All I want to know is what the PPA is doing to ensure the integrity of the game? Engineer’s position seems to be one of ignoring the biggest scandals to rock the online poker world. I just don’t understand then what the PPA means by ensuring integrity. For that answer I think we need someone above Engineer to answer some questions. Questions that I think a fair number of PPA members want answered. The polling here is overwhelmingly saying the PPA is not doing enough in the eyes of its members. It doesn’t matter if those on the board think they are.

And as far as what we (LaB) or myself is doing for the cause. Plenty. We have been members of the PPA since its inception and have done several comics over the last couple of years directly promoting the PPA. In fact many of our strips have been politically motivated. It is well known amongst our readers what LaB’s position is on these matters. I have been VERY vocal when it comes to these issues and have used this site as a soap box to reach a lot of people. And you know, quite a few of our readers are NOT poker players. We are lucky here at LaB to be one of the few poker outlets that can STILL reach the non-player. So before you criticize me… maybe you should step back an analyze a situation before you make blanket insinuations.

BRYAN: I very much appreciate your comments and taking the time to stop by. It amazes me that the PPA has decided to take a public position of NOT taking a position on the scandals. What importance does the PPA then hold on ensuring the integrity of the game? If you are indeed able to convey the public position on these and many other important member issues, than we would like to interview you.

We are really just asking the most basic of questions…

Hey all,

Sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you Rich for your concise and excellent answers. Without getting into this issue too deeply, we at the PPA have discussed this issue extensively. It is for us an issue of risk versus reward. Since one of the major goals of the PPA, upon which our members agree, is the legalization and regulation of internet poker here in the US, We believe simply, that since effective regulation will fix this problem, we have more to lose than to gain by publicizing this Absolute issue. Congress, no matter how much we try to educate them, will never be fully up to speed on the details of this industry. This incident simply would not benefit our cause with them as much as it may hurt us, as a prime example for why people should just ban internet poker all together. Also, while we represent poker players, we are not a governing body, we are not a regulatory body, we are not a rules committee for poker. We are not here to grade internet poker sites. We are here to act as an advocacy group to protect the rights of poker players everywhere, be it online or in places like San Mateo California, or Tombstone Arizona, or Massachusetts. Please don’t feel like I am trying to downplay how disgusted I am by what Absolute did. I am. However we must make decisions based on what we feel will be best for this entire organization of poker players to help us achieve the goals we have set forth.
_________________
Bryan
PPA Member Relations