Texas poker is currently making its pushes out of the backroom and into the forefront. For the past couple of years famous "SWAT raids" and other costly door bustings of several underground Dallas-based cardrooms have gone on, depriving local poker players of the chance to play live poker near their homes (no legal cardrooms allowed currently in Texas).

Now, with a bill currently making its way past all the red tape, HB 3186 aims to give poker players in Texas a chance to play the game they love without the threat of being ticketed for chasing that gutshot straight draw to the river on a paired board.

Much like the Poker Players Alliance asking for calls to Representatives like Barney Frank for assistance with removing the UIEGA for online gamblers, these Texans are asking for your help in getting the word out concerning the future of poker within that state.

Here's the blog posting from Pokerati on how you can help:

It has been a little while since I last updated y'all on the progress of our Texas Poker Bill (HB 3186). When we last left our little bill it had had a great hearing in the Texas House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures. At the end of that hearing it was left pending and the real work began behind the scenes.

Your team has been busy...and successful. We anticipate it being voted out of committee very soon, but we need every poker player in Texas to do something between now and Monday afternoon. Call the legislators on the committee and let them know you support the regulation of poker, specifically HB 3186.

When you call, please remember a few things:

1) Be nice
2) Tell them specifically you support HB 3186
3) Ask them to support HB 3186 too

It will only take about 30 seconds a call and there are 9 members of the committee.

We are very close to getting this bill to the floor of the House, where we believe we may have enough votes to pass this thing.