Free sites to play poker online

After the “Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October in force, there were a lot of different opinions and speculation concerning the resulting impact on the live poker tournament scene. If the number of participants, especially at events like the World Poker Tour or the WSOP (in particular the Championship tournament), due to withdrawal of some PokerRoom’s from the U.S. market and due to the fact that it is many players in the U.S. is no longer possible to get ready for this online tournaments to qualify suffer? I have decided not easy for them speculation, but I am concerned directly with the companies in To contact him to discuss the possibility to have by the companies to learn how the state of things from their point of view.

The World Poker Tour has decided not flat-rate assessment of the current situation must, but expect those responsible for the WPT, that the affiliated casinos this item on the agenda and related solutions are developed. In an e-mail to the spokesman for the WPT, confirmed that the casinos, which tournaments under the WPT events, have the right players (which are affected by the UIGEA) and through online Qualifiers for the events have qualified after own targets to accept or reject. “Since the decision whether a player can participate or not, now at the casinos, it is in the hands of the individual players and the Poker Room’s clarified in advance what casinos players accept applications by third parties and how the individual casinos to online Qualifiers behave “: WPT said the spokesman.

It has been possible with a directly responsible for the WSOP to talk. Gary Thompson, WSOP Director of Operations, told me what the impact of this situation to the WSOP and how Harrah’s attitude: “We will do our business continue as usual, the legislative changes have no impact on our poker rooms”. During the phone call said he continues: “We have since 2005, no applications for our tournaments by” third party “accepted”. Thompson also said that he did not know what the impact of the UIGEA in the long term the industry will have. The World Series of Poker will continue to grow, with the growth trend of the WSOP in 2006, as a clear sign of the further positive development of the WSOP to evaluate. The reduction of the buy-ins for the main event of 10000 $ to $ 5000 has led to a significant increase in the number of players.

While the big poker tour operators still continue to record numbers to write, of course the question of what impact this situation to the players themselves? Many newcomers, especially younger players, women and players from abroad, had in the past the possibility of online poker the necessary experience to successfully later live poker tournament to play. If this target group is now no longer online poker can play (because of restrictions on payments, which by the UIGEA, or because the poker players of Rome no longer accept the U.S.) can come of course, that the number of players in the future more vigilant so great and that therefore the increase by less new players.

The idea that the impact of the new legislation in the U.S. on the live tournament poker scene could have (especially in the high-profile events such as the WPT or the WSOP), has in the poker world caused some excitement. The leaders with whom I spoke said that the legislative changes in the United States no major impact on the players’ game, and the business of the WPT and the WSOP continue as usual. It may still take months before the true impact of the current situation on the “live poker business.

If the statements of the organization of tournaments persons responsible are correct, and the impact will be felt only minimally, is the course for the poker game throughout as positive measure. If the statements are true, we can assume that we, instead of the expected decline of activities in the live poker scene, with a further growth in the sector in the next few years can expect.