Make judges play poker for money, then see if it's luck
Re-published courtesy of our content partner Ante Up Magazine.
To poker players, predominate is a word probably not often used in their vocabulary; however, to good players “predominate” is the way they approach the game every time they play.
The famous line from Rounders echoes in the minds of these players: “If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.”
The goal of every decent player is to be able to sit at a table and assess the players, then use skill to prevail. To these players luck exists, but does not control the game at the end of the day.
If a poll was taken of every player at a table one night testing the veracity of these statements, particularly related to games of deepstack hold’em, overwhelmingly the sentiment would affirm their truth and affirm their operation as unwritten rules of the game.
So why is it courts of law across the country have such a difficulty understanding poker at its core is a game whose outcome is primarily driven by the skill of the players?
Two recent cases highlight the basic flaws in justice when poker is put on trial as to whether it is a legal game of skill or an illegal game of chance. The cases are Com. v. Dent, 992 A. 2d 190 (Pa.Super. 2010) from Pennsylvania and Three Kings Holdings, L.L.C. v. Six, 2011 WL 2279039 (Kan.App.) from Kansas.
In putting variations of Texas Hold’em on trial, these courts applied what is known as the “predominance” test to determine whether the games were legal games of skill such as bowling and golf or illegal games of chance such as slot machines and craps. The predominance test, true to the definition, is based on what dominates in determining the outcome of the game, a player’s skill or blind chance within the game.
The judges found that in bowling or golf “though chance inevitably intervenes, it’s not inherent in the game and does not overcome skill, and the player maintains the opportunity to defeat chance with superior skill.” In contrast in poker, “a skilled player may give himself a statistical advantage but is always subject to defeat at the turn of a card, an instrumentality beyond his control.” The courts found this to be “a critical difference.”
Despite the testimony from experts in statistics, psychology and poker who testified to the contrary, the judges chose to look solely at the uncertainty of the turn of a card as the dominant factor in the game, which swings the balance to make poker an illegal game predominated by chance. The result of these cases led to the barroom game in Kansas and the home games in Pennsylvania being shut down and deemed illegal.
Player frustrations with these rulings and the fallacy of the courts logic aside, keep in mind a trusted lawyer’s maxim that “you can’t beat the guy in the robe in his court room.” However, you can look for these guys at the poker tables, with their lack of understanding of the game; they will be the ones with “sucker” written across their forehead enjoy teaching them a lesson in “predominance.”
— Marc W. Dunbar represents several gaming clients before the Florida Legislature and teaches gambling and parimutuel law at the Florida State’s College of Law. Follow him on Twitter (@FLGamingWatch) or his website (floridagamingwatch.com).
Joe Navarro: Poker tells of the neck
Re-published courtesy of our content partner Ante Up Magazine.
As I often say there are poker faces, but there is no such thing as a poker body. Somewhere on our body we reflect precisely and in real time what we think, feel, desire or intend. The neck is such an area for poker players, full of clues as to whether a player is strong, marginal or weak.
Seven years ago, when I first started writing about poker tells (Read ’em and Reap), the feet were not on the radar screen. Here was an area of the body unrecognized in the poker world. Since then many players have wisely folded in time when seeing “happy feet” on their opponents who had monster hands. To a certain extent, like the feet, behaviors of the neck also have been off the radar screen to many players, so let me shed some light on this often-ignored area of the body.
The neck is critical for survival (it’s architecturally necessary for food, water, air, chemical and electrical signals) and as such, the brain treats the neck differently than the rest of the body. Because it’s such a vital area, whenever we feel threatened or insecure the brain compels us to do certain things to protect or pacify the neck.
Watch any tournament and you’ll see players when they’re having doubts or feel some action on the board will hurt them begin to touch or rub their neck. This is an accurate indicator that something is bothering them. This is a legacy behavior from when humans routinely saw large felines bring down prey by biting down on their necks. Though large threats don’t remain, we still do this behavior when things bother us.
Neck touching is probably one of the most often used behaviors to calm us. Some people rub the back of their neck with their fingers; others stroke the sides of their neck or just under the chin above the Adam’s apple, tugging at the fleshy area of the neck.This area is rich with nerve endings that, when stroked, reduce blood pressure, lower the heart rate and calm the individual. This action usually is seen when players are marginal or weak and are deliberating their next move.
Chicago Joe: "Horeshoe Hammond Started It All"
Re-published courtesy of our content partner Ante Up Magazine.
For our poker players, 08/08/08 is the most important date in Chicago’s gambling history. Why? That’s when the Horseshoe Casino opened. Just over the Illinois border next to Chicago in Hammond, Ind., the Horseshoe Casino created a world-class poker room that rivals the top rooms in the country. When opened, the Horseshoe’s 34-table poker room had twice as many tables than all of Illinois combined. For the staff, the Horseshoe assembled an extraordinary group of professionals from all parts of the country.
The Horseshoe’s $1,500 Summer Poker Tournament Series will be Aug 27.This tournament has a guaranteed $250,000 prize pool.For cash players, a Win a Seat high-card promotion will start a week before the tournament. At 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. one table will be picked. Eligible players at the table will be dealt one card with the high card winning a seat to the $1,500 event.
Starting at $100,000, the Horseshoe’s bad beat is the largest in the Midwest, with quad 10s as the qualifier. Twice a month the bad beat is increased $20,000 and the qualifying hand decreasing. On July 15 the bad beat reached $160,000 and quad sevens. Last year the bad beat reached $320K when the bad beat was hit. For more details see the poker room staff or call 219-473-6065.