The Madness of Illegal Poker

Robberies seem to be springing up lately.

The religionists are to blame in this. They got alcohol outlawed. This led to the blooming of organized crime.

The same comment could be aimed at ANY thing the religionists don’t like such as pot.

Other culture’s religionists can kill women for not wearing the clothes of the day.

Religionists run this country, there is simply no division of church and state at the polling booths. There should be and its time religionists were outvoted.

Unfortunately, NYC is in a bit of a bind on this one. On the one hand, the PR nightmare from sending a 55yo math professor to Attica for 5 years for playing poker is something that no politician or police brass ever wants to deal with. On the other hand, the state constitution makes all forms of gambling illegal except for certain carve-outs (pari-mutuel horse wagering, certain lotteries, and the like), so getting the law changed in NY pretty much requires a constitutional amendment. It’s an ugly process that requires a super majority of the New York state legislature to approve the amendment in two consecutive sessions (i.e. years). It’s hard to convince legislators from the large rural swatches of upstate New York, who tend to run on very traditional, conservative platforms, to support such an amendment.

Right now, one thing the city has going for it is that the tabloids like to sensationalize the stories and portray poker clubs as “sordid gambling dens” rather than as places were respectable people go to socialize and engage in a respectable social activity. So the NYPD waits until they have enough complaints about a location, raids it, make a couple of arrests, and mugs for the press cameras. Meanwhile, the “offenders” are quietly processed through the Tombs, given ACDs (adjournment in contemplation of dismissal) and sent on their way.

I don’t see how there’s a better way out of this situation for the city. It is political suicide to actually prosecute these people as criminals, but if enough of the ancillary businesses around the poker club complain about increased foot traffic, disruptions in the building, noise, etc., there’s little that the NYPD can do to ignore the reality. Meanwhile, the games conversely become more dangerous for some of the reasons you cited in your post.

I’ve been trying to think of a better way out of this situation for quite a while, and nothing has leapt out at me.

I can certainly understand the government wanting in on the money. I can see the IRS getting interested in home games. I can see audits and red tape.

But I simply don’t understand police raids. I don’t ‘get’ the moral perspective against poker at all. To me, there’s nothing wrong with rules-abiding poker games. It’s just like chess or sailing or golf any other hobby for some, job for the talented.

But that’s just me. And maybe I’d feel differently if I were married to a true addicted degenerate gambler (who fritters money away on bad bets) and not a skilled poker player (who earns money by playing a game of skill well and by choosing wise investments). Yeah, it’s probably just me.

The basic problem is that the public perceives poker players as being no different from any other gambler. There are quite a few poker players who are also addicted degenerate gamblers. Maybe most aren’t, but enough are to give the game a bad rep with the general public who doesn’t know better.

Also another perception of card players is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtmzXm15HIg

Yes hustling and cheating occurs in poker too, unless strict measures are taken to stop it. Wherever money changes hands there are thieves angling to grab some of it.

And finally if an establishment is licensed to spread poker, usually they can also host all the other gambling games too.

So, the general public ends up saying NIMBY, Not In My Back Yard, to poker/gambling.

I’m not saying this is the way it should be, just pointing out that this is the way it is…

Wow, I didn’t know a professor went to attica for 5 years just for playing poker. That is sick.

In Sweden and in Finland where I live the image is pretty much the same, that poker players are hustlers and liars (bluffers ;)

Fortunately that image is improving with poker gaining popularity.

[...] I like to play poker. But I don’t play any underground games and that’s because they keep getting robbed. I stick to the non-raked games at peoples’ houses and not full on gambling [...]

[...] Group, 11/06/07) blog: Innovative Thinking: The Educational Value of Poker (GPSTS, 11/06/07) The Madness of Illegal Poker (notedpokerauthority, 11/05/07) excerpts: Lawyer upbeat about pending WTO ruling (Antigua Sun, 11/06/07) “Antigua and [...]

Henri - it never happened; F Train was proposing a hypothetical bad PR situation for the city.

[...] saw that Ed Miller did a recent post about how the illegality of poker has made it that much more dangerous. It was interesting because I was going to pen my own response [...]

Hello Ed.

Not posted in a while but I still regularly check your blog.

Just curious if you could give me some advice.
After taking some long time to think many things over I have decided to take the plunge into playing professional poker full time.
I have read all your articles as to what you should do when going pro and if it is really the right thing for me.
The truth is I love the gme so much and that I spend the majority of the day dealing with poker, I naturally feel inclined to take the step up. I know i have the fire, determination and the passion to see my way through, yet I have not let this blinded me from reality and have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent me from failure.

Now I know this is a huge leap, and I have tried to get as much advice from everyone as possible. Since you have gone pro I know you have made quite a name for yourself and are very successful; and I would like to follow on a similiar journey.

What steps/advice can you give me just before I take the plunge, where someday I can achieve as much as you have achieved. All advice is fully appreciated, and believe me I am willing to do as much as possible to achieve my goal of living off poker

Many Thanks Ed
Craig

The absurd thing is that poker is not illegal to play in NY but charging others to play is. To recieve a death sentence for playing poker is unbelievable. Too many things have happened to acquaintances in private games. I strongly suggest to stay away from them. It is difficult enough in a secured legal environment.

SCREW THE COPS… SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL.