Thank You Government!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
While you have all been donating to the Poker Players' Alliance and writing silly letters to your senators, I've been quietly undermining everything you do by donating to the coffers of politicians dead set against online poker. My subterfuge has finally paid off, for Neteller, the great facilitator of illegal online gambling has finally shut its doors to online poker. Resistance is futile.
Okay. Really, I feel for you all. I think this is all ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. But it does benefit me in a very significant way. No more depositing via Neteller means no more depositiing for Jordan. My slow and steady separation from online poker has been difficult, but it's getting easier every day. Like a cigarette smoker, or more accurately, like an overeater with a box of Hohos, the real difficulty is in breaking the habit. I originally withdrew most of my bankroll to limit what I could effectively lose. This would also limit my play, hypothetically, because I would have less to play with.
The reality was that I lost most of my reduced bankroll in one weekend, after a donktastic Blogger 1/2 NLHE game and some high stakes Razz losses. My bankroll was down to truly pathetic levels, but I was accepting of this, because I realized that this was what I really need. Online poker CANNOT be profitable for me any more, because I don't have enough invested to make it significantly profitable. Instead, I'm back to playing games with chips that mean little more to me than play money (but competition that cares about their chips infinitiely more than play chips). Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that it is good to not care about your online money. I am merely say that it is GOOD for me to stop associating online poker with a way to make a side income.
Sadly, my resolve can sometimes be weak (see the one weekend loss of most of my remaining bankroll). With things like the Blogger Big Game and the ongoing 1/2 NLHE Blogger table, I have been toying with the idea of redepositing. Even the Mansion 100k with overlay sounds tempting.
With Neteller out of the online poker business, depositing will become MUCH more difficult for me. Sure, I can set up a new account, but why? Any extra steps are good for me.
But what about the rest of you? I'm sorry. I truly am. These are bleak times, and we can hope that someone sticks around to facilitate our outlaw hobby. I'm hoping right there with you. Really, all they need is to keep the hell out of the US and they should be fine. I'm not too hopeful, but I'm wishing you the best of luck.
Interestingly, I also see a trend of players moving away from online poker. Notably, Scurvy and (I can't believe I am siting him as an example) Woffles seem to be of that mind, but there are a few more that aren't coming to me right away.
I wonder what the effect on the online poker world will do to our blogs. Personally, I have reduced output at HoP, mostly because the inspiration isn't there. I've also felt less involved with the poker blogosphere as a result. Don't worry, baby, I ain't leavin' ya, but I do think that online poker is one of the strongest ties that bind us all. HoP would be nothing without my many cross-blog challenges and the DADI tournaments. Now, with my slow withdrawal from the online poker world, I feel a slowly growing distance from this open-door fraternity as well. But I just keep my chin up and continue doing what I'm doing. Change happens, and it's not always bad.
Come join me, folks. The revolution is in Live Poker, even if I am saying that for self-serving purposes! And here's your pleasant reminder: Even when poker becomes illegal online, you can still play with me legally in Atlantic City, March 9th weekend or thereabouts.
Until next time, make mine poker!
posted by Jordan @ 1:51 PM,
6 Comments:
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At 1:40 AM,
said...
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Strangely, Jordan, I'm with you on this one. I too had given myself a very limited bankroll for the new year, and I'm very happy with not being able to redeposit with ease.
Finally more time for schoolwork, the sun, and the gym. Online poker has been sucking away my time far too often.
Keep up the posting please! -
At 3:53 PM,
said...
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Superman,
I'm with you. Surprisingly, there are a ton of live games here in bumfart, WI. I've been taking advantage of having the games, and taking advantage of the bad play.
I only have about $200 or so left online, and I'm either going to keep running it up, or go busto.
Good post, yo. -
At 8:57 AM,
said...
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Poker is going back to the days of Rounders -- which is funny because these anti-online poker people are saying our country is turning into the Wild West but when all these underground card rooms spring up due to online poker going away ... well ...
I already cashed out every cent I had online. I feel for my buddy, though. He has like $18,000 tied up in Bodog and he's paranoid as hell about trying to get it out of there. -
At 11:35 AM,
said...
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I think for certain individuals the changes with funding our online poker accounts may be welcome, but in general each and every one of you should be disgusted, if not downright scared, about this latest turn of events. Trust me when I say that none of you wants the government refusing to allow you to do what you want in the privacy of your own homes, where the only party that could be harmed from your activity is you. It's just not right, and it sets up a terrible precent for the future, when, say, the next guy who wants to make a political splash decides you can't smoke in your apartment, or decides you can't make purchases from amazon.com from your U.S.-based computer, etc. It's really an insidious turn of events that nobody ought to be supportive of, at least in my view.
Not to mention, Jordan, what the dropoff in online poker will do to our little blog community. I'm sure the strong associations and relationships that have been formed will persist, but as a general statement this will only hurt the ongoing development and maybe even the ongoing existence of poker bloggers as a whole.
Now let's talk about March 9. Is that the weekend you mentioned to me earlier of the WSOP circuit in AC? I am away the previous weekend but I am still hoping to head down to Atlantico Citico for some good old-fashioned rigged live poker, hopefully with a nice little group of guys. Let me know. Post it on your blog in fact man. -
At 2:26 PM,
said...
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Yeah, Jordan, I'm with you on the bankroll issues. With the serious downturn of last summer, mine is pretty much on life support. Not being able to redeposit is probably a good thing in the long run. Not one I particularly want to experience, but probably good for me none the less. We shall see...
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At 3:48 PM,
said...
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First off, it is idiots with your way of thinking that allow these laws to come about in the first place. You are all happy to play live games, yeah, that would be great, but not all of us can do that. There are no casinos here.
and as for what's gonna become of your blogs? Useing your thinking, I suggest we make a law making it illegal to run an Uncensored, I don't have a blog, so I don't care!
