Poker players crowded Buzio's Restaurant at the Rio today for a Poker Players Alliance rally that both denounced the government's current attempts at shutting down online gambling without exempting poker and encouraged all poker players of America to unite in order to save the game.
The restaurant was packed, and not everybody was there for the free food. Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, PPA President Michael Bolcerek, Chris Ferguson and others spoke to a crowd that often erupted in applause at what the speakers had to say.
The grassroots non-profit organization just surpassed the 75,000 membership mark. This is enough for politicians to start paying attention, but many more members are needed in order to move the line, said President Michael Bolcerek. 
The PPA estimates that 70 million people play poker in the United States and Bolcerek says that if elected officials knew how many people oppose this legislation, there is no way it would have a chance to survive.
"Forget what we learned in school books. Politics is about numbers," Bolcerek said. "The fact is we have a seat at the table. It all depends on how good we can play it."
Membership more than doubled in recent weeks after the House passed the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act 317-93. But all those who spoke to the packed restaurant said more members are needed to ensure that the Senate doesn't do the same thing.
And once players are members, they need to speak up.
"You need to join the PPA but you need to be active," World Series of Poker main event winner Greg Raymer said. "When they see that $70 million people will vote them out of office if they take our game away from us, (the bill won't pass)."
Ferguson, who joined Raymer and Bolcerek in Washington, D.C., on a lobbying visit, says the trip was encouraging, but that the organization would've had a louder voice if they had more numbers behind the trio.
"The good news is they really listened to us, but unfortunately they don't sometimes listen to the right people," Ferguson said.
It seems like the speakers got through to the poker players in attendance, as the table set up near the entrance of Buzio's to register members was constantly crowded with pokers players signing up.
Stan Aronofsky, a player here in town from Miami, didn't mince words when describing how he feels about the bill.
"I think this issue sucks," Aronofsky said. "Poker is a skill game to me, it's not a gamble."
And that's certainly a message that the PPA is working hard to convey to elected officials.
Jim Coca, who's playing in the main event for free by winning CardPlayer.com's main event freeroll, is already a member of the PPA. He brought a basketful of t-shirts that read "Bob Goodlatte is the Biggest Donk of Them All" with "Save Poker" on the back. Goodlatte is the primary sponsor of the illegal Internet bill.
Coca said he can't believe Goodlatte won't even consider how much money would be collected from online poker if it was regulated and taxed, something the PPA wants to see happen.
"Billions of dollars could be generated from it alone," Coca said.
CardPlayer.com encourages its readers to become members if the PPA. Its website can be found at pokerplayersalliance.org. Card Player also encourages its readers to send letters to their elected officials, and they can do so electronically by clicking here.
