Isn’t it odd that the same people who ridicule fortune tellers watch weather forecasts and listen to economists? -- Anonymous A provocative cover story by writer Richard Florida in current issue of The Atlantic magazine entitled, “How the Crash will Reshape America," got me thinking about how the global economic mess could affect the poker industry.  The trouble is few experts are qualified to offer any credible opinions.  Prognosticators in the mainstream media know next to nothing about the gambling industry.  Financiers and business forecasters have proven to be utterly worthless in predicting economic chaos or prescribing a solution.  Even those decorated with academic credentials lack any real understanding of our unique subculture. Accordingly, in order to foresee what might be ahead for many of us, I sought the opinions of individuals who possess real world experience combined with substantial knowledge about the poker industry.  I wanted to learn what they predict will happen to global economic markets, the U.S. economy, the gambling sector, and the poker industry.  That’s an ambitious agenda for a poker column and a lot of territory to cover. The assembled panel consisted of variety of successful people, each with unique insights, including an attorney, a former management ...