Chinese Poker Movie - Rounders

New poker movie to be filmed in Macau The upcoming Asian Poker Tour this August will set the scene for what could be a Chinese version of the popular US poker movie Rounders, increasing awareness of the game as a sport. With a working title of "Poker King", the directors of the production are listed as Chan Hing-Kai and Janet Chun, working with a script that tells the story of two poker-playing rivals who compete in tournaments for championship glory. Top Chinese actors like Louis Koo, Sean Lau Ching-Wan, Stephy Tang, Cherrie In and Josie Ho have apparently been signed to appear in the film. “This is a very exciting project and is sure to provoke even more excitement about the APT Macau Festival in August,” said Tom Hall, Chief Executive Officer for AsianLogic Limited, owners of the APT. “Players across the region and throughout the world are encouraged to come to the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel And Casino and play at the APT Macau Festival. The movie crew will need lots of extras and even players to take on roles if they choose.” There have been several famous gaming films for the region, most notably the 1989 Chinese-language God Of Gamblers starring Chow Yun-Fat that spawned dozens of spin-offs, but Poker King is set to be the first release specifically focusing on poker. "Recent rulings in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky and Colorado all affirmed that poker is a game of skill. PPA was actively involved in representing the rights of the poker players in each of these cases and should be able to do so at the federal level." On Friday, July 10, 2009, Account Services filed a motion seeking the return of funds that was seized from their bank accounts by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. That motion alleged that the government's seizure was unlawful. Part of the basis for the motion was that the money in the Account Services bank accounts was being held on behalf of individual poker players in the U.S. and that such money was not subject to forfeiture. Another argument in that motion is that poker is not illegal gambling under federal law. If the motion is granted, the PPA will have the opportunity to brief members of the court and participate in hearings regarding the legality of poker and the players' right to have their funds returned. "Any action contesting the government's seizure of players' funds will help protect the rights of U.S. Internet poker players, and we will explore every legal avenue to ensure that our members' voices are heard and their rights are protected," vowed Pappas. PPA spokesman have revealed that the Alliance has been actively involved in three other court cases involving the legality of poker. In Pennsylvania, Judge Thomas James, Jr. ruled that poker is predominantly a game of skill and dropped 20 charges against the defendants, who held a poker game in their home. Later in the month a Colorado jury found defendant Kevin P. Raley not guilty, again because they found the poker league he formed was playing a game of skill, not chance. In South Carolina, a judge found that poker was a game of predominant skill, and referred the case to a higher court to determine how the predominance of skill will be applied to the law. PPA's Litigation Support Network was involved in each of these cases – providing expert witnesses, preparing arguments for trial, and filing amicus briefs with the courts.