Re: Legal Poker Coming to Texas?
This reminds me … Channel 11 ran an interesting story a few weeks ago about legally questionable poker in Dallas.* Though the hedline claims police are “putting the heat on” illegal poker games, reporter Kimberly Ball does more to ask the question, “Why?”
In a relatively bold statement, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price says it’s time make poker rooms legal. And a deputy Dallas police chief informs us that he doesn’t have the resources to put a stop to all the games. That’s always the issue with poker, isn’t it — should we spend money to try and stop it, or generate money by making a previously poo-pooed behavior legit?
Of course, not everyone in Texas has read enough Sklansky to understand why the above is really an easy decision. But the Channel 11 story does suggest a little more thought is being given to the math.
* Channel 11, you may recall, is the station that first snuck hidden cameras into a poker room a few years back, and got the exclusive ride-along with Dallas SWAT in November as they conducted the most vigorous gambling raids in Texas history.** (It was great for sweeps! Coincidentally, of course.) Less than a month later, Pokerati’s dirty crush favorite award-winning, poker-playing, occasional poker-room-busting TV journalist married the chief of Dallas police.
** More cases from these raids are scheduled for trial later this month. Though a few defendants have paid small fines, so far none have faced a judge or jury and been found guilty.
PokerIsNotACrime says:
March 7th, 2007 at 11:39am
My court date finally arrived today (stemming from the November AceHigh raid). Pretty painless aside from wasting a couple hours at the courthouse. The case was dismissed on the grounds that the issuing officer was “non-Dallas”. The judge explained to me that the officer is either no longer with the DPD or never was. I didn’t feel like having a long, drawn out conversation with the prosecutor or the judge, but I know that the real reason that the prosecutor had trouble tracking down the cop was because he is part of SWAT and didn’t so much as even sign my citation. I urge everyone who has been or ever will be brought up on charges of “gambling” to show up for their date in court (do not pay the fine). It does not appear that Dallas has any real interest in pursuing these matters beyond the made-for-tv SWAT raids that might make for good tv ratings. A total waste of everyone’s time (especially the SWAT team).
DanM says:
March 7th, 2007 at 3:42pm
Congrats, PINC … way to hang tough and call their bluff.
The Fat Boy says:
March 7th, 2007 at 4:34pm
I may have to rethink my fantasy of smashing Price’s toes with a hammer.
“Fifty Thousand Funky Dollars!”
Dodd looks like Claire Danes and The Joker (Nicholson’s) had a baby.