To make things worse, I was staying with my son and his fiancée in Berkeley on the far side of the Bay. So, I needed to walk into the check-in area of SFO at 05:00, get to the airport to drop off the rental car at 04:45, and leave the house at… ye gods.

And then the obvious solution hit me like a ton of bricks: All night poker session! Artichoke Joe’s card club is in San Bruno, virtually at the end of one of SFO’s runways. I could just head over late the night before and play poker until it was time to drop the car. That was actually a lot more appealing than the three-ish hours of sleep that I’d get at my son’s house.

I wandered into Artichoke Joe’s at about 01:00 ready to settle in for a nice three-hour Limit Hold’em session. I wasn’t interested in wagering stacks when I hadn’t been to sleep and wouldn’t be sleeping. No, the $6-$12 Limit Hold’em game looked perfect; I could play that in my sleep and, truth to tell, had done so more than once before.

I got my cup of coffee and started folding. By the time “The Hand” came up, I was up or down half a stack; I honestly don’t remember. A hyper-kinetic guy bounced into the recently vacated cutoff seat and posted just as I got the button. There were a couple of calls and then the newcomer raised with only a brief glance at his cards. No doubt, he was here to gamble.

I discovered Tc-9c and happily called; there was a big multi-way pot brewing, my hand played well in wide pots, and I had the button. What wasn’t to love? Well, my relative position with respect to the raiser wasn’t great, but poker is a game of compromise sometimes.

We got one of the blinds with us and the flop came Q-7-2. All clubs. Yahtzee. Not surprisingly, it was checked to the raiser who, not surprisingly, bet. Sometimes predicting the action in this game is like predicting yesterday’s newspaper. I had already anticipated that sequence and had already decided I was going to just flat call his bet and bring in the rest of the field if I could. I also wanted to get the raise in on the turn where it would be the most painful to any big singleton clubs.

Much to my delight, the blind and one of the front-side players called the bet.

The turn was black, which made me a bit nervous – recall that it was probably 02:30 by now. But, it was a spade and non-pairing. So far, so good. Once again, they checked to the cutoff and he did as he was supposed to: bet.

Now it was time to de-cloak; I slid out 12 chips and announced the raise. I was amused to see that the muscle memory of quickly cutting 12 chips into three four-chip stacks was still deeply ingrained in my left hand (though, I will hope, not quite as deeply as a Lester Flatt bluegrass guitar G-run).

The two guys in early position quickly bailed – they’d just been calling because, well, that’s what they do. Cutoff snap-called. “Okay, that’s a set or the ace of clubs,” I thought to myself.

The river was a beautiful, well, whatever it was. It didn’t pair the board and it wasn’t a club. Cutoff checked and snap-called my bet. I turned up my cards and said, “Ten-high flush.” He pitched his cards toward the muck.

And this is where everything went wrong.

Now the #3 seat, who had been in the pot earlier said, “Let me see his cards,” pointing to the two that cutoff had just sent muck-ward. The dealer shrugged and picked them up. Oddly, she did not ritually tap them on the muck as old-school dealers will do.

Anyway, she flipped up his cards. Two. Red. Threes. No trey anywhere in sight on the board.

I wanted to throw up.

Ladies and gentlemen: do you know why players are permitted to request to see a called hand at showdown? To prevent collusion. Not, as many people seem to believe, so they can get a line on the other’s play. Of course, the hoodie-wearing iPod-IV’d crowd seems to take every chance they can to twist the rule to their strategic ends. What’s weird is that the guy asking was middle-aged and didn’t seem like the type – I think he just didn’t know his manners.

Needless to say, the cutoff was appropriately embarrassed. He stood up from the table and wandered away to lick his wounds. When he came back half an orbit later, he was substantially more subdued and, wait for it… he played tighter. He wasn’t going to let the #3 seat have another chance to make him the fool.

But he needn’t have worried; the fool was in the #3 seat. I almost took him aside to read him the Riot Act, but my better judgment prevailed. I’d be wasting my breath anyway and just had another hour before I had to leave for the airport.

When you play online, we’ve all come to the realization that people can and do watch every one of your hands that makes it to showdown. Whether this is good for the game is a matter for a different article. But what is true is that a thin veil of discretion and decorum still covers mucked hands in live poker. In fact, the WSOP has codified this position by saying that if a player asks to see a mucked hand, it’s only with the floor supervising the revelation. Their clear point is that if you’re asking to see a mucked hand, it better be because you suspect funny business.

I’ve said this before and I imagine I’ll say it again: If your opponent mucks his cards, don’t ask to see them. Quietly stack your newfound chips and move on to the next hand. The marginal information you might gain from seeing his cards is nothing compared to the chance that you will embarrass him into either playing better or leaving the game. Let his poor play be a matter only between him and his conscience.

And this goes double if you weren’t in the showdown. If you don’t think any cheating was done, then keep your trap shut. If you do suspect cheating, then you should be talking to the floor anyway.

My last few orbits were as dead as the hour. The cutoff, who seemed likely to wake up the pre-dawn game, had learned his lesson and quieted down both physically and tactically. Yippee.

It was a good trip to the West Coast; I loved seeing my kids and really did enjoy the wee-hour session at Artichoke Joe’s. I just wish the #3 seat would learn some live poker manners.

Lee Jones has been in the poker business since the late 1980s and an executive in the online poker world since 2003. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which is still in print over 15 years after its initial publication.

I don’t understand why the very government that was built to champion personal liberty would take away our rights to play online poker, a game that citizens of almost every other country in the world are allowed to play. Why don’t we have the same rights as those who reside in other countries?

I don’t understand why the DOJ has spent so much time and money trying to shut down a game. Wouldn’t their time be better spent trying to crack down on some of the truly destructive crises in our nation like terrorism, drug dealing, and crime?

I don’t understand why our government chose to make the jobs of tens of thousands of Americans vanish overnight. And it’s not just the players who have lost their income source. What about the poker media, customer service agents, event planners, and developers in the online poker business? What will the staff of the poker magazines, poker television shows, and poker sponsorship companies now do for work?

I don’t understand what will happen to the players who have had their bankrolls frozen without warning. How will they pay their bills? How many of them will lose their homes and now be subject to the unemployment and welfare that our government claims to work so adamantly to reduce?

I don’t understand why the DOJ has chosen to make the United States the laughing stock of the world. I am getting emails from friends in other countries making fun of our legislators for turning away millions of dollars that could be garnered through the taxation and regulation of online poker – dollars that could reduce the national debt. The online sites have been begging to be taxed and regulated for a long time.

I don’t understand the tainted future of events like the World Series of Poker. About half of the field in the Main Event qualifies through online satellites. Now this widespread opportunity to turn players’ dreams into reality has vanished. What’s going to happen to the poker dealers and tournament staff who will no longer be needed due to the reduced entries?

What’s going to happen to the city of Las Vegas – a city already in dire straits due to the current economic climate? Reducing the number of people who come to Las Vegas, a city so dependent on the bustling business of its visitors who spend money on lodging, dining, and entertainment, will only add to its economic anguish.

I don’t understand why I personally can’t continue to play in my online home league. I already miss the nightly $1 tournaments and the chance to chat and bond with my friends. I’m surprised how much joy these $1 events have brought me. It isn’t about the money; it’s about the bragging rights and the competition we each enjoy. Also, we’ve been keeping records on each player’s performance, so now how will we finish the league and determine the champion?

I don’t understand why I now have to go to a brick-and-mortar casino in order to play poker. What a waste of time, money, and gas to drive to a card room when I could play in the comfort of my own home. There are many times when I have an hour to kill, so I log on and enjoy some poker. Now, I won’t be able to go to the card room and wait for a game unless I am willing to commit many hours to playing.

I don’t understand why the government has taken away my freedom of choice. After decades of building my poker skills to their current level, I now have only a few places to play the games I prefer. The games and limits that were so readily available to me online are not offered in my local card room.

I don’t understand what I’m going to do the 200+ nights a year I am traveling. I used to fill the time playing online poker. Now what?

I don’t understand what people who can’t leave their homes to get to a casino will do now. I have an elderly friend going through chemotherapy whose only joy in life right now is playing online poker. I know paralyzed veterans who are so disabled that they can’t go to card rooms. What about my brother who lives in Utah; where will he play now?

I don’t understand what people on fixed incomes will do now regarding playing poker. Online, they can make $5 last all night. They can play $1 sit and gos or $0.02-$0.04 Limit. If they go to a card room, they need to have at least $100 to get into the smallest No Limit game.

I don’t understand the hypocrisy of a government that allows its citizens to wager on horse races, fantasy football, lotteries, etc. online, but won’t allow wagering on a game of skill.

I don’t understand what will happen when many of our online players move to other countries in order to make a living. We will be losing some of our smartest young minds that have a lot to offer to the United States.

I don’t understand why my country has let me down. I’ve been a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen my entire life. I’ve been a flag-waver. I am overcome with emotion when I hear our national anthem. I’m as patriotic as they come. I’ve always been proud to be an American. I don’t understand why everything has changed.

I’m angry, sad, disgusted, and confused about what has happened with online poker. The illogical destruction of the poker community along with the loss of opportunity to embrace the game for all it has to offer its citizens and government alike is beyond reason to me. What used to be my pursuit of happiness has evaporated along with a piece of my patriotism. I already miss playing my favorite game.

I don’t understand.

I followed up about 20 minutes later with, “Should have paid attention to the deer crossing signs. Just hit a big one. Glad it’s a rental car.” I immediately started getting texts asking if I was okay, which prompted the follow-up Tweet 10 minutes later that read, “Ooops… forgot to add April Fools.” Believe it or not, I was still getting phone calls and emails from friends who didn’t understand that the whole thing was an April Fools joke.

We’ve all been the victims of April Fools pranks. You know, the kind when someone glues a coin to the floor and laughs when you bend over and try to pick it up, changes the language setting on your cell phone, or borrows your car key, makes a duplicate key, and then moves your car in a parking lot a time or two.

My best friend, Jan Fisher, loves “gotchas” and we are always looking for opportunities to pull a fast one on each other. With April Fools still on my mind, here are a few of my favorite pranks I have played on her over the years.

The first one happened a dozen or so years ago when I owned Card Player Magazine. I used to travel to each of my full-page advertisers’ card rooms at least once a year and Jan sometimes went with me. On this particular day, we were scheduled to fly into Boston, where we would be picked up in a limo and driven to Foxwoods.

We knew from prior visits that there always were two VCR movies in the limo since it was a two-hour drive to the casino. We would pop in a movie and before you knew it, we would be arriving at beautiful Foxwoods.

During the flight to Boston, I said to Jan, “Let’s each write down two movie titles and we’ll pay each other $20 if either of the movies we picked is in the limo. Jan thought this would be a good bet for her since she knew the latest movie releases. When she saw that I had written down “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Around the World in 80 Days,” she probably thought she was on a freeroll.

Therefore, she was shocked when we got in the limo and the movies for this trip were “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Around the World in 80 Days.” As she handed me the $20 bill, she said, “I can’t believe how lucky you are!” I replied, “I can’t believe how gullible you are. Don’t you realize that I called ahead and ordered the movies?” I know I’m lucky, but she still should have realized something was awry when I nailed two titles out of the all of the possible movies in the universe.

My other all-time favorite prank happened a few years ago at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Jan and I have become very friendly with a group of lady poker players from Tulsa, Oklahoma called the Hold’em Hotties. These ladies are awesome! Most of them are a little older in physical years than I am, but they have the energy of teenagers.

They are hilarious and when we get together, we laugh until our sides hurt. Nothing is off limits with these ladies. There is lots of teasing and needling, all taken in good humor of course.

On this particular day, we were returning from a fantastic four-day trip to Branson, Missouri and had stopped for lunch. We were reflecting on what a great vacation it had been and Jan made the comment, “You Hold’em Hotties remind me of a male group of Canadian poker buddies, except they’re not trailer trash.” Everyone had a good laugh and then we scattered to do some shopping in the store in the lobby. When Jan went into the restroom, I quickly grabbed Karen Fisher and told her of my diabolical scheme.

I asked her to pretend like Jan’s comment about the Hotties being trailer trash had deeply hurt her and how it had brought back horrible memories of being teased as a child because she had grown up poor. Karen played it perfectly. When Jan came out of the restroom, she pulled her aside and with tears in her eyes, told Jan that she had been raised in a trailer and the kids had always called her trailer trash and made fun of her.

Now if you know Jan, you might know that she has a sarcastic sense of humor and a tough exterior, but she really is a marshmallow inside. If Jan ever thought she had hurt someone’s feelings, it would really upset her. So, as I’m watching from afar, I see Jan trying to assure Karen that she hadn’t meant any harm, that it was a joke, that she never would say or do anything to hurt her, etc.

Karen wasn’t letting Jan off the hook. Jan was shooting helpless glances at me while I shopped in a far corner of the store. When they finally broke apart so that Karen could go fix her eye makeup that had been messed up by her “tears,” I went up and innocently asked Jan what had happened.

Jan replied, “Linda, I really hurt Karen’s feelings when I was joking about the Hotties being trailer trash. She won’t accept my apology and I don’t know what to do. I was kidding of course, but apparently I hit a nerve because Karen grew up in a trailer and all of the kids teased her and now I made her relive all of those horrible feelings.”

About that time, Karen came out of the restroom and came walking toward us. I called out to her, “Hey Trailer Trash!” Jan was horrified and screamed at me, “Linda, why would you say that?” I responded, “Because we were pulling your leg! Gotcha!” This was one of my all-time best schemes ever.

I hope you enjoyed this column. By the way, Jan has played plenty of pranks on me over the years, so don’t feel too badly for her!

First, poker is one of those games where the difference between a winning and a losing player is razor thin. I think one of the most underestimated aspects of one’s poker game is their “emotional state.” I’ve noticed throughout my poker career that playing when you’re in a good mood with a clear head is the most profitable, while trying to play when you’re upset or distracted is often disastrous, no matter how good of a poker player you are.

I bring this up because for the last couple of years of my life, I’ve had wild swings in my emotional state due to ongoing personal issues and have constantly been reminded (often by hits to my bankroll) of why it’s so important to make sure you’re in the proper frame of mind before you sit down and play poker.

I’ve always said that if you have an argument with your spouse, get a flat tire, have a sick kid making you lose sleep, or whatever it is that is impacting your life, it is okay to just take a day off and worry about other things rather than try to play when your focus is not 100%. Sometimes as a professional gambler, not losing is just as important as winning!

Second, with my new role as the Poker Room Manager over at Lock Poker, I’ve been a lot less focused on playing poker and a lot more focused on the business side of things. It’s a great experience. I love getting to be a voice for the players and working with management to make improvements to the site and then seeing those improvements come to fruition.

That being said, the online game moves and changes so fast, it’s incredible. I see people doing things at the tables now I wasn’t seeing six to 12 months ago. I’ve always said that if you’re a serious online poker professional, you have to keep up with the latest in poker education; it’s just a must to keep up with the ways the game changes.

Often, if I sit at a game now, it takes me a little while longer than it used to take to get a handle on what the players are trying to do and how to exploit it. That time often means lost money!

I’ve always said in the past that if you’re a full-time professional player, you should be dedicating at least one hour a day to ongoing education. I have gotten away from that, as I’ve spent more and more time with other responsibilities, but plan to refocus and spend more time watching training videos, reading articles, reading books, and making sure I talk poker with a lot of the top poker talent I have access to.

There are just so many incredible resources out there. Many of them are free or cost very little, so not taking advantage of them is basically like saying that you don’t like money!

So those are two poker lessons I’ve had to re-learn in the last year or so, sometimes quite painfully, and wanted to share them so hopefully you don’t repeat them. Sometimes when I’m having a rough time at the tables, I go back and read some of the things I wrote when I was having success, or even some of the hand histories while I was running better, and it’s amazing that I often get away from following my own advice!

I also wanted to mention the Bluff Poker Challenge on Lock Poker this month. As of this writing, there are several players up almost $20,000 in just four days! When the challenge initially started, I really thought a number in the $35,000 to $40,000 range would end up winning it, but I have a feeling I’m going to look like a fool for guessing that low.

I don’t think the final number is going to be the nearly $200,000 these guys on are pace for, but it will be higher than my initial guess. You can check out all the action over at Lock Poker and see hands posted on the new Lock Hand Replayer.

However, the start of 2011 has shown that the old guard will not just step aside for the next generation of players.  These well-accomplished players have shown that they still can play with the rising young stars and will not give up without a fight.

Over the past few months, the poker world has seen tremendous performances from former champions.  Probably the best feel good story comes from the World Poker Tour (WPT).  Since the WPT’s inception in 2002, Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton has been the lead commentator and face of the tour.  Unfortunately, due to his hosting duties, he was unable to play in the events.

Recently, the WPT relaxed its restrictions and Sexton has definitely made the most of it.  In his previous event last September, he made a deep run, finishing in 20th place at the WPT Borgata Poker Open.  As an encore, Sexton made the final table of the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, a three-outer finished his run in sixth place, but “The Ambassador of Poker” vowed to be back.

Additionally, three former WSOP Main Event champions have shown that they are not resting on their laurels.  Last year, Carlos Mortensen, the 2001 champion, captured the inaugural WPT Hollywood Open title.  In 2011, he followed up this victory with another title at the Aussie Millions Heads-Up Championship and turned in a third place finish at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic.

Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 WSOP champ, began the year with a tremendous run at his sponsor’s premier event, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).  Incorporating the tools from his newly formed relationship with Sam Chauhan (the poker mindest guru), Moneymaker followed up his 11th place finish at the PCA Main Event with another deep finish at the National Heads-up Poker Championship.

In the heads-up tournament, Moneymaker bested the likes of John Racener (2010 WSOP Main Event runner-up), Dan “jungleman12” Cates, Doyle Brunson (1976 and 1977 WSOP champion), David Oppenheim (cash game specialist and third in the 2010 WSOP $50,000 Player’s Championship), and Jonathan Duhamel (2010 WSOP champion).  Eventually, he lost in the finals to Erik Seidel.

Finally, Joe Hachem, the 2005 Main Event champion, came close to capturing another major title.  After finishing fifth in the Aussie Millions $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event and 33rd in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, Hachem outlasted 415 entrants who registered for the Big Event’s Main Event at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Hachem lost the heads-up battle versus fellow PokerStars pro Victor Ramdin.

Speaking of Ramdin, the former WPT champion is also another member of the old guard who is having a spectacular start to the year.  Ramdin not only captured the Big Event’s Main Event title over Hachem, but also finished in ninth place in the same event’s High Roller Bounty Shootout.  Additionally, at the 2011 PCA, Ramdin captured his first title of the year in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event.

Both of these victories place Ramdin in the top ten in the Player of the Year race and he is committed to making a run at the crown.

No player has had a start to the year like the newly minted Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel.  Simply put, he is enjoying the run of his life and there is no sign of him slowing down.  The eight-time bracelet winner has obviously had tremendous success throughout his career, but let’s take a look at what he has done since the beginning of the year.

· January 11:  PCA Pot Limit Omaha ($5,000), 3rd place -$45,560
· January 15:  PCA High Roller ($25,000), 4th place – $295,960
· January 22: Aussie Millions High Roller ($100,000), 3rd place – $625,000
· January 27: Aussie Millions High Roller ($250,000), 1st place – $2,472,555
· February 22: L.A. Poker Classic Heads-Up ($5,100), 5th place – $14,500
· March 1: L.A. Poker Classic High Roller ($25,100), 1st place – $144,570
· March 5: National Heads-Up Championship ($25,000), 1st place – $750,000

If you haven’t punched these numbers into your calculator yet, I’ll save you the time – this is over $4 million in earnings and it is only three months into the year.  Seidel is probably the hottest player right now, especially in the High Roller events.  And with the newly announced Onyx Cup from Full Tilt Poker, where the buy-ins will range from $100,000 to $250,000, Seidel will have plenty of additional opportunities to add to his already impressive 2011 total.

So, for all you who think this game is just for the young players, these aforementioned pros prove that the old guard still has some fight left in them.  Let’s see if this trend continues into this year’s 42nd annual WSOP.

Bernard Lee is the official spokesperson of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Lee is the co-host of “ESPN Inside Deal,” a columnist for ESPN.com, a Sunday columnist for the Boston Herald, and author of “The Final Table, Volume I” and “Volume II.” Visit BernardLeePoker.com. Listen to “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on 1120 AM in Boston (MoneyMatterBoston.com) or on RoundersRadio.com. For questions or comments, e-mail him at BernardLeePoker@hotmail.com.

Annie Duke: I feel like at every turn, we’re getting who I think are the best in the business. Kat is tremendous and has so much television and events experience in the poker space, having starting her poker journey with the World Poker Tour (WPT). Joanne brings six years of experience in the poker industry mainly in player relations and PR. Everyone she’s worked with loves her and I couldn’t think of a better fit for Director of Pro Communications.

Matt Savage is at the forefront of tournament innovation and I couldn’t think of anyone better to be creating structures for us. He is, in my opinion, the tournament director in the industry who most listens to the players and puts them first. Matt is also Executive Tour Director for the WPT and we think it’s fantastic that he’s over there. WPT events are integral to our qualification criteria, so there is a lot of synergy there.

PND: When will the league membership be announced?

Annie Duke: We’re going to be announcing that next month. My brother and I and a few other players are going to be doing a USO tour in Kuwait in a couple of weeks. I wanted to make sure that when we announce the membership I am wholly available on U.S. soil. So, we decided to wait the Kuwait trip was done and I could be as responsive as possible with questions about the qualification process.

I’m truly excited about the qualifiers. One of the most encouraging aspects of the member list to me is how strong a presence the young players have and the strength of this group that has made the beautiful transition from online to live poker. I’m excited about that developing group. They’re instrumental to the future of poker.

We are looking forward to partnering with those players to help create the next generation of great poker brands. I’m a big believer in developing young talent in part because I got such a benefit from the TV opportunities that were available to me around 2003 and 2004. I am looking forward to this new generation getting the benefits of the kind of TV exposure that I got back then.

PND: Give us your thoughts about the field of National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Is it difficult for that event’s organizers to balance quality poker with television ratings?

Annie Duke: They’re partially interested in the ratings, but I do see a commitment to developing young talent. Some of the Players of the Year are automatically qualified and they tend to be younger players for sure. Eric Baldwin, for example, has played in that event. Vanessa Selbst was in there this year and so was Tom Marchese. Some of it is controversial and I’m glad I’m not in the position of having to choose that field.

PND: Will we be seeing you in the Full Tilt Poker Onyx Cup?

Annie Duke: 100% of my focus right now is on Federated Sports and Gaming, so I have to drastically cut back on any poker playing I might do. I am committed to developing this company into a strong and successful partner with the players. In order to do that, playing poker is on the backburner right now.

PND: We heard that you dropped “American Idol” from your television regiment. What happened?

Annie Duke: I took Simon Cowell leaving as an excuse. I only have so much time to watch TV. I already watch “Modern Family,” which is the funniest show ever. I watch “The Daily Show,” a few cooking shows like “Chopped,” and I have a couple of guilty pleasures like “Biggest Loser.” That show is good because you can fast-forward to the weigh in. It’s a two-hour show that you can knock off in 20 minutes. I’ve also been enjoying “Heavy” for the same reason.

American Idol is a big time commitment because you have to actually listen to all the singers. No fast forward allowed! That being said, I have been told this group is really good, so I may start joining in the fun. We’ll see.

PND: We didn’t know you had a love for cooking shows.

Annie Duke: Don’t forget that I won two cooking challenges on “Celebrity Apprentice.” We won the cupcake task and then I created the meal during the Schwan’s task. When I was in graduate school, I only got the major television channels and PBS had all cooking shows on the weekend. I spent my weekends watching cooking shows on PBS.

Plus, remember I’m a mom of four. I have to cook!

PND: There has been a lot of movement recently for intrastate online poker in states like Iowa, Nevada, and Florida. What are your thoughts on the intrastate model?

Annie Duke: I definitely think that poker at the Federal level is much better for players. Anything at the state level is going to make it so you can only play with people in your own state. Someone in California might not care about that, but someone in Rhode Island would because their state is much smaller.

The more opportunities you have to play with people, the bigger the economy becomes. It’s more choice. And we have some good models of regulation at the national level like in the U.K.

I’m hoping that what seems to be a clear movement at the state level will get the Federal Government to deal with the issue at a national level. There is no question that more choice is going to be better for players. If you had regulation at the national level, governed by the U.S., then people could play on William Hill, for example, if they wanted to. That would give a U.S. player the maximum choice about where they wanted to play, the maximum choice on who they were playing with, and that has to be best for them.

The inaugural Nevada State Ladies Poker Championship at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, Nevada recently concluded and I must say it exceeded my expectations in every way. How did this event come about? About a year ago, LIPS founder Lupe Soto, Jan Fisher, and I began discussing the need for a lavish ladies poker weekend in Nevada, similar to the annual California State Ladies Poker Championship held at Oceans Eleven every year. We wanted it to be more than just a series of ladies poker tournaments. We wanted to provide some extracurricular activities in addition to the tournaments so that the weekend would be memorable and provide an opportunity for the women to bond and get to know each other. Mike Gainey, Director of Poker Operations for the Reno Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, had a similar idea. He wanted to host the Nevada State Ladies Poker Championship and, in doing so, show off the beautiful remodel of his hotel and casino. Voila… We had a fit! I have been a fan of Gainey's for more than 25 years, so the chance to work with him and with the LIPS tour appealed to me. I also was thrilled to learn that Tournament ...

Occasionally, our significant others will ask, “How is it that you can sit there and play a card game for that long?” I have actually given that some thought because, well, I wonder the same thing myself. What is it that allows us to continue doing essentially the same action over and over for longer than a normal workday? Without coffee or lunch breaks.

Interestingly, I have another hobby that has many features similar to playing poker – I’m a bluegrass musician. Amateur musicians of every stripe are famous for gatherings at which they’ll play all night. Bluegrass may be a poster child for this behavior; bluegrass festivals are (in)famous for informal “jams” that begin in the late afternoon and then continue well into the wee hours.

A banjo-playing friend of mine says, “If you hear birds chirping when you crawl into your tent, you know you’re screwed.” And I have certainly been in my share of jams that ended only because the pickers could no longer feel their fingers in the pre-dawn cold. The jams start in the early afternoon only because that’s when the musicians crawl out of their tents.

Comparing these two pursuits and noticing the similarities, I think the answer is found both in the activities themselves and what you hear when you’re away from them.

Consider the poker game: every new hand offers the potential for drama, excitement, and a big shift in the evening’s fortunes. And at the bluegrass jam, every time a new song starts up, it may be the one that truly puts the evening over the top. When everything clicks, the vocals align perfectly, the solos sparkle, and the rhythm section keeps the whole thing going like a diesel locomotive. Everybody involved – players and listeners – know they’re in the presence of magic.

But the recipe for the excitement of poker and the magic of music is simple: do it again. Move the button, put up the blinds, deal the cards. Settle on a tune, adjust the capos, and somebody kick it off. If we don’t deal the next hand or don’t pick the next tune, we won’t know if that was the one we’ll talk about for weeks. So, we do it again and the hours evaporate.

Here’s the other side of the coin. Before the game starts and during the week between games, I chat with my fellow poker players. Obviously, they suffer the same concerns and ills that all mortals bear. One buddy tells me about his sister dealing with depression. One of our regulars is a doctor and must work with patients (and their families) who are facing life-threatening illnesses.

The poker game and the bluegrass jam offer the perfect escapes from those harsh realities. They capture our minds and leave no room for the worries and fears that plague our daily existence. Recently at a bluegrass jam in a local pub, we played a version of “Old Dangerfield” that left the crowd screaming and the musicians breathless. “That’s enough to make me forget that I’m unemployed,” said a mandolin player. Just so.

When the last song is played and the final river card is dealt, the spell is broken. We return to our regular existence, whatever it is. I am inexcusably fortunate that my “regular existence” is a fine and wonderful place and I wish that everybody were as lucky as I am. But I am just as easily seduced by the mantras of “Blinds up” or “What tune you got?” In that cocoon, I don’t know what will happen next – just how to find out.

Then it’s almost dawn and the birds are, indeed, chirping.

Lee Jones has been in the poker business since the late 1980s and an executive in the online poker world since 2003. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which is still in print over 15 years after its initial publication.

In January, my family and I always look forward to getting out of the cold New England weather and heading down to the beautiful Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  With all of the snow we have gotten this year, this tournament could not have happened at a better time.  Better yet, there was a huge 15- to 20-inch snowstorm in New England while we were basking in the sun and 70-degree weather (boy did we hear it from family and friends).

As an added bonus, I played in my first event of the year (the PCA Main Event) and did pretty well.  During Day 1, I had an incredible 30-minute stretch where I went from the starting stack of 30,000 to 180,000 and ended the day among the chip leaders.  However, I went card dead on Day 3 and finished 152nd out of 1,560.  Not bad, but this is the one tournament of the year that I don’t mind busting out of since I was able to spend the rest of the week with my family at one of the most beautiful resorts in the world.

However, I did have some business to take care of at the PCA.  During the tournament, I officially announced the 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion, which would take place at the February Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX.

Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX and 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion

As soon as I returned from the PCA, I was basically working 24/7 to finalize all of the little details of the 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion event.  However, looking back, when I first came up with the concept of this event, most people thought it was a great idea, but that logistically it would be nearly impossible to do, especially by myself.  Remember, never in the modern era of poker has there been a reunion of a WSOP final table.

Nevertheless, I’m never one to back away from a challenge and, with the support of Foxwoods, I forged ahead to achieve this lofty goal.  Overall, I began working on the idea in August and had a preliminary consensus from the nine players during the final table weekend in November.  I began organizing all of the specific details immediately after Thanksgiving.  After hundreds of e-mails, texts, and phone calls, the event was suddenly becoming a reality.

Of course, there were numerous challenges, including schedules, flight arrangements, rides to and from the airport, and accommodations not only for the players, but also their guests.  Then, there were the planned events, such as the Celtics games versus the Magic and Lakers, the Bruins game versus Canadians, and the Nightclub at Foxwoods’ Shrine.  Oh, and of course, we would play some poker as well.

In the end, it was well worth the effort, as the reunion event was a smash hit, witnessed by hundreds and hundreds of fans and covered by dozens of press members.  Eighteen fortunate Foxwoods players were able to experience playing on the felt with these poker superstars.  When the dust settled, Ben Hopkins of Rhode Island beat out a final table consisting of Matt Jarvis (2nd place), Jonathan Duhamel (5th), Michael Mizrachi (7th) and me (6th).

To add even more to the festivities, I invited ESPN’s Lon McEachern to announce the event.  He added his own sense of humor and flair to create an incredible atmosphere.  After his announcing duties were completed, he even played in the event.

Looking back, I realize I was very fortunate that the stars and moons aligned perfectly.  I had a fantastic venue being the spokesperson for Foxwoods Resort Casino, eight of the nine players were from North America, and there were no other major poker events occurring during that particular week.

In the end, I believe that these nine players will be closer to each other than any other WSOP final table.  They were able to socialize after the final table in a relaxed setting and were able to get to know each other outside of poker.  Overall, it was truly an honor to be part of poker history.

Full House Charity Program

During the Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX, I also announced a new initiative, “The Full House Charity Program.”  Although I have been extremely busy during the last 15 months, I have enjoyed every minute of my current life.  I am living every poker player’s dream and feel truly blessed.  Therefore, I wanted to give back to the community.  I decided to combine two of my true loves – poker and my children – into a fundraiser that will aid youth throughout New England.

For every full house I am dealt on the poker tour, I will put aside $500.  By the end of the year, I will donate a minimum of $20,000 to organizations across New England that focus on children.  I am very pleased that Vermont’s renowned Cabot Cheese will serve as the lead sponsor of my new charity initiative.

So, if I beat you this year in a tournament with a full house, please don’t get mad, as I will be donating $500 to a great children’s cause.

So, what went wrong?  Immediately following the 2008 election, things looked promising.  A bona-fide poker-playing president was elected to the White House.  Many conservatives, primarily those originally responsible for the restrictions implemented against online poker, were ousted from power [2].  Most important, the party viewed as more responsive to pro-gambling interests won a landslide election and enjoyed a huge public mandate.

Unfortunately, the fight for legalized online poker has been badly mismanaged from the start.  Although the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) made unprecedented strides in mobilizing the poker community for the first time, fact is the poker community remains very much divided on this issue.  Division is particularly fierce among those in positions of power.  Furthermore, leadership within the online poker movement made several miscalculations ultimately leading to failure.  These poor strategic decisions derailed any potential for victory.

Several guilty parties share the blame.  Some were part of orchestrated efforts to kill initiatives that would expand gambling of any kind.  Others opposed online gambling and poker for no other reason than seeking to protect their own business interests.  But it was the vast majority of political and poker industry leaders alike who inadvertently derailed online poker’s fight for legality – through neglect, ignorance, and indifference.

Surprisingly, the usual cast of culprits who always seem to come out against gambling (and poker by association) didn’t do much to influence the outcome.  The “Religious Right,” a permanent thorn in the side of gamblers and poker players, barely let out a whisper when various bills were being debated on Capitol Hill.  Advocacy groups, including Focus on the Family, sent representatives to testify before a Congressional sub-committee.  But their clichéd arguments and questionable “facts” were so absurd that no one on Capitol Hill took them seriously [3].

The sports leagues were equally hushed.  When legislators reached a compromise and removed any possibility of legalized sports betting as part of a new poker bill, the most powerful of all major sports leagues, the NFL, withdrew its opposition.  Even the NCAA, notoriously anti-gambling, was barely audible during the legislative process and public debate about online poker.

Instead, what mortally wounded the online poker momentum was a motley alliance of diversified interests that rarely agree on any issue.  This movement included several powerful elected officials from both parties.  It included businesses determined to barricade themselves against potential competition.  It also included various state and local officials around the country intent on protecting the biggest sucker game of all – state lotteries.

Indeed, the most flabbergasting incidence was strong opposition from powerful individuals and companies within the gambling industry, including many people who prosper by serving the needs and desires of average poker players.  Protecting one’s turf might be justifiable in a debate about public policy.  But the deeds of some within the gambling industry were an atrocious exhibition of hypocrisy [4].

Here’s my list of guilty parties responsible for killing online poker’s legalization and regulation:

Democrats – After the 2008 election, the Democratic Party controlled the White House and both houses of Congress.  Top Democrats could have propelled just about any poker bill straight to the President’s desk for signage.  But powerful Democrats – most notably House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) – resisted calls for a House vote on the issue and ultimately killed the bill’s momentum.

Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) resolution to legalize and regulate online poker passed with a majority vote by the Financial Services Committee.  But the poker bill never made it to the House floor for a vote.

Over in the Senate, things moved even more slowly.  No poker bill ever got out of committee.  Early on, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was on record as being against online poker and gambling.  Then, he straddled the fence for nearly two years before finally succumbing to pressure from the casino industry to back the proposal.  By then, it was too late.  The clock ran out on the chance for passage when Republicans won big in the 2010 midterm elections.  The bottom line is that most Democrats did very little to make legalized online poker happen.

Republicans – While Democrats did little to win over the hearts of poker players, almost all of the outspoken opponents against online poker’s legalization are Republicans.  Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) have made this issue into a personal crusade for years.  Both have lobbied government agencies and elected officials connected to the issue to oppose changes in the current legislation.

Some Republicans want even more restrictive laws.  Indeed, things are likely to get worse for poker players with Republicans running the House.  Poker’s biggest ally, Rep. Frank, lost his powerful position as committee Chairman.  His replacement is Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), one of online gambling and poker’s most outspoken antagonists [5].  This likely means no bill similar to the one proposed by Rep. Frank last year will make it anywhere near the House floor.  Pro-poker initiatives in the Senate are equally as dead.

The Tea Party Movement – No doubt, the Tea Party movement was a major factor in the 2010 midterm elections.  Voter anger at incumbents and a widespread feeling that Washington is out of touch with mainstream concerns fueled a pitchfork-wielding phenomenon that rippled across America, creating a major impact on the election.  Unfortunately, this same movement brandishing clichés about “reducing the size of government” and wanting to “keep Washington out of our lives” has failed to embrace the same freedom to play online poker.

One would think a movement intent on protecting individual rights would support online poker initiatives.  Even Libertarians, who make up a sizable contingent of the Tea Party movement and were largely responsible for the upset win of Rand Paul in Kentucky’s 2010 Senate race, have been silent on the issue of online poker.  Don’t expect the Tea Party movement to do much to support online poker in the future.

The Casino Industry – Much of the casino industry’s behavior has been reprehensible.  Until recently, the American Gaming Association (AGA), the industry’s biggest voice in Washington, was outspokenly opposed to online gambling.  Only after big companies including Harrah’s (now Caesars Entertainment) and MGM Mirage saw their land-based revenues decline and began to understand the enormous upside of developing online markets did the industry partially reverse itself.  But this change of heart came way too late.

Big casino companies have essentially abdicated the market to offshore entities and are now in a poor position to offer leadership on such an important issue, having arrived so late to the discussion.  Even worse, some casino executives, most notably Sheldon Adelson, Chairman and CEO of Sands Corp. (Venetian), remains steadfastly against online poker.

It’s despicable that these business leaders who argue so strongly for free enterprise, open markets, competition, and encourage gaming at their own casinos would take such a hypocritical position.

Others against online poker include many of smaller casino owners, particularly those based in Northern Nevada.  They fear being left out of the economic bonanza should online poker and gambling get legalized.  Most incredibly, the opposition even includes some powerful individuals within the poker industry.  One hopelessly out of touch business owner is Haig Papaian, part owner of the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.  He has been one of the most outspoken critics against online poker for years.  Yet most poker players ignore these truths and play at places like the Venetian and the Commerce anyway.

State Lotteries – My view is that state lotteries should be shut down immediately.  The payouts are a joke.  Their advertising is deceptive.  They prey on society’s most vulnerable citizens.  Worst of all, lotteries are run by state governments, which presumably bear responsibility for protecting interests of the less fortunate members of society.

But the sad fact is, lotteries are here to stay.  State budgets have come to rely on the ceaseless cash pipeline they provide.  Yet incredibly, some lottery officials have completely overstepped their jurisdiction and have actively undermined online poker’s legalization.  Rather than keep to themselves and run their own dubious scheme, some lottery officials worked to kill last year’s online poker bill.

Consider a baffling letter sent to several members of Congress last December from Ed Trees, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Lottery.  In his letter, Trees urged lawmakers to oppose online poker’s legalization.  His explanation was citizens would have less “discretionary income” to spend on lottery tickets.  What a stunning stupid comment.  No word yet on if Trees is currently working to shut down movie theatres, sporting events, and other businesses that he perceives to be a threat to his state-sponsored rip off of citizens.

Major Online Poker Sites – It’s hard to imagine a more badly managed public relations campaign and misguided lobbying effort than what has taken place in Washington over the past four years.  The effort has been so poorly run that one must seriously ask – is the movement to legalize online poker just a sham?  Do the major websites actually prefer to remain in a gray area so they can continue to prosper within the legal void?

Allegedly, the online poker industry had key people working “behind the scenes” [6]. The stealth strategy was to work cautiously with lawmakers and stay out of the public eye.  Well, such a strategy has failed miserably.  It’s now back to square one again.

One would think that if the industry were serious about legalizing and regulating online poker, a well-orchestrated public relations campaign would have started a long time ago.  Make appearances on news shows.  Take out ads in major newspapers.  Run advocacy commercials.  Write guest columns at major websites.  Attend town hall meetings.  Write Letters to the Editor.  Get people thinking about this issue.  Public advocacy often works.

Instead, the online poker industry has done an appalling job at PR despite the best intentions of some good people at the PPA.  The time has come for a full-scale lobbying and public relations campaign similar to those carried out by most major business sectors and institutions.

Poker Players – Sadly, we poker players also bear responsibility.  You think online poker games have gotten tougher the last few years?  You’re right.  Why?  Here’s one reason:  The market is not producing enough new fish fast enough, which fuels the so-called poker pond.  While there are a lot of very fine people out there who have been politically active, the vast majority of poker players remain totally apathetic and uninvolved in major decisions that impact their lives.

One must wonder if just a few more people may have voiced their opinions, made phone calls to members of Congress, contributed to key campaigns, and joined the effort to fight for our rights how much more progress might have been made.  The PPA has more than one million members.  But how many poker players did anything the past few years to advance the cause?  The percentage is embarrassing.  What this really means is only a few poker players care enough to get involved and do something.  Until our mindset changes, nothing else will.

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FOOTNOTES:

[1] According to current Federal laws, playing poker online is not specifically illegal.  When referring to online poker’s  “legalization” throughout this article, I mean the possibility of poker sites operating within the United States as well as licensed and regulated by a gaming commission.

[2] The political leader most responsible for implementing what became the UIGEA was former Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) who did not seek re-election in 2006.

[3] The highlight of Congressional hearings occurred last year when a member of Congress asked a spokesman for Focus on the Family this point-blank question: “Are you against people having any kind of fun?”

[4] The worst example of this was the Commerce Casino’s ownership coming out strongly against legalized online poker.  Tom Malkasian’s testimony before the House Financial Services Committee last year reads like a textbook case of hypocrisy.  Here are the cliff notes of his testimony: “Keep the competition out.  Deny poker players their rights.  Protect my business so I can continue making a fortune.”

[5] When asked to explain his opposition further, Rep. Bachus has repeatedly parroted the old cliché that “online gambling is the crack cocaine of gambling” with little supporting evidence to back up his claims.

[6] Pro-online poker forces have hired top Washington lobbying firms and spent millions of dollars.  However, passage of an online poker bill is no closer now than it was when UIGEA was passed more than four years ago.  Some personnel and strategic changes are long overdue.