Pocket 5’s forum has always been a hot spot for discussing everything poker. Browsing the posts there, you can find people discussing poker strategy, software, and bragging about their latest wins. And now, apparently, Pocket 5’s is a new hot spot for politics. A quick glace at the list of threads in the Off Topic forums will find a number of threads discussing the Presidential Primaries, specifically Barack Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination.

While the contents of these threads range from true political debate to complaints about campaigns selling email addresses to spammers, the message being sent is clear. Poker players are paying close attention to the potential Presidential nominee. Not only are they paying attention, they are also taking serious action.

One Pocket 5’s player, Jon Weisman, known on the site as Underdog, has taken it upon himself to hold some special tournaments for Pocket 5’s players. special tournaments for Pocket 5’s players. In a bid to raise funds for the Obama campaign, he has started a string of 50/50 tournaments. The tournament winners are splitting the pot with the campaign, making a strong political statement.

As of this posting, over $100 has been raised from the first tournament and the second, being held tomorrow, looks to raise at least twice that. Additionally, those not interested in playing in the tournament are invited to donate direct to Barack Obama’s campaign fund, which has already received over $150 from associated players.

By the looks of things, politics and poker could be a winning combination for Barack Obama.