http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000541764


Same as most discussion , logic vs ignorant politicians and scare words, guy talking about how the government should protect people from gambling anytime they want; didn't see anyone post this thought it was somewhat interesting

It was great but I really wanted to see the politician respond to Jason's last point. The hypocrisy is disgusting. Jason's so great for online poker. Jason

Jason "tax and regulate" Sommerville vs Rev. Reading Bullet Points off a TelePrompTer. The Rev's one win was in being better dressed which Jason nullified by having the guts to debate in studio.

I never realised Jason had hair under that cap.

I want to punch that minister on his fat face

I'm sick and friggin tired of *******s like this trying to take away the freedom of choice of others because its against their morality or because they feel something should be illegal to protect those who have no control of themselves. With this logic everything would be banned.

unreal that the USA (the land of the free, home of the brave) has allowed our country to be hijacked by holier than thou, fat, blowhards who think its their responsibility to mandate what citizens can do with their own money. Meanwhile in red China, Russia and other oppressive regimes, they play online poker to their heart's content. Jason made good points comparing fantasy sports and lottery... blowhard do-gooder would undoubtedly called for an immediate ban on those as well I'm sure.

Not to derail this thread, but how has the country not woken up to the fact that the two horrendous "major" political party presidential candidates remaining are ripe to be picked off by a third party (Libertarians?). There may never be a more perfect storm (opportunity) to upset the degenerating "business as usual" that exists in our broken political system.

wtf was the 3 to 1 thing he kept bringing up, surely that cant be legit? Obv wish they would have gave jason more time but getting him on is def better than nothing

in my dreams, I'd love to see the libertarians shock the world but voters are too scared to vote against the status quo so business as usual it will be

Wonder who's lining the rev's pockets. Pechenga? His argument was complete B.S. protect people from themselves, while they can go out and buy lottery tickets. $&#$ him.

I know you're right and there appears to be no support for a shakeup, but if they aren't scared of a borderline sociopath and a very clearly corrupt liar running the country, the logic escapes me as to why infusion of new blood like the Libertarian ticket would be viewed as a risk.

Sorry, but Jason's throwing unregulated poker offered to US players under the bus is not some principled stand, it is political expediency.

He chose to play on such unregulated sites in the past, but now that he gets paid by Stars wants only taxed/regulated poker sites available to US residents ?

Good for him that he can go to Canada to stream for PokerStars, but why denigrate the options offered by unregulated poker sites to those not sponsored or with big bankrolls and travel expenses covered ?

I am all for legalized poker and his appearance was pretty good, among poker fans. Hardly persuasive outside his church though.

Actually the Rev's argument was a bit different and bears noting; he riffed pretty well off the Stars/Jason argument that poker players need to be "protected from themselves" by banning unregulated sites.

That angle was pretty new to me, as an argument spinning "unregulated is bad" into "why allow at all?" Pro poker lobbyists should avoid the Jason-style whining about how he lost money overnight on an unregulated site he chose to play on, presumably BECAUSE it was unregulated. It opens the door to spin line the Rev dished out .... the spin was BS, but it riffed off Jason's hand-wringing about unregulated poker pretty well.

btw, the Rev's3:1 stuff sounds like pure BS, and as applicable to State lotteries as to any other gambling.

All facts in arguments aside. This guy had a huge opportunity to go on CNBC and argue for an entire community of poker players. And he showed up looking like an absolute tool. Is it too much to ask, to put a suit and tie on. Leave your Pokerstar garbage at home. Comb your hair. Look like you give a **** maybe. It's a joke how Somerville showed up looking. Who can take that guy seriously looking at him. This isnt about representing yourself, its about representing the poker community and when you show up on live television to debate someone on CNBC, Dress like you're a professional. I dont care who won the debate or who lost the debate. This guy looks like he was just pulled from a poker table being aired on TV. He'll never get respect looking like that. Not on CNBC. Not any national news station. What a ****ing joke of a representation.

Seriously the poker community got played. CNBC decided to give some air time to a poker player and they purposely picked this tool because they knew he in fact looked like a tool and no matter how well he would get his points across, no one would take him seriously. Of all the people who could have been picked..

Poker just got set back again. Good job Jason Somerville.

i wish he would have worn a suit like everybody else on the program, but i liked what he had to say. having some minister give the opposite side of the argument is lol, everybody on this business network knows there is no logical business or regulatory reason online poker isn't licensed and available nationwide

lol that rev is a moron

just LOL at this entire post


i think he could have dressed a little bit better, but that pokerstars patch money

The guy spouting out bs about tax players picking up the slack on regulated poker was so fat he got winded just talking. Someone should remind that ahole America(use to be) the land of the free and I don't need that obese mf telling me how to spend my money, how much money is spent on mmo games and Pokemon go bs.

Shame that no one stepped in to save Reverend Fatass from his obvious lack of control over his eating. He is so righteously looking out for us degenerate gamblers...we really owe him

to this point. Perhaps fast food and fatty industries should try to save people (like this rev) from themselves by denying service. I mean, he could make a choice to get healthy but he doesn't...so let's force him.

banning kfc or mcdonalds would save the country so much on emergency health procedures, not to mention keeping mothers and fathers alive to raise their precious children dear GOD won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?!

Yes, let's focus on how people dress and their weight. That will advance the discussion.

Are you in the reverend's congregation? Noting that this slob is making a case for government to restrict people's right to pursuit of happiness (in whatever form that pursuit might take) is hypocritical given his slovenly appearance due to poor diet...is that clear enough to "advance the discussion"?

Are you twelve years old or something? Your response to an argument is, oh yeah, you're fat. Oh, you Cant be right because you are wearing a hoody and your hair is messy.

Hahah I clicked the link but I started listening to it rather than watching it (I was working on things in the foreground). I thought he did great.

Then near the end, I clicked the window to see the clip, thus seeing what others did. Yeah, add me to the list that wishes he would have polished up his appearance for this discussion. And no, when it comes to Jason's trustworthiness, it shouldn't matter how he dresses, but it still will for many CNBC viewers. That's just the sad truth.

Personally, I wish he had worn a shirt and tie mostly because the PokerStars gear makes it look like he's doing an advertorial. Yes, his points are good. But having a PokerStars-laden rep up there talking in support of online poker would be like having Lawrence Bender talking about the need to address climate change. Everything he says might be dead-on accurate, but the opposition will still point out Bender's interest in the film An Inconvenient Truth.