Some of the information that came out of the meetings seems to have made an impression on some of the powers that be. One very interesting fact was a research project that had been done on the Poker Stars site in reference to how many of the hands actually go to showdown. This was done to show that poker is not a game of luck, but one of skill that makes the player rely on instincts to get out of a bad situation and limit their losses. This is something that one cannot do when they make a wager in any other form of gambling.

The stat that was rather enlightening that after tracking well over 100,000,000 hands, they found that a mere 25% actually went to showdown. This number made lawmakers take a step back and take a look at the game of poker as a game of skill.  If the laws are going to get passed in poker’s favor, this is a huge step in the right direction. Now all we need to do is catch President Obama and some of his cronies sitting around the table with chips and cards in front of them!

Another feather in the cap of the PPA was that they managed to bring to light the ‘good’ that poker has brought to many organizations. It is not uncommon for a local charity or church to hold a poker tournament as a way to raise money. This is not to mention the millions of dollars that the major poker players have donated over the last few years.  It is not uncommon for any of them to drop 6 figures into the basket when it is passed around.

As with anything else though, only time will tell if all of this lobbying is going to be successful. It would however seem as though poker is slowly but surely starting to tilt the scales in their favor. Hopefully we will see this trend continue because once the United States officially gets on board, the poker world is sure to benefit.

The week started off by introducing Howard Stern as its newest member.  What better way to get national attention that by getting one of the biggest mouths in radio on your side. Whether it be good or bad, Stern is sure to bring a lot more attention to the topic.  With the amount of people that he can influence during a single morning show, this should prove to be a very prudent move on the PPA’s part.

In addition to the announcement of Stern’s membership, the PPA had plenty more activities lined up to try and sway our lawmakers over the side of the poker player.  Several of the more notable players in the game have met with representatives to give them their side of the story.  The fact that they are sitting down and listening to the pitch for H.R. 2267 (the Bill introduced by Barney Frank earlier this year) would lead everyone to believe that they are finally wising up and realizing that people playing online poker on their computer is not the end of the world and could lead to a huge amount of tax income for the country.

With the week ending on Saturday, hopefully the desired affect will have been reached.  The ultimate goal is to have The President take poker out of the UIGEA legislation that it was attached to during the Bush Administration.  Many Americans have made their desires known, and if he is truly representing the voice of the people, he will change this ridiculous legislation and once again allow poker to be played legally online in the United States.