I don't believe the U.S players will be able to play globally after regulation. The government is going to want control and there piece of the pie and are not going to get that with a player in Russia. I believe they will start state by state with eventual couple of sites operating within the country.

Italy regulated tournament poker a few years ago but got serious this summer when it began regulated cash games (about the same time as France got serious). To play you have to be verified which means (1) have signed a contract, (2) submitted photo ID (passport, Identity Card or driver license) and (3) equivalent of social security number. That information has to be confirmed/verified by the quasi-equivalent of the IRS. The poker sites are regulated and audited by a state organized agency that has a good reputation for regulation. All the information can be submitted as attachments to email.

The impact is that there are huge numbers of fish. Yesterday, November 1 is a big holiday here and the fish were online in enormous numbers; so much so that I set a personal record for one day online winnings, didn't begin to play until early evening and was amazed at the loose loose tables.

Most importantly, people like to know that the other guy has been vetted, that their deposits are safe and easily withdrawn, that there are limits on using assistance programs, that the games are legitimate and that, as players, they are not doing something illegal.

All this is a bit of a hassle. I found the initial verification process a drag. The payoff is enormous. Italy is a small market, 60 million people, but it is very lucrative for good players. I don't know that it will work for 24 tabling grinders but for someone like me just interested in making a couple of thousand euro a month for a little extra pocket money, it is great.

I think regulation in the US will be a huge boom for some players. It was incredible here at first (the first two weeks) but now is only great. I can live with it.

ZZZZYYYYYYNNNNNNGGGGGAAAAAAA!!!!!

Exactly!

With all the media and the drive to cancel public shows like Poker After Dark and the Big Game on channel 11. It will creat a second rebirth for poker, assuming that the media gave way to new viewers triggering people to find out what poker is all about. Before you had the quiet ones grinding away at the casino and the lab rats pounding away in the bedroom via online poker play! I feel the denial of poker will stimulate a bigger reponse in those that never laid a hand on a card or a chip. It's like saying you cant have something and in return tbe desire is so strong to obtain that goal/ dream because what lies hidden, must in fact be really good!

The bigger question is a substantial growth to poker a bad thing? That it iself lies the enigma!

I think it will be interesting who these companies choose as their "pros" to market with, or if they go that route at all.

Italy always had a huge super donk player base. It's part of the reason why Stars is near unplayable now as both Italy and France have blocked their players from the site. KQ is the equivalent of AK to an Italian donk.....

the future is bright imo. keep your game sharp.

What about the first boom?

+1

"This was my strategy for the longest time. I always made my raise size the exact number of blinds my hole cards added to, but I'd get hung up on the adding letters to numbers part. I tried using a calculator for a hand like that but the thing literally started laughing at me.

I'm in this phase now where I just play garb hands for the lulz and fold my premiums for deception."

just read 8 posts of the zynga thread above....please obama..... help me out here...

A '05 style boom could happen. What if a race of aliens settles in planet earth (keeping in mind the fact that they only got here because of their elite, Wilsonian overlords and most of the population is stupid). These settlers are afforded welfare and immunity due to diplomatic pressures. They end up spending all day just donking around at online poker.

You all laugh but it could happen.

This is a pipe dream. First off, the best thing you can all possibly hope for is that the federal government stays out of it and allows the states to determine their stance on online gaming which I think will be the likeliest thing to happen anyway. But online poker will never be federally regulated in the US. Not ever. There is too much opposition to ever pass that bill.

So you may as well just forget about a super player pool consisting of all US players in all jurisdictions getting together. It won't happen. Even in the extremely unlikely event that poker was federally regulated there are only 17 states in the Union that allow commercial gambling. That won't change post regulation. The 33 states that have forever disallowed gambling will still opt out.

When the government finally allows the states to determine their individual stances (which they probably will), you really think California is going to allow players from Georgia to come and play? Or that Nevada will allow players from Washington D.C.? Why would they? Regulating it would be impossible if they allowed out of state players to play. Not to mention that all state regulated poker sites will be subject to state taxes which means rake/income will be such a high priority that poker might not even be spread at online casinos.

You really honestly believe also that overseas casinos will be let back in to compete with state regulated online casinos (if that ever happens)? There is positively no chance that this will EVER happen. Stars/Party/etc left the market for GOOD on Black Friday. US players will never be allowed to comingle with international ones again-at least, not on any meaningful scale.

Get it through your head guys. Poker is OVER in the US. You have to move to a free country if you want to play.

I wish that 'cold4bet' guy would just stfu

I can't figure out if everyone in that thread is being serious or trolling.

its half noobs and half 2p2 trolls. zyngers have no idea what a 4bet is

That Doug Lee thread on Zynga forums is either the absolute best level in history or The funnies thing I have ever read

+2

+1. Same goes for any 2+2ers trolling that forum, just stay out of there plz.

I think people are way to optimistic about what a utopia it will be

Sure, if you produce the same conditions that prevailed from 2000 til 2008. But it seems to me that the world is in a bit of deep deep dudu right now (worst crisis since the 30s?) and if you think the poker boom is coming back, just because the market is getting regulated, you are illusionary.

And who says, the US is opening up to internationals anyways. As the trend is going - you can call yourself lucky if you are allowed to gamble across states

Wow, so I'm looking at said zynga forum, apparently there are serious players for play chips http://forums.zynga.com/showthread.php?t=1096154&page=3

Though the vast majority don't take it seriously, apparently a very small percentage do, but still zynga players are fishy as hell. I would think if they started playing for money a very small percentage won't be satisfied and thus will be searching for a site like 2+2 to improve their game.

You make some very good points! Even though how harsh they sound its the cold hard truth as regards to letting other players play out of state players. They must keep it in the jurisdiction for tax purposes. From what I remember thats what many people were complaining about in the first place. That they wont have the ability to play people from other countries let alone from other states. Luckily if that happens I reside in California where the population is not a problem.

Yep. I'd like the whole world to play on one site too and for it to be legal for everyone but let's be realistic.

California would be my #1 place to live if it was regulated. Big population, nice weather, close to Nevada, etc.

So it looks like 2013 will be a sick, sick year for Poker as long as all this legalization business takes place.

10,000 over/under on WSOP Main event in 2013?

I don't know what will happens when the poker gonna be legal, but I hope for one more boom ^^