Jury Still Out if Poker's a Game

[Elizabeth26]

Did anybody here about this?

Gulf Daily News

A court in East London is expected to decide this week whether poker is a game of skill, chance or a combination of both. A jury has been asked to weigh up the role played by Lady Luck in the world's most popular card game, after police accused a club owner of illegally hosting a poker session and levying winnings and stakes without a licence.

Britain's Gambling Act states that a licence is needed for hosting a game of chance but not those of skill, like chess.

Derek Kelly, owner of the Gutshot private club in central London, has been accused of breaking the law on two occasions - December, 2004 and January, 2005. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In theory the judgment, expected tomorrow or Wednesday at Snaresbrook Crown Court, could have repercussions for poker clubs across Britain, which claim booming membership. Last week the prosecution's lawyer, Graham Trembath, said the jury would have to decide whether poker was a game of skill, or luck, or both.

The fact that the pack of cards was shuffled before a game introduced a significant element of chance, he added