Online poker in the United States has had a roller coaster of a decade, moving from massive boom to an even larger bust over the course of just a few years.  With the once-giants of the industry – top U.S poker sites like Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars - now out of the game in the states, online poker players from the US find themselves with a rapidly shrinking list of options.

There are still real-money sites that allow US players, but they’re not of the size or stature of a PokerStars.  You might find the games you want –  especially cash games –  but finding a tournament lobby as bustling as a Full Tilt lobby would be simply isn’t an option for players staying in the US.

How long is this likely to be the status quo for US poker players?  It’s tough to say.  On one hand, there seem to be a number of positive signs on the Federal level pointing to regulation, but on the other hand poker players have been hearing a similar story just abou every year since the UIGEA passed.

One key difference that might actually make this the year for online poker: The nation’s largest gaming lobby, the AGA, recently announced their support for online poker and their intention to help shepherd legislation through Congress.  Opposition of major casinos has been a major hurdle for online poker bills in the past, so perhaps the AGA’s support does in fact represent an actual tipping point for the future of online poker in the United States.

It’s funny the difference a few years makes.  Online poker, once all the rage in America, now finds itself a legal outcast in the very nation that drove the industry’s original growth –  a bad hand indeed.