The poker world had been in a tizzy recently amid speculation of whether Sen. Reid’s proposed poker bill, and its 15-month blackout period, would become law.  Sadly, or maybe not so sadly for others, there is nothing left to discuss.  The bill has been taken off the table.  We may now go back to discussing the merits of intrastate online poker and when (if) New York will decide to cash in on what are predicted to be almost record-breaking Wall Street bonuses by legalizing live poker in New York City.  Okay, maybe that’s just me.

Who can keep this straight anymore?  Well, PLB’s going to try.  Senator Reid says that his comments were taken out of context and that his poker bill is NOT dead after all.  Stay tuned for the next 180 by someone.

Also, California’s poker push is picking up some momentum.  Check out the same link above.

So much for the short-lived optimism (of some) surrounding the possibility of Senator Reid proposing online poker legislation.  Sen. Reid announced today that he will not be offering legislation to legalize online poker during the lame duck session of Congress.  The worst part for poker enthusiasts is that many of poker’s Congressional opponents, such as Spencer Bachus of the Financial Services Committee, Dave Camp of the Ways and Means Committee, and Lamar Smith of the Judiciary Committee, are the ranking members of those respective committees.  That means they will be those committee’s chairs next year, and in prime position to blunt any attempt to repeal the UIGEA.  You may go back to bashing Congress now.