Congress continues to review online poker in 2010

Jeremy Jones, a 25 year old Fort Worth landman with a gas and oil company enjoys playing online poker but some odd play aroused his suspicions. He noticed that occasionally players would go all in on hands that are nearly impossible to win and come out victorious. 

Jones said that, "The odds of them hitting were less than 5 percent, yet they go ahead and make the money, I have never been able to prove it, and every online player will tell you the same thing: Sometimes there are hands that happen online frequently and hardly ever in a real card game. With literally hundreds of millions of dollars changing hands every day, surely someone smart enough could figure a way around the security."

Last month the FBI told a congressional committee that online poker games can be manipulated. The congressional committee is being led by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., they are reviewing a bill which would reverse the 2006 law that prevents banks from transferring money to gaming sites which in turn stops Americans gambling online using credit cards.

FBI Assistant Director Shawn Henry wrote a letter to a member on the committee in which he said, "There are several ways to cheat at online poker, none of which are legal. It would only take two or three players working in unison to defeat the other players who are not part of the team."

Barney Frank and others have asked for a delay in the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the hope of overturning it. The hope is that by legalising online gambling there could be stricter guidance and a significant amount made in taxation. Frank has the backing of more than 60 co-sponsors including two Texans: Reps. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, and Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio.