If you used to play on the best US poker sites, you will know that it has been a tough last year for internet poker in the U.S.A. Black Friday hit players hard. This was followed by the ensuing problems with Full Tilt Poker and the subsequent issues of players being unable to access their money.

With the online poker landscape in America effectively leveled, just a few viable options remain. Merge Gaming Network, Bovada (formerly Bodog) and the Cake Poker download still offer gaming to players located in America. One of the few other networks to offer said services has now announced plans to pull out of America after a cease and desist order from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

While Everleaf Gaming had dwindled in popularity in the past few years, they still offered gaming to American citizens which netted them some players. Prior to February 2012, the only country that had been prohibited from playing on the Everleaf Gaming Network was Malta. But now both the U.S. and France are prohibited countries.

An investigation…

Two of the men that were named in the Black Friday indictments have chosen to defend themselves in a very interesting way. Seeking the dismissal of the charges they’ve been accused of, Chad Elie and John Campos have decided to defend themselves based, in part, on viewing poker as a skill game.

Both men are facing serious charges, including money laundering. In total, Elie is facing nine charges while Campos is facing six. The accused men are seeking to have some of their charges thrown out based on the view that online poker isn’t really gambling. They will argue this point in front of a federal judge. Neither man was able to evade authorities after Black Friday as both of them were arrested on April 19th earlier this year.

Campos was the Vice Chairman of Utah based SunFirst Bank. He is accused of aiding the processing of payments for both Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars. If you were a poker player living the United States, chances are that you used to play on one of those sites since a Read More

Newly enshrined political group, FairPlayUsa, arrived with considerable fanfare, promising to help usher in an era of fully regulated poker in the United States. Among their board members are former WSOP champion Greg Raymer and WPT talisman Mike Sexton. There has been no definitive output from the group as of yet, but they’ve found their way back into the headlines thanks to a pair of new faces joining the team.

This time they’re adding government experience, rather than respected poker pros. The first is former FBI Director Louis Freeh. The New Jersey native held the position for 8 years, under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. His high level of expertise on law enforcement issues may help marginalized online poker sites re-enter the U.S. under scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Current federal laws fail to provide U.S. law enforcement vital tools to address illegal internet gambling, enabling a ‘wild-west’ atmosphere,” said Freeh. “I am joining FairPlayUsa to improve this environment by clarifying these laws, better empowering law enforcement agencies to crack down on violators and using licensing…

With the World Series done and dusted for almost every US poker sites pro, the time has come for them to make a difficult choice. Give up online poker or move abroad. Some have already made the move, opting to emigrate to nearby Canada.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, native Canuck Daniel Negreanu was one of the first to budge. He tweeted that he would be, “on PokerStars.com by Sept in time for WCOOP!” He will be, “getting a place in downtown Toronto. Should be fun!”

As a born and bred Canadian, Negreanu had no trouble moving back into his homeland, but some American pros have had a tougher time gaining entry. Daniel Cates, known by his online handle, Jungleman12, had a move all set, but found himself denied entry to the country.

After tweeting to his 10,000 followers that he was moving to Vancouver in the coming days, he hit a snag in his plans. “In a ridiculous twist, I have been deported from Canada for being an illegal immigrant.” Cates was exaggerating slightly. He had been refused entry to the…

As part of their movement for US poker sites, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) organized a D.C. fly-in on May 24th. The hope was to bring as many poker advocates as possible to Capitol Hill to show their support for online poker and stress the need for regulation.

In total around fifty people participated in the rally. The PPA flew twenty-four of its important members out, including state directors. Around 12 regular PPA members also flew out, and another 50 met with district offices in their own states.

John Pappas, the executive director of the PPA, seemed slightly disappointed by the turnout numbers. “Obviously we would have liked to have more players there, but I’m not sure what the PPA could have done more to promote it. We did all we could and those who could make it made it, and we appreciate them being there,” he stated. He did say that the fly-in went very smoothly, however, especially considering it was organized in a matter of weeks.

There should be no doubt that every effort helps when it…