Rep. Barney Frank - Hero

All hail Rep Barney Frank, democrat from Massachusetts! Frank, from what I can tell, is one of the clearest thinkers out on the hill, and your last best hope for being able to play a little poker online. Never heard of the guy?

Read his statements against the then proposed ban on internet gambling.

This Congress is well on the way to getting it absolutely backwards. In areas where we need to act together to protect the quality of our life, in the environment, in transportation, in public safety, we abstain; but in those areas where individuals ought to be allowed to make their own choices, we intervene. And that is what this is.

Now here is a guy who knows which end of the stick smells funny and is saying to Congress, "...stop poking the people with it." Better still, Rep. Frank is introducing legislation to repeal that very same ban. See? Hero.

Support from Congress, even the democratic party, may be hard to come by, but he's pushing forward because it's the right thing to do. I encourage you to push your reps in the right direction as well. If you've not yet raised your voice in support of this new legislation, do it. Tell the folks in DC to:

Repeal the ban on Internet gambling!

Steak Branding Irons

Okay, when I saw these things I thought, COOL, COOL, COOL - steak brands!

I can't play online poker anymore, so I may as well spend my days in front of the barbecue grill getting hefty eating steak, or better yet, I could invite over a few friends and offer upsteaming slabs of meat with my own custom brand. We're talking steak branding irons! Who knew?

I mean of course, with all the grill accessories available, it only makes sense they'd make a branding iron for meat, but they're still cool. And they wouldn't have to be used exclusively for the BBQ either. You could have custom, personalized pancakes, fresh and still smoking with your brand, or maybe cheese? Who doesn't want french bread with branded brie? They'd work on wood too. No more carving "Joanie loves Chachi" in your local oak tree, just get your trusty branding iron and go to town!

I have a feeling these things would be a huge hit at tailgate parties where steak is cooked by hooting drunks in aprons, and a barbecue grill is as essential as a beer cooler. Plus, they make brands for college team logos (as the pic illustrates), novelty stuff (smiley face, road kill, etc) as well as custom/personalized irons - anything you can think of - just not poker or babes...yet...

They sell 'em HERE if you're interested.

Online Gambling Ban Passes Congress

In a rather slippery move, conservative nutters in Congress attached a ban on Internet gambling to a bill related to port security - and the bill passed...

Of course it did! Who's going to vote against increased port security with Congressional elections just around the corner? So now, thanks to Republican pandering to the religious right (and the fact that Bush is damn well going to sign it), you can no longer play poker online. How does that make you feel? Angry? Then please cast your ballot this November. Get these idiots out of office!

IMHO, the government has no business protecting us from our own vices, but they keep trying. What's next, the return of prohibition, a ban on masturbation, laws against the teaching of evolution, what? Well, it's time to protect yourself from your own government. Vote.

The news is real folks. Several online casinos and poker rooms have already closed US accounts in the wake of the bill's passage and more will follow. If you enjoy online poker and/or casino games, spread the word to bring back the liberals.

Isabelle Mercier

Canadian born Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier, known for her intense play leapt into the spotlight when she took the World Poker Tour Ladies Night II event in 2004. Isabelle finished in the money three times in 2005 and has racked up a tidy pile of poker loot.

The gossip on Isabelle is she's single, living out of hotels the world over and loving life. She also has two law degrees, including a Masters in International Law from the Sorbonne in Paris. She was just 23... There's an open invite at my place if you ever need a couch to crash on (guest room actually), Isabelle. No funny business though!

Okay, aside from being a hottie poker playing legal eagle jet setter with a pile of cash, what else is Issabelle into?

You'll notice she now sports PokerStars gear in all the tournaments. She's their travelling ambassador and can be found playing online from time to time as well. Hit up PokerStars for a game. In addition to all the tournaments, Isabelle has commentated several events at the Aviation Club in Paris where she worked while in school, has been nominated for European Poker Awards as Casino Staff Person of the Year and Rookie of the Year and worked on a poker book with Gus Hansen.

Her website, though I'd like to slap the designer for making the thing so full of bells and whistles it's near impossible to navigate, is at IsabelleMercier.com. Seriously though, Isabelle, your webdesigner was too busy showing off the latest website gadgetry when building your site. They totally missed your business goals of having a site in the first place.

For those who wish to comment how I don't have any idea what I'm talking about, cosider that you have to enable pop-ups to get anywhere and that your browser's back button starts the intro movie over again, no matter where you've been, the code is flooded with comment tag spam and has no navigable links for the search engines, etc. I've been in web marketing since the '90s, I do have a small clue what I'm talking about...

Okay, rant over. Back to the poker and the babes.

Jasmin Ouschan

Okay, remember that bit up top, the bit about throwing in girls from other games now and then? Well Jasmin counts!

I don't know much about her. I believe she's Austrian (Europe, not down under for those of you geographically challenged). She also plays pool and wins - a lot!

I was watching some poker one day (forget who was playing or who won) and billiards came on after. There was Jasmin Ouschan (sounded like "ocean" when the commentators said it) running the table on some other chick. She was hot and crazy good at nine ball, so here she is...

Pool and poker are close enough in my book - close enough for horseshoes, hand grenades and blogging. I dig 9-ball and Jasmin is among the best. If you want to know more (see more, is more like it, you pervs!), go visit Jasmin online at Jasmin-Ouschan.com.

Evelyn Ng

Okay, this just flat out, would not be any sort of a "poker babes" blog without Evy. Evelyn Ng is the hottest girl in poker and she's not a spokesmodel or hostess - the girl plays a damn fine game!

Evelyn became a blackjack and poker dealer after graduating high school. She started hanging out with that lucky punk, Daniel Negreanu (I love ya' Daniel, but sheesh!), her "friend" and mentor, and started getting serious about poker. She finished second in the first WPT Ladies Night and has finished in the money in many tournaments and events since.

She has worked hard on her game, constantly improving, and has developed into a serious contender in any event she plays. Evy reads her openents well and mixes up her game, adapting to the situation and competition. This has served her in good stead.

To hone her skills, Evelyn plays five days a week for an average of six hours a day! Her goal is to become the first woman to win the World Series of Poker Main Event, or take a WPT open-field title.

Besides being a prominent player and true poker babe, Evelyn deals on the WPT Hollywood Home Games series and pops into other TV roles now and then. Evelyn is big into media and a gaming buff, she enjoys music, writing, movies, magazines, TV, computers, gaming, shooting pool (perhaps the only game I could take her at) and pop culture.

Evelyn's website can be found at EvyBabee.com and yes boys, there is a photo gallery...

Clonie Gowen

Okay, this pic is from Maxim, but it really isn't a great pic of Clonie. It's just the most babed up I could find. The motorcycle jacket pic is sexier in my opinion.

Cycalona 'Clonie' (not Cloney) Gowen is a legit poker babe. She plays a mean game finishing top 10 at the WPT Costa Rica Classic and winning the World Poker Tour Ladies' Night tournament in 2003 and now being a member of the Full Tilt Poker team. Yes, you can sit at a table with Clonie at Full Tilt.

As well as appearing in a number of magazines, Clonie is also a regular columnist for Bluff magazine (official mag of the WPT). Clonie is also a board member the non-profit United States Poker Association. Originally from Oklahoma, now living in Dallas, Texas, Clonie Gowen is active in tournaments throughout the country, organizes charity events, teaches new players the game, is a busy mother of two. All this and she still finds time for the eye candy thing...

For more about Clonie, visit http://www.cloniegowen.com