Goodbye Online Poker. I really thought I knew ya.

Well it has finally happened. I often prided myself on being open minded. I believed that people are inherently good. I thought that if you behaved yourself throughout the year, Santa Clause would visit with great stuff. I was wrong. As it turns out, there is no Santa Clause.

There was a time when I would listen to people lash out at online poker. They would say things like "It's ridiculous. It's rigged. They're criminals." I would always give the benefit of the doubt to the service providers. Usually, chalking it up to the belief that those complaining were just really bad players. After all, on one of the sites, I was doing quite well.

Then the cards started crumbling down. The investigations started a number of years ago. The government did the best they could to control or limit these online poker companies in their operations. My first reaction was the belief that they were jealous they weren't getting a piece of such lucrative operations. So of course, they're going to try and shut them down. I was also of the mind set that nobody would consider jeopardizing such a cash cow by doing things that they shouldn't.

As it turns out, there's a good chance I was wrong. After the cheating scandals and the limitations placed on money transfers by the American government, it has only seemed to get worse. Forget for a moment there is a possibility you are playing against bots who represent the house. Or, forget the possibility the online poker program is working against you. Forget all the conspiracy theories you have ever heard. Imagine that somehow the actual operation of an online poker site from a technical standpoint, is completely on the level. There's only one explanation for what has happened with Full Tilt. With all the success they supposedly have had, if the government's accusations are correct, it could all be dirty.

I remember wondering why would any of these online poker companies risk the gold mines they possess when the first accusations began to circulate years ago. And then I remembered Enron. And then I remembered Adelphia Communications Corp. They do it because it's never enough. They do it because they think they can get away with it. If the accusations are true, it casts doubt everywhere.

It can't be ignored that the online poker site I have played at from time to time over the years, has lost many players. It is only a fraction of the size it was back when I could say I was making money on it consistently. Where there used to be ten tables going at the level I enjoy, now you are lucky to find one. And it is rarely full. There are a number of explanations for it. The government crackdown on American players is highly likely. But those who really want to play can find a way. Instead, they clearly choose not to.

I would also have to say that hanging on against a single challenging opponent after you flop a set has become more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I wouldn't go so far to say that it is rigged or that I'm playing against the computer program thinking it's a live player, although, this may very well be the case. I won't say it. I'll simply say, it's so hard to win now, I just don't see the point.

It is so much more enjoyable to go to a casino and play with people and cards I can see. If you play your best game and make the right decisions, sometimes you will win and sometimes you'll take the beats but if you win a little more than you lose, you'll make money in the long run. That's all it is about. As for online poker, it just doesn't seem to be the case... anymore.

I hope the accusations against Full Tilt are proven to be false. I hope that none of the online gaming community is engaged in elicit activity. I hope when you sit down to play online the program is not designed to slowly siphon off your money. I hope that your chances of success in an online game are exactly the same as a brick and mortar casino. However, when it comes to my hard earned money, I have to be able to do better than just hope.

If you are one of those people who decided that online play is still great and exciting and maybe you are even making money, I congratulate you and wish you all the best. I will be cheering for you from the rail.

Brian Lazanik and James Patinson bring the laughs for a great cause

Brian Lazanik was hilarious as he riffed about everything from his grandmother to basketball. He had the whole group rolling from the moment he started. Every once and a while Lazanik would key in on somebody in the front row. One time it got so intense that he had one of the ladies claim if she laughed any harder she would have to run to the bathroom. That Brian Lazanik was hysterical. He also happens to be one of the nicest guys we've ever met.

James Patinson was smooth as silk and got the show started. He talked about how great it was that we could all get together for a great cause and not to forget about comedians with the next event. Nice try James. He had great stuff about politics and the environment and I think by the end of the night, he may have gotten a couple numbers. That James Patinson is one funny operator. We couldn't have asked for a better comedy portion of the evening.

Our first shot at the Cards for a Cause event seemed to go off without a hitch except for the table sizes. Next time we'll be sure to get more diet soda. Couldn't believe how fast it went. I agree with Brian Lazanik that our good friend Mr. Nelson had something to do with it. Crazy guy.

In any event, we had just over three hundred people show up and between the tournament and the show, everybody seemed to have a great time and we raised a few bucks on top of it all. Hopefully, we'll be able to do it again soon. We'll be shooting for a larger venue, that will indeed help with the overcrowded tables which I assume would have been somewhat chaotic if everybody decided to play. Just as an aside, the craziest beat of the evening has to go to Alex for losing after flopping a full house to a one-outer straight flush...on the river. It's only about a seven gajillion to one. Woo Hoo! Congratulations to Derek Jessup, our first winner. Hold that plate up with pride Derek. Lucky guy.

Thank you again to our amazing comedians Brian Lazanik and James Patinson for donating their time. Special thanks to Marcy and Linda for all the great food and fixings and running a fantastic kitchen. You ladies really made me miss my mom. Yes you were that fantastic. Finally, thank you again to everybody for making it such a great event. Hope to see you all again soon.brianlazanik.com