Word of Warning to home games

[slamdunkpro]

There have been several raids across the Maryland / DC / Virginia region in the past week or so. This seems to be a fairly concentrated enforcement action. The one common denominator that we have been able to find is that all the raided games were either listed on or got players from http://www.homepokergames.com/.

This is not to say that homepokergames.com is rating out to the police. I’m not implying or suggesting that in any way. I think it’s more a case of the police discovering a nice neat laundry list of games to raid.

Watch yourselves.

[2planka]

Can you substantiate or quantify this? Are there news/web articles or reports?

Not questioning your post. I want to see how these things are reported in the media and hear the rationale.

Were the hosts of the raided games collecting rakes/vigorish? If so I can see why the games may be of interest. How big were the games (stakes and/or headcount)?

[slamdunkpro]

I haven't seen anything in the media, but I do have first hand knowledge of three events.

One was kind of silly, they were running 15 tables with tournaments and up to 20/40 3 days a week. Plus they were advertizing in the paper.

One was a 2 table game, low stakes, the other was 2-3 tables medium / high stakes.

[BusterFlush]

The examples you cite of busted games sound like professional ops and not home games.

[Mojo Tooth]

Here's a link to a Milwaukee newspaper story about the dude busted recently:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/aug04/248776.asp
[ QUOTE ]
Leone and six other men and a woman were arrested July 25 in a home in the 6300 block of Riverdale Lane on allegations of participating in an illegal gambling game.

According to the criminal complaint, when police entered the residence they found more than $8,000 in cash, poker chips, a card table, cocaine and a handgun.

The criminal complaint states that Greendale police found individuals playing Texas hold 'em, a type of poker game popular in professional tournaments shown on cable television. There was also a professional dealer, the complaint says.


[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno about you, but at my home game nobody brings more than $50, nobody brings a gun, and hardly EVER does anybody bring cocaine. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MrGo]

Yeah that's the guy. He had issues prior to him getting busted. I didn't know they found cocaine and a gun in his place - yikes.

He's a damn good poker player though! lol

[Jim Kuhn]

If police raided my home without any poker players but me they would find much more than $8,000 and a handgun. I have several handguns, more cash and several long guns. No drugs though. I am sure drugs could be found if I had one of my 20 player hold em tournies though.

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[MrGo]

Also been some raids in the Milwaukee area. Be careful.

[2planka]

Is that the one I read about in CP a couple issues ago? Some dude running a game in a bowling alley or something? That guy received warnings to cease and desist, and he collected vig for it.

Still, you'd think the man would have more important things to worry about.

[MrGo]

No, it wasn't that one. But the authorities are taking a closer eye to things, in Milwaukee anyway.