South Carolina is NOT a Poker Friendly State
Thinking of playing a friendly poker cash game at your buddies house in Charleston, South Carolina? You’d better think twice before going all-in according to a local judge in Mount Pleasant, who recently upheld gambling charges brought against 17 local home-game players.
The saga actually started in 2006 when a vanload of SWAT officers burst into the kitchen table home game on Glencoe Street, reportedly a small stakes tournament where the host kept a few dollars from the buy in to cover food and drinks. The oldest player at the table was a 78 year-old Grandmother – not your typical rogue gambler. Chips were confiscated and tickets were issued to the players, the most serious charge of operating an illegal gambling house was issued to the owner of the home.
Fast forward to 2008 where the case is still struggling it’s way through the court system. The judges Friday decision to continue the case and uphold the charges is frustrating but at the same time, humorous to those watching it unfold. The law that’s being upheld by this judge is 200 years old, fairly obvious when you read the language it contains. The defense attorney for some of the defendants made that argument in court on Friday, pointing out that the law prohibits games that virtually no one has played nor heard of in modern time. Anyone want to play a game of roly-poley, rouge et noir, or draughts? Those are games specifically banned in this 200 year law!
According to the local prosecutor this case could go on for as long as two more years. Because it’s a small town and the case load is relatively high, particularly on appeals and high profile cases it’s expected to at least take as long to reach a conclusion. In the meantime, Grandmothers across the state of South Carolina are being very mindful of where they shuffle up and deal.
