Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I made a total of $9K at SSNL over 2 years. It's small compared to most of you, but I really really enjoyed playing.

This new bill is just too much, so I'm probably one of the first to make a run on the bank at party poker.

[ QUOTE ]
Party Poker:

Now that the United States has a bill about to become law that specifically outlaws on-line gambling, I would like to close my account. I have a bonus due to me, but I don't want to wait for it because it won't come until after that bill becomes law. Please keep all my party points, keep my bonus money, and close my account. I do not want to have an account with you. Hopefully we will get a law making doing business with you legal, but until that time I don't want to have an account in my name on your system. Please close my account and let me know when you have done so. At that point, I will sadly uninstall your software and wait for a more enlightened approach to gambling from our government.

Once again, close my account and e-mail me when you have done so. I think you run a great site and I will miss playing there.

[/ QUOTE ]

I realize that there is debate on whether playing, as opposed to funding, is illegal, but I think the spirit of the bill is very clear. The Congress of the United States wants gambling controlled by the states and plans to eliminate, as much as possible, the interstate and international gambling that goes on via the internet from US personal computers.

So, I plan to take my bankroll to the local card room once or twice a week.

The funny thing is that to pursue my hobby, the family-friendly congress is going to be setting it up for me to spend more time away from home, playing at higher stakes, and with smaller stacks (making skill slightly less important than luck) than I would playing .5/1 and 1/2 on-line. It's kind of ironic.

One last thing, I realize that the Democrats aren't exactly pro-gambling, but none of this would have happened without the Republican morality police in Washington, so I plan to vote for the Dem's from now on. Except for Arnold, our gov., of course, since he's practically a Dem in Rep's clothing anyway.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I think you're being premature with Party. They'd probably give at least 48 hours notice before absconding with funds, lol. Oh well, I won't be going to the Indiana boats though.
Additionally, you should consider that there's a major Democratic Morality Police too. It's called "political correctness"--except PC is amoral as everyone knows its tenets are a lie but they still mouth them.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

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Additionally, you should consider that there's a major Democratic Morality Police too. It's called "political correctness"--except PC is amoral as everyone knows its tenets are a lie but they still mouth them.

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How anyone could even indirectly defend the Republican party right now is completely beyond me.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I won't defend them, and I won't vote for them. The issue though is not morality, it's statism. Both of our two parties feel the same way at the present time which is that government is the solution to our problems. Government is the solution to very few problems and exacerbates them more often than it corrects them. They need to stay in Washington, drink, carouse, and leave the rest of us alone.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I make over 20k a month and my official answer is NO..

I am moving my money around a bit though.
Sites I trust in order:

Pinnacle (sportsbook) (I moved quite a bit over here)
WSEX (sportsbook/poker room)
pokerstars
neteller (???? Not really sure where they belong in list)
party
UB
full tilt

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Cashing all money out of Neteller may not be smart because in the near future we may not be able to depostit money from a US bank account into Neteller, however we still may be able to withdrawl from Neteller to a US account.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

"The port security and Internet gambling legislation was approved 409 to 2 in the House and on a voice vote in the Senate early today, as lawmakers rushed to leave Washington for their fall reelection campaigns. Senate Republican and Democratic leaders announced it would be passed by voice vote after the House's late-night vote."

=NONPARTISAN!!!!!!

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
"The port security and Internet gambling legislation was approved 409 to 2 in the House and on a voice vote in the Senate early today, as lawmakers rushed to leave Washington for their fall reelection campaigns. Senate Republican and Democratic leaders announced it would be passed by voice vote after the House's late-night vote."

=NONPARTISAN!!!!!!

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Frist attached the bill, and he's Republican. He did it for moral reasons, and since the Republicans are now dependant on the religious right to have a chance to stay in power, read between the lines.

And Frist hopes to run for President. He legalized the lotto, but banned poker.

It's true Democrats have been on some moralizing crusades - if it can be "for the children", both parties are happy to go after it. (Look at their so-far-futile campaigns against violent video games) But I haven't seen much from Democrats in terms of telling adults what to do with themselves, whereas Republicans seem to want to legislate gambling, drinking, sex, sex ed, marriage, medical research, medical treatment, and so on. Their moral code should be your moral code. I was a Republican when they seemed to stand for smaller government and individual responsibility. They don't any more.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Look at the vote.I wouldn't lay this just on the republicans.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Both of our two parties feel the same way at the present time which is that all they want to do is get elected and serve special interest groups, not the people.

[/ QUOTE ]

fyp

look at the last 30 years, dude
 

The GOP is the party that has for 30 years given aid and comfort to religious hysterics. Yes, I blame them. Of course I do. Religious hysteria -- plus anger at the loss of various creepy church's precious monopoly on gambling when the only legal outlet people had was bingo -- is the heart and soul of anti-gambling legislation everywhere. And the GOP panders to it and has made it socially unacceptable to stand up in public and say what everybody knows, which is that churches are a bunch of sharks preying on stupid people afraid of death. There is no poker player on this earth as expert at separating the fish from his money as the churches. And they damn well don't like competition.

And the GOP plays to this crowd and forces everyone else to play to this crowd or be socially, financially, and politically ostracized. That's the reality here. When I was a child, the rabid foam-at-the-mouth fundamentalist nutjob was just that, a vulgar and crazy person best to be avoided by nice, normal people. Now they're in charge. The GOP with its relentless pandering of these thieves did that. Let's not kid ourselves here. Online poker is just collateral damage in the long campaign to turn this country into a theocracy.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

If a democrat/republican voted against it. What would all the adds be in the next election?

So and so is soft on terror and security! He voted against the port security bill!!!! How can you trust your safety to him???????

Political douche baggery to attach a bill to a must pass bill (no debate done for the religious right).

Political suicide to oppose it. Are you all that nieve?

Republican attached it= Republican fault in this case at least.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Look at the vote.I wouldn't lay this just on the republicans.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why it was put on the Port bill. One that people wouldn't vote against.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I have some relatives who live in Tennessee. I asked them if Frist had ever done anything good for anyone that they had heard of. They laughed at the very idea and said no.

Young people who are not politically informed should google around for the story of Bill Frist. The Kitten Killer is a real winner in the game of life, to put it mildly. A bad man and a bad wizard. If he ever becomes president, we older folks might as well sell our spare organs for the extra cash and move to China. We'll have a better chance of getting decent health care over there. OK, exaggerating slightly, but I do not like Mr. Frist.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

1. Most Republicans are not religious rightists.
2. How do you get "Republicans" from 409-2?
3. " Their moral code should be your moral code." What kind of conformist nonsense is this? I'm not even a Republican. Politics isn't about "us versus them" or being in a club. It's thinking about what's best for the people. If you want to pretend 37 tax %=good and 33% tax=evil because its the party line please don't vote. Let the serious folks govern for you. This isn't about you fitting in.

Re: look at the last 30 years, dude
 

The Democrats will back ANYTHING that increases the size and power of the state, period.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Look at the vote.I wouldn't lay this just on the republicans.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you don't understand the political process.

The vote was on the port security bill generally. Senate Democrats actually considered stalling the entire bill because of the gambling provisions, but decided against it because they would mean not getting port security done.

It's cool whether anyone here is a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or whatever. But nobody should believe for one second that the internet gambling ban was pushed by anything other than the Republican leadership. Without Frist's "leadership", this bill never would have become law.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
2. How do you get "Republicans" from 409-2?

[/ QUOTE ]

Please see my response above. Republicans pushed the internet gambling ban, period. Democrats did not. To claim that somehow specific support for the internet gambling ban is equally "bipartisan" is simply wrong.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

409-2 has nothing to do with it. Frist pulled a political play to lock Dems out of the conference that attached the Internet gambling language to the port security bill, which no one was going to vote against. So the Dems against tacking on the gambling stuff were left to squeal like pigs.

Re: look at the last 30 years, dude
 

[ QUOTE ]
Online poker is just collateral damage in the long campaign to turn this country into a theocracy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here is the big picture in a nutshell. Internet gambling is a small battle in this large war.

Re: look at the last 30 years, dude
 

so funny to see the republicans try their best to not accept responsibilty...so pathetic. Must be someone elses fault probably bill clinton's. This is why i no longer care.

Those trying to spread the blame should consider running for office you would fit right in.

Re: look at the last 30 years, dude
 

[ QUOTE ]
Online poker is just collateral damage in the long campaign to turn this country into a theocracy.-------------------------------------------------------------------------- agreed

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Both of our two parties combine to make one party - the Government Party. I haven't voted for either of them in years. I vote libertarian. People have told me that's wasting my vote. I believe voting Republican or Democrat is wasting my vote.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Harumph. Vote libertarian. www.lp.org

If enough of us waste enough votes somebody's going to notice.

Bryan

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Harumph. Vote libertarian. www.lp.org

If enough of us waste enough votes somebody's going to notice.

Bryan

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not even a wasted vote, it's so dumb to say that (I know you're being facetious). Almost any vote in any race is "wasted" if you look at it from that angle. I'm in NY - Clinton's challenger doesn't stand a chance in hell. Voting for either one of them is a "waste" because it will have no effect whatsoever.

Yet right-leaning people will still think they're doing the proper thing by voting for the Republican challenger rather than a Libertarian, even though they're equally absurd.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

not voting for the candidate or party who you think would best represent you would be wasting your vote.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

chicagoY...You are either blind, nieve or incredably stupid (obviously my opinion). Please open your eyes if only for your own good.

async...Thank you for your insight, intelligence and elequence. Your points are very well layed out and I for one, appreciate that.

2+2...Thank you for allowing those of us in the Poker community to disguss, vent and share our thoughts and feelings at what I consider a troubling and sad time. You show Class and intelligence in the way your site has handeled this, IMO, crises.

For many of us this political based bill will change our lives considerably for the worst. It will create difficulty and suffering for many.

This is a direct infringement on our freedoms as Americans.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
If a democrat/republican voted against it. What would all the adds be in the next election?

So and so is soft on terror and security! He voted against the port security bill!!!! How can you trust your safety to him???????

Political douche baggery to attach a bill to a must pass bill (no debate done for the religious right).

Political suicide to oppose it. Are you all that nieve?

Republican attached it= Republican fault in this case at least.

[/ QUOTE ]

So how do you explain the fact that 115 Dem's which is 60% of their party voted for H.R. 4411 which wasn't attached to anything?

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Bottom line is both parties suck.
Also why can we not get poker and other gambling seperated?
I personally don't do any other forms of wagering, only poker.
If we could somehow get poker as an acception I think we would win but it is lumped in with everything else and those everything elses are what is killing us.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

You're nuts. Arnold has been screwing you even before he got into office. It boggles my mind how people don't see what this huy has been doing. Everything from plotting with the energy companies to create this BS against Davis to get a Repub in office in CA to raping public education (standard Republican strategy no matter where you live), trying to destroy the nurses union and other small unions in CA, and lying his butt off while taking more special interested money than any governor in the history of the United States (remeber, "I am rich, I don't need special interest money"). Good lord, please do some research before you vote. Please.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

Wow, and you people are asking, how would this hurt online poker?! Look at this guy, the OP. If his IQ was 34, I wouldn't be writing this post. Only another nuthead, I would be saying to myself. But I guess that OP has a much higher IQ than that, he knows poker world better, he knows some stuff about banking and internet and legislation... and he STILL does crazy things like that. Panic, panic, panic! Amazing. Just imagine what a regular retired gentleman on Florida must be thinking about this whole thing. He is probably pulling his internet connection cable out of the wall at the moment I'm writing this: "I don't want to spend my whole life in prison!!" [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If a democrat/republican voted against it. What would all the adds be in the next election?

So and so is soft on terror and security! He voted against the port security bill!!!! How can you trust your safety to him???????

Political douche baggery to attach a bill to a must pass bill (no debate done for the religious right).

Political suicide to oppose it. Are you all that nieve?

Republican attached it= Republican fault in this case at least.

[/ QUOTE ]

So how do you explain the fact that 115 Dem's which is 60% of their party voted for H.R. 4411 which wasn't attached to anything?

[/ QUOTE ]

Great [censored] point.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

While I agree with the 60% thing, I do not think a majority Democrat Congress would have pushed this that strongly. The Republican party has started to turn into the de facto religious psycho party wanting to keep stem cell research from happening, abortion rights from happening, gay relationships from happening from happening (not gay, but don't think politicians should get in the bedroom) and any form of gambling that doesn't directly enhance their bottom line. At least that's my take on things that have been happening in the last few years Republican wise. And this is coming from a former Republican.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
While I agree with the 60% thing, I do not think a majority Democrat Congress would have pushed this that strongly. The Republican party has started to turn into the de facto religious psycho party wanting to keep stem cell research from happening, abortion rights from happening, gay relationships from happening from happening (not gay, but don't think politicians should get in the bedroom) and any form of gambling that doesn't directly enhance their bottom line. At least that's my take on things that have been happening in the last few years Republican wise. And this is coming from a former Republican.

[/ QUOTE ]


I consider myself a conservitive and vote Rep most of the time.
I am for stem cell research, against gay marrage but for civil unions, and don't know where I stand on abortion.
I know a lot of conservative that think the same way so don't lump us all together and I won't call all dems communists who want the government to control everything and take away all our 2nd ammendment rights

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I was a Republican when they seemed to stand for smaller government and individual responsibility. They don't any more.


[/ QUOTE ]

So let me guess - now you stand for bigger government and collective responsibility, ie Democratic?

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

I'm withdrawing the bulk of the money I have on various sites (probably being paranoid but better safe than sorry) and am only leaving on the minimum I need to play my stakes and clear bonuses, etc.

I highly doubt of course that if Room X decides to no lnoger take American business that they'll keep all the funds, but I also don't want my bank making me explain where these deposits are coming from after the ban goes into place.

Oh and this country is far from a theocracy, if anything the U.S. gets less and less religious year by year.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Oh and this country is far from a theocracy, if anything the U.S. gets less and less religious year by year.

[/ QUOTE ]

But those in power seem to be more and more religious year by year.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Look at the vote.I wouldn't lay this just on the republicans.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you don't understand the political process.

The vote was on the port security bill generally. Senate Democrats actually considered stalling the entire bill because of the gambling provisions, but decided against it because they would mean not getting port security done.

It's cool whether anyone here is a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or whatever. But nobody should believe for one second that the internet gambling ban was pushed by anything other than the Republican leadership. Without Frist's "leadership", this bill never would have become law.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, and I was a lifelong Republican until about six months ago. Once Frist and his Republican cronies tacked this bill onto the port security bill, the Democrats had no choice but to vote for it, especially in an election year, which is why Frist pulled this crap in the first place.

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

It seems like in reality most of everything in these posts is speculation. It is hard to imagine how this bill will be implemented. One question I have been pondering has been withdrawing. To my knowledge the bill seems to make it difficult to deposit. And hypothetically the neteller situation would make it difficult to withdraw electronically through neteller/firepay. However, would receiving a check from the gaming site and withdrawing in that manner be prohibited in any way? Should this be the way we look toward conducting transactions, withdrawls that is in the future?

Re: Is anybody else closing out their accounts?
 

You guys can bash the Republicans all you want, but if Al Gore didn't invent the internet we wouldn't even be having this problem. Now Gore is a Democrtat and... wait a minute...the OP didn't ask anything about politics.