According to PokerPlayer Newspaper, former New York Senator Alfonse D'Amoto has been selected as the new Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, the lobbying group for legalizing poker in the US. The PPA plans to use D'Amoto's name recognition and Washington, D.C. connections to fight for a poker carveout in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

While no official statement has been release by the PPA, several news sources are reporting D'Amoto's selection. From Pokernews.com "D'Amato is an avid poker player whose famed celebrity home games have included the likes of shock-jock Howard Stern and Dominic Barbara, the high-profile Long Island lawyer who achieved fame in cases concerning Playboy model Jessica Hahn and Joey Buttafuoco. D'Amato, of course, is well-schooled in federal politics, and his pending deal with the PPA continues the PPA's use of center/right-leaning, business-oriented lobbyists to further its interests."

While no deal is currently in place for D'Amoto to head the lobbying efforts of the poker industry in Washington, it seems a done deal before the river card is dealt.