A South Carolina judge will hear arguments that poker is a game of skill as he
considers if five men who were caught up in a poker raid in 2006 should be
found guilty.
The defense team of the players won a victory last month when Municipal Court Judge J. Lawrence Duffy, Jr. ruled that he would allow evidence that poker is more a game of skill than of luck.
This would most likely get the illegal gambling charges dropped, but it would also force legislators to clarify the more-than-a-century-old anti-gambling law that outlaws any game that uses dice or cards. This would be the first time that poker was legally ruled a game of skill in any court in America.
Almost 3 years ago Bob Chimento, Scott Richards, Jeremy Brestel, Michael Williamson and John Taylor Willis had charges of illegal gambling placed on them for playing small-stakes tournament poker in South Carolina.
Instead of paying a fine they decided to fight the charges in the hopes of getting rid of the law that was used to charge the group.
Judge Duffy refused to dismiss the case, but the charged players think that they now have a break with the judge deciding to allow the skill-versus-luck argument to be made.
According to Chimento one of the charged, a benefactor who wishes to remain unnamed is putting up a "substantial" amount of money to help fund the defense team.
The defense team of the players won a victory last month when Municipal Court Judge J. Lawrence Duffy, Jr. ruled that he would allow evidence that poker is more a game of skill than of luck.
This would most likely get the illegal gambling charges dropped, but it would also force legislators to clarify the more-than-a-century-old anti-gambling law that outlaws any game that uses dice or cards. This would be the first time that poker was legally ruled a game of skill in any court in America.
Almost 3 years ago Bob Chimento, Scott Richards, Jeremy Brestel, Michael Williamson and John Taylor Willis had charges of illegal gambling placed on them for playing small-stakes tournament poker in South Carolina.
Instead of paying a fine they decided to fight the charges in the hopes of getting rid of the law that was used to charge the group.
Judge Duffy refused to dismiss the case, but the charged players think that they now have a break with the judge deciding to allow the skill-versus-luck argument to be made.
According to Chimento one of the charged, a benefactor who wishes to remain unnamed is putting up a "substantial" amount of money to help fund the defense team.
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