Police Bust Seniors Poker Game

2 Mar, 2010 Poker, Poker News, US Poker

Chalk this one up as an “only in America” kind of story. Just the other day, Idaho police raided a poker game being held by a bunch of pensioners with a $20 buy-in and asked them to stop holding their game as it was “illegal” for them to do so.

The seniors, who were living at The Twin Falls Home, regularily held a poker game with about 20 people in it and a $20 buy-in for fun once a week. The pots could reach as high as $500 which was split amongst the top 2 players. The winners regularily donated this money to the senior center instead of blowing it on booze and drugs diapers and medication and didn’t think there was anything illegal about the game. Unfortunately Idaho police disagreed.

According to police the seniors were violating the Idaho law that states: “risking any money, credit, deposit or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device or the happening or outcome of an event, including a sporting event, the operation of casino gambling including, but not limited to, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, baccarat or keno.”

For many of the seniors this game was the highlight of their week, but now it must all be stopped as police warned them to put an end to the game.

“I don’t have many things that I can do,” noted the wheelchair-bound Norman Pohl. “I met so many people… I would look forward to it every week.”

It’s too bad that the US is now turned to threatening to lock up those who have made the country what it is today over a game that they are willing participants in. The government really needs to take it easy and let people do what they want with their hard earned money!

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