...from a poster on a popular poker forum. Andy - Las Vegas

1) What's done is done. A few days ago, Miri asked me, "Why don't you join the Poker Players' Alliance and try to help fight this?" I answered that it's too late. The PPA and other pro-internet-gaming groups made their feelings known, and they were ignored. It was a nice try, but no positive results were yielded. We have to face the facts here. Namely, regular poker players are not as big or vocal a group as the Christian Right, nor do politicians particularly fear pissing us off or losing our votes. We can scream until we're blue in the face, but our cries will fall upon deaf ears. If this new law ever gets changed or repealed, it will be the doing of American corporations such as Harrah's, not regular-Joe poker players.

2) Online poker will never be the same. Some sites will play on and ignore the existing laws. Neteller will keep processing our payments until the banks either shut them out or the US Government puts enough pressure on them. However, let's not kid ourselves. Many people -- especially donks -- are just giving up. They're not all going to move to Full Tilt, Absolute, or Ultimatebet. They're not going to trust their money online as much as they once did. Party Poker is already shutting out US players and essentially waving the white flag. If Pokerstars, the other industry giant, does the same, the days of mammoth megasites are over. The days of finding a good game nearly 24/7 are over. The days of completely trusting an online site due strictly to its size and stability are over. Even if poker is eventually legalized and regulated in the US, we will have lost most of poker's forward momentum by then.

3) The future of online poker, if any, rests with American gaming corporations. If anyone can save us, it's corporations like MGM or Harrah's. They have the money, influence, and clout to get this law turned around, especially if they can legitimize this rogue industry and give way to government regulation. Now that the new laws have been passed, they will never be completely overturned -- even if the Democrats eventually take the House, Senate, and Presidency. Few politicians will support bringing back the old days of unregulated offshore sites taking billions out of our economy. If there is any hope of getting legalized online poker in the US, it's in the possibility of getting legalized online poker in the US.

4) Trust least those who are proud of breaking the law. Sites that are complying with US law and closing out American players are the safest. Why? They all have a long-term survival plan, and obviously cheating US customers isn't conducive to surviving long-term. Why comply with US law if you're just going to turn around and do something even worse? It's the ones that are electing to play on that really scare me. These sites are closing their eyes and taking a sink-or-swim attitude. Some may prosper for it, but others will fail. If these sites aren't afraid to give the middle finger to the most powerful government on earth, they also won't be afraid to swipe your money if things start to turn sour. Beware.

5) Neteller ain't so tough. Way before this legislation hit, the state of Maryland ordered Neteller to stop doing business with its residents. Guess what? Neteller complied. If Neteller will bow to pressure from a small U.S. state, what will it do when threatened by the federal government? I have a feeling that, if push comes to shove, Neteller will quietly exit the U.S. market. However, unlike some of the poker sites, they will stay with their U.S. customers for as long as possible.

6) It's quiet... too quiet! Pokerstars has had nothing to say about this new law. They aren't hinting that they'll comply, nor are they spitefully saying they will run afoul of it. That's a little troubling, as were their "technical difficulties" involving the play money games -- which clearly arose as they were working hard to separate the play money and real money servers. I trust Pokerstars, and I don't think they are going to cheat or steal from anyone. At the same time, there is quite a likelihood that you won't play another hand there after Bush signs the bill into law.

7) Live play is no substitute. Think that everyone will run down to their local cardroom and move the action there? Don't count on it. While this new law will probably result in a temporary surge in live players, most will soon tire of the frustration factors involved with live play. The slow speed, lack of game availability/selection, traffic to/from the casino, and lack of convenience will turn daily online players into "once-in-awhile" live players. Besides, many online players do not live within driving distance of a card room.

8) The WSOP will never be the same. Forget the main event. The entire WSOP will take a hit from this. There will be far fewer online qualifiers, and the interest in poker by then will have waned in general.

9) The sponsorship gravy train has been derailed. Expect to see far fewer sponsored players in tournaments, especially given that this internet poker ban will result in a tighter advertising/marketing budget for most sites. The biggest names like Hellmuth should stay aboard, but expect most of the B-list names to be cut soon.