BY TOM SOMACH

Just days after its main marketing man announced he was quitting the  company, online poker room Poker Stars has suffered another huge loss–its poker room manager, Lee Jones.

“It is with great delight and profound regret that I announce that, effective April 1, 2007, I will no longer be the poker room manager at Poker Stars,” Jones said in a prepared statement.

“Why the change? Well, it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my horizons and stretch some new muscles,” he added.

Jones went on to explain that he is taking a full-time job with the European Poker Tour (EPT), the European counterpart to the World Poker Tour (WPT), although he noted he will remain as a “consultant” to Poker Stars.

For the EPT, though, Jones said he will be doing “organization” and “hosting,” as well as providing on-air commentary for EPT telecasts and webcasts.

“I love meeting and hanging out with the players, so this will be great fun for me,” Jones said. “And it will give me time to do some other projects, including actually playing a little poker!”

Is Jones’ explanation for leaving Poker Stars on the level?

Some industry observers aren’t so sure.

They point to the announcement earlier this month by longtime Poker Stars vice-president for marketing Dan Goldman, who quit the company out of legal concerns.

Goldman had been living abroad, working for Poker Stars, and wanted to return to the U.S.

Not oblivious to the fact that several executive from other online gambling companies had recently been arrested by U.S. authorities, Goldman didn’t want to suffer the same fate when he returned home, so he resigned from Poker Stars.

Now, just days later, another key company employee, also an American like Goldman, resigns.

Was Jones’ resignation just a coincidence in timing?

Or does he really want to just “stretch some new muscles?”

Judge for yourself.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)