By: Ben Harley
This is part one of two of our look at the effect of the UIGEA online poker ban on the current poker environment in the US. We will analyize how the UIGEA affected the 2011 WSOP in part 2 of what we call, "The New US Poker Landscape".
Photo Source: itechwiz.com
Although many are familiar with the Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker online shutdowns earlier this year, not many have been able to view its effect on the online gambling community. Some who relied on the online poker-playing to provide for their families while not constantly being away from them on tournament circuits have been hit the hardest. For the majority of online US players who do not need to worry about relocating their families, such as Jon Aguiar, online pro since 2004, they plan to attend more live tournaments or even move overseas to pursue their livelihood.
Image Source: Vin Narayanan
Of course the UIGEA doesn’t make online poker in the US automatically illegal, it simply makes some of the banking mechanisms behind it illegal. So online poker in the US still exists, but a majority of players are in agreement that the remaining sites would not be able to provide a comparable income they could live off of. This is especially difficult for players who used their winnings as their family’s only income source. Jamin Stokes is one such family player, using his online winning to provide a upper middle class life for his wife and three children in Michigan. Stokes is not just some online player either, he finished third in a $10,000 buy-in heads-up tournament earning $214,289, yet his standard of living is impossible to maintain with live games alone. Stokes reflects that “games at charity poker rooms, they’re not really big enough (stakes). And, I can only play 25 hands an hour, where I can play 500 hands an hour online.” Let alone the fact that he can play when it is most convenient for him and his family while still being around them. Toronto and Australia are at the top of his list for a big move that would strain his entire family.
However, for many live and online poker games are basically two different sports, each attracting different crowds. For those who exclusively play one, moving into the other would be difficult. An upspring in the number of home games has occurred in the wake of the shutdowns, however, players have speculated that the “fish” are gone as a result and it is no longer profitable. Many are searching for jobs, but when your employment history for the past few years is “professional poker player,” a job is hard to come by. At a time when the unemployment rate is an abysmal 9.2%, tens of thousands of unemployed were added as a result of this recent government action.Share your UIGEA story by leaving a comment.
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