The deck may still be stacked against online poker enthusiasts, but an advocacy group that represents them is suddenly holding a whole lot of chips.

The Poker Players Alliance is expected to announce Tuesday that it has registered more than one million members and will be organizing both a political action committee and a voter-registration drive as part of its If You Play, Have a Say campaign.

The announcement follows a string of modest victories for the online poker community, including a key hearing before the House Financial Services Committee and the introduction of new legislation by its chairman, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).

An Internet gambling ban currently prohibits players from wiring money to offshore gambling sites. The PPA would like Congress to lift the ban or at least carve out an exception for poker. While few observers would be willing to bet on Congress doing anything this year, the PPA’s organizers hope its expanded membership will give them more political might under a new administration.

“Reaching 1 million members puts the PPA on par with such political powerhouses as AARP and the National Association of Realtors,” said former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-N.Y.), who is chairman of the group.

D’Amato may be bluffing a little: While the National Association of Realtors has around 1.3 million members, AARP claims 39 million. But then, neither the Realtors nor AARP can use a marquee event like the annual World Series of Poker, which starts in late May in Las Vegas, to draw attention to its cause.

The PPA will have representatives at the event, signing up members and registering voters for the November election. The group will also have computer terminals at the event so fans can send e-mails to their members of Congress.

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Author Contact Info: Patrick O’Connor, The Politico