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Time to Fold Online Poker Ban

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 15, 2009 8:42 AM CDT

(Newser) – The government's online poker ban isn't just hypocritical—given that state lotteries are "the nation's most aggressive promoters of gambling"—it's unfairly slandering a sport that requires great skill by labeling it mere gambling, George F. Will writes in the Washington Post. Professional poker player Howard Lederer—known as "The Professor"—believes lawmakers need to look at mathematicians' work on game theory, and realize that playing poker requires a brain-straining ability to calculate probabilities, use logic, and bluff.

People playing poker, unlike those buying lottery tickets, watching a roulette wheel spin or pumping coins into a slot machine, are applying skills learned through experience, Will writes. "It is a poker skill to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em," Will concludes. "Congress probably should fold its interference with Internet gambling and certainly should get its 10 thumbs off Americans' freedom to exercise their poker skills online."

[Images (2)]

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Former New York Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, arranges his hand during his regular card game at Oheka Castle in Huntington, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Dunn)

Former New York Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, tosses in a chip during his regular card game at Oheka Castle in Huntington, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Dunn)

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Having turned gambling, which once was treated as a sin, into a social policy, government looks unusually silly criminalizing online forms of it. - George F. Will

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 15 comments

Stopthesheeple

Apr 17, 2011 7:11 PM CDT

@jagerhans Just because you read Thomas More and probably fancy yourself an intellectual, you really don't seem to understand the concept of game theory so you really shouldn't comment on the intelligence of the poker community. Just my two cents.

cornelison

Aug 16, 2009 3:05 AM CDT

Let's turn this over to the health insurance industry. They're masters at "playing God" with people's money.

jagerhans

Aug 16, 2009 2:52 AM CDT

it does not take a big intellect to tell that losing money for greed and idiocy is both stupid and detrimental. eating is necessary and becomes a problem only if one eats too much or not enough., gambling isn't necessary, just pure damage, like smoking. no matter how much you gamble. it is not closed-mindedness to refuse the debate on an issue that is evident and closed. the truth is just that you probably are a stupid addicted gambler, I am not and never was.

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