Poker Players Alliance ForumsPoker Is Not A Crime: Discuss The Fight

-- Choose a Forum -- Poker Players Alliance PPA Online Site Updates Ask Skallagrim State - AL State - AK State - AZ State - AR State - CA State - CO State - CT State - DE State - DC State - FL State - GA State - HI State - ID State - IL State - IN State - IA State - KS State - KY State - LA State - ME State - MD State - MA State - MI State - MN State - MS State - MO State - MT State - NE State - NV State - NH State - NJ State - NM State - NY State - NC State - ND State - OH State - OK State - OR State - PA State - RI State - SC State - SD State - TN State - TX State - UT State - VT State - VA State - WA State - WV State - WI State - WY

Poker Players Alliance Forums » State - CO

1. Gary Reed
   State Director & Moderator
   Visit User Profile

   I’ve been responding piecemeal to concerns emailed to me about my anti-Ken Buck stance and other issues about the State PPA. Let me be specific to you all and make this discussion public. Here are some of the questions:
   Q. Why are you so opposed to Ken Buck, what has he done to earn your animosity?
   A. As a prosecutor in Weld County, Ken Buck made the determination to prosecute several PPA members for participating in a $10 buy in poker tournament held in a local bar. He has routinely ignored or passed off to underlings the prosecution of felony crimes while he concentrates on persecuting nickel and dime infractions that deal with interpretations of law wherein logical people might disagree on that interpretation. He is all about headlines and not about doing the job he was elected to. (Personal opinion)
   Q. Why hasn’t the State PPA done more to bring the questions of poker’s legality to the fore front? Why haven’t you sued the State to get a determination of the legality of poker if it is truly a game of skill as you maintain? (Many similar questions along this vein)
   A. Money. The Colorado PPA has existed mostly on the contributions of it’s principal officers and a few devoted participants. The only ‘significant’ donation to our coffers has come from the Denver Poker Tour and that was about a year ago. (Thanks again to Brian Masters and the DPT) We are broke. Litigation takes money, money we simply don’t have. We have even had to turn down offers of pro-bono services from lawyers because we can’t fund the paperwork. As a side note, the recent push by the National office to secure donations on July 1st was somewhat successful, however if I gave you the numbers from Colorado we would all be embarrassed.
   Q. You’ve spoken of potential laws relaxing the State stance that poker is gambling. Any news on that front?
   A. We routinely lobby State Representative and Senators to bring forward a provision that simply groups Poker in with other games recognized as games of skill. Once again, we are considered political lightweights in that we can’t fund our efforts. Lobbying takes money. In States where such efforts were successful, the money came from concerned poker players. We don’t seem to have very many of those in Colorado.
   Q. What can I do to help?
   A. If I haven’t made it clear what needs to be done then I simply lack the skills to do so. You figure it out.
   In conclusion I would like to point out that no one, group or idea ever found the light of day without effort from those affected. If you are happy with the way things are, do nothing. If you are not, act. Don’t email me about what we are doing in the State PPA. Do something about it. If you are tired of my leadership or think you could do a better job, the email address is Drew@theppa.org. Give him an earful and I’ll be gone.

   Posted 10 months ago #

Reply

You must log in to post.

Poker Players Alliance Home

Poker Players Alliance Forums is proudly powered by bbPress.