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On Tuesday a number of poker advocates and advocacy groups will be descending on the nation’s capital as the House Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade –which is part of the Energy and Commerce Committee—will begin hearings on HR 2366 which was introduced earlier this year by Representative Joe Barton (R-TX).

Going by the verbose name of “Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening of UIGEA Act of 2011″ the bill seeks to carve online poker out of the UIGEA legislation passed in 2006, designating it as a game of skill.

Among the speakers scheduled to appear before the sub-committee will be former Senator and Poker players Alliance Alphonse D’Amato as well as FairPlay USA’s Parry Aftab, a Consumer Safety Advocate who specializes in children and cyberspace.

You can usually get a good read on where each Congressperson stands on the issue based on their lines of questioning to the expert witnesses, so many are looking at Tuesday’s hearing as a good indicator of whether or not online poker has any chance at legalization in the near future.

Barton’s bill is seen as online poker’s best chance since Barney Frank (D-MA) lost his chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee when the Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in 2010. Since the chairman of each committee decides what matters will be broached, any bill introduced in the House Financial Services Committee is basically DOA, as one of online gaming’s greatest nemeses is now chairing the committee, Spencer Bacchus (R-AL).