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Re: Poker Raids in Atlanta

by , Apr 12, 2007 | 3:36 am

Comments (12)

Our pals from Wicked Chops seem to be cool with leaving the hard stuff to us … as Snake (or is it Chops? I know it’s not Addict) sends a link to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s take on the Georgia poker raids. (reg. req.)

A few interesting things … 1) they are running a poll on whether or not Georgia should legalize “poker gambling” — and right now it’s running in poker’s favor, 77-23.

2) The AJC reports a $500 bribe, as opposed to $5,000. (I tend to believe neither both CardPlayer.)

And … 3) The very last graf:

Hill said they have not established a connection with a recent gambling case in Roswell. On Monday, Roswell police arrested 27 people at a weekly poker party at a home in a neighborhood off Holcomb Bridge Road.

Wow. 27 people. Home game.

Meanwhile, WCP helps break the news that the pokerlicious Rhowena Colclough is semi-available. Click on over for delightful extramarital details and links to naked pictures … particularly if you just got out of jail.


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12 Comments to “Re: Poker Raids in Atlanta”


  1. Fresh Princess     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 10:11am

    Thanks for putting up the link, I was unable to open from the email.

    Yes! WHO is WHO over there at Wicked Chops Poker, I need to know these things.??? I’m having a wicked contest to see who is the most offensive. The winner will receive one of Pokerati’s final table penis hats.

    Dan, insert photo of your hat. (I really had to re-write that sentence.)


  2. snake     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 11:29am

    The contest should be guessing who wrote what. But don’t let Jen Leo in on it..she’s a pro at it.

    by the way, re: the $500 or $5000…here is what the Sheriff said when he met the guys in a sting op:

    “I asked what was the offer. He said there was $500 in the envelope. I said, ‘You’re kidding me right? That’s all that’s in the envelope?’ We negotiated up to $5,000 a month.”


  3. Fresh Princess     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 1:00pm

    http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=70188&bw=

    I had thought you wicked boys were kidding on the poker palace sign!


  4. snake     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 1:57pm

    Yep, less than a mile from the sheriff’s office. In a strip center. With a Poker Palace sign out front and something on the exterior window about poker tournaments being held there and then our favorite, a sign on the door that said: “Thru this door passes the future ‘World Champion of Poker.’”

    Be sure to read the one story linked at WCP..the Clayton News piece.

    Best part: “The paid-for meal, on one of the detectives’ visit, was Kentucky Fried Chicken, cole slaw, potato salad and Colt 45 malt liquor.”

    And I cringe when people at the Commerce eat chow mein at the table.


  5. Fresh Princess     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 2:05pm

    Perhaps, if our bill doesn’t pass, Texans can start a seminar on “how to run an illegal game by real pros.”


  6. Chops     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 2:32pm

    Chops here.

    Most of the really mean stuff is written by nom de plume (is that French? If so then let’s go with “pen name”) Genesis. S/he is a mean spirited fan of 1) the band Genesis, and 2) the chapter/section Genesis in what I assume is the Old Testament of the Bible. It’s good for us because it washes our hands clean of some things that could sour relations with some poker people. Genesis might be with us at the WSOP this year.


  7. Fresh Princess     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 2:53pm

    There was an infamous SNAKE in Genesis (which is considered a book within the Torah and/or Old Testament).

    Nonetheless, we like to pass off our dirty work to the gay guy with the pink shirt. It’s an easy process as it’s politically incorrect to persecute gay men.


  8. DanM     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 5:55pm

    I’m looking forward to meeting this Genesis. In fact, I think I gotta get me one of those.


  9. DanM     says:
    April 12th, 2007 at 6:08pm

    ***“I asked what was the offer. He said there was $500 in the envelope. I said, ‘You’re kidding me right? That’s all that’s in the envelope?’ We negotiated up to $5,000 a month.”***

    That’s kinda exactly what I thought … hence the “both.” It couldn’t have been $5k in the envelope, because that wouldn’t have left him enough negotiating room. Does anybody know … when it comes to bribing officials, does the amount offered make a difference as to the level of the crime?

    And another question for any Georgian pokerers out there … was the “home game” busted in Roswell really a friendly weekly get-together at someone’s house? or was it a sophisticated, regular poker operation (open to friends and non-friends alike) that just happened to be played in a residential dwelling?


  10. snake     says:
    April 13th, 2007 at 8:45am

    Dan, it apparently was a ‘friendly’ game of 5-10 NL with a 1k max buy in. I haven’t played it but some of our WCP homegame regs have. I don’t venture to the burbs too often. Fairly organized op as far as I hear. Josh Arieh talked about it some in his Poker Edge interview yesterday as he played with these guys in the past. The foolish thing with the residential games in Atlanta is they get too big so neighbors eventually begin to question why there are 20 cars parked in front of the house or a regular basis. This has been the case with pretty much all the raids.


  11. DanM     says:
    April 13th, 2007 at 2:51pm

    Thanks for the info, Snake.

    That’s kinda how a lot of longstanding good games get started … a true friendly home game attracts other people, a good host provides beverages, tables, chips, etc. and feels entitled to not take a loss on the game. Fair enough, right?

    Will be interesting to see how the DA in Clayton County handles these arrests. Here in Texas, they never want to prosecute, but that probably has a lot to do with the notion that running a game is just a misdemeanor. Still, even in the Bible Belt, it seems putting poker players in prison is politically unpopular.


  12. beelzebubba     says:
    April 13th, 2007 at 9:28pm

    Its not that it’s a misdemeanor because in most cases in houston it is a felony due to the “ongoing criminal conspiracy” in order to qualify for this there must be at least 3 people involved. A dealer, a game runner and security person, chip runner etc.They (the fuzz) must be properly motivated to intervene like for example if you are running a book as well or drugs or breaking legs to collect tab.These kinds of things grab their attention.Plus when they come into the bigger games where the stand a chance to keep the cash they also know that the bigger games have more intelligent and successful/affluent players with better lawyers and it generally comes down to cash and resources. Think about it they don’t want the swat team rolling into a game where CEO’s, tied coons and trustfunders are playing 100 / 200 pot limit and then have the most famous lawyers in Texas kicking their collective asses and getting them fired.After all it’s these same people that raise all the campaign funds to curry favor. Those games go on every day in houston, in country clubs boardrooms and hotels. All they want is the money and headlines politcsas usual.If they can’t get the money and they are going to be trashed in the papers and on TV it’s just too risky.They’d lose their doughnut allowance and free coffee.