Posted Thu Feb 10, 2005 6:42 am GMT by lwestatbus
Florida prohibits gambling outside of the proliferating Indian casinos, card rooms opening up at the dog tracks, a couple of dozen day-trip casino boats, and the State-run Lottery. (Hmmm... I guess there is a lot of gambling in Florida.)
Florida allows for "Penny Ante" games which seem intended to allow for friendly home games. No payment of any type to the host. Must be in a home (or common area of a condo, etc.). My question is on a provision that says that no "pot, hand, or game" may be over $10 in value. This is really easy to achieve in (really) low limit hold 'em games. I'm interested in tournament-style play, though, with a $10 buy-in and a two- or three-way split depending on number of players. I don't know if the "hand" or the "game" limit comes into play here. A ten-player "game" could yield $50 to the winner though no "hand" would ever have that value based on the value of the chips ($10 / 1,000 chips).
I've noticed that some responders in this forum state strong opinions on a legal matter but posters would do us all a favor by indicating the authority which you are citing. I have visions of standing in front of a judge claiming that my actions were legal 'cause Fold 'em Johnny from the poker forum said so.
And yes, I know, I may be paranoid about worrying about a bust of a game with only $100 at risk total but I've got a job that a morals bust would jeopardize. So does wife, and I don't want my chips confiscated!!!
Did you know that participating in a poker forum can help you improve your own game? Be it by sharing experiences or simply asking for help, participation in a forum helps you focus and keep 'on topic' which will help you improve your game. You can learn from other players feedback and from their experiences. Why the THP poker forums? We offer one of the best managed texas holdem poker forums available, and the community within is far more friendly than those typicaly found on other sites. We've made a 'lurkers edition' of the poker forum available here on Holdem Poker Online, but we encourage all visitors to register and join in on the conversations on TexasHoldem-Poker.com
Posted Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:50 am GMT by Nut Flush
I have small tourneys like that all the time with friends and when I first started playing, I had the same question as you regarding the $10 max.
| Quote: | (a) "Penny-ante game" means a game or series of games of poker, pinochle, bridge, rummy, canasta, hearts, dominoes, or mah-jongg in which the winnings of any player in a single round, hand, or game do not exceed $10 in value.
|
I'm no lawyer, but I would say a small tournament where you can win over $10 is illegal as far as the law goes. The reason is because they use the words "game or series of games". They would probably classify a tourney as a "series of games" in that case.
However, I highly doubt the local police would come busting down your door for a measly $100 tournament. One thing you can do just in case is to keep all cash off the table. Collect everybody's fee and put it in a jar in the kitchen or something. If there's no cash on the table or an evident "cashier box" in plain view, you can just say it's a friendly game.
If you're really worried, you can always contact the Attorney General's office and ask them about it.
|
|
