Got an email from Aces … and though I am pretty sure about 85 percent of all Pokerati readers have received the same email two or three times already:

Thank you for your patronage.

First off, we would like to welcome the DPD and SWAT to the list. I hope you enjoyed the action. BTW, do you have as many cops looking for this missing two year old as you sent over last night? Well, it was fun while it lasted and while it sucks for us, this has been going for 30+ years and will be for the next 30+.

Lastly, we are asking our players if they know a poker/vice friendly and experienced attorney. We have a few poker friendly lawyers but we are really looking for one with extensive non-drug vice defense experience. Asian tan, 8 liner etc type of cases.

Sincerely,

Aces

Indeed, lawyers, it’s time to step up. Yes, we know you already give plenty to the game in the form of rebuys … but what you do here/now could have a real impact on your ability to donkey off chips in the future.

I’m not ready to declare the sky on Dallas poker falling, but it has for certain turned rather green. (Look, over there! I think it’s a wall cloud!) With the Channel 8 “expose” and the Dallas SWAT raid … there’s one other piece of info I heard recently that might also fit into the picture. Just a few days ago, a well-connected Omaha player witnessed a raid on an 8-liner room in Dallas. Cops hauled off a truckload of machines. Not sure on the location (ever wonder why there is no GuinnessandEightliner or Tao of Video Poker?), but I seem to recall hearing that there were some arrests.

Also heard that two other rooms were raided Saturday night … but I am starting to doubt that, because games are still running around town and the only buzz is “Aces.”

Some finer details, from a reliable firsthand source:

• 12-15 SWAT guys, carrying M16s and MP5s. Most of them were professional and courteous in their show of overwhelming force, but there were “a couple macho SWAT-type assholes.”
• 15-20 more uniformed officers followed behind them.
• 3 or 4 film-crew girls. Two of them were kinda cute.
• The tourney was recently broken down to 7 tables of 9 right before the bust.
• Upon being searched, some players had to put their entire bankrolls onto the table. Even those with a few thousand or more were allowed to keep all their money … unlike the case in the McKinney raid. (This might suggest the cops were going out of their way to not do anything that might jeopardize the credibility of whatever case the DA may or may not bring.)
• The police had a computer-generated form, specifically designed for poker room raids. It was a chart of a poker table, with seats 1-10 numbered correctly … and as they went around ID’ing each player, they noted the individual’s position at the table and possibly the size of his or her chipstack.
• At least 1 Rounder Club dealer was arrested.

Seriously, all this should make for really good TV.

ALT HED: True Texas Poker?

Some basics trickling in: Raid went down about 9 pm. Aces was in the middle of an 8-table tourney … with a few tables of cash games and sit-n-go’s running. About 10 people got carted away in handcuffs — dealers and room operators — and close to 70 or 80 players (# not confirmed) got $125 $150 $145 tickets. And there were two sets of cameras … one belonging to the show “Dallas SWAT” (on A&E), the other apperently the DPD’s own video equipment.

So to some extent, poker’s popularity on TV had much to do with this bust, as it will certainly be a ratings boon for the Dallas PD’s prize new show. Raises an interesting 21st Century question … about law enforcement driving TV vs. TV driving law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Dallas poker players are left wondering if they’ll receive 17 emails from Aces tomorrow telling us how hot the action is.

UPDATE: $40k reportedly got confiscated.