Poker is a Skill Game, not a Game of Luck. Really now?
Apparently, that’s what a judge from Pennsylvania thinks.
Here’s one victory for poker folks who are forced to tangle with so many legal issues just to enjoy the game they love. In a decision handed by one judge from Eastern Pennsylvania, poker has now been officially declared (at least in his courtroom) as NOT a game of luck. Instead, he goes on to state that poker is a game of skill, something poker fans been harping about since time immemorial.
The judge those guys should applaud for this decision is Columbia County Judge Thomas A. James. In his ruling, James absolved a certain Walter Watkins who was slapped a lawsuit after a poker game he was hosting was raided.
Unfortunately for Watkins, 
an undercover Pennsylvania state trooper was present during his little ”poker tournament.” During the sessions, Watkins stressed that he wasn’t charging rake. Instead, he merely encourages players to tip his dealers after every hand.
Nothing wrong with that. After all, it’s a difficult job. (Especially for those people who don’t like math anyway…)
Judge James based his decision on, among other factors, the numerous poker books available that talk about the skill factors involved in poker. His logic? If chance predominates the game of Texas Hold’em, it is gambling. Since skill predominates the game, (according to this judge anyway who, I reckon, plays poker as well…) Texas Hold’em should not be considered gambling.
In his closing, James states, ”It is apparent that skill predominates over chance in Texas Hold’em poker.” Sure it is.
The case against the dealer, Diane Dent, was also dismissed. Despite the dismissal of his case, Watkins lamented the ordeal they had to go through. He talked about being arrested, handcuffed and being forced to spend the night in prison just for playing poker. Poker aficionados are probably hoping that Judge Thomas A. James’ ruling sets a precedent for future poker litigation so this doesn’t happen again.
This is definitely one positive step for poker. A bad one for the U.S. Judicial System since they decided to waste their time on crap like this.
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