Update on Gambling in WV

(Originally written [3/14/05])

The Washington Post has an article about the bills in the WV State Legislature on legalizing table gaming at the 4 race tracks in the state. The basic jist of the article is that WV is headed down the slippery slope. Lottery leads to Slots leads to Table Gaming. The article seems to be a warning for Pennsylvania and Maryland not to compete with WV this way or else they will end up like WV (dependent on gambling revenues).

You will need an ID to read this article, the Washington Post provides them free of charge.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32381-2005Mar13.html


The second article comes from the Charleston Gazette. It is mostly reporting on the table gaming bill's progress through the WV State Senate.
I'm not sure if you need an ID to read this article, the Charleston Gazette provides them free of charge.

http://wvgazette.com/section/News/2005031328


I personally hope the bill becomes law. It would be sweet to be 20 minutes away from a poker table without having to move.

Blogger VegasFest II

(Originally written [3/9/05])

I will not be going to Vegas for Blogger VegasFest II. I do not have the bankroll for Vegas at this time. I am really itchy to go though. Of course, around our house, my wife gets extra exhausted in early June. School will be almost over and she has to keep ducking bullets and dodging knives at the middle school where she teaches (God Bless our educational system *yeah right*).

I am patient. I will attend at some point. I will play in an online tourney at some point. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a live blogger event at Charles Town Races and Slots. But that would assume the legislature passes the bill, the governor signs it, the county votes to allow it and CTR&S decides to actually put in a few poker tables.

After that, I would have to figure out a way to trick/lure bloggers into coming to the Mountain State.

Oh well, a guy can dream.

Mixed Messages in the WV Legislature

(Originally written [3/9/05])

(Gee, something the boys at Pokerati missed)

There are currently 3 bills affecting poker in the West Virginia
Legislature. Two in the House and one in the Senate.
The first bill in the house would cut my budding online poker career
(lol) short. It would make electronic betting illegal.

""Electronic betting" means the act of placing a bet on any game of
chance, through any electronic means, including, but not limited to,
internet, telephone or cable transmission."
from HB 2480.

This of course means I would not be able to play poker for real money
by and legal method in West Virginia.

Fortunately there are the other two bills:

SB 442 and HB 2848

Both of these bills (they are nearly identical) would legalize table
games (poker among them) at the State's Dog and Horse racing facilities.
I think some in the legislature have realized the amount of money they
can make since authorizing video slots a few years ago. (They increase
the number of machines permissible each year.) Table gaming would mean
that the racing facilities would be able to offer casino type games.
This includes poker, but poker may not be available at any facility as
they would be able to make a whole lot more by providing BlackJack,
Craps, Roulette and so forth.

I will be following these and other WV legislation, so when I get any
updates, I will pass them on.

If you have any questions, either comment or email.

I am Back... I Think?

(Originally written [3/9/05])

Yes, it has been a while since I posted last. For 1 month at least one
member of my family either had a cold or flu. During that time, I
played online once. Party gave me a "comeback bonus" of 20 dollars. Over
an hour and a half, I managed to lose it all. The good thing is that
it wasn't my money. The bad thing is that I wasn't playing the way I
should have. I was way too loose. I was raising pre-flop with bad
cards. I was raising and calling post flop having not caught a piece of the
flop. I am chalking this up to not having played in a while.

Don't look for me at the tables, as I don't play under the name "mortal_one".
As bad as I play right now, I would be losing the money even faster.

WV Legal News

(Originally written [3/9/05])

The Journal Newspaper (Martinsburg, WV) recently had this online poll:

Question: Should residents of West Virginia's 55 counties vote on the
legalization of table gaming in the state?

Yes: 173 votes (77.2%)
No: 51 votes (22.8%)

(The opinions expressed in this non-scientific poll do not necessarily
reflect those of The Journal or its staff.)


I think the people of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia would want
table gaming legalized. A large part of the economy here is Charles
Town Races and Slots (More slots than any single casino in Vegas, Grub).

Most people around here would see it as bringing money and jobs to the
area as well as providing much needed revenue for the state.
As for most of the rest of the State... I think the poll would be
reversed. Having grown up in southern West Virginia, I can tell you that
table gaming (gambling) is viewed very poorly (understatement). The
fundamentalist, conservative, and religious folks in those parts would
mostly see this as the Devil trying to get a hold of the State.

Hopefully, the same groups in the State that brought us lotteries and
Video Slots (not my way to spend money) will make it possible for table
gaming and card rooms to exist.

February False Start

(Originally written [2/14/05]

I have been staring at this Notepad window on my PC at work all day. I
don't know where to begin or even if I should begin. It has been
really rough at the _one household for the past month. But, as I have
stated here before: Family > poker.

I haven't played poker since January. No time for it with all the
things that follow here.

My wife's cold from 3 weeks ago developed into some kind of walking
pneumonia [ed. note bronchitus] 2 weeks ago. I was not able to persuade/guilt/bribe/order her to either take time off or go to the doctor's office until this past Saturday. Needless to say she would come home from work flop down on the couch and cough herself to sleep very early in the evening.

This of course leads to all the household chores being dumped on me.
Plus, the care and feeding of two rambunctious, but lovable (it's a
defense mechanism, I swear) kids.

This has left me with little time for me to pursue anything poker
related.

The good news is my wife is now on antibiotics and "Super" prescription
cough syrup. (Although she is not taking the days off the doctor
suggested.) The end of this is in sight. I actually got to read a few blogs
last night, but there are still some I haven't read in weeks.
I wish I could catch up on them, but I can't read any blog that has
"blog" in the URL from work. Bloglines is not a viable option.

With luck and a couple of nights to catch up on sleep, I will be able
to play some and read some by the next week.

Here Comes the Flood

As I said yesterday, I have several posts today. They are posts I did not have time to post in the last month. I am leaving them separate as that is how I originally intended to post them. In these posts you will see (Originally written [date]) at the top to show when it was originally written.

I am somewhat optimistic now about the chances for table gaming to come to West Virginia. It appears as if ther may be enough support in both Houses of the Legislature for the bill to pass. I don't think the Governor will veto it if it passes. (See following posts for details.)

On the online poker front, I will probably get back to the tables sometime this week after I finish our taxes. (Currently scheduled for tonight and Wednesday.) I will probably complete my purchase of That Poker Tracker Guide. And maybe even purchase the Poker Tracker software on my PC.

And now, see my last month...

Still Alive

Yep! I'm still around. Been busy lately. I will be posting in the next couple of days to fill in the gap and update on what is going on here in the Mountain State. Major legislation is currently under consideration. If it passes, there could be the equivalent of a casino within 20-25 minutes of my house!!!

PS: Thanks for the few of you who have commented and emailed me lately.