Green Bay police are telling fans of Texas Hold'em to
"fold 'em."
At least two Green Bay bars planned to hold the
popular poker game where customers pay to play for prize
money. Police say that's illegal.
The Bar on Holmgren Way scheduled a list of Texas
Hold'em tournaments. An ad for another tournament at Fat
Boys appears in the recent Entertainer promotional
newspaper. Now all the games are cancelled.
It comes down to a question of whether it's a game
of chance or skill. Brown County Tavern League President
Mike Curtis says the issue is new and he's searching for
answers.
"Supposedly in California, it says it's skilled
game," Curtis says.
In Wisconsin, the Green Bay Police Department say
it's a game of chance. Combined with payment to play and
getting prize money to win, it's illegal. Police say
that's why they put a stop to the schedule of
tournaments.
"This is the first public tournament we saw in
Green Bay and we want to stop it right away. Otherwise,
other establishments would want to do the same thing,"
Lt. Mike Nick of the GBPD said.
And they have. Fat Boys scheduled the upcoming
tournament but has since cancelled.
"We're tying to do everything we can to get
traffic through our doors," Curtis said. "Certain
establishments have figured out that Texas Hold'em
tournaments generate that traffic they are looking for."
But for now, that traffic is at a standstill.
"This is the way it is. If it is against the state
statute then it's against the law, and we will enforce
it," Nick said.
Curtis say she plans to do more homework on the
issue. He says in the meantime, if police say it's
illegal, that's what he'll follow.