A Pennsylvania judge ruled that poker is a game of skill and not a game of chance as has been believed for so long in the US legal system. Judge Thomas A. James Jnr. stated that Walter Watkins and Diane Kent could not be found guilty of illegally gambling by running a home poker game in their basement. “Simply, if chance predominates, Texas Hold 'em is gambling. If skill predominates, it is not gambling,” said the judge.

The Poker Players Alliance, the 1.2 million member strong pro-online poker group, welcomed the ruling and said that it may very well set a precedent in other legal cases regarding the game. “Clearly, the judge had an understanding of how poker is played. Coming to this decision was not a far leap. The decision sets an excellent bar for us in the future,” said the president of the PPA.