Well-established in southern
Maine, the game is growing in popularity in service clubs in northern
and eastern Maine.
"Everybody wants to play, and
we feel it would be good for us to have it," said local VFW bar manager
Bill Sullivan on Thursday. "It's everywhere. It's all over TV and very
interesting to watch. People who enjoy watching it are looking for
places to play."
He said the Belfast veterans
hope the game will boost interest in the club. He said many of the
members enjoy playing bingo and other games of chance and that holding
Texas HoldEm games seemed like a natural way to build on that.
Barry Hathaway, an inspector
with the state police gaming division, said Texas HoldEm is licensed as
a game of chance, "and clubs can hold the games within the confines of
any game of chance that is licensed by the state. ... The only issue is
the bet limit, and in Maine the limit is $1. That's the most a person
can gamble with any one chance to win."
Under the rules of the
seven-card game, players are dealt two cards face down. Three other
common cards, known as the "flop," are dealt face up in the center of
the poker table. A series of raises and calls is usually required before
the final two common cards, known as the "turn" and the "river," are
revealed. The person with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
Hathaway noted that because
state law prohibits players from wagering more than $1 on any single
game, Texas Holdem is usually played with poker chips.
As an example, a club could
establish a $40 buy-in and players would receive 1,000 chips, thereby
setting the value of each at 4 cents. That would enable a player to bet
25 chips per game before reaching the $1 limit.
"At some point in every poker
hand a player can only risk $1," he said. "The organization has to
police the bet limits."
Hathaway said some clubs
sponsor tournaments that are open to the public, while others restrict
the games to members and guests. The games can be run for profit, and
the cost of a license is $15 per week. He said clubs can serve alcohol
during games.
Hathaway noted that unlike
skill games such as pool, darts, pinball or golf, whose players have
been known to wager with one another, poker is considered a game of
chance and is controlled by licensing and state law.
"Games of skill are not
regulated," he said. "When you're looking at the skill of the player
versus lady luck, that's when a game of chance comes in."
Sullivan said the Belfast
club plans to run the poker games for a few weeks to precisely gauge
their popularity. He said the club would still hold its Friday night
bingo and also schedule pool and dart tournaments on a regular basis.
"We're just doing it for the
entertainment factor," Sullivan said. "We're trying to get the club
built back up and get things the veterans like to do. ... It's a good,
fun game to play and everybody likes it."
