The laws here in Louisiana were written like that, pre-casino, and they’re even tougher now, because the casinos don’t want competition. The standing rule for law enforcement is if the house is taking a cut “profit”, then the game is regulated. If the house isn’t taking a cut, then the game is legal.

So, under that simple rule, four guys sitting around playing poker is perfectly legal, whether they are in their house, or sitting in a bar-room somewhere. However, if you have to “buy-in” to a game, where you pay $100 for $90 worth of chips, then the house is making a profit and the game is illegal.

I can take you to one bar here, where eight guys show up on Wednesday night to play poker, anyone is eligible to sit down, there is no buy-in, and the game is dealers choice. No one cuts the pot, and it is perfectly legal.

I realize that doesn’t help you much in Tennessee, but that is the way we deal with it.

How about an adjustable rate mortgate or a car loan?

For example, in the famous unilateral contract case, Cobaugh v. Klick-Lewis, Inc., hitting a hole in one involves a great deal of chance, but it was held to be a feat of skill that could be performed to satisfy a contract.

“Gambling is ….. means risking anything of value for a profit whose return is to any degree contingent on chance”.

What is a lottery, then?

Yes. I certainly agree with you. However, the statute was amended (and I left out those portions because they don’t deal with poker specifically) to implement the constitutional amendment allowing for the Tennessee Education Lottery.

Ultimately, the bottom line is not whether poker is a game of skill or chance (as I think it is quite simply both, to varying percentages), but whether poker or any other form of gambling should actually be illegal.

Darts, pool, fishing, golf, etc. tournaments where you pay an entry fee and prizes are awarded from the entry pool certainly seem to be contingent on chance to at least some degree, but law enforcement doesn’t seem to be cracking down on those things.

I liked the commenter’s post in the previous thread about Bristol and NASCAR. The recent FLW fishing tournament in town is also the same kind of thing.

Ultimately, unless you’re running an ongoing, for profit venture (backroom casino, cock fight, etc.), I don’t think law enforcement has any real reason to try to crack down on your games.

Anyway, you all are more than welcome to come check out my blog (thanks for the link), but I rarely update it these days. If you want to find out what’s going on in poker in Knoxville, you can check out my message board at http://www.knoxpoker.com

risk management is not the only skill.

Simply folding at a rate relative to the risk of failure will result in break even.

No, you’ll lose your blinds/antes.

Numbers also don’t account for human behavior. Example: i know a certain player who will (in every case) fold when he doesn’t have top pair or better or raise/call when he does (he’s predictable and plays ABC poker by the numbers). I will bet into him every time because most of the time people don’t have hands. If he calls, I’m out. But I’ve usually already stolen 4 previous pots from the guy.

The gamble is in the hand dealt

Not against the guy mentioned above. I’ll play any two cards against him. And would only have to look at them if he calls.

There’s obviously an element of chance to the game but, more consistently, good players win more than random people calling down all hands. Reading the table/players is far more important than numbers. Recall of past hands is key. Numbers, while important to understand, are secondary. To wit, this hand

You’re welcome to my game any time and I’ll let you bring your calculator.

Each odds row is an indication of the risk of playing for that hand. Folding when holding no pair is the optimum while playing when holding a straight flush is optimum. No skill is required if the odds are understood. Simply folding at a rate relative to the risk of failure will result in break even.

You can’t know what hand you WILL receive but you can react after you receive the hand dealt. The gamble is in the hand dealt, therefore poker is a game of chance no matter the skill required after the initial deal.

A tax on people who can’t do math?

A tax people actually willingly stand in line to pay?

That’s what i’ve heard.

What is a lottery, then?

we could take a toby