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If you’re an “old-school” online poker player (i.e. you started your online career around the time that Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event), you probably have fond memories of PartyPoker. Prior to the passing of the UIGEA, which severely clouded the legality of funding online poker accounts from the U.S., PartyPoker was just about everyone’s favorite online card room, raking in over 40% of global online poker revenue in the year 2005.

PartyPoker continued to grow steadily until 2006, when the U.S. Department of Justice struck a $105 million deal with the site in which it would be forced to focus exclusively on international markets in lieu of the United States.

Since then, PartyPoker’s parent company PartyGaming (which also operates a sportsbook and an online casino) has merged with European betting giant Bwin. Bwin.Party CEO Jim Ryan is now stating that PartyPoker could be returning to the U.S. in the near future.

Ryan recently spoke to Forbes.com and said that he’s in the midst of a lengthy tour of the U.S., presenting Bwin.Poker’s business plan and earnings metrics to possible investors. According to the interview, Ryan believes that the exodus of Full Tilt Poker, UB/Absolute Poker and PokerStars from the United States opens up the market for his company’s most recognizable brand, PartyPoker.

Ryan admitted that as of now, PartyPoker would not be able to offer real money play to U.S. players given the ongoing legal battles concerning online poker. Regardless, Bwin.Party clearly wants to be prepared in the event that new legislation does legalize American online poker.

In fact, the Online Poker Act of 2011, a piece of legislation proposed by Republican Congressman Joe Barton, is slated for discussion at the next meeting of the Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade in the House of Representatives. The entire meeting, scheduled for October 25, will focus on Internet gaming.