Most everyone who plays poker or watches poker now knows that the United States government has taken a hostile attitude toward online poker. The most recent effort to fight online poker is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). After the UIGEA was made law, the Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA) stepped up to fight for the right of poker players. But what exactly is the PPA?

According to the website, the PPA s a nonprofit organization comprised of poker players from around the United States. The stated goal is to both promote poker and protect players’ rights. The PPA offers a number of talking points for you to use if you e-mail your Congressman and also performs its own advocacy work in Washington, D.C. The goal of the PPA is to have over one million members and as of March 24^th, 2008 the PPA has roughly around 955,000 members. The chairman of the PPA is former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato.

Membership in the PPA is free. For various levels of money someone can attain more benefits such as shirts or poker calculators. What the PPA fails to mention is how much money has been raised and where it has been spent. It is not known if the PPA is spending the majority of its money on advocacy or overhead. The primary role of the PPA appears to be that of advocacy for the rights of poker players and the board of directors is a who’s who within the poker industry. However, the PPA does not list what, if any, compensation the board of directors.

Once the PPA reaches 1 million members, what does this mean for you? In reality nothing because it is 1 million members stretched out across the country. The United States is now over 300 million people. Reaching 1 million members is more of a soapbox victory, something the PPA can trumpet when it sends out press releases.

I am not trying to say you should not join the PPA, but I am saying do not get caught up in the press releases. If you want to join and be a monetary contributing member, do your research and decide if the PPA is something you want to put money into.