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Poker players push 'game of skill' argument to lawmakers
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
mrvasquez@MiamiHerald.com
Forget for a moment that poker games often take place in casinos, or that poker pots containing hundreds of dollars (or more) can be awarded based on the simple turn of a card. If you buy the counter argument made by the game's biggest boosters, then poker is, in fact, a game of skill -- not a game of chance.
Should lawmakers in state capitals and Congress agree, it could mean a major expansion of online poker, and games of live poker could take place in dozens of states where poker is outlawed.
In states such as Florida, where poker is already legal, Internet poker players would still benefit from increased gambling options. If the federal government deems poker a skill game, it would be exempt from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that passed Congress in 2006.
The law cast a cloud over the legality of Internet gaming, and prompted some websites to no longer accept U.S. players.
Poker advocates now feel their skill message is gaining steam. The Florida Legislature this month approved higher-stakes poker at the state's Indian casinos and parimutuels. During the legislative session, skill was mentioned as one reason lawmakers should allow higher stakes -- with the idea that more chips in players' hands allow for skill to play a larger role......