A friend of mine and Poker In The Park sponsor has started The UK Low Stakes Poker Players Facebook Group
We have launched - now we need your help !!
Ok so this has been on my mind for some time, to actually do something about making Low Stakes Poker Legal so thank you for joining the group.
I realy do need your support and help to make this more than a mickey mouse facebook group and would ask you to invite every poker player that you know to join - no matter at what level they play or how often.
The freedom to play must be granted universally whether this is in a pub/bar cafe or small poker club - market forces would eliminate the shoddy run games and players are educated enough to decide when and where they play and for what stakes.
Casino's just cannot offer decent stacked structures as they do not make much money from tournaments but small operators, clubs and individuals can - so let us campaign to be able to play our game where we like.
Please help me with stage 1 by INVITING EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO THIS GROUP
Then for stage 2 the fun part - the poker game outside a well known London Landmark Smile We can do this as soon as we can demonstrate to the poker press that we have more than 1000 members and they have agreed to cover it (thanks Bluff Europe)
Together we can change the laws - individually we will just be voices that are never heard.
The time for action is now !!!!
Steve Blapo
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Congratulations to Stanley's Casino in Plymouth for joining up to the cause.
This is the first casino which can see the benefit of allowing players to chose where they wish to play -
I for one will make sure that I play there when next in the South West and hope if you are in the area you will too - Big Pat on the back for them and Link to their page for being so good :)
We will be organizing a small gathering to highlight the need for people to be able to play where they chose - we would invite everyone that plays poker to get involved - regardless of what stakes you play at.
New Players are the lifeline of any sport and we wish to promote Low Stakes Poker Games across The UK in a venue that a player feels comfortable in.
Stage 1 is to get as many of you as possible together online in one place - so please tell all your friends and invite them to join.
Stage 2 Will be to hold a small protest poker tournament outside a well known London Landmark, which is going to be covered by the press etc.
Stage 3 lobby every MP in this country and we will need your support and input. Whilst these nice people go off for their 8 week holiday we can start thinking of Legitimate and LEGAL ways to get our message out there.
Q. Asked to me the other day by a good friend
Why Bother - is this not just adding stress to your life ?
My Answer is, yes it is stress and time consuming, but I passionately believe in being able to offer Low Stakes Poker to people who wish to improve their game.
I think the restrictions are stupid - you can lose thousands online and no one but you and yr bank manager will know.
Low Stakes poker is not just poker but also social - many friendships have been made and formed across the country at various low stakes poker events, by cutting off our right to play the Govt in my opinion is breaching our Human Rights.
Low Stakes Poker is also the learning ground for some players who go on to playing bigger games online and at casino's - therefore it is actually of benefit to casino's and online operators if players cut their teeth and learn the ropes at small stakes games - they will be prepared for playing in a casino.
Ok So as usual when the heat is on people turn against each other rather than coming together to find a solution.
This is a time for unity not petty infighting and rivalries - believe me the Govt can be defeated but only if all previously warring parties get together and stop acting with self interest - let us bring about lasting change for the good of all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am writing to campaign against the legal limit for pub poker being £5 per person with a maximum pot of £100. In the UK we are allowed to spend £1000s on scratch cards, fruit machines, in betting shops or in online casinos or bingo rooms every day if we so wish, but we are not allowed to play pub poker for a reasonable amount of prize money and to a size and structure that all players are comfortable with.
Let poker players chose where, when and how much they wish to play for. Low Stakes Poker should be playable where players choose to play be it in a casino, a pub/bar/restaurant/club online or wherever the players wish to play. Players are sensible enough to decide for themselves what is and what is not a well run game.
Low Stakes Poker is a way of improving a players understanding and skills as well as being a social and entertaining way of spending time and making new friendships and associations. Therefore, I am campaigning for the legal limit in pubs to be raised to a sensible level and remove the max prize of £100 which effectively limits a pub game to 20 players at £5 stake, as well as allowing organizers to be able to make a small charge for organising well run games and providing equipment and staff to TD a game.
Most of all this is about choice, I firmly believe that people can decide for themselves what they are comfortable with and where they want to play. By increasing the stake limits in non casino environments and making games universally available the market will decide which games survive and which do not. For many casinos low stakes poker just is not financially viable and tournament structures are designed to push players to cash tables.
By allowing small stakes poker outside of casino's they would actually find that players would move onto the bigger games in casinos once they had learnt the game so this would benefit casinos. Low stakes poker also offers a place for Losing Online players to play live and see where they are going wrong - many online players are losing thousands secretly as they have no where to play.
The poker playing community is a large one, made up of people of both genders, all age groups, all social classes and ethnicity. It is a wonderful way to make friends and socialize, whilst learning a complex skill. Poker has the ability to bring people together who may never interact in any other social sphere - for non players it may have seedy connotations but in reality the community is made up almost entirely of welcoming, friendly people who simply want to do something interesting with their evenings. You can spend more on going to the cinema in London than you can spend on playing a friendly poker game. This seems completely ridiculous.
I hope you will take into account the views of a growing community - online poker is an industry worth between $1.5-2.5 billion every year worldwide - with a large proportion of players in the UK. Surely it is better to allow poker players to play in pubs and communities, supporting local businesses that may otherwise be struggling in the recession, rather than letting players spend undisclosed amounts online?
Replies
This is the first casino which can see the benefit of allowing players to chose where they wish to play -
I for one will make sure that I play there when next in the South West and hope if you are in the area you will too - Big Pat on the back for them and Link to their page for being so good :)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/stanleycasino.plymouth?v=info&...
New Players are the lifeline of any sport and we wish to promote Low Stakes Poker Games across The UK in a venue that a player feels comfortable in.
Stage 1 is to get as many of you as possible together online in one place - so please tell all your friends and invite them to join.
Stage 2 Will be to hold a small protest poker tournament outside a well known London Landmark, which is going to be covered by the press etc.
Stage 3 lobby every MP in this country and we will need your support and input. Whilst these nice people go off for their 8 week holiday we can start thinking of Legitimate and LEGAL ways to get our message out there.
Q. Asked to me the other day by a good friend
Why Bother - is this not just adding stress to your life ?
My Answer is, yes it is stress and time consuming, but I passionately believe in being able to offer Low Stakes Poker to people who wish to improve their game.
I think the restrictions are stupid - you can lose thousands online and no one but you and yr bank manager will know.
Low Stakes poker is not just poker but also social - many friendships have been made and formed across the country at various low stakes poker events, by cutting off our right to play the Govt in my opinion is breaching our Human Rights.
Low Stakes Poker is also the learning ground for some players who go on to playing bigger games online and at casino's - therefore it is actually of benefit to casino's and online operators if players cut their teeth and learn the ropes at small stakes games - they will be prepared for playing in a casino.
Ok So as usual when the heat is on people turn against each other rather than coming together to find a solution.
This is a time for unity not petty infighting and rivalries - believe me the Govt can be defeated but only if all previously warring parties get together and stop acting with self interest - let us bring about lasting change for the good of all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emailing your MP is easy and takes 5mins max as you can just copy and paste the letter below and send an email via this link
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/
Dear (MP),
I am writing to campaign against the legal limit for pub poker being £5 per person with a maximum pot of £100. In the UK we are allowed to spend £1000s on scratch cards, fruit machines, in betting shops or in online casinos or bingo rooms every day if we so wish, but we are not allowed to play pub poker for a reasonable amount of prize money and to a size and structure that all players are comfortable with.
Let poker players chose where, when and how much they wish to play for. Low Stakes Poker should be playable where players choose to play be it in a casino, a pub/bar/restaurant/club online or wherever the players wish to play. Players are sensible enough to decide for themselves what is and what is not a well run game.
Low Stakes Poker is a way of improving a players understanding and skills as well as being a social and entertaining way of spending time and making new friendships and associations. Therefore, I am campaigning for the legal limit in pubs to be raised to a sensible level and remove the max prize of £100 which effectively limits a pub game to 20 players at £5 stake, as well as allowing organizers to be able to make a small charge for organising well run games and providing equipment and staff to TD a game.
Most of all this is about choice, I firmly believe that people can decide for themselves what they are comfortable with and where they want to play. By increasing the stake limits in non casino environments and making games universally available the market will decide which games survive and which do not. For many casinos low stakes poker just is not financially viable and tournament structures are designed to push players to cash tables.
By allowing small stakes poker outside of casino's they would actually find that players would move onto the bigger games in casinos once they had learnt the game so this would benefit casinos. Low stakes poker also offers a place for Losing Online players to play live and see where they are going wrong - many online players are losing thousands secretly as they have no where to play.
The poker playing community is a large one, made up of people of both genders, all age groups, all social classes and ethnicity. It is a wonderful way to make friends and socialize, whilst learning a complex skill. Poker has the ability to bring people together who may never interact in any other social sphere - for non players it may have seedy connotations but in reality the community is made up almost entirely of welcoming, friendly people who simply want to do something interesting with their evenings. You can spend more on going to the cinema in London than you can spend on playing a friendly poker game. This seems completely ridiculous.
I hope you will take into account the views of a growing community - online poker is an industry worth between $1.5-2.5 billion every year worldwide - with a large proportion of players in the UK. Surely it is better to allow poker players to play in pubs and communities, supporting local businesses that may otherwise be struggling in the recession, rather than letting players spend undisclosed amounts online?
Please help us in our cause,
Yours Sincerely,