Comments on: Legal Poker Coming to Texas?

By: Pokerati | Texas hold’em blog » Blog Archive » RE: State of Dallas Poker Cases

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:46:48 +0000

[...] late comment on an older post, semi-related … comes from Marisa in the Midwest: I have been a licensed poker dealer in the midwest for 13 years, and I have been waiting many [...]

By: Marisa

Marisa — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:38:38 +0000

I have been a licensed poker dealer in the midwest for 13 years, and I have been waiting many years for Texas to legalize poker rooms in Texas. I am originally from the midwest, but lived in the Dallas area from 1981 to 1989 and have wanted to move back to the area for quite some time, but I would like to stay in the poker industry. I am currently employed by the largest poker room in the midwest (34 tables), and it is located at a horse racing track. We are a card club/horse track only. It has been a wonderful combination. From the rake we take in the poker room, at least 25% of that is put toward the horse racing purses which has allowed our horse track to increase its payouts and draw more and better quality horses. We also have a “casino games” room in which we spread blackjack, carribian stud, pai gow poker, let it ride, 3 and 4 card poker. Although those games are normally considered “house games” ours are not. The only “profit” that the house makes from these games is by taking a fifty cent rake from these games put up by the player. Any monies lost by the player are put into a “player’s pool”. This money must be given back to the players by the end of the year. It is given back in the form of bonuses for each of the different games (example…get 3 blackjacks in a row, win an extra $500. And for every blackjack in a row after the intial 3, the player is awarded $1,000 bonus
for each consectutive blackjack).
We are not a tribal casino, we are a horse racing track owned by a holding company, I believe similar to your Lone Star Track. We are monitored by the State Lottery Commission.
If there is anyone down there who might present this to your legislature, perhaps they might amend the bill to something like what we have here. Along with satsifying the poker players of ours and neighboring states (so they don’t have to play in “illegal” home games) it has worked out well for our state, as we are the only gaming establishment in the state to pay a
substantial amount of taxes to the state (all other casino’s in our state are tribal and they pay no state or federal taxes).
I believe that if your state legislators would look into something similar to what we have, and amend the bill (eliminating the $20 bet limit, the 4 table max., etc., that has proven not to work well in states such as Washington) I am sure that this would satisfy: the poker players of Texas… the State of Texas (new taxes taken in)….provide many new employment opportunities…the horsebreeders assoc. (if your racetrack is allowed to have a poker room) by establishing larger purses for the horses who run there….and the Dallas Police Dept., no more spending money and manpower raiding private games.
Good luck to Texas Poker Players, and thank you Texas Lawmakers for finally thinking about joining the other many states who already have legalized poker rooms.
I hope to find out that a great NEW and IMPROVED poker gaming bill of 2007 is passed soon, so I can hopefully start planning my move back to Texas!

By: Fresh Princess

Fresh Princess — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:07:09 +0000

It was involuntary manslaughter (recklessness).
I’m thinking he thought the hamster could fly like the hamster on wonder pets.
Kids and television.
Thanks for the feline sympathy.

By: DanM

DanM — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:23:59 +0000

Michele, very sorry to her about your cat. You do live in Harris County … so you know, all hamster-killers kinda have to be executed.

I’m not sure what’s more important … to look at our state’s process of capital punishment or to make sure Texans are able to make a twice-the-pot-sized bet on the turn.

By: Fresh Princess

Fresh Princess — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:18:27 +0000

I need a lesson on my keyboard.
Anyway, I lived in Colorado in 96-97. They had and still have a five dollar max bet with a four cap. Sorry, but it fugin sucks. However, as a long time pot limit player I would love 10/20 limit.
If you play 5-10 NL at the Wynn or Bellagio then you are paying time, not a rake.
And finally, I heard last year that Perry wanted to pass the video poker.
Now if you will excuse me…I need to get back to mourning my dead cat and the murder of my son’s friend’s hamster.

By: Fresh Princess

Fresh Princess — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:13:58 +0000

1.I hate to say it but I’ve been hearing this for fourteen years. Seriously.
I lived in Colorado

By: jackie trehorn

jackie trehorn — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 01:55:24 +0000

I wouldn’t get too excited folks. Overall the mood in this state’s leadership is anti-gambling. when the Lottery passed a few years ago, it just barely passed. Also, note that the governor has floated the idea of selling off the Lottery to private interests. This would get the government out of the sordid business of gambling, and be a quick fix for $$.

Anyway, if you go to the state’s website (link below) and check out Rep. Menendez’s sponsored bills, co-sponsored bills, authored bills, and co-authored bills YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY MENTION OF THIS POKER BILL. Which means that he maybe hasn’t filed it yet (which may or may not be good news), or he isn’t going to. Anyone want to make a bet with me that the poker bill, or anything that legalizes poker ala Florida, Washington, or California, will pass is welcome to. I am confident it will NOT. I will entertain any interesting wagers.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Members/MemberInfo.aspx?Leg=80&Chamber=H&Code=A3830

By: Headlines: Poker, Law, and Politics (3/06/07) « Poker Players Alliance Blog

Headlines: Poker, Law, and Politics (3/06/07) « Poker Players Alliance Blog — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:14:24 +0000

[...] Posted by Randy on March 6th, 2007 article: State Laws Banning Online Poker (CardPlayer, 02/27/07) Dealing with antiquated poker laws (The Charlotte Observer, 03/04/07) Table games bill hits bump (Herald Mail, 02/28/07) PokerStars Running Freerolls to Honor D’Amato (CardPlayer, 03/05/07) Can Online Poker Be Saved? (Poker Player Newspaper, 03/05/07) Every night’s poker night (The Free Lance-Star, 03/01/07) Turkey Passes Law Against Online Poker & Online Gambling (Poker Pages, 03/06/07) Police round up poker players (Aftenposten, 03/06/07) Group for deaf deals a winning hand (Chicago Tribune, 03/01/07) Local charity cashes in on wager (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 03/03/07) Folding his hand (The News Enterprise, 03/03/07) blogs: Los Angeles Poker Classic and Beyond (Keeping Your Head in the Game, 03/02/07) Legal Poker Coming to Texas? (Pokerati, 03/06/07) So What’s Going on at the PPA? (Pocket Fives, 03/05/07) What Do Al DÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Amato and Steve Levitt Have in Common? (Freakonomics, 03/05/07) [...]

By: DanM

DanM — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:11:47 +0000

link to a review of "poker craphole" (Chip's Casino?) in la center washington. perhaps a reminder that if a game's not set up right, it's hard to find good people to run it right?

By: Tim B.

Tim B. — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:08:01 +0000

Absolutely right. And being one of those NL players that you would love to get your hands on at a limit table, they definitely meet my definition of Ã¢â‚¬ËœcrappyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢!!!

youre absolutely right, id hate for a NLHE player might accidently encounter other games and structures, god forbid…

“poker” != “NLHE”

i think it would do the game a lot of good if players could stop being such one trick ponies…

By: BenMatlock

BenMatlock — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:07:49 +0000

woody is right. i am an arrogant ass, but i’ll be check raising him every chance I get in about 15 days! Count on it!

Good luck with the bill gentlemen. I hope it passes without limits, then I can move back to Texas. That’s why I left to begin with (just kidding, kind of)

By: DanM

DanM — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:00:51 +0000

ah, right … i understand. there is nothing to see here. these are not the droids you are looking for.

go politics.

By: Lavigne in Austin

Lavigne in Austin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:56:01 +0000

that shush was directed at dan

By: Lavigne in Austin

Lavigne in Austin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:54:29 +0000

shhhhhhhhhh!

By: Woody

Woody — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:53:39 +0000

“well, i guess that depends on how you define Ã¢â‚¬Å“better gamesÃ¢â‚¬Â”

Absolutely right. And being one of those NL players that you would love to get your hands on at a limit table, they definitely meet my definition of ‘crappy’!!!

And based on the games spread at nearby casinos and in Vegas, I would venture to say that the lion’s share of people who want to see poker legalized prefer NL games.

P.S. – Dan, did I mention that Ben can also be an arrogant ass?

P.P.S. – Assuming the rake amount over the course of an hour is the same, winning poker players should prefer a time rake. It’s an equally distributed rake, as opposed to raking the pots you are hopefully dragging.

By: DanM

DanM — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:50:27 +0000

Hey, I would be happy just to get charity games legalized. interestingly enough, it was a crackdown on a planned annie duke charity event in oregon that inspired the new laws that allowed the current set-up there, so it’s good to hear that those games are well received.

And Ben, thanks for clarifying. Your insight is much appreciated. We now agree with you — Boo Washington model! (After all, that was the first state to make online poker a felony.)

And Mike, wouldn’t the games at racetracks at least begin to resemble California card rooms?

By: Lavigne in Austin

Lavigne in Austin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:47:10 +0000

Thanks for the commentary on the bill.

Turns out they plan on filing it this afternoon!

Hopefully all your conversations on limits will be for nothing. We do plan on eliminating that from the bill, but we had to file the draft we had.

More importantly, what we need is support. Your criticism is important, necessary and welcomed, but if you live in Texas and want to play poker legally for real money you are going to have to start somewhere. I contend that this is the best starting place we have ever had.

There is absolutely no chance-zero percent- that the current legislature will open up california-esque card rooms. sorry, but ain’t gonna happen.

By: BenMatlock

BenMatlock — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:41:51 +0000

Dan,

You are sooo right!!! The mere fact that I would compare a poker craphole like La Center Washington whose entire setup and bet structure is very similar to what they are proposing in the Texas bill to a nicer venue across the Columbia River in Oregon where there is no set limit on betting structure is unconscionable.

The fact that I have invested substantial amounts of time at both facilities and boil it down to ECON 101 (let the demand of the people set the stakes/supply) vs. GOV 101 (let’s regulate the “fug”…as you so nicely put it…out of it so that only a portion of the population will enjoy it) should in NO WAY influence what is being proposed. I guess it all depends on your preference, but don’t kid yourself for a second into thinking that this is the band-aid you’ve been looking for if they keep the limits in place.

I personally don’t know many card players in Texas who will be jumping for joy that they can now legally play .01/.02 LIMIT…all the way up to a whopping 10/20. I’m all out!

And, by the way, depending on what type of license you have in Washington, you can charge seat time by the half hour ($2 per) or take a rake.

By: Pat M

Pat M — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:28:28 +0000

I had a viewing/printing problem with the .pdf that Tim put up, so I created a new one. In case anybody else is having the same problem (the line numbers were all wacky, Tim, and as a recovering lawyer that was driving me nuts!), you can find it at http://www.lonestarpokertables.com/pokerbill-1.pdf

By: Tim B.

Tim B. — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:21:18 +0000

I would rather keep things the way they are now than to have crappy legal games that will make it much harder for the better underground games to survive

well, i guess that depends on how you define “better games”… personally, i think filling limit or spread limit tables with a bunch of no limit players would qualify as very good games indeed…