Mark Peterson
The popularity of Texas Hold'em Poker is growing in Michiana and is apparently pushing the legal limits.
The rules of the game itself are pretty clear, but the legality of the games being played in the community is constantly being questioned.
In Elkhart County, a tournament at the Goshen Moose Lodge allegedly offered a pot in excess of $40,000.
It's alleged that the sponsors did not have a charitable gaming permit. The incident remains under investigation and criminal charges are possible. This is just one example that comes from the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office.
In Indiana, certain groups can hold a poker tournament in the name of charity, so long as they fill out the proper paperwork and receive the state's permission. Card players can also play legally on one of Indiana's riverboat casinos.
Beyond that, there are certain risks associated with playing the game in public and a certain level of confusion as to exactly what can and can't be done.
The prosecutor's office is also concerned about a Texas Hold'em tournament on tap for next month being sponsored by The Bear radio station (WRBR).
WRBR operations manager Ron Stryker said, “The concern is obvious, will people be gambling? Not from our perspective. Our perspective is just fun, whoever wins the table wins the table, no money changing hands just chips.”
Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill said, “Amongst the calls we had is a call from an individual outside the community wanted to talk about establishing a Texas Hold-em type of format on a regular basis, a for profit operation and was suggesting that the game would not be gambling because poker is not a game of chance, but was a game of skill.”
The prosecutor responded that if the man wanted to put that theory to the test and open a poker parlor, the prosecutor would use his skills to bring the case to court for possible criminal charges.
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