The WRONG Kind of Home Game
More people make their living from poker today than ever before and, just as players have many more choices nowadays, dealers also have a variety of options when it comes to employment.
One I would advise against, though, is the underground cardroom scene. As a poker dealer, you can make incredible money dealing private games, but the consequences can far outweigh the short-term monetary gains. Many states have recently changed their laws regarding illegal cardroom activity and, while some states once viewed such activity as a minor misdemeanor, they now see it as grounds for felony charges.
So what makes a home game illegal? Well, the laws vary from state to state, but what attracts the authorities’ attention above all are games that make money from the players – when the host takes a rake from the games, just as casinos do.
Because many states in the
But what if Bob’s game isn’t big enough for you and the local casinos don’t spread the limits you like to play? Well, you are probably one those players that travel from one illegal home game to another. You may find yourself asking the question: What would happen if the FBI came and raided this game? Well Bluff readers, I am sure glad you asked, because I recently caught up with a long-time acquaintance of mine who just happened to be at a home game when the FBI decided they wanted to be dealt in.
Here is what you can expect when the FBI moves all-in on your illegal home game.
First they knock on the door and present you with the one-and-only FBI badge. If you decide that there is no room in your game for a bunch of federal law enforcement officers and pretend you’re not in, then I suggest you invest in a very strong door, because there will be a team of very big men outside poised with a battering ram to help convince you to change your mind.
Once the door opens, the agents storm the building wielding automatic weapons and full body armor. Then they instruct everybody in the room to put their hands on the table in clear view and not to move a muscle. If you were winning that night, then I have bad news for you. Everything on the table at the time of the raid is now taken in as evidence: chips, cash and everything else. Once the agents remove everything from the tables, they then proceed to take each player into a side room, one at a time, where he or she is asked to empty all of his or her pockets. Each suspect’s belongings (cell phones, wallets, etc.) are placed in separate bags and collected as evidence. Once the FBI completes their investigation, they normally return these personal items, but don’t count on it. Next, they question you for a few minutes and then, providing you are not involved with the general operation of the game, you are released. The majority of the time the players face no charges in these raids, but the operators of the game can expect quite the opposite.
If you were dealing at the time, then consider yourself very unlucky. More than likely you will be charged as a felon and may even have to do time at a local penitentiary. At least if that happens, I am sure there are plenty of games on the inside that are looking for a good dealer, so all is not lost. But even if you are lucky enough to avoid prison time, the charges you‘ll receive will be enough to ensure that you’ll never work in any type of regulated gaming environment ever again. So keep that one in mind if you ever plan on dealing the WSOP or any WPT events.
Now, if you think that having your game raided by the FBI sounds scary, imagine how you would feel if the people wielding the guns aren’t even working for the law! I have bad news for you: The rake just went up. In this instance, it’s pretty safe to say that anything that was not attached to you at birth is fair game, so say goodbye to grandpa’s Rolex.
Now that I have educated you all on the pitfalls of playing in illegal home games, I guess that I will now be seeing you across the felt at one of the many fine legal gaming establishments we have in this country.
Until next time,
May the flop (and the law) be with you… Always!
THE HUX
