Now remember, I am not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice. That being said, the president is scheduled to sign a bill that was designed to address the issue of Port Security. Attached to that bill is the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Act". It's not exactly a match made in heaven, but if he signs it (which he will) they both become law.

What does that mean to online poker players? Well, if you're not a resident of the United States, not too very much. If you are a resident of the US, it doesn't look like you'll be getting in any trouble by playing poker online. It's not that kind of a ban.

Besides, can you imagine law enforcement being charged with finding out about each and every person who plays a Sit and Go at Party Poker? Instead, it becomes illegal for people to do any kind of banking with reagrds to gambling online. They are a lot easier to find and monitor that the millions and millions of players.

So, what's the fallout? Several online poker rooms have decided to close the accounts of all US citizens. That way, they couldn't possibly be doing anything wrong. Which, sounds reasonable.

The rooms closing out US players tend to be publicly traded companies, with obligations to their shareholders. So, the big poker rooms that are listed on the Stock Exchanges of Europe are the first to start issuing letters that accounts are closing.

Those companies that look to be moving away from the US market include:

• Party Poker
• The Cryptologic Poker Rooms
• Titan and eventually the iPoker Rooms
• Pacific Poker
• Boss Poker Rooms

Several are undecided as of now, and a few have issued statements that they will allow US players. Amoung the group that are staying open are Absolute, Full Tilt, and Poker.Com.

I'm sure more developments will take place in the near future. One of the websites that is following this more closely is US Poker Online.