Author: horse-racing-free-tips

A complex nature of poker generated in poker community a discussion on what dominates in this casino game: skills or success. Most of the people believe that poker is a casino game the outcome of which depends on skills of a casino player and only a small probability is given to a chance. This thesis is confirmed by facts. For instance, legendary poker players have won WSOP poker championship for many times independently on a number of participants. Thus, Johnny Moss has triply become a poker champion (in 1970, 1971 and 1974), a three-time poker champion is the greatest player of the 20th century Stew Ungar, he won WSOP in 1980, 1981 and 1997. Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chen have twice tried on Gold WSOP winner bracelets. In poker as in any other kind of sports there is an elite of poker players who win great tournaments every year or take prize places. Just sport compound of poker let make poker player rating, every year the first places are occupied there by the poker the casino and poker rooms community.

As to the opinion of the states on the nature of poker, here everything’s more complicated and sophisticated. As a rule, in many countries the authorities don’t make any difference between gambling games and poker. However such a fuddy-duddy approach has recently tried to break the poker community. Poker and casino games fans unite themselves in associations, public entities trying to prove to the officials that poker can not be put together with roulette or slot machines.

Sometimes the authorities themselves understand that. For instance, in the United States poker can be played not only in casinos but in special card rooms the activity of which is allowed only on the territory of the states where gambling business is prohibited. Thus, on the territory of California successfully work 91 card rooms, in Florida 16, in Washington 112, the state of Montana counts even 493 card rooms. The income of American card rooms (not including casinos) in 2006 made more than 1 milliard dollars. The activity of these organizations are severely controlled by the government. For instance, the legislation of Florida fully regulates the rate of the stakes in poker. This year in June got effect the law according to which the stakes in limited poker games are allowed to be increased from 2 to 5 dollars, in unlimited Texas Hold’em maximum allowed rate of buy-in makes 100 dollars.

However these states are predominantly exceptions. Unfortunately poker for most of American officials is a gamble. For most of them but not for everybody. In June 2007 a congressman Robert Wexler introduced to the House of representatives of the USA a draft law named “Skill Game Protection Act”. According to this draft law such games as poker, bridge, chess should not fall within the scope of the law because on the author’s mind they are games where skills dominate over a chance. A very serious political force acting on the side of poker is a senator Alfonse D’Amato who together with the organization “Poker Players Alliance” fights for a fair and objective attitude of the authorities to the favourite game.

But if in the USA the process of poker recognition as a skill game has just begun in some other countries poker scored off the conservatism of the officials.

The first considerable victory was marked in Austria. In 1993 an entrepreneur and a great fun of poker Peter Zanoni opened in Vienna a poker club “Concord Card Casino”. The club positioned itself as the place where they play only poker as a skill game not a gambling game. Substantially immediately the club became interesting for the gambling business which saw a competitor therein. At the suggestion of the gambling business the press began attacking the club, the managers of the club were accused in organization of illegal gambling games, contacts with criminals etc.

Very soon gambling lobby provoked the state to bring a charge in organization of illegal gambles against the managers of the club. The court took place the resolution of which shocked many people. The advocates of the club tried to prove that poker is not a gamble but a competition of skills, know-how. The court applied for consultation of the experts, they carried out an independent mathematical expertise of poker rules the results of which expressly showed that skills dominated over a chance in this game. Poker was brought into the line with chess. The court accepted the results of the expertise and took the resolution in favor of the poker club. For today the “Concord Card Casino” is one of the greatest poker clubs of Europe. The founder of the club Peter Zanoni inspired with his victory, he is now successfully working on popularization of poker and its recognition as a kind of sport in Europe. For this purpose he founded first Austrian association of poker sport and in 2006 he founded European association of poker sport.

A similar court session took place in Great Britain in January 2007. Derek Kelly faced trial, he is an owner of a poker club “Gutshot Club” in London downtown. Unfortunately for Derek and all English poker fans British law turned to be less liberal than Austrian one. Having recognized a skill compound in poker games it gave preference to a chance in the game. But British people should not be upset the attitude to skill sports in their country is still complicated, for instance, chess was officially recognized a sport only some years ago. Derek Kelly’s case had provoked in society a live discussion which was taken up by politicians. Very soon British media suggest that poker, bridge should be put together with chess.

In the end of July 2007 good news for poker fans came from Denmark. Court proceedings as to Frederic Hostrup, a chairman of Danish poker association finished in favor of Frederic and poker. As in Austria Hostrup was accused in organization of illegal gambling games. The advocate Henrick Hoffman proved to the court that poker is not a gamble but a skill game. The winners have already declared that now they will fight for the rights of their favourite game on the territory of all Europe.

Poker smoothly fitted well into the society of the 20th century and a number of their fans grow in geometrical progression. In the modern world not to know how to play poker becomes a mauvais ton. In such conditions the authorities cannot but take into account the people’s opinion which is the part of it. The authorities should go away from prejudices and be guided by common sense and the opinion of majority.