Here's a transcript of my pro chat today during tournament 11 of FTOPS IX.

This Tuesday at 8pm (check your local listings) ESPN starts their 2008 World Series of Poker coverage with the first event of this WSOP, the $10,000 buy-in Pot Limit Hold'em tornament, filmed on June 1st. I started the table with the chip lead. Check here for some previews: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/poker/wsop?vidId=3482452 .

In case you're wondering how I'm doing in the WSOP main event, I haven't played yet. I'm playing tomorrow, the fourth and last day 1.

Who would make a better President, a poker player or a craps player?

Check out this article (which quotes Doyle Brunson, Anthony Holden, and me) in today's Telegraph newspaper:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2252578/US-election-Poker-player-Barack-Obama-has-better-odds-than-dice-man-John-McCain.html

And here's an article that was in Time July 2:

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1819898,00.html

... that banks should be Internet morality cops.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-barney-frank/social-conservatives-stil_b_109650.html

Republicans on the House of Representatives' Financial Services Committee voted 28 to 3 against fellow Republican Peter King's amendment that would help reduce the burden that the UIGEA imposed on banks. The UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was passed in 2006 in the middle of the last night before Congress went out of session and (once the regulations are finalized) it will turn banks into attorneys general and gambling police.

Here's the story on how the UIGEA got passed initially: http://www.andybloch.com/gl/pub/article.php?story=20061031193348376

I've made it to day 4 -- the final 24 players -- in the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship at the World Series of Poker. I have 421,000 in chips, about 2/3 of the average (616,667). However, we're not in the money yet, as only 16 will get paid. Play resumes at 3pm local time and you can follow along with the live updates at http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2008-world-series-of-poker/event-45-50000-h-o-r-s-e-world-championship/ .