Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

Brag: I found parking on the street.

Beat: Nobody knows where the "Capital Extension Bldg" is.

Variance: The poker issue is #14 on the agenda.

More later.

Re: Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

Update:

The meeting’s been postponed – they’re debating children’s health care somewhere else.

The VIPs were waiting at the DoubleTree – Eric Lingren, the president of the PPO, and some other folks.

Interesting tidbit – apparently this legislation’s being sponsored by the commercial vendor for electronic poker tables.

I spoke with the president of PPO, Michael, who said the WTO decision was irrelevant, and that they were looking into intra-state internet licensing (though he didn’t seem to be too enthusiastic), specifically in California. He also said he knew what Frank’s bill was going to say, but he couldn’t disclose it.

I met Eric Lingren while he was going out the door. I asked him about HSP (“I’ve seen you on HSP, haven’t I?”) And he said, “You mean High Stakes Poker? Speak English, I don’t speak that ‘lol.’”

I asked him about the Barry Greenstein episode, and he said he was there – that he was in the hand when Barry said it. He seemed kind of pissed off about it, like Barry shouldn’t have said it. “He takes down $30k, and then says that for some internet kid.”

Hard to judge how likely it is that this will pass. I don’t think there’d be any outcry from the public, if it ever gets that far. But I don’t know enough about the Texas legislative process to know if it ever will.

Too bad about the million dollar net worth provision, or I’d consider trying to open a poker room myself. (Personally, I think it’s kind of BS they put that in there, but who am I to complain?)

Re: Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

[ QUOTE ]
He also said he knew what Frank’s bill was going to say, but he couldn’t disclose it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Did Bolcarek seem hopeful re: Frank's bill?

Re: Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

Is PPO the PPA?

Re: Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
He also said he knew what Frank’s bill was going to say, but he couldn’t disclose it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Did Bolcarek seem hopeful re: Frank's bill?

[/ QUOTE ]

He didn't say, sorry.

Re: Texas poker legislation - trip report
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is PPO the PPA?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, I meant PPA.