Poker Forum

Until online poker is regulated and "recourse" is available for all players, whether collusion or what, online poker should be banned from the US.

Look how online poker has split. It is either super high stakes where cheating/collusion charges are constantly on the net or mico stakes with people playing for fun getting robbed by the rake.

Online poker is not good for this country.

Nothing new about my view, just reiterating it.

Mike, you know that I don't exactly agree with your view, BUT, I'm going to go ahead right now and make a simple point. This is a forum that is suppose to be for adults that share a common interest.....poker. As adults, we should be able to discuss various viewpoints without flaming at one another. While I don't agree 100% with your view, I do see your point and you, of course, have the right to that opinion. An intelligent discussion of the various viewpoints of this topic is welcome. Adolescent comments or flaming is not.

While I'll agree that online poker needs to be regulated, I don't agree that it needs to be banned. Regulation to prevent many of the things that you have mentioned in the past- cheating, super-accounts, collusion, etc- would be a good thing. I will say that I think with regulation, there still would be cheating going on (we're human) but that the threat of a more serious punishment than losing an account may prevent some of it.

I don't believe that it should be banned. As an adult, I CHOOSE to play online. I cannot support anything that takes away my freedom of choice.

I'll leave it with that. I'd say more but that wouldn't be sticking to the topic. Anyone else's comments are welcome, but please keep it above board.

lol @ super high stakes where cheating is constant... If there is any place online cheating is impossible, it's the high stakes online... players will regulate that themselves.

It's the constant fear of online poker I see from MtMike that actually makes me laugh. The lack of respect for the immense quality that durrrr has tells me that MtMike doesnt understand online poker at all.
I see it more and more from older live players that they fear the technology, the future (in a way) that will make it possible for every person in the world to play poker, watch tv from all over the wall or w/e.

Especially new area's in the world of internet are very well regulated by the users themselves, everybody would notice a cheater play at higher stakes, there are programs designed especially for those things by the sites themselves.

Online poker is something that makes it possible for everyone, with every kind of wallet: playmoney, 0.01/0.02 to 200/400 to 1000/2000 limits.

If any of my story seems a little rambly, I'm a bit drunk. As long as the general message is clear

RB, are you ever not drunk?

Dave, choice is something that every American should have, but with that needs to come responsibility/accountability. In america the government (even more now) tries to protect people from their own ignorance and stupid. (Think, seatbelt law). When something does happen and the people did something dumb, the government will step in and try to help them. (think current loan modification programs by the government).

So, there will always be a conflict with this in America.
Online Poker = More Idiots Gambling
Idiots Gambling do stupid things like take out a mortgage on their house to play
More Idiots Gambling = More People with Problems
More People with Problems = More Government Support for the Stupid People

Until the government can realize that they can't save people from their stupidity, we will never have a good system. If they do legalize it, they will overregulate and overtax.

As much as I think it should be legal (I am a libertarian, so I like 0 regulation), I always go back to thinking that maybe it is better how it is! Sure, legalization would bring a lot more fish, but it would also bring a lot more in taxes, fees, etc. There is a wide enough "audience" online right now, so maybe until we get a good libertarian president (like me!!!!) we should leave it illegal.

After all, if you aren't smart enough to figure out how to play now (hey, even Frenchie could figure it out!) then you probably aren't smart enough to be playing responsibly!

MrD, I would like to state that a week wasted is never a wasted week.

Rockbottom87 wrote

MrD, I would like to state that a week wasted is never a wasted week.

LOL, never heard that! Thanks for the smile...now back to finishing up work so I can have a good steak and lots of wine tonight.

I'm a strong believer in survival of the fittest. Stupidity is just God's way of culling the herd. If a person's stupidity can only hurt themselves, go ahead and let them do whatever. It'll reduce the stress on everybody else.

I 100% agree Dave. Now, if we could just get Washington D.C. thinking this way!

How does one know that on line poker players are legal age?

How many "kids" have damaged their future because they had a decent "run" at poker and stopped their schooling to play on line, only to find out they can not beat poker in the long run.

How about how easy it is to use credit cards on line, with many maxing out such. How is that good for society?

There are so many negatives to online gaming, without regulation, there is no way that the internet should be allowed for gambling

and there is also no possible way you are going to prevent it.

in that case you could at least try to regulate it as much as possible, no?

How does one know that on line poker players are legal age?

Isn't that the case with everything in todays world? Are only people over 18/21 drinking alcohol? Numerous other examples are probably gonna pop up in your head right now.

How many "kids" have damaged their future because they had a decent "run" at poker and stopped their schooling to play on line, only to find out they can not beat poker in the long run.

So what? Let them learn it the hard way. That's a common sense thing. The way I understand your school system, you can always get back to studying at a later point. It's not like their future is completely FUBAR.

How about how easy it is to use credit cards on line, with many maxing out such. How is that good for society?

Who cares? If you're stupid enough to keep on using money that you don't have, you probably deserve the consequences.

There are so many negatives to online gaming, without regulation, there is no way that the internet should be allowed for gambling

How about you stop blaming online gambling for all the problems you have in the U.S? Do you really need the government to regulate everything in order for you not to do stupid crap?

i agree with everything H says.

the US Gov. cannot replace good parenting.

we all shouldn't have to pay because some people don't have enough self-control to deal with their own finances.

the only legitimate argument you had for online poker being bad for the country you didnt even make. without regulation all the money made by online gambling companies immediately leaves the US, never to return.

so basically it follows the money made by us european players?

MtMike wrote

How many "kids" have damaged their future because they had a decent "run" at poker and stopped their schooling to play on line, only to find out they can not beat poker in the long run.

I agree with everything H said. Let me remind you too that a good number of the billionares in this world (Bill Gates included) dropped out of college to chase other dreams. Some failed a couple times before being a success. Not everyone needs higher education. If this world were only full of lawyers, we would all be screwed! In the end, life isn't about how much money you have made, but the quality of life you have lived and the contributions you have made to society!

lets count the successful poker players versus not - and how society benefited = no guilt for the suicides! Amerika, what a great KOUNTRY! = no wonder u dumb xxxx are to stupid to realize how bad off u are and why u are the most hated Kountry in the world. DAAAA China owns ya. remember my words, cause i will be gone and u 'genius' ****** will be going daaa what happened! not my job to explain more!

That lousy comment leaves me wondering. Are you of legal age to play poker?

Let's count those players indeed: studies show that top10% plays at least break even, top5% wins and top2% wins big.
How does society benefit? well I know of some players (I guess the one you know best is Barry Greenstein) that give millions of dollars to charity, a Dutch guy is spending most of his winnings (he keeps enough to stay alive) for a cancer hospital in Russia, completely modernizing it and giving free treatments to poor people.

About the losing players, There are players that lose big:

And there are players that lose small (go find your own graph for that one)

Almost every losing player simply sees this game as a CHEAP hobby! What other hobby can you spend only small amounts of money on for such a long time that you do it. The few people that get themselves into debt would have gotten in debt just as well on something else: stock trading (plenty of suicides there), drug addiction, blackjack, etc etc etc.

FYI I don't think the USA are the most hated country (yes, country, with a c) in the world, I actually hate Spain more...

MtMike wrote

lets count the successful poker players versus not - and how society benefited = no guilt for the suicides! Amerika, what a great KOUNTRY! = no wonder u dumb xxxx are to stupid to realize how bad off u are and why u are the most hated Kountry in the world. DAAAA China owns ya. remember my words, cause i will be gone and u 'genius' ****** will be going daaa what happened! not my job to explain more!

I was trying to be an adult with my earlier post. You just gave me a pass. You happen to have two traits I absolutely loathe in any human and somehow have managed to ball them up into this amazing sh*t storm called Mt. Mike. You are ignorant. You live in the middle of f*cking nowhere and have completely lost touch with American society. Not to mention, you are arrogant enough to believe that you can solve all of the country's and poker's issues.

You supposedly live in Alaska, which in case you forgot is part of America. While it is the most backwords anti-social part of America, you are still an American. Maybe if you stopped being an a** and started using your criticism constructively you could help America grow. Or you could just stay a grumpy old sh*t and die unhappy. choice is yours, i guess.

I don't see this thread heading back on track anytime soon, so I'm going to close it right here.

MtMike, if you feel the need to defend yourself any further, preferably without acting like a 12 year old, you can send me a PM and I'll re-open this thread.