The disconnect seems to be that one side has no real problem "putting the law aside" when that is the crux of the issue. Yes, this was always a possibility (although many didn't actually think it would get to this, whether through denial or being naive or whatever else), but the point is that doesn't make it OK. The fact that online pros or part time winners who depended on the extra income had four years to come up with a backup plan doesn't change the fact that this whole thing is completely ****ed up and they shouldn't have to have had a backup plan.

Who cares if they made a lot of money on short hours, the market is there for them to do that using their skills and it is being unjustly taken away from them.

This didn't start on Friday, it started 5 years ago and came to a head on Friday. It was a slow death with a big finish (up to this point, it'll be back eventually, which goes further to prove the absurdity of it all). But let's not play the "should have seen it coming" card or the "hey the law is the law" card, because they are both ignoring the real issue here.

Hey, someone's kid got killed but they can always have another kid!

Why should people have to take these skills to other jobs? The point isn't that they can, it's that they shouldn't have to.

It's pretty shocking that we confuse entitlement with not being persecuted by your government because of said government's shockingly obvious motives.

Everyone should feel entitled to the right to make a living doing something like playing poker if they have the skills to do so. It is easy to sling arrows of naivete and immaturity at those being hurt, when in reality your disconnection from the actual problem shows some pretty deep biases.

Listen I'm 26, I work 40 hours a week. I never made high 5 or 6 figures playing poker. I've had fairly decently sized stretches where poker was my only source of income after college, but I also knew I wasn't good enough to do this through my 20s and into my 30s, and it was too much of an uncertainty for me. So I got a job, ended a staking agreement on my own accord, and it sucked, but I felt that I had to do it.

But that was my choice. I made it, not some bull**** government interference based on some even bigger bull**** motives. And I feel strongly that that choice shouldn't have been made for anyone else. And yeah, I have money in limbo, neither a life changing amount or a negligible amount (basically what I make in two weeks of work). I think I have a pretty good spot in the middle of this spectrum and I feel like the sky is falling "entitlement" crowd has a much better pov than the side where everything is blamed except for the actual problem.

lol

I posted that because when it does inevitably happen it's there documented so he can't say it was a tarp. I figured his BFFs would have fun with it.

F60,

I think drug dealers should be able to get a license and sell legally also, but the government has decided they can't either.

Stamping your feet and saying "what should be" is nice but ultimately we all have to deal with "what is", and "what is" has, for a while, been a situation that was obviously tenuous, arguably not legal to be offered, and clearly on the federal radar.

I mean, the entitlement attitude flies in the face of the entire fact base that is known to all. It's like living in a fantasy world - immature at best and head-in-the-sand at worst. "Should" it be legal, etc? Sure, why not? But that's not the point.

I wish vegas had a line on someone bringing drug dealers into this conversation.

Not that I could legally bet on it anyway.

I find Clark's whole stance about entitlement hilarious compared to his recent posting in the should college players be paid thread. Not a whole lot of telling the players to suck it up, the status quo is the status quo in that thread

Two totally different things.

One is a corrupt system that takes advantage of people and denies them the ability to receive any sort of market compensation.

No one is being taken advantage of or screwed by a corrupt system wrt poker. It's quasi-legal activity that has been pretty awesome to a lot of people. The issue is the attitude of *some people* who think the government should stay out of a completely unregulated, quasi-illegal market. That stance is just a crazy disconnect with reality. No other completely unregulated untaxed industry exists in the US afaik. Poker isn't exempt.

The good news is that there's a decent shot poker gets legalized at the federal level by the end of the year and it's all up and running within another 2 years after that. But the status quo was never a long-term reality. I get the anger, but it's awful misplaced. Seth had it right when he said he was pissed but in the end felt lucky it had lasted this long and was gonna try and figure out next steps. That's exactly the right attitude.

The problem is now that it isn't an issue of should, it's going to. I agree with you concerning the law.

My stances are actually very consistent imo:

Legalize and regulate drugs and let people get licensed, etc.
Let kids in college use their own name, etc to earn money as long as it doesn't come directly from the school and they report all the income.
Legalize poker in the US so it is taxed and regulated and people can play as they wish.

How is the government enforcing rules any different than the NCAA enforcing rules? Afaik, making poker illegal denies people the ability to receive any sort of market compensation as well. If you say that the government is an elected representation of the people, giving it legitimacy that the NCAA doesn't have, keep in mind that not only is the NCAA completely legal, most of it's constituent members are public universities.

Clark, why do you think it will be up and running again? Any evidence to point to?

Oh please, give me one unregulated industry in this country not responsible for paying taxes.

I'm sure that the poker industry would happily be taxed and regulated just like every other company in this country, they aren't the ones holding out.

The Feds didn't keep Bodog out of business all that long right? Guessing something similar but who knows.

I know the online poker legislation at the federal level is definitely a possibility late this year, but from today you're looking, best case, at 30 months from something being live.

People will be able to make a living. Smaller sites will get bigger, just as when Party pulled out and others took its place.

the NCAA is a private entity, that's a pretty huge difference

This is a distinction without meaning. If the NCAA was nationalized, would anyone change their position?

I don't really care what should happen, it's just going to lead (already has lead) to politarding. It matters a ton from a practical standpoint.

I can't think of any legal industries where this is the case.

Where is our resident politard Dr. Ikes when we need him?

I am sorta sad I haven't gotten to see Epi's reaction. Would be interesting to know his take.

He's handling it pretty well. He was admittedly very upset the first day but has already began to face facts and start thinking about things appropriately. I told him to buy a fast food franchise and he said he'll look into it.

Ugh, fast food franchises so frequently boil down to purchasing yourself a really bad job.

Moot point - poker will be available for those who want to. Still is I'm sure. Guessing Bodog traffic is way up today.