Poker game at BHS folds

Legality issues prompt event to be postponed indefinitely
By JODIE TWEED
Staff Writer

The Texas Hold 'em poker tournament planned Sunday at Brainerd High School for students and staff has been postponed indefinitely, Brainerd school officials said Friday.

The BHS Key Club had organized the poker tourney as a fund-raiser for the United Way. A $5 entrance fee, which would have been donated to the United Way, was going to be charged for participants, and students and staff would win prizes during the tournament. No other money would be exchanged during the event. Student organizers received prizes donated by area businesses for the event. About 50 or so students and staff earlier had expressed interest in attending the poker tournament, said BHS Principal Steve Razidlo.

Frank Ball, director of alcohol and gambling enforcement for the state Department of Public Safety, said the tournament would be unlawful if it were held as planned.

School officials decided Friday to postpone the tournament indefinitely after speaking to district administrators, area law enforcement and students involved in the event.

"I do feel the front page nature of the story takes away from what was in the text of the story," Razidlo said about Friday's story in the Dispatch. "We don't allow kids to gamble in the schools, it's not an everyday happening. These are good kids who put in a good effort to put together a charitable event. ... We believe the kids weren't trying to hurt anybody but at the same time we don't want any ill will toward the Key Club."

Ball, former Brainerd police chief and former Crow Wing County sheriff, said he spoke to a couple of students organizing the event and explained some of the problems with hosting such a tournament.

"Everyone has a good cause, they're all good," Ball said he told them. "But the way you're trying to get the money for that can run into some real problems."

Laurie Ziebell, the liaison between the Brainerd Kiwanis and BHS Key clubs, said the students were simply trying to come up with a fun event to raise money for the United Way.

"The Key Club did not consider this a gambling event, that it was a competition with prizes awarded," said Ziebell. "It was just a misunderstanding on how you interpret what this event actually is. They were just being very innovative and creative and it didn't work."

Ball said it was a good call on the district's part to cancel the poker tourney.

"I hate to be the grinch that prevented a fund-raising effort, but I think the school did some good research and made some good decisions based on that research," Ball said.

Jan Cummings, BHS Key Club adviser, declined to provide a statement from the club, saying, "The next time I would like to see an article on the good things the Key Club is doing."

With the high interest in Texas Hold 'em poker, Ball said people or groups interested in hosting poker tournaments should contact local law enforcement or his office to determine whether such a game is lawful or unlawful. In general, he said when a game becomes systematic, organized and commercialized, rather than a private social game of cards, and a third party is profiting from it, then it is likely illegal.

JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.