What's this Poker Players Alliance party wants us to join?

[memphis57]

Is this a new org they set up for their own lobbying efforts, or did it already exist? Anybody ever heard of it before?

Well, glad at least they're putting some bucks toward lobbying.

One minor thing, I was concerned the org wanted to know my exact birth day - with a name and birth date the US Gov can identify you, but if you have a common name like mine just the name and city won't do it. Luckily, I see that somehow I made a typo when entering my b.d.

[BigBiceps]

It is a data collection service, then they sell your information to the government to audit and incarcerate you for playing poker.

The black helicopters will find you anyway, so why fight it? PPA info is here (no affiliation but I do have my tinfoil helmet on, you bastards!). Looks like a worthwhile cause, or at least a good way to get a bonus minus a few bucks.

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
good way to get a bonus minus a few bucks.


[/ QUOTE ]

[memphis57]

I read meezer's link and then did a little googling on this. Here's the deal, and I think we all have to say kudos to PP on this (however much we might dislike their actions on some other fronts).

PPA is an independent org based in LV. I couldn't find much in the way of hard facts but it sounds like it was just set up this year. It says it "hopes to get tens of thousands" of individual players to join, but so far it's primarily funded by the online casinos, and as such it isn't going to have much influence with legislators. It needs live, human, American voter members.

So what Party is doing is offering a $100 bonus to players who join it. That sounds like a win-win to me. True, it's definitely in Party's interest, but as we've seen they don't always do things that are in the mutual interest of themselves and we players. That's why I say kudos to Party.

And it seems to me, everybody here on 2+2 ought to sign up right now. We were talking here not too long ago about how we needed a players org to lobby for us, and here's a chance to get one off the ground pretty easy. It won't cost any of us anything thanks to the bonus, and Party benefits by the play and the US lobbying, Like I say, it looks like win-win all around.

Now, in the interest of total disclosure, I don't know hardly anything about PPA. I've learned in this world that most people tend to act in their own interest and that sometimes they ain't too honest about it, so it could be that there's some promoter in LV who's gonna take all those $15 payments and pay himself a 7 figure salary to sit on his butt. However, if he has any sense, there's probably more money to be made by really pursuing the lobbying effort and making Party and us players happy.

(Actually, I did make a cursory due diligence pass - I found the name Tony Cabot, a Las Vegas attorney, who is the supposed founder, and I found this article that seems to confirm that he's a reputable lawyer.)

And, if there is anything wrong with it, if we all join it then I expect we could get involved and take the thing over.

Anyhow, some of you other sleuths can dig into it more and tell us if you find anything bad. Google on the PPA name, then on this Cabot guy and other names you pick up along the way. I only spent about 45 minutes on it, I'm sure you could get a lot more stuff with a few hours of research. But I saw enough to make me comfortable spending Party's $15 (actually $20, so I could get a tee shirt like a good tourist) and making this post.

So, c'mon guys, everybody sign up. Let's give 'em 10,000 members right here.

[AAAA]

I believe Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher are part of the PokerPlayerAlliance supporters or founders.

There is another place to put money that may be worthwhile if you are interested in legal online poker in the USA. Rep. Jim Kasper from North Dakota is not only working to get online poker legal, he is aware of the need to get the IRS to effectively allow "netting" poker wins and losses so you don't run into the alternative minimum tax and lose out on standard deductions and also possibly end up losing at poker and having to pay tax on "winnings."

This has been discussed other places, so I won't rehash the whole topic, but a lobbying group like PokerPlayerAlliance may also be interested in getting the IRS to stop picking on poker players with unfair tax laws. They can add this to the list of things to fight, like stopping cops with an axe to grind from arresting people who just want to play poker.

[TobDog]

So what you are saying is he posts here on 2+2 and covers all the rax questions? J/K

[Timer]

In my opinion the PPA is just another worthless organization, with no teeth. If Party supports it, then you know its got to be a sham organization. The fact that Linda Johnson (a Party shill) is behind it is of no consequence as far as I'm concerned. What's she going to do?

Just grab the bonus. I doubt if you'll ever hear another word from the so-called "Poker Players Alliance."

[AAAA]

sorry rax got me.

Kasper is talking to poker sites to get a $1,000,000 campaign fund to get a referendum to change the North Dakota constitution changed to allow the state to license and regulate internet poker.

He had been talking to the sites, and was a bit concerned that only Paradise Poker was really enthusiastic, and other sites were taking a bit of a wait and see attitude. I mentioned that the sites were happy with the status quo, but the players were the ones who had an interest in getting well regulated RNG's, strict anti collusion detection and hopefully a bankroll that would be kept in a US Bank instead of sitting in the bank account of a pokersite offshore.

Not sure how much I should tout the situation, as I definitely plan to work to support it. I will answer questions if I can.

[Mempho]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher are part of the PokerPlayerAlliance supporters or founders.

There is another place to put money that may be worthwhile if you are interested in legal online poker in the USA. Rep. Jim Kasper from North Dakota is not only working to get online poker legal, he is aware of the need to get the IRS to effectively allow "netting" poker wins and losses so you don't run into the alternative minimum tax and lose out on standard deductions and also possibly end up losing at poker and having to pay tax on "winnings."


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm an "audit" accountant in a firm that has both audit and tax practices. Here in Memphis (with our close proximity to Tunica as well as a state lottery) we deal with a lot of recreational players as well. This would really, really benefit all the amatuer players of all types out there. Even slot players sometimes hit a big jackpot and have a winning year as a result so the number of people that this potentially affects is quite large. This is a big deal and I think that, if possible, we should direct a player's organization in this area as well. Obviously, the PPA might not be the forum for that, but it could well morph into that as well. It would really be nice to be able to log into a member's section and discuss issues and take votes on what is and isn't important to the player base.

Positive tax legislation in this manner would provide an indirect benefit as well in that it would serve to keep more money in the poker economy. After all, low-limit donks win tournaments and hit jackpots on slot machines too. All of this money has a greater chance of staying in poker if it doesn't go to the government.