Cranky Olde Coot

OK, so I said just the other day that the United States governmental agencies had not yet come up with any rules for the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. Well now they have and so the online gaming picture in the States is now murkier than ever before. Here are some highlights of the proposed regulations.

*Interested parties (the banks, credit card companies and third party clearing houses) have until December 12, 2007 to comment on the proposed rules.

*The rules say absolutely nothing about the individual poker player; only the financial institutions facilitating the transfer of money are regulated.

*Nothing is said about what gaming activities are legal or for that matter illegal.

*It appears that only your bank and the poker websites bank are subject to any legal issues. The whole interwoven system of financial transfers are considered intermediaries and not subject to sanction.

*The exact procedures for implementing the Act are not in the new rules and apparently are going to be left to the financial institutions involved.

The comments about the proposed rules should be very interesting, particularly since the passage of the bill over a year ago, the banks have made it clear that they simply do not have the internal mechanisms in place to enforce the law.

Reminds me of the phrase: What if they wrote a law and nobody enforced it? Not much chance of that with the right wing political climate across the pond.

Does anyone else wish the ESPN would cover Poker! from the World Series of Poker and not the stupid crap they tend to focus on. It's like covering the World Cup by doing features on the drunk hooligans with their chests painted during the play of the match.

Prime example: the hour on Hevad Khan this week. You think these players don't know if they act whacko they will get air time? Did you notice in his private interview he was calm, relaxed and articulate. So why did ESPN choose to feature him? Do they think they will get more viewers for the "entertainment" value of this nonsense? They know they have the true poker fans trapped, we have no other way to see the minimal poker they actually cover. But I ask again: At the World Series of Poker, Why not cover poker!

And while I am on the subject of ESPN and the World Series, when are they going to dump Norman Chad? Do we need more lame jokes about his ex-wifes? Do we need to hear: "A queen and a queen only" again? How about someone who knows a thing or two about poker and will actually offer that to the viewers instead of some lame ass line about himself.

It's about poker. Why doesn't ESPN get that? They don't bastardize the coverage of other sports like this. I watch the coverage to see poker. Let me repeat--it's about the poker!

EDITOR's NOTE: For those of you who might like to express your opinion on this topic directly to the ESPN network. Here is a link.

Poker is a genuine phenomenon, which means that public relations people and casino promotions staff should not be saying things about poker events that are blatantly false. Take this bit from the World Series of Poker Europe.

The inaugural World Series of Poker Europe 2007 is breaking records even before the Main Event has begun. The organizers have confirmed that they will pay out the largest prize pools in European poker history for the opening two events of H.O.R.S.E. and Pot-Limit Omaha versions of poker.

So let's see about that. With 157 players paying 5,000 pounds for entry into the WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Event [105 played in the 5K HORSE) that would mean a total prizepool of 785,000 pounds.

Let's convert that to Euros at todays exchange rate of 1.48 and we get a total prize pool of 1.4 million Euros.

Last week at the European Poker Tour event in Barcelona, 543 players put up 8,000 Euros forming a total prize pool of 4.1 million Euros. So let me see 4.1 Million versus 1.4 Million....

Now how exactly does the WSOPE media machine figure they have:

"the largest prize pools in European poker history."

Steve Lipscomb, CEO of the World Poker Tour, either needs to get himself a PR person or a gag. Once again the "Loose Lipped" Lipscomb has put his foot in his generously proportioned mouth.

You will remember back when the Gang of Seven (Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Phil Gordon) complained about WPT using their images to promote the WPT online poker site and eventually this led to their boycotting the World Poker Tour and a long and confusing legal battle that still lines the pockets of serveral dozen lawyers. Well back then Mr. Lipscomb put out an "Open Letter" that basically said: "We won't do that again, you can trust us." [Full text below]

Now Mr. Lipscomb has made a deal with the Chinese Government perhaps giving the WPT access to the largest untapped poker market on the planet. No problem Steve but do you really intend to take business tips from the Chinese? as you describe them:

"the most forward looking capitalists on the globe."

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Here is the full text of what the WPT CEO had to say about those free market fanatics, the Chinese.

I heard a lot of talk about Phil Hellmuth making "history" with his eleventh World Series of Poker win this summer. Now this is not an anti-Phil rant. It is a "Get a Clue" rant directed at anyone and everyone who thinks poker is "more than a card game."

For years I have had a problem with baseball nuts. You know them, they often say things like: "Baseball is more than a game." They will even go so far as you use James Earl Jone's voice. They are aging journalists who write books about "The Boys of Summer" or "America's Pasttime." Now these idiots are creeping into poker. So let me say this clearly. Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss and Jimmy the Greek are not historical figures.

Poker is a game It's Not History!

Just so we are clear. Here are a few examples.

The picture of Buzz Aldrin at the top of the post--that is history!
Lance Armstrong winning six bicycle races is not history.
The D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944 is history.
Barry Bonds with or without drugs is not history.
Johnny Unitas, Mickey Mantle, Pele: all not history.
Jamie Gold-definitely not history.
This post and all of my other posts-never going to be history.

A bit of historical perspective-priceless.

That's all for today, go back to your sports page but check the front page for the history (unless you are reading a Rupert Murdoch owned paper).