Bye-bye, Dallas poker?
Posted by TFG on June 25th, 2006
The SWAT team was there, with M-16s and MP-5s. Machine guns & kevlar vests, folks – probably football helmets and knee pads, too. For people playing cards. People I probably know. None of whom are a menace to society, all of whom are there of their own free will. Yeesh — it could have very easily have been me.
Meanwhile, the Shriners can pull off a cash tournament unmolested. Double standard? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, there’s a double standard. Skeevy degenerates like me make for good cable teevee fodder…judges and top cops and community leaders, not so much.
Let’s hope that a bad-ass Doberman Pinscher lawyer was busted in the raid. That’s truly the best hope for poker in all of Texas — somebody who will stand on some toes and won’t get off them. Just think about it for two nanoseconds — would the SWAT team have been called in to take down a game of cards, if they weren’t getting paid off by the A&E channel, someone who’s looking for naught but ratings? Would the DPD brass have green-lighted the raid if it wasn’t for A&E? It’s sickening to consider the idea of a Hollywood producer driving public policy in Dallas, TX. But it’s sure as hell a valid question, and I hope someone asks it, to the point of subpoenaing the shit out of the DPD/A&E relationship.
Meantime, I say we need to start working on a legal defense fund of some kind. Dan says that at least one Rounder Club dealer was busted. I know most of those good folks, and I’m quite sure that dealing wasn’t a hobby they use to relax from the stresses of staying on top of their trust fund investments. Think about donating some of what you would have raked in a normal week, if the opportunity comes up.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
This is flat out robbery. The tickets will be paid, the dealers will be no-billed…
And the $40,000 they took will be siezed without a trial.
We are living through the transformation of our republic into a kleptocracy. I am de-pressed.
November 18th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Jackies was busted tonight…I was there…Dallas SWAT kicking in wall of glass with jackhammers…mask…automatic weapons…the whole nine yards. News cameras waiting as I left with my ticket asking if I had anything to say for the camera. I said know threw my jacket over my head and walked off…but I did shout back…”guess it’s a lot safer to bust a poker game than to raid something dangerous and catch some real criminals”. So sad…so true. In my humble opinion, the driving “force” behind these raids is not the law. It’s the Oklahoma and probably even the Louisianna Poker rooms putting money into some politicians pocket! That’s the real crime.
Steve
November 18th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
[...] Initially, I thought this was the influence of teevee. I still think there is something to that, else, why bring along the mediots? I’m also starting to believe what a commenter said here: In my humble opinion, the driving “force” behind these raids is not the law. It’s the Oklahoma and probably even the Louisianna Poker rooms putting money into some politicians pocket! That’s the real crime. [...]