if you get together with friends and play poker for small money at your house/apt, is that legal?

[theGlove]

or will the fbi come and break down the doors?

 

[MartyMcFly3]

I think the FBI/whoever has better things to do than worry about a small poker game between friends.

 

[Ketteringo]

As long as there isn't a rake taken by the house.

 

[her209]

Technically, no.

 

[theGlove]

Originally posted by: Ketteringo
As long as there isn't a rake taken by the house.

what exactly is a rake? i've never understood that, i mean when does it apply and how much rake gets collected?

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: theGlove

Originally posted by: Ketteringo
As long as there isn't a rake taken by the house.

what exactly is a rake? i've never understood that

Percentage/commision?

 

[Justin218]

A rake is a piece of the pot that the house takes at the poker tables. Like if you went to vegas and sat at a poker table, the casino makes money by taking 1% from the pot every hand or whatever. Not really sure what they take in vegas

 

[FoBoT]

depends on the state you live in, but it is probably technically illegal

but nobody will do anything to you/about it

 

[Jmman]

My understanding is that st is legal, just as long as the people know each other before hand (ie friends).

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

As long as you're not running an underground casino (i.e. collecting a rake), its legal.

 

[JeffCos]

I think it is perfectly legal. "This note is legal tender for all debts public and Private" is printed on your dollar bill a friendly game of cards is a private debt as long as the house doens't take a cut. That's why football pools are legal.

 

[daniel1113]

It's legal, but I've never understood why college officials at my school always close down poker games in the dorms.

 

[95SS]

Every state sets their own gambling laws. Here in Oregon, social gambling is legal, provided the house doesn't make any money on it. Check this out, I don't know how current it is though.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Actually reading up on Google about it now... apparently this does vary by state. In Oklahoma its a misdemeanor to even play in a home game, and a felony to host it.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: JeffCos
I think it is perfectly legal. "This note is legal tender for all debts public and Private" is printed on your dollar bill a friendly game of cards is a private debt as long as the house doens't take a cut. That's why football pools are legal.

Haha... that's interesting logic. The 5 grand I owe my drug dealer is a private debt, I guess that's legal too?

I don't think it's legal, but then... who cares?

 

[Baked]

Gambling requires a license. You nor any of your friends have one, thus, if the cops bust in, you'll all be under arrest for the act of illegal gambling.

 

[mwtgg]

§ 5513. Gambling devices, gambling, etc.

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he:

intentionally or knowingly makes, assembles, sets up, maintains, sells, lends, leases, gives away, or offers for sale, loan, lease or gift, any punch board, drawing card, slot machine or any device to be used for gambling purposes, except playing cards;

So I guess that means playing cards is ok in the state of Pennsylvania?

 

[95SS]

Originally posted by: Baked
Gambling requires a license. You nor any of your friends have one, thus, if the cops bust in, you'll all be under arrest for the act of illegal gambling.

:roll:

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: Baked
Gambling requires a license. You nor any of your friends have one, thus, if the cops bust in, you'll all be under arrest for the act of illegal gambling.

Home games (ones where no one collects a rake or makes a profit besides direct participation in the game) are defined as social gambling in most states, and not subject to those laws. That seems to vary quite a bit depending on where you are, though.

 

[kreactor]

guess $5-7/pp for overhead, food + cleanup is okay

 

[shimsham]

for home games in fl the house cant take a rake, and the pot size cant be larger than an average of $10.

ive been playing in a weekly game of around 25-30 people lately, and thats the law according to the host. good enough for me. i dont think the cops would go through all the trouble to bust each and every player, as the amount of money floating around is only a couple hundred dollars, you cant buy in for more than 40 bucks total per player, and thats a lot of paperwork to file for that many people. realistically, i would expect them just to break it up and maybe file charges on the owner/organizer if they were taking a rake/giving attitude.

 

[RadioHead84]

I think its legal as long as its not huge sums of money or as long as they dont take a rake...What i want to know is if party poker and the such is legal..becuase i really dont think it is.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: mwtgg

§ 5513. Gambling devices, gambling, etc.

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he:

intentionally or knowingly makes, assembles, sets up, maintains, sells, lends, leases, gives away, or offers for sale, loan, lease or gift, any punch board, drawing card, slot machine or any device to be used for gambling purposes, except playing cards;

So I guess that means playing cards is ok in the state of Pennsylvania?

whoa... so that means selling poker chips, poker tables, etc. is illegal???

 

[DBL]

Different states, different laws. It's legal in NY as long as no rake is charged. My father plays in a friendly game and one of the players is a judge. He had to do a lot a research to set his mind at ease before deciding to play.

 

[Kishan]

Originally posted by: DBL
Different states, different laws. It's legal in NY as long as no rake is charged. My father plays in a friendly game and one of the players is a judge. He had to do a lot a research to set his mind at ease before deciding to play.

Oh SH!T- The judges game!

/rounders reference