The meeting lasted all day and gave many different sources a chance to testify and answer questions about how online poker would affect California. People in attendance included the PPA, Native American Leaders, International online poker providers, anti-gambling advocates and others. Everyone was able to share their views to the senate about legalizing online poker in California.

When it comes down to legalizing online poker, money could be the decision maker for the Senate. The cash strapped state is looking for ways to get some cash flowing into California and realize that all gambling proceeds as of now are going offshore. California could look to profit $650 million over the next 5 yrs if they legalize online poker. So while the states are starting to line up for online poker we are all keeping our eyes on the higher card….the US Senate.

The tournament will be January 22, 2010 and will take place of one of their regularly scheduled weekly tournaments. The tournament will have an extra $1500 added to it as an incentive to attract players. The buy in will be 10 plus 10 fee. The fee will solely go to Haitians Health Foundation which will in turn use it to help Haitians recover from the catastrophe they have suffered.

Crazy Poker is making a great effort to help the people of Haiti so if you are poker player check out the tournament this weekend. So even if you lose at least it’s going to a great cause and will help many people. You can check out the tournament at http://www.crazypoker.co.uk/.

The fight will go on though according to the PPA. They intend to try their chances in other states. The PPA’s executive director stated, “We are continuing to work vigorously on the federal level, but as the opportunities arise at the state level, we will seize on those as and when they make sense.”

California could be the next state targeted by the PPA. There has to be a big enough player base that would support a petition to get the initiative on the ballet. California is also a state that has been in grave money shortages so it makes sense to be the next state on the list. So we could see the online poker battle reach the golden state soon.

The buy-in is more than most since the pot is larger than most. You can join the tournament for $500 plus a $35 freeze out. For those of you not ready to put at $535 for an online poker tournament, you still have a chance to win a seat at the tournament every day at Titan Poker through their daily Satellite tournaments so be sure to check out their schedule.

The Monthly Million Dollar tournament will start with a stack of $10,000 and the blinds will increase every half hour. There is not a schedule out yet for the rest of the year but the second tournament is set for October 11, 2009. So Poker Players don’t miss your chance for a part of that million dollar prize. Titan Poker has once again out done themselves.

Account Services, which is the payment processor for Full Tilt and Poker Stars, recently, had $14 million seized by the US government for unlawful internet gambling. Most of the funds were to be used to pay poker players that had recently won or funds directly from the players. This has caused a major problem for the two poker rooms and poker players. The poker players have suffered things such as checks being bounced from the payment processor to their bank accounts actually being closed.

Account Services has filed a motion with a federal judge in California to get the funds back but as we have seen in the past the courts usually rule against online gambling. And one other point to remember the US Government usually does want it wants anyway when it comes to gambling and makes the laws as it goes.
The Poker Players Alliance is hoping to file a motion to participate in the case and help Account Services in the fight. They are reporting that the account here with the seizure is only a part of the overall picture. They are report over $30 million being seized by the US Government recently.

So what are the poker players to do? While poker is probably their favorite past time are they willing to take the chance their funds will be seized and most likely never returned? This creates quit a dilemma and we go into National Poker week.

“We are happy to add NBC Sports as a partner,” stated Mark Brown, CEO of Zen Gaming. “Our team will provide all the logistical support for the promotion, including site development, hosting and tournament overview and administration. We look forward to bringing NBCSports.com, its advertisers, sponsors and, of course, its online constituency an immersive and compelling online contest.”

The poker room is open for anyone 21 or older and it’s free to play. Players can win NBC gear, cash, prizes, or the grand prize which is a seat at the 2010 HeadsUp Poker Championship with a $20,000 buy-in.

You can find tournaments starting every half hour for both single and multi-table Texas Holdem. These tournaments will go on for the next 9 months, and registered users will be competing for a spot in the final event which will be held February 15th. The winner will get the seat in the HeadsUP tournament plus the grand prize package. To check out the NBC Sports Poker Room visit www.nbcsports.com/pokerroom.

It’s no mistake the announcement comes the week Rep. Barney Franks plans on introducing new legislation to overturn the UIEGA. The PPA has one million members and is still growing so the support it offers is invaluable. The PPA plans to push hard in Washington over the next 6-8 months with the support of its members and the Interactive Gaming Council which is based in Vancouver.

They will be up against some stiff competition such as the NFL and Christian Coalition so they will need a fully loaded war chest. The NFL sent full time support to Washington to make sure Sports Betting doesn’t become legal. They online wagering threatens the integrity of their sport. So the PPA has an uphill battle and the $3 million may do little to help but at least it’s a step in the right direction.