Pub/Bar Poker in Texas

AlaskaGal · #1 03-06-2007, 03:18 PM

I am looking for some information about pub/bar style poker tournaments in Texas. I run a tournament in Alaska (Alaska has similar gaming laws as TX.) A lady from Texas visited my tournament and she told me she had a friend that "rented" poker chips to players in the bar for a small fee then the bar held a free poker tournament for prizes. I thought it was an interesting concept. Has anyone had experience playing in this type of tournament?

hime · #2 03-06-2007, 04:47 PM

Sounds illegal. Free bar poker is legal, if you bring money into it like that, sounds dodgy. Unless the renting is that he rents the chips to the bar to use in running the league.

AlaskaGal · #3 03-06-2007, 05:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds illegal. Free bar poker is legal, if you bring money into it like that, sounds dodgy. Unless the renting is that he rents the chips to the bar to use in running the league.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was the person who owned the chips renting them directly to the players. Kind of like when you play pool and you rent the balls or if you go bowling and you rent the shoes.

hime · #4 03-06-2007, 05:52 PM

That's... unorthodox and could possibly attract legal attention if the authorities want to care.

bav · #5 03-06-2007, 06:00 PM

Yeah... not a chance I would be any part of that scheme. No attorney general or county prosecutor is going to let that happen. I've seen articles in local papers sparked by these bar tournaments where the local law was asked why it was allowed and the answer was that it must be absolutely, totally, 100% free without absolutely, totally, no strings of any sort whatsoever. No requirement to buy drinks or food, no cover charge, NOTHING. ANY exchange of money from player to establishment as a condition to playing would make the games illegal.

AlaskaGal · #6 03-06-2007, 06:09 PM

That's what I thought but like I said, someone told me about it and I thought I would see if this was a practice someone could verify was actually being used.

jmc999 · #7 03-06-2007, 05:00 PM

Sure, in the Boston area there are several organizations that do this:
www.bigstackpoker.com
www.amateurpokerleague.com
www.riverchasers.com

Bar pays the organization to run a free poker event (no buyin). The organization brings a TD and chips and tables, and offers a small prize to the winner for the night. People are drawn into the bar/restaurant for the free poker/prizes. The people buy food and the bar/restaurant makes money.

hime · #8 03-06-2007, 05:13 PM

Boston, Texas?

allbad · #9 03-06-2007, 11:55 PM

I've played in 2 forms here in Austin, TX (not Boston, TX).

1. there's a couple of bars that have a poker table where a dealer will come in and rent the chips to the players. She swore it's "not illegal" and was doing the exact same thing with the fake blackjack tables in the bars before the poker craze. There's no nightly prize, but at the end of the month the "Top money winners" get entered into a tournament and playoff for some prize.

2. there's a couple of companies that charge a bar about $200/night to host 2 tournaments a night in their establishment. This has no entry fee and the winners all get points (100 pts for 1st, 90 for 2nd, etc.) and at the end of the month the top 8 players from each establishment/night play in a huge 100+ tournament where there's a substantial prize for 1st place (valued around $1000 usually) and paying to like 4 or 5 places.

My wife and I play in the 2nd form and enjoy it as a night out... it's not highly competitive and we have met some good friends through it. These games are not really going to resemble anything close to casino poker though because of the quality of players and getting past the whole "free chips" mentality. That doesn't mean it's a complete crapshoot though. You still have to be strategic to get in the top points to make it to the big monthly tourney.

Here's the tourney we play in:

http://www.lonestarpoker.net

Oh, and any form of poker is not "Legal" in Texas. Being free is considered a "Defense to prosecution" which wouldn't keep the fuzz from busting in with MP5s and confiscating your chips and prize money. So the DA doesn't want to prosecute, you still have to go through hell and probably just lost your business.

Hope this helps some.

hime · #10 03-07-2007, 03:46 PM

Oh, and any form of poker is not "Legal" in Texas. Being free is considered a "Defense to prosecution" which wouldn't keep the fuzz from busting in with MP5s and confiscating your chips and prize money. So the DA doesn't want to prosecute, you still have to go through hell and probably just lost your business.

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