This past Saturday afternoon over seventy poker players were surprised by police when a poker tournament was raided in Pelham, Alabama. About six dozen people were at the poker tournament when it was broken up by police for being illegal.
Over a dozen Pelham police officers and member of the Shelby County Task Force arrived at the scene to serve a search warrant after months of investigation. According to Lt. Scott Tucker over seventy people were involved in the illegal Texas Hold’em poker tournament including dealers and the people in charge.
The people at the tournament were not arrested but were identified and then released. According to Lt. Tucker, once the investigation is completed the evidence will be turned over to the Shelby County District Attorney and then it will be determined if charges will be filed.
In the state of Alabama simple gambling and promoting gambling is a misdemeanor but this has not stopped people from hosting Texas Hold’em Poker Tournaments from taking place in the state. Some bars even hold tournaments though they do not play for money.
Lt. Tucker stated that the tournament on Saturday was not a spontaneous card game between friends. Tucker stated the people involved in the game on Saturday did not know each and every player and they were not all from the area.
Lt. Tucker commented: “I wouldn’t consider an organized card playing game as one that you would play sitting at your kitchen table with your next door neighbors or your buddy from work. This is a totally different element.
Lt. Tucker also commented that the raid had nothing to do with the Governor’s Anti-Gambling Task Force or bingo but rather it was the result of a joint investigation between the Hoover Police, the Shelby County Task Force and the Pelham Police.
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poker tournaments should not be unlawfull in the state of alabama. poker is a game of skill not chance, if the state consider poker illegal golf turnaments,fishing tournaments,and otherkinds of tournaments should be unlawfull to.look at ala.gambling laws.