Entrepreneur In Palo Alto Ready To Unveil Texas Block’em

An entrepreneur based in Palo Alto is ready to unveil a site called Texas Block’em which will allow residents within the United States to gamble online, legally, in a certain sense of the word. According to Arthur M. Pfeiffer, the owner and the founded of Thwart Poker Inc., and the developer of the site, the reason he is able to do this is because he has removed any element of luck from his game, so players need to rely on their skill alone to win. Furthermore, because the luck element has been removed from the game, this doesn’t constitute as gambling.

Removing Luck From The Game

How do you remove luck from a game of poker? Pfeiffer states that you can accomplish this by removing the random nature of dealing cards to players. In a usual game of poker, players are dealt a hand of cards at random, but in this version, they get to pick the hand that they want to be dealt. Because of this element, players need to rely on their skill alone to win a game since luck won’t leave anyone at a disadvantage.

Pure Play

Texas Block’em is not the only poker site that is claiming to be legal within San Francisco; Pure Play is another poker room that has been operating since 2005 and it is considered to be completely legal because players aren’t charged to take part in the online competitions. The founder of the site, Jason B. Kellerman asks players to pay a fee each month to belong to the site, and they can then sign up for competitions for free.

Pfeiffer believes that while Pure Play is a competitor within this market, Texas Block’em is a site that is unique enough to offer something completely different to players, particularly because those participating in Pure Play tend to have to deal with the random hands they are dealt. He believes that his players are participating very actively in the card selection, and this, according to him, enhances the overall experience of the game.

How To Play Texas Block’Em

When playing this version of Texas Hold’Em, the community cards are dealt at random and the players get to choose which hole cards they want to play. In the event that two players pick the same card, neither gets it because the card is blocked. He states that psychology plays a big role in determining who gets what cards, because players need to read the other players before the time comes to make their picks. It is easy to sign up with the site, but players will be charged in order to sign up to play in a tournament.

In previous years, many illegal online poker rooms have been shut down by the U.S. Department of Justice but it seems unlikely this site will experience the same end because it doesn’t adhere to the three characteristics required to deem a game an act of gambling; chance, consideration and prize. It remains to be seen just how popular this game turns out to be.