WinnerOnline-Editorial

Following in the tradition of sports website ESPN and its SportsNation polls, the Poker Players Alliance has set up a "Congressional Ratings Guide."

Members of the PPA will now have the ability to essentially give the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to politicians, or more specifically, "[provide] ratings of each member of Congress based on their record of supporting poker rights," as the poker rights advocacy group says.

Lobbying, according to PPA Chair and former Senator Al D'Amato, has increased the profile of online poker and is slowly changing the way it is viewed.

"We have come a long way since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law on October 13, 2006," D'Amato said.

"I am proud to tell you that during this past legislative session there were nine, let me repeat NINE, pro Internet gaming bills introduced."

"This is a remarkable change from the days when poker players were fighting off legislative efforts to ban this national pastime."

Members of Congress will be given letter grade rankings ranging from "A+" to "F-" based on attitude towards poker.

Just like strength of schedule and quality of wins can affect college football's BCS rankings, the Congressional rankings can be swayed based on , public statements and co-sponsorship of bills among other things.

In the 2008 edition of the guide, the PPA reports that, "164 members of Congress earned a grade of B or higher, indicating their strong support for an individual’s right to play poker at the time and place of their choosing – whether in a casino or in front of their home computer."

However, not all received passing grades; 258 members of Congress received grades of "D" or lower.

The guide is available at www.congressionalpoker.org and website visitors can search for Congress members' standings by state or by zip code.