Gotta love the PPA bashing ITT. There's nothing that motivates the folks trying to protect your rights more than hearing someone say "hey, you haven't totally won yet, so you're totally ineffective."

Also, some folks might want to take note that Greg Raymer is on the Board of Directors for the PPA.

Anyone wishing to make up their own mind about what the PPA has accomplished short of total victory can do a little research. Poker Players in CO, PA, KS, KY, MN, MA, SC, can all attest to PPA accomplishments in their states, though no one denies that none of these accomplishments is final victory. And just 4 years ago the US government tried to totally ban our game - remember the UIGEA? Today there is actual talk in Congress of making online poker, or all online gaming except sports betting, explicitly legal and the battle may be shifting to how such an "openly legal" status is created. You think PPA had nothing to do with that?

Also, the PPA has never opposed legalizing other forms of online gambling. It has, however, kind of in keeping with being the POKER Players Alliance, decided not to oppose online poker legislation merely because it also fails to legalize online sports betting. Sports Betters hate the PPA for that. The PPA keeps waiting for the day other kinds of players form their own organizations so we might work together.

Anyway, here's hoping most of you will try and look for the facts yourselves.

And if any of you think you know how to do better, PLEASE DO IT! Or at least make the huge effort of posting your detailed plans on an internet forum so others can steal it.

And here's also wishing Greg Raymer success in all his future endeavors whatever they may be. He has always been a good ambassador for the game, has always donated a good portion of this time to support the game, and is truly an all around "good guy."

Skallagrim

If more people like Greg posted this forum might not suck.

skall: no reasonable posters are saying the ppa is bad for poker. This is nvg after all. However, some of us were concerned for our livelihoods during the Reid bill's push.

Thanks for reminding me... Gotta renew my membership. BTW, I think you can include FL in the list.

BTW, Raymer is a patent attorney. Glad he's on the board.

I will miss his amiable chats.

i think I speak for all the European, South American, Asian, Canadian and North African Raker Stars Players when I say
"meh"

America is free my ass. LOL at poker being banned in the freest country on earth.

on topic: Seems maybe they are switching to a more euro friendly site. Probably paying more to the newer players like Viktor than the older ones like Raymer. He probably just didn't get the money he wanted.

The Aussies like him or hate him?

I agree Raymer is a great guy... but giving the fossil away when eliminated... EPIC FAIL

It is clearly a metaphor.

Yea, these NVG tards don't even listen to their own mothers, and you think they will listen to you? Good luck gobbomom!

hachem > those 3 imo. (at poker... hes total douche person obv)

signing Isildur was a great move. Regardless of his profitability, shifting market share by a few % pts from FTilt/other networks to Stars more than makes up for any liabiility associated with his (staked)bankroll variance. WP stars.

And as for Greg -seems like a decent guy, just not the most entertaining player/personality out there. Can see why he faded away.

Why doesnt he post in this thread the reason why he left for his supporters?

LOL

I really don't see how this is a big deal, especially considering how the first post even shows that he is still playing on Stars even after the split. I have a feeling a big part of the reason he is no longer with stars is his own decision to leave. If Stars basically said FU to him it's likely he would not be playing there anymore.

Another thing to consider which may have led Greg to say hey maybe let's let our contract run out is that he is a family man. If I recall correctly he lives in one of the Carolinas, can't remember if it's North or South. If that's the case, maybe he doesn't want to be constantly pulled away from his family and his kids that are growing. The older they get the more stuff they get involved in and parents hate missing stuff like that.

Just a thought.

lol @ thinking isildur isn't a winning player. you're either clueless or leveling. if you read this and know in your heart of hearts you were being serious with your post then believe me (most don't believe) you're clueless.

[ ] you know what you're talking about

there is no way PS could think greg is not good for bringing players, hes some 40 yo + who probably inspired more fish to join the tables than anyone else, thats all that matters.

Pls stop thinking that the definition of a PS pro should be some 20yo multi tabling wizard who 0 fish can identify with.

Glad you brought this up. I saw a video of Raymer on Fox Business about a week ago.. (on the PPA Facebook feed) The segment was regarding legalizing Calif. poker to help the state generate revenue (est. 1B over next 10 years). At the time, I remember thinking this was great to hear... getting publicity for legalization from a high-profile like Raymer... but I also remember the (what I thought) very strange last piece.

The reporter (anchor?) asked Raymer "when did you realize... forget this Patent Attorney thing.. I'm going to be a professional poker player". Maybe it was just me interpreting the TV reporters tone, but I was hoping Raymer would defend players to state it is a legitimate profession. That it does have some elements of luck but overall, it is a skill game, math focused, etc..etc.. I was hoping he'd bring in the silly fact that state lotteries are legal and 100% based on luck, but poker -- a definite skill game -- is not and the govt in general is just flat out missing potential revenue. Just so many things he could have said to represent PokerStars and the poker community.

But instead he goes the route of stating "PokerStars is offering me more money than Pfizer". At the time, I thought it just sounded strange... still do.

My two cents that may or may not have anything to do with it. But just overall I felt it was weird. View for yourself at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzMfZnOSyUE

Wow.. this should be interesting in NVG of all places.
And for the record, I feel Raymer is/was a great ambassador for the game... and will certainly continue to be... (unless of course Pfizer starts cutting bigger checks).

there's like less than 20 player on their roster that are more or equally important & relevant than Fossilman, the rest are guys that either ran hot winning a donkfest one time or who FT'd some big name event

i mean no disrespect but what has Tony Hachem, Maridu Mayrinck, Anton Allemann,Dale Philip, Greg Debora, etc. ever done?

FYP and +1

He plays almost every tournament in Australia / NZ / Asia, he's had some good results last year including a few wins. I'm not saying he's a good player or anything blah blah.. but he's a good personality and I think is a good person to sponsor for live events - because of how many he plays and the exposure he gets from the media (because of his brother).

I never thought I'd see the day. Raymer always felt synonymous with the PokerStars brand to me. Few in the poker world, and certainly no other Main Event champions, have been as excellent of a public face to our game than Greg. If you've ever seen even one of his mainstream media interviews on issues of poker legislation, you know what I mean. If this move signifies that Greg will be spending less of his personal time on being a public persona of poker, that's a big loss for us.

Really interesting interview. Perhaps that could have been the reason?