What Facebook and My Space are to pimply-faced teens is what Deal to Play hopes to be to online poker players.

The new website, at www.dealtoplay.com and based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, describes itself in a just-issued press release as, “an online social-networking community designed for online poker and casino players (that) offers amateur and professional online poker and casino players the opportunity to have fun, learn, interact and socialize with their wagering buddies.”

The site itself is not a gambling site, but instead features posting forums, chat rooms, blogs, photos, gaming news and more, but you must sign up to use some of those features.

There are also several hot links to online poker rooms and online casinos.

The site, according to the press release, also offers members, “the ability to reach out to other online poker and casino members, find out who played where and explore how they connected.”

What makes the site different from most gambling-oriented ones is Deal to Play’s social networking feature, described in the press release as a way for members to, “create detailed profiles with their name, photo, online alias, screen name, birthplace, age, gambling experiences and favorite online poker room and/or casino.”

Lucas Goldman, founder of the site, is quoted in the press release saying: “The site is not merely a source of entertainment. It is influencing the lives of many online players by providing the bridge to connect people who have the same passion for the game.”

He continues: “The Deal to Play social network grows rapidly as casino and poker players invite their buddies to discuss wagering and meet other like-minded individuals. It’s a powerful online tool, but at the same time, it’s fun and easy to use. Members can literally see their personal network, showing their circles of buddies, buddies of buddies, and beyond. Deal to Play is the next generation’s solution for helping online players tap into the power of social networking.”

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.) =A0