TEXAS Hold'em needs to be legal in TEXAS

[Big Bend]

Today, Tuesday April 3, is a big day for poker here in Texas. San Antonio State Rep Jose Menendez has introduced a bill making card rooms legal in the state, and poker players are converging on the capital in Austin to support the legislation.

Here is an article talking about this. It's too bad I'm swamped at work or I'd roadie up there to show support... Since we have legal horse racing and lotteries its not entirely impossible this won't pass (damn religious freaks running the state) but I have my doubts it'll succeed. Man it would be so sweet to have poker finally be legal here.

Oh well, hoping for the best in TX...

BB

[rageotones]

anyone know anything about this????

"Menendez said that he plans to amend his bill before presenting it to the licensing panel to require that games be played on an electric table that deals computer-generated cards that can be seen only by the player who receives them."

that would suck so bad

[spino1i]

[ QUOTE ]
anyone know anything about this????

"Menendez said that he plans to amend his bill before presenting it to the licensing panel to require that games be played on an electric table that deals computer-generated cards that can be seen only by the player who receives them."

that would suck so bad

[/ QUOTE ]

wow this would suck.. please say it isnt so..

[Vex]

[ QUOTE ]
anyone know anything about this????

"Menendez said that he plans to amend his bill before presenting it to the licensing panel to require that games be played on an electric table that deals computer-generated cards that can be seen only by the player who receives them."

that would suck so bad

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like there may be a misunderstanding. I think that is talking about a clarification to the bill. Here's the relevant text from the bill itself, with text bolded by me.

[ QUOTE ]
Sec. 2004.454. ELECTRONIC POKER TABLE. (a) An electronic
poker table must:
(1) provide each player position with a touch screen
that allows the player to:
(A) view cards dealt to the player and the
remaining chips and other game information; and
(B) input game decisions;
(2) include a video screen in the center of the table
that displays game information, chips bet by each player, and cards
dealt to all players;
(3) maintain a complete hand history for a period of 30
days that is accessible to the commission by remote connection;
(4) display the collection fee for the game in a
central location viewable by all players;
(5) provide a feature that enables a replay of the
previous game; and
(6) provide a feature that enables complete recovery
of the complete game if a power disruption occurs.
(b) An electronic poker table must use:
(1) a central server to deal electronic cards to each
player in a poker hand; and
(2) a cage management system application to automate
the creation and maintenance of accounts for players at the table,
to perform cash-in and cash-out functions, and for payment of the
gross receipts tax to this state.

[/ QUOTE ]

Note that nowhere in the quoted text from the bill does it state that the player's touchscreen prevent anyone else from seeing that player's hole cards. The above quote sounds like he means to amend the bill to add in a provision that for electronic tables, players' touchscreens actually keep the hole cards private. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The bill does allow for live games played the old-fashioned way, with dealers and cards and chips, and even stipulates things like a deck can only be used for 50 hands. It just also allows these newfangled 'lectronic table thingies to be used as well.

Full text is here: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs...l/HB03186I.htm

[rageotones]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
anyone know anything about this????

"Menendez said that he plans to amend his bill before presenting it to the licensing panel to require that games be played on an electric table that deals computer-generated cards that can be seen only by the player who receives them."

that would suck so bad

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like there may be a misunderstanding. I think that is talking about a clarification to the bill. Here's the relevant text from the bill itself, with text bolded by me.

[ QUOTE ]
Sec. 2004.454. ELECTRONIC POKER TABLE. (a) An electronic
poker table must:
(1) provide each player position with a touch screen
that allows the player to:
(A) view cards dealt to the player and the
remaining chips and other game information; and
(B) input game decisions;
(2) include a video screen in the center of the table
that displays game information, chips bet by each player, and cards
dealt to all players;
(3) maintain a complete hand history for a period of 30
days that is accessible to the commission by remote connection;
(4) display the collection fee for the game in a
central location viewable by all players;
(5) provide a feature that enables a replay of the
previous game; and
(6) provide a feature that enables complete recovery
of the complete game if a power disruption occurs.
(b) An electronic poker table must use:
(1) a central server to deal electronic cards to each
player in a poker hand; and
(2) a cage management system application to automate
the creation and maintenance of accounts for players at the table,
to perform cash-in and cash-out functions, and for payment of the
gross receipts tax to this state.

[/ QUOTE ]

Note that nowhere in the quoted text from the bill does it state that the player's touchscreen prevent anyone else from seeing that player's hole cards. The above quote sounds like he means to amend the bill to add in a provision that for electronic tables, players' touchscreens actually keep the hole cards private. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The bill does allow for live games played the old-fashioned way, with dealers and cards and chips, and even stipulates things like a deck can only be used for 50 hands. It just also allows these newfangled 'lectronic table thingies to be used as well.

Full text is here: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs...l/HB03186I.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

while i hope you're correct, the quote did say, "..require that games be played on electric tables..."

[Vex]

[ QUOTE ]

while i hope you're correct, the quote did say, "..require that games be played on electric tables..."

[/ QUOTE ]

All of the difference is in the word "be". It might belong there, or it might not. Plus, making that significant a change would be more than amending it; it would require major modifications to most of the text of the bill.

That said, I could be wrong. I think I'm right, but who knows? Is there a link to where the quote was published, so we could check out the context?

[rageotones]

article here

[Vex]

[ QUOTE ]
article here

[/ QUOTE ]

In context, it does look like it really does mean requiring the electronic tables, in particular to allow the Lottery Commission full control over teh monies.

In truth, I'd rather have that than nothing.

There are some theoretical good points about these electronic tables. I've never even seen one, but:

* They'd be as trustworthy as online poker (strong random number generators).

* They'd speed things up -- moving chips and cards does take a lot of time.

* No room for dealer error.

* Less room for player shenanigans.

* No need to tip an electronic dealer.

* Hopefully lower rake than live, because of lower overhead (but who'm I kidding, right?)

[rageotones]

i just saw this in another thread... HERE...

"Interesting tidbit – apparently this legislation’s being sponsored by the commercial vendor for electronic poker tables."

i have played electronic tables, and i can say that i'd much rather play on my computer. freaking politics.

[corndog]

Just found the live stream for the Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/fx/av/l...livecmte40.ram

I just turned it on. They are talking about poker runs right now, which I think are on the same bill.

edit: n/m. They were on bill 653, which is a bill dealing specifically with poker runs.