In Defense Of Online Poker

Before I start this defense of online poker, it should be noted that there are a good deal of people that consider poker to be a game of skill, and that it should not be made illegal under the online gambling ban. However, that's not the argument I'm making, whether it's true or not.

To support online poker, please visit the Poker Players Alliance, here.

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Everyone has their vices. Some are more destructive than others. Some people have drinking problems, some people are addicted to sex, and some people seem to think that the Black Eyed Peas are tolerable "musicians."

In all seriousness, though, for some people, gambling is a big problem, and having it readily available on the internet could be an issue. There's no doubt about that.

Really, I think that poker is a leisure time activity that, like a good beer, needs to be enjoyed responsibly. There is such a thing as too much, and there are people who spend money playing the game that they simply shouldn't spend or don't even have.

However, for the US government to ban online poker sites is essentially penalizing the many for the mistakes of the few. This ban is similar to what it would be like if the use of privately-owned automobiles was banned because of an increase in drunk drivers, except not quite as crippling to our national thoroughfare, and as advantageous to Charles Barkley.

Furthermore, in a similar situation to the legal status of marijuana in the US, the government seems to be forgetting that there's money they can make on this! Why not tax the poker rooms for their US players and get some much needed cash during the recession? I'm not suggesting you toke it up while you're playing poker, but if both were made legal, you can bet that the US would be taking a lot more green to the bank.

Finally, by making it harder to play poker online, a part of our culture is essentially dying. While I'm not really sure that the American Dream was meant to be achieved by playing poker, the online game was an opportunity for the strategically sound amongst us to at least have a shot of making it big. Of course, that kind of mentality has lead to a good deal of people going broke, but isn't that kind of a bit of "survival of the fittest" in action?

In any case, the US government's ban on online poker is an infringement on our rights, and more importantly, our ability to take sucker's money, and that's... wait for it...

UNAMERICAN!!!

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Current Bankroll: $16.36