Car pool.

Exactly. Don't mess with people's parking spaces! Seriously. Just like college parties -- if one idiot blocks off a neighbor's driveway, the cops are coming pronto.

This operation should have made sure that people parked their cars spread out over several streets.


Poll: Does the host owe the players a refund on their buy-in?

I don't see where to click.

this is why our country has serious issues

$1,300 buys a lot of donuts.

what is wrong with these ******ed pigs.

where do u live?

I can prolly walk to your house if your close enough.

California Home Poker... Legal?
By Lennie Augustine

NOTE FROM MARC WORTMAN: In our Home Poker and the Law section, we have set up the legality of home gambling in the state of California as we understand it from statutes contained in that state's criminal code. Below, California lawyer Lennie Augustine puts forth much more work and insight than we did to question what exactly is contained in the word of the law. Note that this is an opinion column and not a legal analysis. We're probing the issue... not answering it. You gamble at home at your own risk.

I don't know if I consider myself to have a "strong legal knowledge of California state law," but here goes:

We know that Section 19801(j) of Chapter 5 says that:

"(j) In order to effectuate state policy as declared herein, it is necessary that gambling establishments, activities, and equipment be licensed, that persons participating in those activities be licensed or registered, that certain transactions, events, and processes involving gambling establishments and owners of gambling establishments be subject to prior approval or permission, that unsuitable persons not be permitted to associate with gambling activities or gambling establishments, and that gambling activities take place only in suitable locations. Any license or permit issued, or other approval granted pursuant to this chapter, is declared to be a revocable privilege, and no holder acquires any vested right therein or thereunder."
So a casual read seems to imply that all gambling, including home poker games, has to be licensed. But wait - let's examine further what "gambling" means.
Section 19805(j) of Chapter 5 gives the definition of "gambling":

"(j) "Gambling" means to deal, operate, carry on, conduct, maintain, or expose for play any controlled game."
OK, that's all fine and dandy - but what is a "controlled game"? Section 19805(e) defines a "controlled game":
"(e) "Controlled game" means any controlled game, as defined by subdivision (e) of Section 337j of the Penal Code."
OK, then what is a "controlled game, as defined by subdivision (e) of Section 337j of the Penal Code"? Subdivision (e) of Section 337j of the Penal Code says:

"(1) As used in this section, "controlled game" means any game of chance, including any gambling device, played for currency, check, credit, or any other thing of value that is not prohibited and made unlawful by statute or local ordinance.

(2) As used in this section, "controlled game" does not include any of the following:
(A) The game of bingo conducted pursuant to Section 326.5.
(B) Parimutuel racing on horse races regulated by the California Horse Racing Board.
(C) Any lottery game conducted by the California State Lottery.
(D) Games played with cards in private homes or residences, in which no person makes money for operating the game, except as a player."

Voila! 337j(2)(D) says that home games without a profit motive for the operator are not "controlled games!" Therefore, they are not a "gambling" activity under Chapter 5; therefore they are not subject to Chapter 5's licensing and other requirements.
Now I can't swear that that means that home poker games are completely legal - who knows, maybe somewhere else in the Code, they are banned. But I have a strong inclination that that means that home poker games are not illegal in California.

WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN

hey... i play(ed) in this home game. ****ing pigs

Here's a good way. Takes a bit of time to set up, but it will ultimately give you a hassle free life.

Step 1 - Post an advert for a poker tournament on a specific date in a number of different publications that the police are likely to read.

Step 2 - A few days before the 'tournament' make a couple of anonymous tipoffs to the police from 'concerned neighbours' about an illegal poker tournament.

Step 3 - On the night of the tournament, when everybody arrives, instead of playing poker watch Star Wars. Inform your trusted regular players inadvance so they aren't disappointed. Make sure there are no cards, quantites of cash or anything else that might indicate a poker game anywhere in the house.

Step 4 - When police arrive, act very confused.

Step 5 - Repeat Steps 1-4 until the police stop turning up*.

Step 6 - Continue with weekly poker tournaments.

Step 7 - Profit


* On subsequent reenactments of Step 3, you may substitute Star Wars for another similarly geeky movie. Non geeky movies may also be used at a stretch.

LMAO @ Piemaster's post, But i bet ya it would actually work.

And Don't 4get to ask those same nosey neighbors to participate in "Mpvie Night"

LOL @ "**** Pigs"

I'm pretty sure they HAVE to act once a complaint is lodged. Once they looked into it, their WAS illegal activity. They don't have the luxury of saying "stupid law" or "c'mon...no harm is really being done here."

Do you really expect an exchange like:

Caller: Yeah, there's alot of activity recently at my neighbor's and our driveway is being blocked and parking spaces are being taken by several people coming and going.

Police: "Aaah, prolly just poker. People like to play poker and don't like us messing up their games. We have limited resources and try to concentrate our efforts on laws that aren't stupid. We can't be wasting tax money on parking/nuisance violations with La eMe running around. Tell ya what, go knock on the door and see if they'll kindly move their cars and when they open the door peek in and see if you see anybody playing cards. If they only crack the door enough to where you see an eyeball, call us back and I guess we can check it out...but he-he...I'll lay 10-1 it's just a poker game. Whole country's hold'em crazy!"

this is so wrong its disgusting

The key to running a good homegame is either inviting the neighbors or not screwing around with parking. PARK A STREET OR TWO OVER

I hope this wasn't TwoRooks game... we warned him that something like this could happen....

a whole 1300 dollars???? lions, tigers and bears Oh MY!

Why not? Im pretty sure the sheriff or police chief or whatever could look into it and decide "hey this is just some guys playing some poker, it might be illegal but so is jaywalking and we have alot more important things to do." Or how about a police officer just going up to the door when the streets are packed, talking to the owner of the house, explain to him the complaints and ask him to resolve the problem. Also if the police suspected poker go ahead and inform the owner of what is and is not legal.

But I guess a 3 month investigation and a raid are fine too, especially considering that it sounds like alot of people there were criminals involved in other illegal activity, and the huge stakes they were playing for.


Also kind of off topic but neighbors like this piss me off. Just go up and tell the person that the parking is causing problems. At an old game i used to go to a neighbor did just this and we all figured out a way to not pack the streets. Easy and we all understood where the neighbor was coming from.

And then they wonder why so many people get murdered in L.A.-have your police do something meaningful, like track down REAL criminals

lol. nh, sir.

Popeye,

I agree that the neighbor simply saying something or the cops knocking on the door and giving a warning is far more appropriate. Some people don't want to be the "dick" neighbor and there are personalities that would not be as understanding as you guys were. Or maybe the neighbors are old and feared something more sinister and/or retaliation.

Maybe the police saw this as a way to send a message. Either way I am sure once they found out it wasn't just a friendly home game and was being advertised with fees, it was a clear enough violation that they had to act. I was just LOL at the "pig" haters when the cops were simply doing their job.

The **** they don't.

What they don't have the 'luxury' of doing is having any real crime at all anywhere in their vicinity to occupy their time and money.

If you want to have an unbusted home game, have it in Oakland.

lol at the 5$ snack fee. this is so lame.

ok fine next time take 50$ for the tourney, and then people put 5$ in the snack bin.

I mean what the hell ?

What i found really curious is that it didnt say that anyone was charged for illegal gambling. The only charges i saw were "fraudulently obtaining money under false pretenses and contributing to the delinquency of a minor". Fraudulently obtaining money under false pretenses? what? If the kid wasn't playing and they aren't charged with illegal gambling how the hell were they contributing to his delinquency?