buy-ins because of the ban and the related income that would have accompanied them.

I agree, but until they can park a server in the USA they aren't going to touch it, in which case they don't want anybody else to touch it either, which is why their puppets in congress passed the legislation that they did (which got all the other publicly traded companies to bail on the US online poker market). Three words - "Line Item Veto"

[the3rd]

Originally Posted by ipgyst

I agree, but until they can park a server in the USA they aren't going to touch it, in which case they don't want anybody else to touch it either, which is why their puppets in congress passed the legislation that they did (which got all the other publicly traded companies to bail on the US online poker market). Three words - "Line Item Veto"

That is cutting off your nose to spite your face. The fact is, the gaming industry has vary little pull in D.C. No lawmaker wants to be seen supporting what many voters see as vice. If the gaming industry really had pull, they would get their "puppets" to allow the servers on U.S. soil, not make it harder for Americans to play. That would be the BEST way for them to make more money.

The ban was all about the "moral majority" getting a pet project jammed through before they lost that majority in the next election cycle.

Line item veto? What the hell would that do? We have a president who has only vetoed one bill and issues signing statement on nearly everything he does sign effectively limiting or nullifying every piece of legislation that has crossed his desk in the past seven years.

[yeltzen]

LOL... it reads like a teenage angst article. Good God.

[dad604]

Originally Posted by yeltzen

LOL... it reads like a teenage angst article. Good God.

Boris, you sure you are not posting as Clipper also????

[Devilboy]

Originally Posted by yeltzen

LOL... it reads like a teenage angst article. Good God.

Yea it was a bit much for me too.

[Clipper]

I actually agree with almost all of this article - what I read anyway. If you are a serious student of the game you will reep all of those rewards listed. I can honestly say that poker has helped me from things such as investing, negotiating (reading people), and various other risk-reward situations encountered in day to day life. Not to mention the monetary gain from playing the game.

[links_slayer]

Originally Posted by Clipper

Not to mention the monetary gain from playing the game.

What?!?! You've made some money playing poker? I don't think you've ever mentioned this before!! Please...elaborate!

[/threadjack and troll-feeding]