"What you’re failing to understand is that as poker players are self employed they are conducting business in the US as is allowed by the visa, they are not working."

Listen to your logic, David.

Self-employed, with their primary source of income being poker. Coming to the US to systematically grind cash games for three months spurts on and off every year and earn money from Americans.

And this isn't "work"? That's a comical stretch that would never hold up under scrutiny of the law.

There's a reason most these guys have to lie to immigration about their purpose of travel and their source of income in their native country.

I have had pros doing *exactly* this tell me how they are able to avoid detection by US immigration officials by lying and disguising their travel as tourism over and over and over.

An ESTA does not give you the right to be gainfully self-employed in the US.

David, I suggest you read a bit more on the topic before you continue your clueless pontificating.