The World Poker Association wants to see poker as a legitimate worldwide
sport. The man at the helm of this quest is none other than Jessie Jones of
the WPA. He is so determined to make it so, that he even founded a
non-profit organization to protect the rights of poker players. The group
covered includes both professional and non-professional players.
However,
he says that right now the biggest thing that he is facing is the lack of a
universal set of rules for poker players. Jones wants tournament circuits
like the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour to both adopt the
same sets of rules for poker players. The WPA has come up with a tournament
rulebook that would set the standard for player behavior and that all major
poker events are run the same way.
He equates it to professional sports.
He says that it would be like turning up at an NFL game only to see it being
played differently week after week. He says that poker is a sport as well,
and in order to be taken seriously as one they have to adopt rules and
regulations just like everyone else.
Jones' biggest problem is the favoritism that is shown some poker players
over others. He says that there are players to bend, and even break the
rules, yet no one stops them from playing. There should be penalties for
breaking the rules, and the WPA would have no problem enforcing them.
