Are there illegal poker rooms today? (2 Viewers)

[FlushMD]

Found a barrel of Hollywood Club $1 chips in my recovered collection. From a quick search, these are chips from one of the many illegal casinos in Toledo, OH.

First of all, what makes a casino illegal? It's a business with customers who have opted in to the risk/reward proposition. Is it illegal because it does not bend the knee to the state extortion/demand for tax collections and such?

Secondly, any guess if there are illegal casinos or secret card rooms in existence today? Not looking to expose any secrets, but just if they do exist in any number these days. If so, might they also use exclusive chipsets that might have collectible value? For example, an illegal casino opens up with their custom chips and gets busted and closes. Are those chips that they used fair game for collectibles business?

Are Hollywood Club chips from an illegal casino also illegal to buy/sell? I guess unlikely as I see them on eBay and elsewhere.

 

[ninjajim4]

Found a barrel of Hollywood Club $1 chips in my recovered collection. From a quick search, these are chips from one of the many illegal casinos in Toledo, OH.

First of all, what makes a casino illegal? It's a business with customers who have opted in to the risk/reward proposition. Is it illegal because it does not bend the knee to the state extortion/demand for tax collections and such?

Secondly, any guess if there are illegal casinos or secret card rooms in existence today? Not looking to expose any secrets, but just if they do exist in any number these days. If so, might they also use exclusive chipsets that might have collectible value? For example, an illegal casino opens up with their custom chips and gets busted and closes. Are those chips that they used fair game for collectibles business?

Are Hollywood Club chips from an illegal casino also illegal to buy/sell? I guess unlikely as I see them on eBay and elsewhere.

I don't have answers to any of your questions except that 1000% there are still underground card rooms around

 

[allforcharity]

Gaming and licensing are done under the authority of various government bodies. Any operations outside of and contravene these authorities are by definition illegal.

Whether the government bothers to enforce anything is a completely separate question.

 

[Highli99]

Before you asked, you forgot to say “hello fellow poker enthusiasts!”

 

[joepro]

Don’t tell anyone, but there is an illegal casino located at 1060 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613.

You didn’t hear it from me.

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

Found a barrel of Hollywood Club $1 chips in my recovered collection. From a quick search, these are chips from one of the many illegal casinos in Toledo, OH.

First of all, what makes a casino illegal? It's a business with customers who have opted in to the risk/reward proposition. Is it illegal because it does not bend the knee to the state extortion/demand for tax collections and such?

Secondly, any guess if there are illegal casinos or secret card rooms in existence today? Not looking to expose any secrets, but just if they do exist in any number these days. If so, might they also use exclusive chipsets that might have collectible value? For example, an illegal casino opens up with their custom chips and gets busted and closes. Are those chips that they used fair game for collectibles business?

Are Hollywood Club chips from an illegal casino also illegal to buy/sell? I guess unlikely as I see them on eBay and elsewhere.

Plenty of them still around in states that don’t have casino gaming. And while you may not agree with the government regulation of casinos it doesn’t make them any less illegal.

 

[cpiaaq]

 

[Taghkanic]

No, there are no illegal poker games anywhere in the U.S., I assure you

 

[wickedwonka121]

 

[philhut]

No, there are no illegal poker games anywhere in the U.S., I assure you

Or in Canada....nobody does anything illegal here.

I hear those Australians are pretty crafty though....

 

[Nuhockey]

I used to play in an illegal room in NYC about 12 -13 years ago. It was in the fashion district and is now closed. It was on the second floor and they had 6-8 or so tables going during the peak hours. They would have security on the first level who let would vet people and you go up the second floor and get through security again and then a door. They had 1-2, 2-5, and also 5-10. I used to go there quite often when I worked in North Jersey. The way they got on the NYPD radar is the NYPD was busting an illegal Chinese counterfeit handbag ring on the first floor and during their investigation they noticed a lot of people coming and going from the second floor. So they then investigated and busted the workers at the Poker Room. They stayed open though after getting busted and it closed a few months later after they get held up and one of the robbers dropped his shotgun which went off and killed a college professor from NJ. I thankfully was not there that night. My best night there was I went on incredible run playing 1-2. I got there after work on a Friday night at 7PM. I left 10AM the next working. I was hitting sets, flushes, full houses and all the while people had lower sets smaller flushes and lower full houses. I even hit 3 four of a kinds (Four 7's twice and four Tens once). Probably the luckiest poker night of my life playing 1-2. Bought in for $200 and walked out with $3,000 or more. But I was worried walking out because I knew some of the people I was playing with knew how much I was leaving with, but nothing happened. They did have their own chips, but I think they were ceramics.

 

[Colquhoun]

I used to play in an illegal room in NYC about 12 -13 years ago. It was in the fashion district and is now closed. It was on the second floor and they 6-8 or so tables going during the peak hours. They would have security on the first level who let would vet people and you go up the second floor and get through security again and then a door. They had 1-2, 2-5, and also 5-10. I used to go there quite often when I worked in North Jersey. The way they got on the NYPD radar is the NYPD was busting an illegal Chinese counterfeit handbag ring on the first floor and during their investigation they noticed a lot of people coming and going from the second floor. So they then investigated and busted the workers at the Poker Room. They stayed open though after getting busted and it closed a few months later after they get held up and one of the robbers dropped his shotgun which went off and killed a college professor from NJ. I thankfully was not there that night. My best night there was I went on incredible run playing 1-2. I got there after work on a Friday night at 7PM. I left 10AM the next working. I was hitting sets, flushes, full houses and all the while people had lower sets smaller flushes and lower full houses. I even hit 3 four of a kinds (Four 7's twice and four Tens once). Probably the luckiest poker night of my life playing 1-2. Bought in for $200 and walked out with $3,000 or more. But I was worried walking out because I knew some of the people I was playing with knew how much I was leaving with, but nothing happened. They did have their own chips, but I think they were ceramics.

Amazing you can remember that in such vivd detail...
...but aren't certain about the chips ?!?!?

 

[Nuhockey]

Amazing you can remember that in such vivd detail...
...but aren't certain about the chips ?!?!?

This was way before I was into chips. Most of the home games I played people used diced chips and for my game I had weighted chips with custom labels which are below. My friends considered those fancy LOL. Back then I never paid much detail to the chips that casinos or rooms had. I know the chips had the room's name on them which was The Fairview, but that's all I can remember about the chips.

 

[Papa_T]

Or in Canada....nobody does anything illegal here.

I hear those Australians are pretty crafty though....