Texas Online Poker | Texas Poker Rooms
With the recent news of online poker being shut off to American players the future of those wanting to play the game has become quite muddied. While it seems the national regulation of the game is a long ways away it is a possibly for the game to be regulated from state to state, known as intrastate poker. One state which should have a bright future when it comes to online poker regulation is Texas. Texas is one of the birthplaces of the game even giving Texas Hold’em its namesake. If states begin regulating poker it is quite likely there will be Texas Online Poker.
Even with out land based casinos the game of poker is alive in well in Texas. A lot of the poker stars known today began their careers playing in backrooms in Texas. Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim, TJ Cloutier, and many other players cut their teeth in these games before heading out to Las Vegas. A lot of the games were played out in West Texas (Lubbock) or the panhandle (Amarillo) and were quite dangerous. While the bigger games were playing out west it was actually Robstown, a small town in South Texas, which is credited as the birthplace of Texas Hold’em. After learning of all the action in Las Vegas these players introduced the game to Las Vegas casinos where it has become a mainstay over the past 45+ years.
Even with poker’s great history in the state it will still be an uphill battle to regulate Texas Online Poker. For a long time the state has had a difficult time getting casino legislature to pass. In March 2011, just before “Black Friday” for online poker, Senator Rodney Ellis (Houston) filed legislation SJR 34 in the state Senate. While the majority of lawmakers and politicians seem in favor of the jobs and economic boost a casino brings it appears the small outspoken minority is still winning the battle. Unfortunately just four weeks after these bills were filed they were shot down by Senator Robert Duncan from Lubbock. Even with large public support the Senator felt there was no need to even advance the legislation to a vote in the State Senate. It is quite unfortunate as one man seems to be holding up what an entire state wants but for the time being Sen. Duncan has control. The question becomes how will these same men feel about intrastate online poker in Texas?
There are nearly 25,000,000 Texas residents today making it the second biggest state in the nation. Texas also has special rights not afforded to other states which could potentially help the state in creating its own gambling legislation. There have always been poker players in Texas now the hope comes for Texas Online Poker to become regulated and take off in the near future. With such a large population and one which enjoys playing poker it seems Texas is ripe for intrastate poker regulation. Those looking for positives moving forward will be happy to learn Texas does have a riverboat casino located in Port Aransas with more than 500 slot machines, table games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, and Let it Ride as well as live poker. While the boat (which runs from Tuesday through Sunday) is a positive sign heading forward it still pales in comparison to what bordering states in Oklahoma and Louisiana have been able to accomplish with regard to gambling establishments.
Since April 15th has come and passed the idea of individual state’s opting-in or regulating online poker has become a much greater possibility. Much like the casinos in Texas it only takes one or two politicians to get in the way but residents should be fairly confident moving forward in Texas Online Poker coming to fruition. While the suddenness of the Department of Justice’s decision to shut down online poker has shocked the nation it has also put everyone on notice that the status quo is no longer viable. There has been a much larger outcry of support for our rights to play poker online which should be a big help when state regulation talks begin. After all, you shouldn’t call it Texas Hold’em if Texans can’t play it.
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