Inside Straight -- News

Introduction of Pro-Poker Legislation on the Horizon
Congressmen Frank and McDermott Plan on Introducing Bills

Soon. It’s coming soon.

That’s what the poker community has been told about congressional action regarding reversal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Now, it is much clearer just how soon poker players can expect that action.

“I expect that we will introduce the legislation in two to three weeks. Like last session, we will introduce after [Congressman Barney Frank’s legislation],” Mike DeCesare, the chief of staff for Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), told Card Player in late March.

McDermott has fought for the taxation and regulation of online poker in the past, most notably in a bill he introduced last year, H.R. 6501. That bill would’ve used revenue from the regulation of Internet gambling for job training and opportunities for past foster-care participants.

Frank (D-Mass.), of course, has also been at the heart of the fight for online poker. He previously introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 — which would have repealed the UIGEA — but that bill also never made it to the House floor for a vote.

An aide for Frank told Reuters in February that poker players and fans could expect to see action in the near future.

“The bill introduction should happen in the next month,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. Frank will bring back legislation to repeal the UIGEA.”

The UIGEA was passed as a last-minute attachment to the SAFE Port Act in 2006. While the law does not criminalize the playing of online poker in the U.S., it severely hampers the industry because  it makes it illegal for banks, credit-card companies, and payment processors like PayPal to transfer funds from potential customers to online casinos, and vice versa.

The Poker Players Alliance was founded in 2005 to protect the rights of poker players, but the nonprofit organization has been especially active in the past few months in its fight against the UIGEA. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato made the case for regulation in an article for the congressional magazine Roll Call last January, and he sat down with Card Player for an online interview in February to discuss the PPA’s future.

Former World Series of Poker Champion Greg Raymer, a patent lawyer and a member of the PPA board of directors, has also hit the political trail in defense of the game. He attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in late February on behalf of the PPA, and has since appeared on Fox Business News to explain why he is — and why most people should be — for the regulation of online poker.

Preregistration Opens for the World Series of Poker
Players Encouraged to Register Early for Events

Preregistration for the 2009 World Series of Poker is now available. Players wishing to compete in the 40th-annual WSOP can reserve their spots either online at www.worldseriesofpoker.com or in person at the main casino cage of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Tournament organizers emphasized the fact that entries are on a first-come, first-served basis, and that capacity is limited.

“As is now customary, no alternates will be seated at the 2009 World Series of Poker,” said Jack Effel, WSOP tournament director. “We encourage players to preregister early to guarantee their seats.”

While the vast majority of events do not sell out, there were four in 2008 that reached capacity — three $1,500 no-limit hold’em events and a $5,000 no-limit hold’em shootout. WSOP Communications Director Seth Palanksy said that the “Stimulus Special” (the WSOP’s new $1,000 open event during the opening weekend) and days “C” and “D” of the main event stood the best chance of selling out early.

The 2009 WSOP will feature 57 bracelet events from May 27 to July 15, with the final table of the main event to be played out in November. Besides the prestigious main event and the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, the Series will showcase a $40,000 no-limit hold’em event and nine additional $10,000 world championship events.

“This is the year that you’re going to get the most value out of all of the bracelet tournaments,” said Effel. “This is the year to chase the dream.”

The Venetian Will Host 89 Tables for Deep-Stack Extravaganza III
Tournament Series Will Run Concurrently With the WSOP

The Venetian recently announced the schedule of its third Deep-Stack Extravaganza (DSE) tournament series of the year, and it is obvious that the casino expects it to do very well. In a fact sheet accompanying the new schedule, The Venetian stated, “We will be expanding to 89 tables to better accommodate our rapidly growing player base.”

The staff of the popular poker room, which regularly houses 39 poker tables in months that a DSE series is not going on, clearly expects that the popularity of the World Series of Poker will translate into a successful few months for The Venetian. The 2009 WSOP will run May 27-July 15, before the main event breaks for the November final table. The Deep-Stack Extravaganza III will run May 29-July 16.

The DSE III will host 48 events, with the vast majority of them being no-limit hold’em. Buy-ins will range from $225 for shootout events to $5,000 for the main event, which begins on July 13. The tournament will also host events with $330, $550, $1,070, $1,590, and $2,100 buy-ins.

Non-hold’em events include a H.O.R.S.E. tournament on June 7, an Omaha eight-or-better tournament on June 14, and a pot-limit Omaha tournament on June 18. Those three tournaments start at 4 p.m., and have a buy-in of $550.

The no-limit hold’em tournaments begin at noon and stop at 2 a.m. or when a final table is reached, whichever comes first. Play resumes the next day at 4 p.m. and concludes when there is a winner.

The Venetian’s tournaments are known for their favorable structures. The higher-priced events ($1,070 and higher) have 60-minute levels — the same as most events in the WSOP — and give each player a comfortable starting stack.

With a $10 staff bonus, players at The Venetian begin with 15,000 in chips in the $550 and $1,070 events, and 20,000 in chips in the $1,590 and $2,100 events. By comparison, players will start with 4,500 in chips in the $1,500 WSOP events this year.

For a complete schedule of the DSE III, check out CardPlayer.com.

PokerStars Launches Live Poker Room in Macau
Grand Lisboa Casino Boasts 22 Poker Tables

PokerStars continued to make its presence felt, not only online but also in casinos, when it launched a live poker room in the Grand Lisboa Hotel and Casino in late March. The room, with 22 tournament and cash-game tables, is now the largest poker room in continental Asia.

“PokerStars is committed to the development of poker across Asia, and this new room will be at its heart,” said Joe Hachem, the winner of the 2005 World Series of Poker main event and a member of Team PokerStars. “It’s been extraordinary for me to watch the growth of poker culture in the 18 months since the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour first brought poker to Macau.”

Macau, a region of the People’s Republic of China, has long been a gambling destination for the people of Asia, but it has been only recently that poker has seen a spike in popularity in the area.

The PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour was launched in August 2007 and made its way to Macau in November of that year for the APPT Asian Poker Open. The $2,500 event attracted 352 players — which was the biggest poker tournament field ever assembled in Asia at the time. The APPT returned to Macau in September 2008, and will make its third visit there this August.

PokerStars Macau at the Grand Lisboa will run cash games around-the-clock, as well as freeroll tournaments each week to introduce new players to the game.

For more information about the new poker room, check out www.pokerstarsmacau.com.