Greg Raymer AMA: March 27, 9 PM ET

[givememyleg]

Our next AMA is going to be with 2004 WSOP Champ and PPA Board of Directors member, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer! Greg Raymer took home $5,000,000 for winning the Main Event in 2004 and has career tournament winnings of $7,323,236. He also has online success including a WCOOP bracelet and other various titles.

Please post your questions in this thread and Greg will login on March 27 at 9 PM ET to answer them.

We will be giving away some prizes during the AMA, so make sure to tune in!

-----

Greg represents the WinStar Casino and you can find him at the 2013 "The River" series in last August through early September.

He will also be doing several appearances at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club this year, dates pending.

If you're looking to get some poker insight and training from a WSOP champ, check out Fossilman Poker Training's next seminar at the Belterra Casino in Southern Indiana, March 21 from 10am - 6pm. Cost is $300 for the whole day. (Full details here)

More information on Greg:

Greg Raymer's website: http://www.fossilmanpoker.com/
Fossilman Poker Training: http://www.fossilmanpokertraining.com/
The PPA's website: http://theppa.org/

[BankItDrew]

Thanks for the work you've done with the PPA.

[bikes]

Thanks for the work you've done with the PPA.

This.

[givememyleg]

Thanks for the work you've done with the PPA.

x3

[Greg Raymer]

Thanks for the work you've done with the PPA.

You’re welcome. It has been my privilege to try and help the cause of maintaining, regaining, and growing the rights of poker players.

[ISillyDurrrAK]

Greg is a cool guy

[Galapogos]

I would like to see how long this thread goes before someone's post is an actual question.

[Pascal]

I would like to see how long this thread goes before someone's post is an actual question.

This is very close to being a question, but you phrased it without it being a question. I am impressed

[Galapogos]

Actually, this AMA should be in jeopardy format. We give him statements and he has to come up with questions for them.

[Greg Raymer]

Actually, this AMA should be in jeopardy format. We give him statements and he has to come up with questions for them.

What is Göbekli Tepe?

[Ragnar4]

I'm going to ruin it: With all of the time he's spent with the PPA, how far out does he realistically think we are to having online poker go from the quasi-legal corner it's in back to what it was in 2008?

[Galapogos]

With all of the time he's spent with the PPA, I would like to hear how far out he realistically thinks we are to having online poker go from the quasi-legal corner it's in back to what it was in 2008.

I don't see how that was so hard.

[Poker Orifice]

Good stuff! Looking forward to this.

[Greg Raymer]

I'm going to ruin it: With all of the time he's spent with the PPA, how far out does he realistically think we are to having online poker go from the quasi-legal corner it's in back to what it was in 2008?

I’ve always been bad at setting lines. However, we are moving quickly now on legalizing online poker at the state level, and I am sure that this process will continue to build speed for quite some time now. The real question is how long will it take for the states to successfully come together and offer games on sites that operate within multiple jurisdictions. I don’t know how long this will take, but I do know that if you help us by lobbying your politicians, it will be sooner. Please check out www.thePPA.org to see what you can do to help in your state.

[Luco]

Hi Greg, long time listener first time caller here

So I first saw your name on the back of my Theory of Poker book, where you pretty much dedicated your 2004 win to it. Is it still your favourite poker book 8 years on or has anything new really jumped out at you the same way?

[Greg Raymer]

Hi Greg, long time listener first time caller here

So I first saw your name on the back of my Theory of Poker book, where you pretty much dedicated your 2004 win to it. Is it still your favourite poker book 8 years on or has anything new really jumped out at you the same way?

I still consider The Theory of Poker to be the first book I recommend to any poker player. If you’re going to read one book, that should be the one. Until I write one of my own.

[eberetta1]

I still consider The Theory of Poker to be the it be on poker?irst book I recommend to any poker player. If you’re going to read one book, that should be the one. Until I write one of my own.

Nice answer. Think you will ever get around to authoring a book?

[WillburForce]

errrrrrrrrr.........

[BankItDrew]

errrrrrrrrr.........

We're all mature adults here I hope.

[WillburForce]

We're all mature adults here I hope.

It should be asked though - otherwise it's like the elephant in the room.

[Luco]

It should be asked though - otherwise it's like the elephant in the room.

I would normally agree with you but given the general apathy on ftr about the whole thing, plus the fact that it has nothing to do with poker I think I can happily NOT discuss this particular elephant.

[WillburForce]

I would normally agree with you but given the general apathy on ftr about the whole thing, plus the fact that it has nothing to do with poker I think I can happily NOT discuss this particular elephant.

I know he's a big guy, but elephant? Harsh.

[agnesamurphy]

I'll ask something: How did you get involved with the Heartland Poker Tour? How would you rate the talent that comes through that tour?

[Greg Raymer]

I'll ask something: How did you get involved with the Heartland Poker Tour? How would you rate the talent that comes through that tour?

I’m just another player on the heartland poker tour. Although there are many great players on the HPT, most of the entrants are local amateurs and semi-pros. And the HPT does a great job of running lots of satellites and other qualifiers for each event. As such, there is a wide array of skill levels, and the edge for a very good player can be quite large.

[mrhappy333]

Greg, How would you rate the Foxwwoods poker rm vs most other poker rooms?
if you had a choice Foxwoods or Mohegan?

Thanks for your PPA work!!!

[Galapogos]

Greg,

[Greg Raymer]

Greg, How would you rate the Foxwwoods poker rm vs most other poker rooms?
if you had a choice Foxwoods or Mohegan?

Thanks for your PPA work!!!

I moved from Connecticut to North Carolina in 2005. Since then I have hardly ever played at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun and therefore have no useful opinion. From what I hear, they are both very good rooms.

[givememyleg]

What's your game of choice these days? With the increase in popularity of mixed games do you find yourself playing in those more often?

Do you play online at all, or just live?

[Greg Raymer]

What's your game of choice these days? With the increase in popularity of mixed games do you find yourself playing in those more often?

Do you play online at all, or just live?

I always like to say my favorite game is your worst game. More directly, my main cash game prior to winning the main event was 75-150 mixed games at Foxwoods. And I still tend to prefer mixed games, especially as compared to no limit holdem. I wish I could play online poker, but at this point it’s not worth setting up a residence outside the U.S.

[FTR_Calendar]

We have less than a week before this event starts.

[BankItDrew]

This is an event? Jesus Christ our standards are low...

[Pascal]

This is an event? Jesus Christ our standards are low...

Ask some questions!

[ilikeaces86]

What games/stakes are you currently playing in live?

Do you enjoy playing cash or tournaments more?

[FTR_Calendar]

This event starts in less than 3 days.

[eberetta1]

Greg, do you still enjoy the game of poker or do you consider it work?

[Greg Raymer]

Greg, do you still enjoy the game of poker or do you consider it work?

I love poker. Always have and probably always will. I love playing poker, I love teaching poker, I love talking poker. Even though everything I do now revolves around poker, it’s only a job in the technical sense. Like they say, if you love your work it’s not a job.

[mrickett]

Was it difficult adjusting to life in the spotlight or did this come naturally to you?

[Eric]

1. State regulation is better than no regulation but it seems complicated. What are the chances that something happens at the Federal level soon?

2. Does your PPA work ever get in the way of playing poker?

3. Your 2012 HPT scores are impressive having won on July 29th, September 30th, October 21st and November 18th.
Do you feel extra confident at HPT events or is your confidence level the same at all tournaments?

[Greg Raymer]

1. State regulation is better than no regulation but it seems complicated. What are the chances that something happens at the Federal level soon?

2. Does your PPA work ever get in the way of playing poker?

3. Your 2012 HPT scores are impressive having won on July 29th, September 30th, October 21st and November 18th.
Do you feel extra confident at HPT events or is your confidence level the same at all tournaments?

1. Unlikely, though there is some hope with new bills being introduced.

2. Not really, more like my poker work gets in the way of the PPA work at times.

3. Thanks. I’m always confident that I can play well, and have no real confidence, or lack thereof, as to the results I will achieve. Results just happen, decisions are all you can control. The skill level of the field at an HPT event is lower than at a WSOP bracelet event, so it is more likely that I will get a good result. But I can attribute my great run on the HPT in 2012 to a combination of playing well + variance. When you enter a 200 player field, even if you’re the best one there, you probably have no more than 1 chance in 50 of winning. So it’s obvious I can’t realistically take all the credit for those 4 wins. I believe I played well, but I also ran good when it counted.

[Greg Raymer]

Was it difficult adjusting to life in the spotlight or did this come naturally to you?

Many years ago I was a radio and wedding DJ, as well as a stand-up comedian. I’ve never had any difficulties with stage fright or being the center of attention. I am very lucky in this regard, as many of the other main event champions have told me they find the attention unpleasant. Some of them do a great job handling the attention, but most of them would prefer to go back to only being known by their friends.

[Alep]

Greg,
What do you think of the wording for the PPA slogan, Poker is not a crime: join the fight? A negative, pejorative, and a violent overtone - does not sound very inviting.

Thanks

[Greg Raymer]

Greg,
What do you think of the wording for the PPA slogan, Poker is not a crime: join the fight? A negative, pejorative, and a violent overtone - does not sound very inviting.

Thanks

I understand your point. I’m sure they would love it if you (or anybody) come up with something better.

[tommyd]

1) I was talking to someone about poker tells the other day, so was wondering if there are any specific poker tells that you look for and think are especially important?

2) Are you superstitious, do you have a lucky t-shirt etc?

3) Random question time! Through a miracle you have been granted access to all wikipedia pages from the year 2025, but you have a time limit of 10 minutes until it all disappears. What wikipedia pages do you read in those ten minutes??!

[Greg Raymer]

1) I was talking to someone about poker tells the other day, so was wondering if there are any specific poker tells that you look for and think are especially important?

2) Are you superstitious, do you have a lucky t-shirt etc?

3) Random question time! Through a miracle you have been granted access to all wikipedia pages from the year 2025, but you have a time limit of 10 minutes until it all disappears. What wikipedia pages do you read in those ten minutes??!

1. There are tons of significant poker tells. I highly recommend the books by Joe Navarro if you want to get better at this.

2. Not at all. I wore the same shirt for my 4 HPT wins mostly because my wife told me to keep packing that shirt. The only reason I even brought it the second time was because the HPT people told me it looked good, so I figured I might as well use it again. After that, it was just my wife.

3. My page first, then I read sports facts from the near future so I can place all the winning bets as seen in Back to the Future.

[dlbarlowe]

I'm going to play in my first ever WSOP circuit event in a few weeks. The biggest field I've ever played against consisted of about 100 players and I'm guessing there will be more players at the circuit events. Do you have any advice for me?

Are you friends with Phil Hellmuth? Does his charity work make it easier to tolerate his aberrant, abusive behavior at the table?

What is your stance on gun control in America?

[Greg Raymer]

I'm going to play in my first ever WSOP circuit event in a few weeks. The biggest field I've ever played against consisted of about 100 players and I'm guessing there will be more players at the circuit events. Do you have any advice for me?

Are you friends with Phil Hellmuth? Does his charity work make it easier to tolerate his aberrant, abusive behavior at the table?

What is your stance on gun control in America?

Just play your normal game. There are no adjustments you need to make for a large field. You can only win chips from, or lose chips to, the players at your table. So focus on them, and how to do your best against them. Whether the tournament is 100 players or 10,000, you will need to outlast about 90% to make the money. And that requires the same amount of skill and run-good for either event. As for gun control, I’m a Libertarian.

[Pascal]

Hi Greg! It's amazing to be able to post questions to you - you're one of the most recognizable and respected live players out there.

Surprised this hasn't been asked before, but when and why did you start wearing your trademark glasses?

And a question it might be impossible to answer - what did it feel like to win the Main Event?

[Greg Raymer]

Hi Greg! It's amazing to be able to post questions to you - you're one of the most recognizable and respected live players out there.

Surprised this hasn't been asked before, but when and why did you start wearing your trademark glasses?

And a question it might be impossible to answer - what did it feel like to win the Main Event?

Go to http://www.fossilmanpoker.com/faqs.htm and read question #2.
It obviously felt amazing to win the Main Event. It’s the same type of feeling you would get winning a small buy-in local tournament, or winning a sporting contest, but it is just MORE. Not only did you win, but it was the world championship, oh, and $5M in cash. Probably comparable to winning an Olympic gold medal in how it feels.

[Pascal]

Go to http://www.fossilmanpoker.com/faqs.htm and read question #2.
It obviously felt amazing to win the Main Event. It’s the same type of feeling you would get winning a small buy-in local tournament, or winning a sporting contest, but it is just MORE. Not only did you win, but it was the world championship, oh, and $5M in cash. Probably comparable to winning an Olympic gold medal in how it feels.

Thanks for the answer Winning the ME Event is obviously every poker players dream, and I'm sure everyone in this thread is jealous that you managed it! How long did the feeling take to wear off? Have you had any other result which felt like it? Does the expectation ever weigh on you during bad runs?

Are you noticed and talked to a lot in the street by other poker players?

[Greg Raymer]

Thanks for the answer Winning the ME Event is obviously every poker players dream, and I'm sure everyone in this thread is jealous that you managed it! How long did the feeling take to wear off? Have you had any other result which felt like it? Does the expectation ever weigh on you during bad runs?

Are you noticed and talked to a lot in the street by other poker players?

It never completely wears off, it just comes and goes as you think about it or not. All my wins have felt similar, just not as strong of a feeling. Bad runs are their own weight, I don't feel any drag from expectations, as I have none other than to play my best. You can't (realistically) expect results in the short run.

I get recognized all the time, especially in or near casinos. But if I spend the day at Disney with my family, I'm probably going to have about 50 interactions, where that is defined as being asked for a photo, autograph, handshake, or a question.

[givememyleg]

How much did Matusow get on your nerves during the 2004 Main Event? How do you feel about Matusow since?

Your '05 ME run was pretty epic as well. How do you feel about that performance? Do you think your nerves affected you, or would you not change how you played?

[Greg Raymer]

How much did Matusow get on your nerves during the 2004 Main Event? How do you feel about Matusow since?

Your '05 ME run was pretty epic as well. How do you feel about that performance? Do you think your nerves affected you, or would you not change how you played?

Mike and I are good friends, and have been since soon after the 2004 ME. We don’t see each other very often, but that’s because we are seldom in the same place at the same time, but I still consider him very much a good friend. He’s got a big heart, and means well towards everybody.

I wouldn’t take anything back about that tournament, except deal a new card on the river against Aaron Kanter. It wasn’t an issue of nerves or anything like that. When he bluff-raised me on the turn, I was 100% sure he was bluffing, and so I put him all-in. It was simply unfortunate that he had caught a flush draw by that point, felt pot-stuck, called, and then hit the river.

[givememyleg]

Can you give us a breakdown of what http://www.fossilmanpokertraining.com/ is, why you started it, when people can participate, what they can expect, etc.?

[Esterno19]

Hi Greg Really love your style...

You were one of the original members from Team PokerStars Pro. Do you miss the old days when you were picked out together with other great names in the poker scene?

Does the glasses help you put on your poker face or could you enter any event or play against any opponent without them?

Thanks

[Greg Raymer]

Hi Greg Really love your style...

You were one of the original members from Team PokerStars Pro. Do you miss the old days when you were picked out together with other great names in the poker scene?

Does the glasses help you put on your poker face or could you enter any event or play against any opponent without them?

Thanks

Thanks!

I certainly do miss hanging out with Chris Moneymaker and Joe Hachem more often. It was great fun when we were the three main guys repping PS, and would see each other at EPT events and the like all the time.

No need for the glasses. In fact, I seldom wear them anymore unless it’s a televised table. If the room isn’t really well lit, they will possibly cause me to misread the board, so it’s too risky to wear them all the time.

[Greg Raymer]

Can you give us a breakdown of what http://www.fossilmanpokertraining.com/ is, why you started it, when people can participate, what they can expect, etc.?

www.FossilManPokerTraining.com is my training website to promote the in-person lessons and seminars that I offer. There is no online training component, and I have no plans to add anything like that at this time. I teach a lot of live seminars every year, as well as offer 1-on-1 personal coaching. You can go to this site to arrange a private lesson, or to see when and where there are upcoming live seminars that you might attend. And you can feel free to recommend to your local live poker room manager that they consider booking one of my live seminars at their room, so it is convenient for you to attend.

[Cruelsebastian]

Cheers Greg!!! Great win on the 2004 WSOP Championship...AMAZING!!!

My questions:
After your big win in the 2004 WSOP Championship did you buy anything special with all that money? I mean, was there anything in your mind that you instantly just knew ..."I gotta get this"!!

If you had to choose...what would you say to be your favorite: Collecting fossils or teaching/training others about poker?

[Greg Raymer]

Cheers Greg!!! Great win on the 2004 WSOP Championship...AMAZING!!!

My questions:
After your big win in the 2004 WSOP Championship did you buy anything special with all that money? I mean, was there anything in your mind that you instantly just knew ..."I gotta get this"!!

If you had to choose...what would you say to be your favorite: Collecting fossils or teaching/training others about poker?

I’m not a splurgy kind of guy, so there never really was anything special and expensive that I bought myself. When we moved to Raleigh, we bought a much more expensive house than we would’ve otherwise. I put in a pool for my wife and daughter to enjoy. My wife got a new car, a new wedding ring. The only expensive thing I’ve ever done for myself was buy a launch monitor recently so I can hit golf balls into a net indoors and get feedback on my swing. And that only cost about two buyins on the HPT.

I don’t really collect fossils, so teaching is clearly the answer. I love teaching poker, and I believe I’m excellent at it. In fact, despite my tournament results, I believe I’m a better teacher than player.

[FTR_Calendar]

Less than 24 hours to go until this event starts!

[Esterno19]

Forgot this one question...

When you sit at a poker table do you like to be challenged or do you have a certain thrill when you are able to overcome all opponents quite easily?

[Greg Raymer]

Forgot this one question...

When you sit at a poker table do you like to be challenged or do you have a certain thrill when you are able to overcome all opponents quite easily?

It’s always a challenge. Whether the opponent(s) is a novice or a highly skilled player, you need to do your best at figuring them out, and maximizing your advantage. And it’s never a cake-walk.

[givememyleg]

I'm sure you get asked questions all of the time about US poker regulation, but it's an important topic. I have a few questions that hopefully aren't as common and were wondering what you thought:

- Instead of focusing on when it will happen, what will it take to happen?
- Do you think state-to-state online poker would be a step in the right direction, or actually be worse in the long run?
- Do you feel part of the reason big B&M casinos haven't pushed this as hard is because they fear they won't be able to compete with online giants such as PokerStars?

[Greg Raymer]

I'm sure you get asked questions all of the time about US poker regulation, but it's an important topic. I have a few questions that hopefully aren't as common and were wondering what you thought:

- Instead of focusing on when it will happen, what will it take to happen?
- Do you think state-to-state online poker would be a step in the right direction, or actually be worse in the long run?
- Do you feel part of the reason big B&M casinos haven't pushed this as hard is because they fear they won't be able to compete with online giants such as PokerStars?

Excellent way to put the question. It will take effort and input from all of us. One of the best things you can do is follow the Rich Muny Daily Action Plan (http://theppa.org/takeaction/) which you will find on this link. There are millions of poker players who want to play online, and want to protect their rights. Regular participation in this plan is the most effective easy thing you can do.

I’m not sure if state level legalization is going to work out easily, or be really tough, but it’s certainly better than waiting on a Federal bill that might not ever happen.

I think that corporations in general are afraid of change. They tend to focus on the negative of any situation, and downplay the positive. So they saw how the introduction of online poker could cost them in their current business, but have failed to see how it could help their current business, as well as provide them with a new business that might be even more lucrative than the old. Some of them are finally coming around, and we’re making more political progress as a result. I don’t really think it was fear of PS or anybody else, just fear of change in general.

[flopman]

Hi Greg, I've been a big fan and I have a lot of respect for your poker achievements. It's appalling what you had to go through for the type of activity you were charged with.
It seems like other posters are ignoring the obvious topic, so I guess I will be the first to ask you about it. My question is how exactly was the sting set up? Specifically, did they use the real female officer's picture in the ad? When you called for an appointment, did they goat you to say something specific on the phone before you showed up? What exactly was the setup when you arrived? Was there an actual female officer posing as a prostitute when you got there? Did they make you verbally confirm a specific act before making the arrest?

I'm just curious about how suspicious you were that it was a sting when you were going through the motion of it all.

Thanks for doing this and I hope this blows over for you in the very near future.

[BadBeatBoris]

Did the cat make it?

[bode]

Did the cat make it?

if this is a reference to the cat making the jump - Awesome.

if not, carry on.

[FTR_Calendar]

Less than 12 hours to go until this event starts!

[ChrisP]

What is your stance on gay marriage? How do you think the supreme court will rule on the DOMA and Proposition 8 cases that went before the court yesterday and today?

[Greg Raymer]

What is your stance on gay marriage? How do you think the supreme court will rule on the DOMA and Proposition 8 cases that went before the court yesterday and today?

I’m a Libertarian. If two adults want to get married, why should I care? Anything any adult does that doesn’t directly hurt another, is their own business. And for all of those people out there who are treating this as if it were a religious issue, they can **** off. There is (or at least there should be) no room for religion or morality in politics. Morality should have nothing to do with what becomes law. If a law is passed for a moral reason, then what’s to stop politicians from passing other moral laws in the future? What if a strong majority of the country becomes one religion, and for moral reasons, to protect everybody from themselves, to save all of our souls, they pass a law that only their religion is to be accepted, and all other religions are outlawed? I prefer to say now that morality should never be the basis for any law, rather than have to possibly deal with scenarios like this down the road. Right now most people would say that scenario is crazy, and it would never happen. But if you pass one law for moral reasons now, then you will pass another law next time that maybe reaches a bit further, and then another. Where do we stop? I propose we stop now, and remove all laws based on morality, and never again pass another.

As for how the Supreme Court will rule, I have no prediction, as I’m not up to date with this issue in the courts, or have any knowledge of how the various Justices are expected to vote. I just hope they do the right thing this time, as they sure have messed up a lot of their decisions in the last couple of decades.

[Hippy80]

Hey Greg,

I'm about to go all regulatory on you, so feel free to ignore me.

With NV, NJ and Delaware (I mean, come on, Delaware?) all having online gaming legislation on the books, how far away is the US from having a majority of it's citizen's able to consensually gamble in their own homes?

Do you think the US casino market is still significantly behind the rest of the world when it comes to online gaming, both in technology, and ethos, or have they caught up?

What do you think about the AGA's actions regarding PokerStars NJ licence application? Is it any more than Caesar's throwing the rattle out of the pram over the PokerStars rebuff of their advances to sell them the Rio and the WSOP brand?

Looking back before Black Friday, how do you rate the effectiveness of the PPA? I know they were mainly bankrolled by PokerStars and Full Tilt v1, did this have any impact on the decisions made at that time?

What do you consider the impact is of the PPA campaigns currently? What can they improve on, and what can individual US (and ROW) Poker players do hasten regulation in the US?

As a serving Board member on the PPA, have you received any legal opinions regarding the current status of Poker Sites still operating inside the US?

[Greg Raymer]

Hey Greg,

I'm about to go all regulatory on you, so feel free to ignore me.

With NV, NJ and Delaware (I mean, come on, Delaware?) all having online gaming legislation on the books, how far away is the US from having a majority of it's citizen's able to consensually gamble in their own homes?

Do you think the US casino market is still significantly behind the rest of the world when it comes to online gaming, both in technology, and ethos, or have they caught up?

What do you think about the AGA's actions regarding PokerStars NJ licence application? Is it any more than Caesar's throwing the rattle out of the pram over the PokerStars rebuff of their advances to sell them the Rio and the WSOP brand?

Looking back before Black Friday, how do you rate the effectiveness of the PPA? I know they were mainly bankrolled by PokerStars and Full Tilt v1, did this have any impact on the decisions made at that time?

What do you consider the impact is of the PPA campaigns currently? What can they improve on, and what can individual US (and ROW) Poker players do hasten regulation in the US?

As a serving Board member on the PPA, have you received any legal opinions regarding the current status of Poker Sites still operating inside the US?

The U.S. is definitely behind much of the world in this area, but hopefully that is now changing. I think we can thank the PPA for a large portion of the improvement we’ve seen in the last half dozen years. Before the PPA, bills were being introduced into Congress to specifically outlaw online poker, and we were fighting against these bills (and losing in the case of the UIGEA). Nowadays the fight is to pass legislation that would specifically legalize online poker. And thought we haven’t yet won that fight in Congress, at least we’re fighting FOR a good bill, rather than fighting against a bad one.

I’ve already said what I believe is the best thing you can do if you want to bring back online poker, and do so faster and with better legislation. Take part in the Rich Muny Daily Action Plan (http://theppa.org/takeaction/).

I have no opinion on the poker sites currently doing business with U.S. customers. I do honestly believe that offering online poker inside the U.S. is NOT illegal under any current U.S. Federal law (but does violate some state laws, the clearest example being Washington state).

[satrapha]

Hi!
What day is it today?

[STILL_mkd]

Hi Greg. I want to ask you when you start for first time to play poker?

And

What poker games do you prefer to play?

[Credsfan03]

How do you see online poker in the USA in the future? Do you believe that the legalization of poker in the United States will contribute to a second poker boom? How long do you think it will be until a major poker site like Pokerstars, Full Tilt, or PartyPoker enters the US market. Also what tournaments do you plan to play this year? I heard from somewhere that you have a lot of HPT events on your schedule again this year.

[Greg Raymer]

How do you see online poker in the USA in the future? Do you believe that the legalization of poker in the United States will contribute to a second poker boom? How long do you think it will be until a major poker site like Pokerstars, Full Tilt, or PartyPoker enters the US market. Also what tournaments do you plan to play this year? I heard from somewhere that you have a lot of HPT events on your schedule again this year.

Absolutely, if we get specific legalization of online poker in the U.S., it will start a second poker boom. Maybe not as big a boom as the first time, but huge nonetheless. And even if the current big sites aren’t able to enter the U.S., new big sites will emerge quickly.

A lot of my schedule is driven by the seminars I teach. I happened to play a lot of HPT events last year because several of those venues booked seminars to coincide with their HPT main events. I will still be playing many HPT events this year partially for the same reason, and also because as the HPT POY, I get free hotel and free buyins to 6 events.