April 16, 2011
Attention All Poker Players
Online poker in the U.S. has taken a huge blow and the ramifications across the industry are still to be determined, but needless to say there will be many changes. Many are distraught to the point of drinking, whining, going crazy, and yes, even thinking of playing live poker. I don't blame any of them. I would, however, like to offer a different perspective.
The old adage is that when one door closes, another opens. I see these times as an opportunity. Poker players on average are a very lazy bunch. When previously asked to contact their representative, take an active role in expressing their beliefs, and get involved in activities that didn't include grinding, credit card roulette, and the Spearmint Rhino, your average poker player would do nothing. How many of you reading this ever even took 5 minutes to send an email to your representative?
Now is the time to change your attitude. In what may come as a shock to many of you (but probably not), the U.S. government consists of a bunch of dinosaurs who are in charge due to tenure and not intelligence. This means that email, while quick and easy, is not the best way to communicate with them. Phone calls and typed letters are not the way to go either. If you want to actually be heard, then you must HANDWRITE YOUR OWN LETTER. The PPA has already written a letter for you. I suggest using it as a rough template, altering it, and adding a personal touch to make it even better. Click on the link below and select one of the 3 options to see the letter they've written. I'll say it again just to make it clear. HANDWRITE your letter.
http://capwiz.com/pokerplayersalliance/home/
At the end of the day, your level of interest in seeing positive changes made will depend on how much you care about your freedom to play online poker. For some of you, this is a minor inconvenience and you likely won't do a damn thing about it. For others, if you actually care about your personal rights, I hope you take action. Your actions from this point forward will help define a new era in poker, both online and live.
Hopefully the U.S. government's actions have lit a fire under your ass. Hopefully we can see these changes in a positive light and use them as a catalyst for change. Hopefully you actually care enough to let your voice be heard.
Before you do anything else, take 6 minutes and watch the video below. Omar Ahmad explains the best way to go about getting your voice heard and bringing about real change.
11 Comments:
soleztis posted on April 16, 2011 at 20:40 PM
Thanks TSB. I have already emailed and called, and will begin to handwrite. I hope people follow your advice.
PokerWannabe posted on April 16, 2011 at 20:58 PM
I sent letters by email yesterday. I was under the impression their aids/interns just make a tally of the various views of people and that is what gets reported to the representatives. Why is the handwritten letter so much better?
TecmoSuperBowl posted on April 16, 2011 at 21:01 PM
@PW, the video does a great job of explaining why handwritten letters are best. Definitely check it out!
zeroluck posted on April 16, 2011 at 21:05 PM
The video didn't give any reason why the 22 year old whose job it is to read the letters would be more persuaded if it was hand written.
TecmoSuperBowl posted on April 16, 2011 at 21:07 PM
If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. At least send the emails though.
bjordan posted on April 17, 2011 at 00:54 AM
I'll be sending the emails and writing hand written letters.
mitch posted on April 17, 2011 at 05:28 AM
Do you get extra points if you write in calligraphy?
soleztis posted on April 17, 2011 at 05:33 AM
To anyone that does not want to come up with their own ideas, or are lacking initiative, I can email a word for word for anyone to write up.
NixonTheGrouch posted on April 17, 2011 at 06:16 AM
I don't have time to write. I'm still logged into FTP and have to enjoy it while it lasts...
HRPaperstacks posted on April 17, 2011 at 20:20 PM
+1. I've written enough old fashioned letters as well as emails and petitions to my Rep and Senators to have a very clear picture of which ones will help and which ones won't, based on their responses. The ones that won't, I vote against. Been doing this ever since the UIGEA came out and I joined PPA.
In politics, money talks. In lieu of money, numbers (of votes) talk. Online poker in the US has a lot of both. I'd like to see high-rollers with 7-digit plus online bankrolls fund and support the PPA to give it some teeth as a PAC in the halls of Congress. The rest of us need to back up our letter writing with actual voting. If enough of us act consistently and determinedly, we can have an impact for the better.
Steppin Razor posted on April 19, 2011 at 22:47 PM
This is what I wrote to my congressman/senators:
First I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am writing in regard to the recent online poker indictments brought by the Department of Justice. They have seized American players' funds, despite the fact that there is no law prohibiting Americans from playing poker online. Please protect the rights and the property of America's poker players. I respectfully request that you work with the DOJ to release all player funds back to their rightful owners -- the players -- immediately. This will certainly not impede the pursuit of DOJ's case - because these funds do not belong to online poker sites.
Particularly in the current economic uncertainty, the last thing Americans need is for the government to deny them access to their own funds, and in the case of professional players, their livelihoods. We do not need the government making it harder to make ends meet in an economy in which jobs are scarce.
More importantly, in my opinion the government should not be interfering with my right to use the internet in the comfort of my own home to play poker. Poker is a game of skill, as has been established by federal courts in the past. If I wish to invest my hard earned money in my own skills, I have the right to do so. I do not feel the government should be telling me how to use the internet.
I would like to request you support H.R. 1174 to protect my rights as a consumer and player. We need proper licensing and regulation to ensure the protection of Americans playing online. Please respond to this letter and let me know if you will support my freedoms. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.
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