Phil Gordon to Testify for Poker Reform

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2005--Phil Gordon, a top professional poker player, expert analyst and co-host of TV's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," will be in St. Paul, Minnesota on Monday, March 21 to testify on behalf of proposed legislation to clarify state laws related to card games.

TV Poker Expert Phil Gordon to Testify for Poker Reform Legislation on Monday, March 21
Thursday March 17, 8:00 am ET

The legislation, offered by State Senator Dave Kleis, would add the game of Texas Hold'em to the definition of social skill games that are legal in Minnesota, such as cribbage, bridge, gin, 500 and whist.

Under Kleis' bill, tournaments involving any of these games cannot provide any direct financial benefit to the promoter or organizer, and the sum of all prizes for each tournament cannot exceed $200. Tournaments involving games of skill, such as pool and darts, are allowed under current Minnesota law.

"Legalizing this game of skill and making the pleasures of the game easier for all to enjoy is a worthy pursuit," said Gordon, who competed in nationally rated bridge championship events before graduating from college. "Government need not protect us from social poker."

"Phil Gordon is one of the world's foremost experts on Texas Hold'em, as well as an emerging role model for how this game is played today," said Kleis. "His credibility and expertise lend a great deal to our argument for why it is important to make the legality of this game clear under Minnesota law."

Kleis' proposed legislation was prompted by an incident last summer when state law enforcement authorities raided a Texas Hold'em tournament held at a St. Cloud bowling alley, confiscating cards and chips and threatening the proprietor with criminal charges.

With the surging popularity of poker - it is estimated that 80 million Americans actively play the game, many in fundraising events for various causes - similar clashes with ambiguous or antiquated laws have been reported in states such as Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Texas, as well as with administrators and enforcement personnel at many college campuses around the country.

Gordon, who has been playing poker since being taught by has great-aunt at the age of seven, is also the author of 'Poker: The Real Deal.' His next book, 'The Little Green Book of No-Limit Hold'em,' is scheduled for release in September 2005.

News Added: 17 March, 2005

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