Poker Articles

Tonight, the Poker Players Alliance will hold a fundraiser in conjunction with the American Gaming Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of the 2008 Republican National Convention. A charity poker tournament benefiting the Paralyzed Veterans of America, similar to the one that took place last week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, is the centerpiece of the evening. Among those slated to appear are Greg Raymer, Victor Ramdin, and PocketFives’ own Chris Fox Wallace, who lives in Minneapolis and was invited to play in the tournament by the PPA. Wallace spoke with PocketFives.com about his involvement.

The fundraiser is set to kick off at 10:00pm local time tonight with a VIP reception. The charity poker tournament will kick off a half hour later. Wallace talks about the popularity of the tournament: “The PPA contacted me and wanted me to help promote it. At this point, all the promotion I can do doesn’t help because the tournament is already full. They have every celebrity that they can handle and every single ticket is sold.”

Raymer, Ramdin, Wallace, and Barry Greenstein will represent the poker world. Former talk show host Montel Williams and other high-profile attendees will also be in attendance. Wallace explains why becoming involved was so important to him: “I want to do everything I can for the Poker Players Alliance and I think the Paralyzed Veterans of America is a great charity. The original fundraising goal was $100,000 between the DNC and RNC tournaments and they’ve already passed that. It’s also fun to be able to play with quality players.” Even if you’re against poker on a moral level, it’s hard to argue with the PVA as a worthy charity.

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican, was instrumental in introducing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican from Tennessee, was the driving force behind pushing the legislation through Congress and attaching it at the final moments of the 2006 Congressional session to the SAFE Port Act. Therefore, demonstrating that poker players are capable of being positive influences on society is one of the over-arching goals of the event on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Wallace added, “When poker produces positive things, it’s much harder to be against it.”

Moreover, a drive by the PPA to ensure that a stance against internet gambling was not in the 2008 Republican Party platform appears to have been ultimately unsuccessful. The GOP platform was recently released and currently reads, “We support the law prohibiting gambling over the internet.” When asked if he thought many Republicans knew about how the UIGEA was passed back in 2006, Wallace answered, “I’m definitely going to try to make sure that people know. I think the average person doesn’t know, but big poker players do.”

The event hosted by the PPA at Coors Field in Denver last week featured actors Ben Affleck (who won the charity poker tournament), Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman, Richard Dreyfus, and Seth Myers. In addition, Congressmen Barney Frank, Robert Wexler, and Shelley Berkley all made appearances, capping off an extremely successful fundraising and political event. The DNC tournament ultimately raised over $60,000 for the PVA.

For Wallace, the push to legalize online poker in the United States carries a special significance: “I’ve been telling people to support the cause. For people who are friends are mine, it’s a big issue. The issue involves trying to make my career illegal.” He’ll be among the 200 people that the PPA expects at the event, which it is holding in conjunction with the American Gaming Association. The PPA’s Chairman, Alfonse D’Amato, is a former three-term Republican Senator from New York. Republican Congressmen Ron Paul and Pete Sessions, who are both from Texas, have introduced pro-internet gambling legislation.

The Minneapolis event will take place at 116 First Avenue North. Four sponsorship levels exist for individuals and companies to buy their way into the tournament, starting with a $250 spectator seat. The cheapest playing seat is $1,000. All proceeds from the event will benefit the PVA.

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PocketFives.com