Sunday, July 1, 2007

Bad Beat

I traveled 50 miles to Muncie, Indiana every week for the last 4 years to play poker at a place simply called The Hold 'Em House. I knew just about every player by name. The floor staff and dealers were friendly and even on nights I didn't do well in the tournaments I had plenty of fun.

In Delaware county, poker was allowed because it was considered a game of skill much like a golf tournament. But the Indiana legislature and our rat bastard governer Mitch Daniels trumped the local laws and deemed any card game not played at a licensed casino to be illegal gambling. Mitch gets plenty of perks from the casino lobbyists who don't want the competition.

The Hold 'Em House closed last night when the new law went into effect. It was fun getting the 80 or so regulars together for one last big tournament. It was tough walking out the door for the last time.

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