Feds bust PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker

I hope you online poker players don't have too much money in your PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker or Absolute Poker account.

http://online.wSportsJournalists.com/article/APdc705e2d700b4c0a88c52d878d7af4e7.html

 

With all the big names shilling for these companies, especially Full Tilt, this could be a giant blow for competitive poker as a major player in the sports TV market.

 

Well played Feds, well played.... just after Wynn reports a "partnership" with Poker Stars, and after all the wrangling by casinos to monopolize online poker, this indictment just happens to happen... sure.

 

I wish the Feds would shut down Farmville.

 

Or use RICO to shut down Mafia Wars.

 

I have about $200 in Full Tilt. i barely ever even play. Just looking around the web, people seemed pretty optimistic about getting paid, so I guess we'll see.

While this is a stupid law, it's somewhat amazing it took this long. It's not exactly like these sites have been playing this close to the vest.

 

If you're interested in the topic, I write a poker blog for the Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star. Have a few posts regarding today's big news: Overall piece, a localized angle and some thoughts from top professionals, via Twitter. Click on over!

http://blogs.pjstar.com/ontheriver/

 

Outing alert: CentralIllinoisan is really...o never mind.

More engrossing dispatch than word dump. Interesting that this is being seen as a possible aid to online poker in the long run.

 

This will hurt the big name US players who get very well paid by these sites.

My company has a gambling presence and my understanding is that the true owners of the big sites are real shady customers. Based on the fact that US players are still dong real money transactilons with these sites, the law has been violated.

The big casinos have been very interested in getting into the online poker space. They figure that their name recognition would reduce customer anxiety and they would promise to pay taxes.

 

Loved the Doyle Brunson tweet. What a prick, and I mean that as a complement towards him.

Years ago I was roaming around a tournament looking to interview Annie Duke. I walked up to his table and said, "Excuse me Doyle, but have you seen Annie?"

He stopped stuck his nose up in the air and started sniffing wildly, and responded: "Nope! She ain't here!"

Classic old cuss.

 

Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without those skags on my TV in their Oakleys and ballcaps at 1 a.m.

 

All those "professional poker players" would have to make money at the tables instead of on sponsorship deals. A lot of them are about to bust.