Home | Online Casinos | Poker Rooms | Online Sportsbooks | Bingo Sites | Skill Games | Affiliates Directory | 
Home »
Online Gambling News » Gambling News
Poker tourneys canceled
NULL , Friday, May 11, 2007The Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour and the Louisville Poker Tour will no longer host Texas Hold ¡®Em tournaments in Oldham County restaurants after a crackdown by state and local law enforcement officials.
Owners of two local restaurants - Ray¡¯s Corner in La Grange and Fast Break Pizza in Crestwood - have paid for outside companies to host poker tournaments in their establishments in what seemed like a win-win situation for businesses and customers alike. Customers played a free game of poker, earning points to compete for prizes and restaurant owners boosted their revenue.
The Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour hosted a tournament April 9 at Ray¡¯s Corner, and The Louisville Poker Tour has hosted a weekly tournament at Fast Break Pizza since June 29.
According to state law, Oldham County establishments are considered ¡°limited¡± restaurants - a facility where the primary function is serving of meals to customers from a bona fide kitchen facility. The restaurant must earn at least 70 percent of its gross income from food sales and maintain a minimum seating capacity of 100 persons for dining.
But research completed by the enforcement division of the state office of Alcoholic Beverage Control and by local alcohol administrators suggests that poker tournaments are prohibited from limited restaurants because the events interfere with the restaurant¡¯s primary function of serving food.
La Grange Police Chief Kevin Collett, the city¡¯s alcohol administrator, said debate about legality of Texas Hold ¡®Em tournaments and whether the activity is considered a game of chance is a secondary issue.
ABC representatives have said by hosting poker tournaments in restaurants with limited licensing, the restaurants aren¡¯t fulfilling the limited restaurant requirements set forth by state statute, Collett said.
Inquiries about ABC¡¯s opinion on the issue were still unanswered as of press time. Calls to multiple ABC officials were often redirected and messages not returned.
Regulations for restaurants in Oldham and Jefferson counties cannot be compared, Collett said. Oldham County is a ¡°moist¡± territory where restaurants are licensed with stricter regulations for alcohol sales. In a ¡°wet¡± territory like Jefferson County, restaurants don¡¯t have to meet the requirements of the limited restaurants statute, Collett said.
John Taylor, owner of the Louisville Poker Tour, said he formed his company two years ago following a surge of popularity for Texas Hold¡¯ ¡®Em poker.
After he heard of successful free poker tournaments in Colorado bars, where lots of small games are consolidated into a big game, he brought the concept to Kentucky.
Taylor said most games of Texas Hold ¡®Em usually take place at a kitchen table in someone¡¯s home for a little bit of money, or at a casino for a whole lot of money. His company bridges the gap between the two scenarios and takes gambling out of the game by making his events free for participants, he said.
According to a Web site for the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour, the tour boasts ¡°a fun evening of cards, food and drinks¡± where participants can make friends and win prizes and giveaways, including a first place trophy for the winner and a $25 gift certificate for the best dressed cowboy and cowgirl. Similar to other restaurant poker tours, players earn points for their participation.
Jim Walling, partner and owner of the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour, said his company also operates under the ABC¡¯s guidelines.
¡°The ABC approved our game and we¡¯re not going to deviate from that whatsoever,¡± Walling said.
Walling said he turned away 90 customers who planned to participate in a poker tournament scheduled at Ray¡¯s on April 16.
Cancelation of the tour leads to a loss of revenue for his company and the restaurants that host the tour, he said.
¡°All it was doing was bringing revenue to Oldham County,¡± he said. ¡°... There is no gambling, no money involved and no buy-in.¡±
As of press time, Walling said if he hasn¡¯t resolved the issue with La Grange city officials by the end of today (Thursday) he plans to take legal action against the city for canceling the tour without investigating it.
¡°If necessary we¡¯ll sue city of La Grange for loss of revenue,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to do that ... but they didn¡¯t take the time to do an investigation.¡±
Walling said poker tournaments often raise money for local charities. If necessary, Walling said he¡¯s willing to host weekly charity tournaments to benefit local organizations chosen by city officials only if the mayor, city attorney and police chief would commit to participate. He said he¡¯d put a 50-point bounty on officials to reward players for knocking them out of the tournament - just like he places a bounty on the top three players each week.
The Louisville Poker Tour now hosts weekly poker events in 29 bars and restaurants in Southern Indiana and the Louisville area. Players compete for four seats at the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and seven trips for two to Las Vegas including hotel, airfare and spending money.
Taylor¡¯s only tournament in Oldham County started about a year ago at Fast Break Pizza in Crestwood. Before establishing an Oldham County site for the Louisville Poker Tour, Taylor said he met with County Attorney John Fendley to review guidelines issued by the ABC concerning the legality of Texas Hold ¡®Em in a document called ¡°The ABCs of Texas Hold ¡®Em in Kentucky Licensed Premises.¡±
Taylor said he is strict about adhering to ABC guidelines, especially the three main components - participation in Texas Hold ¡®Em games must be free of charge, players must be age 21 or older and alcohol is prohibited as a prize.
¡°We¡¯ve taken the gamble out of the game,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no buy in - that¡¯s what makes it legal.¡±
Outside of following ABC guidelines, Taylor also requires restaurant owners to sign a six-page contract forbidding gambling, and any other violations that could put him out of business - including side bets and Calcutta bets on the outcome of a game.
¡°It¡¯s not a back room game,¡± he said. ¡°At least, I didn¡¯t think it was.¡±
A few hours before the weekly tournament was scheduled to begin at Fast Break on April 19, the Louisville Poker Tour canceled the event following a visit from Oldham County¡¯s alcohol administrator, Oldham County Police Lt. Col. Billy Way. Taylor said he and the restaurant¡¯s owners learned they could be cited if the tournament took place.
Scott Hack, co-owner of Fast Break Pizza, said he hasn¡¯t seen a decrease in his Thursday night business in the two weeks since the poker tour was canceled, but he attributes the steady revenue to families dining together after Little League games. He said he expects he¡¯ll see a significant drop in dining room traffic on Thursday nights in the winter months.
Collett said he is working with the La Grange city attorney, enforcers from the ABC and Way to enforce limited restaurant regulations county-wide. Collett said their efforts will prevent businesses from losing their license.
While no law enforcement agency wants to hinder a restaurant¡¯s success, officers can¡¯t turn a blind eye to the law in order for restaurants to succeed, Collett said.
Taylor said cancellation of his tournament at Fast Break is disappointing because in his eyes, he did his homework by communicating with the ABC and meeting with the county attorney to confirm the legality of his tournament before coming to Oldham County.
Fendley has since said he was mistaken about the legality of the tournament, but it¡¯s no consolation for Taylor. He said he loves the players and likes the exposure in Oldham County, even though the tournament at Fast Break was about three percent of his business. Average turnout at one of Fast Break¡¯s Thursday night events was 40 to 45 people, he said.
¡°I¡¯d love to help them fight this, but ultimately, I don¡¯t want to rock the boat,¡± he said.
Ellie Irwin, who co-owns Ray¡¯s Corner with her husband, Ray, echoes Taylor¡¯s sentiment. She has no plans to protest the rule, but she said cancellation of future tournaments was a major disappointment. The poker tournament had a positive impact on her business, she said.
Two other La Grange restaurants ¡ª Louie¡¯s Restaurant and Fish House and Norma Jean¡¯s Trackside ¡ª considered hosting the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour.
John Burley, owner of Norma Jean¡¯s Trackside, said what he liked most about the idea of bringing a tournament to Norma Jean¡¯s is the control the poker company offered restaurant owners. The company requires just a two-week notice for cancellation and there is no long-term contract for hosting the event.
It seemed like a reasonable way to grow the business, Burley said.
Irwin estimates the April 9 poker tournament increased business at Ray¡¯s Corner about 20 percent compared to a regular Monday night. Irwin and her husband brought the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour to their restaurant to attract more customers to their food, she said.
But when the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour hosted the tournament at Ray¡¯s April 9, Irwin said the kitchen was inundated with food orders - making the event a success in her eyes.
¡°It¡¯s frustrating,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re working really hard and we thought we had a little bit going for us. I¡¯m sure Norma Jean¡¯s would have been the same way - wanting to get people in to try their food.¡±
by Jacquelyn Stoess
Owners of two local restaurants - Ray¡¯s Corner in La Grange and Fast Break Pizza in Crestwood - have paid for outside companies to host poker tournaments in their establishments in what seemed like a win-win situation for businesses and customers alike. Customers played a free game of poker, earning points to compete for prizes and restaurant owners boosted their revenue.
The Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour hosted a tournament April 9 at Ray¡¯s Corner, and The Louisville Poker Tour has hosted a weekly tournament at Fast Break Pizza since June 29.
According to state law, Oldham County establishments are considered ¡°limited¡± restaurants - a facility where the primary function is serving of meals to customers from a bona fide kitchen facility. The restaurant must earn at least 70 percent of its gross income from food sales and maintain a minimum seating capacity of 100 persons for dining.
But research completed by the enforcement division of the state office of Alcoholic Beverage Control and by local alcohol administrators suggests that poker tournaments are prohibited from limited restaurants because the events interfere with the restaurant¡¯s primary function of serving food.
La Grange Police Chief Kevin Collett, the city¡¯s alcohol administrator, said debate about legality of Texas Hold ¡®Em tournaments and whether the activity is considered a game of chance is a secondary issue.
ABC representatives have said by hosting poker tournaments in restaurants with limited licensing, the restaurants aren¡¯t fulfilling the limited restaurant requirements set forth by state statute, Collett said.
Inquiries about ABC¡¯s opinion on the issue were still unanswered as of press time. Calls to multiple ABC officials were often redirected and messages not returned.
Regulations for restaurants in Oldham and Jefferson counties cannot be compared, Collett said. Oldham County is a ¡°moist¡± territory where restaurants are licensed with stricter regulations for alcohol sales. In a ¡°wet¡± territory like Jefferson County, restaurants don¡¯t have to meet the requirements of the limited restaurants statute, Collett said.
John Taylor, owner of the Louisville Poker Tour, said he formed his company two years ago following a surge of popularity for Texas Hold¡¯ ¡®Em poker.
After he heard of successful free poker tournaments in Colorado bars, where lots of small games are consolidated into a big game, he brought the concept to Kentucky.
Taylor said most games of Texas Hold ¡®Em usually take place at a kitchen table in someone¡¯s home for a little bit of money, or at a casino for a whole lot of money. His company bridges the gap between the two scenarios and takes gambling out of the game by making his events free for participants, he said.
According to a Web site for the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour, the tour boasts ¡°a fun evening of cards, food and drinks¡± where participants can make friends and win prizes and giveaways, including a first place trophy for the winner and a $25 gift certificate for the best dressed cowboy and cowgirl. Similar to other restaurant poker tours, players earn points for their participation.
Jim Walling, partner and owner of the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour, said his company also operates under the ABC¡¯s guidelines.
¡°The ABC approved our game and we¡¯re not going to deviate from that whatsoever,¡± Walling said.
Walling said he turned away 90 customers who planned to participate in a poker tournament scheduled at Ray¡¯s on April 16.
Cancelation of the tour leads to a loss of revenue for his company and the restaurants that host the tour, he said.
¡°All it was doing was bringing revenue to Oldham County,¡± he said. ¡°... There is no gambling, no money involved and no buy-in.¡±
As of press time, Walling said if he hasn¡¯t resolved the issue with La Grange city officials by the end of today (Thursday) he plans to take legal action against the city for canceling the tour without investigating it.
¡°If necessary we¡¯ll sue city of La Grange for loss of revenue,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to do that ... but they didn¡¯t take the time to do an investigation.¡±
Walling said poker tournaments often raise money for local charities. If necessary, Walling said he¡¯s willing to host weekly charity tournaments to benefit local organizations chosen by city officials only if the mayor, city attorney and police chief would commit to participate. He said he¡¯d put a 50-point bounty on officials to reward players for knocking them out of the tournament - just like he places a bounty on the top three players each week.
The Louisville Poker Tour now hosts weekly poker events in 29 bars and restaurants in Southern Indiana and the Louisville area. Players compete for four seats at the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and seven trips for two to Las Vegas including hotel, airfare and spending money.
Taylor¡¯s only tournament in Oldham County started about a year ago at Fast Break Pizza in Crestwood. Before establishing an Oldham County site for the Louisville Poker Tour, Taylor said he met with County Attorney John Fendley to review guidelines issued by the ABC concerning the legality of Texas Hold ¡®Em in a document called ¡°The ABCs of Texas Hold ¡®Em in Kentucky Licensed Premises.¡±
Taylor said he is strict about adhering to ABC guidelines, especially the three main components - participation in Texas Hold ¡®Em games must be free of charge, players must be age 21 or older and alcohol is prohibited as a prize.
¡°We¡¯ve taken the gamble out of the game,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no buy in - that¡¯s what makes it legal.¡±
Outside of following ABC guidelines, Taylor also requires restaurant owners to sign a six-page contract forbidding gambling, and any other violations that could put him out of business - including side bets and Calcutta bets on the outcome of a game.
¡°It¡¯s not a back room game,¡± he said. ¡°At least, I didn¡¯t think it was.¡±
A few hours before the weekly tournament was scheduled to begin at Fast Break on April 19, the Louisville Poker Tour canceled the event following a visit from Oldham County¡¯s alcohol administrator, Oldham County Police Lt. Col. Billy Way. Taylor said he and the restaurant¡¯s owners learned they could be cited if the tournament took place.
Scott Hack, co-owner of Fast Break Pizza, said he hasn¡¯t seen a decrease in his Thursday night business in the two weeks since the poker tour was canceled, but he attributes the steady revenue to families dining together after Little League games. He said he expects he¡¯ll see a significant drop in dining room traffic on Thursday nights in the winter months.
Collett said he is working with the La Grange city attorney, enforcers from the ABC and Way to enforce limited restaurant regulations county-wide. Collett said their efforts will prevent businesses from losing their license.
While no law enforcement agency wants to hinder a restaurant¡¯s success, officers can¡¯t turn a blind eye to the law in order for restaurants to succeed, Collett said.
Taylor said cancellation of his tournament at Fast Break is disappointing because in his eyes, he did his homework by communicating with the ABC and meeting with the county attorney to confirm the legality of his tournament before coming to Oldham County.
Fendley has since said he was mistaken about the legality of the tournament, but it¡¯s no consolation for Taylor. He said he loves the players and likes the exposure in Oldham County, even though the tournament at Fast Break was about three percent of his business. Average turnout at one of Fast Break¡¯s Thursday night events was 40 to 45 people, he said.
¡°I¡¯d love to help them fight this, but ultimately, I don¡¯t want to rock the boat,¡± he said.
Ellie Irwin, who co-owns Ray¡¯s Corner with her husband, Ray, echoes Taylor¡¯s sentiment. She has no plans to protest the rule, but she said cancellation of future tournaments was a major disappointment. The poker tournament had a positive impact on her business, she said.
Two other La Grange restaurants ¡ª Louie¡¯s Restaurant and Fish House and Norma Jean¡¯s Trackside ¡ª considered hosting the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour.
John Burley, owner of Norma Jean¡¯s Trackside, said what he liked most about the idea of bringing a tournament to Norma Jean¡¯s is the control the poker company offered restaurant owners. The company requires just a two-week notice for cancellation and there is no long-term contract for hosting the event.
It seemed like a reasonable way to grow the business, Burley said.
Irwin estimates the April 9 poker tournament increased business at Ray¡¯s Corner about 20 percent compared to a regular Monday night. Irwin and her husband brought the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour to their restaurant to attract more customers to their food, she said.
But when the Bluegrass Texas Hold ¡®Em Tour hosted the tournament at Ray¡¯s April 9, Irwin said the kitchen was inundated with food orders - making the event a success in her eyes.
¡°It¡¯s frustrating,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re working really hard and we thought we had a little bit going for us. I¡¯m sure Norma Jean¡¯s would have been the same way - wanting to get people in to try their food.¡±
by Jacquelyn Stoess
Relate News:
Sponsored Links: GambleSky.com.©Network - 2000-2008 All Rights Reserved