looks like the yanks are coming back...
A small but important step towards online poker legalization in the U.S.. Thomas James Jr., a judge from Pennsylvania, ruled Texas Hold’em as a game of skill in a court hearing last Friday. According to the Judge, the problem had a simple solution: "[…] if chance predominates, Texas Hold’em is gambling. If skill predominates, it is not gambling." The judge explained that there are a lot of available material out there describing winning strategies. He also cited books, websites and quoted Mike Caro’s Secrets of Winning Poker, saying that "the money flows from the bad players to the strong players."
During the hearing Thomas James Jr. said that "Beginning poker players rely on big hands and lucky draws. Expert poker players use their skills to minimize their losses on their bad hands and maximize their profits on their big hands.".
The defendant in the case was Walter Watkins, who ran a Hold’em game in his garage. No rake was taken during the game, instead players just tipped the dealer by the end of each hand. Watkins and the dealer, Diane Dent, were charged facing 20 charges each. They were cleared from all charges due to the judge’s ruling. Watkins said: "It’s unfortunate we had to go through all this. We were arrested, taken out of our home. Shackled and spent a night in prison. All for playing poker."
According to John Pappas – Executive Director of Poker Players Alliance – the ruling sets an excellent bar for future poker litigation. Despite being a minor case, it is still a positive step for poker. With all the recent discussion involving changes in the U.S. Congress and the polemic UIGEA, such a decision could not have come in better time.
:idea: stop being a moron :idea:
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Originally Posted by jburl007
