According to the Denver Post and other publications, the Bush administration is moving to finalize enforcement of a law that seeks to block internet gambling including poker. The move is drawing hot protests from democratic lawmakers as well as supporters of internet gambling. Of course the president, whose popularity has shrunk to only 30 percent, could care less what the majority of the US population wants.
The House Financial Services Committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank, a proponent of legalizing on-line poker, has asked Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to postpone the regulation, which was reviewed by the White House budget office the first week in November, usually a final step before publication in the federal registry.
At issue is the hastily passed 2006 law that sought to curb online gaming by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks, or electronic fund transfers related to on-line wagering.
This has resulted in a large number of disputes because the law does not offer a clear definition of internet gambling. Instead it points to a number of existing federal and state statutes that lend themselves to differing interpretations. Banks and others have complained about having to enforce an unclear law.
Biggest Bad Beat Jackpot Hit Twice. She heard about it in her local ladies card club and decided to drive down from Wyoming to see what it was all about. On her third hand at the lodge casino in Blackhawk, CO, she hit the largest bad beat jackpot at a land based casino, which amounted to 40 percent of the $663,000, 30 percent went to the gentleman who beat her quads with a straight flush, and 30 percent was divided among the other players at that table. Just three days later a secondary jackpot of $440,000 was hit. A third bad-beat jackpot of $400,000 is still available.
A Challenge to the Bad-Beat Jackpot. Tony Townsend, spokesperson for the Colorado Card Players Association, contends that the Colorado Division of Gaming erred when it allowed casinos to take an extra $2 for the bad-beat jackpot over and above increasing the previous house rake of $3 to $5, which had the effect of making the total rake $7 on pots over $50. This is $280 per hour if 40 pots of $50 are played each hour. Add a $1 tip to the dealer per hand and with an average buy-in of $100 per player, and all the money has gone off the table in a mere 3.12 hours.
In addition to the high rake, many players are questioning the legality of bad-beat jackpots. Their main point is that when the Division of Gaming approved the $2 per hand collection for bad-beat jackpots, it had the effect of authorizing casinos to offer a lottery. Their point is that a bad-beat jackpot is not an integral part of poker and thus, according to the limited stakes act, it cannot be offered. E-mail your thoughts on this.
Congratulations to Peter Eastgate and Harrahs. Although I was initially skeptical of the benefits of a 4 month delay in the WSOP main event final table, the excitement generated and quality of production created something new and different. Congratulations to the youngest winner ever, 22 year old Peter Eastgate from Denmark and to Harrah's for an excellent job.
$100 Maximum Bet Passes in Colorado. The cities of Blackhawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek will now be voting on a referendum that passed at the state level on November 4. It increases maximum casino bets to $100 as well as adding craps and roulette. It is anticipated that all three cities will pass the referendum, which will take effect July 1, 2009.
Mike Eikenberry got his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia, where he played varsity tennis and basketball. Founder of one of the leading national tennis camps, Mike is an avid amateur who has played both tournaments and live games for over 25 years. He can be reached at theeiks@comcast.net
