Ante Up! S.C. Judge Rules Texas Hold 'Em Is A Skill

Ante Up! S.C. Judge Rules Texas Hold 'Em Is A Skill - Charlotte News Story

Ante Up! S.C. Judge Rules Texas Hold 'Em Is A Skill

Thursday, February 19, 2009
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- A South Carolina judge has ruled that Texas Hold 'em poker is a game of skill, a ruling that could prevent police from arresting people taking part in a friendly game of poker.

Mount Pleasant Municipal Judge Larry Duffy on Thursday wrote that there is "overwhelming" evidence that the card game is one of skill, not chance. State law outlaws gambling on games of chance with cards or dice.

In the past several years, police in South Carolina have raided homes to break up poker games.

Still, Duffy's order doesn't help the case of five men he found guilty of operating a gambling house, who must now pay fines.

About 20 people were arrested in that raid almost three years ago. The others settled their cases by payi