NYC Card Rooms Now Advertising

READ MORE: NYC Poker Raids, Poker, Poker Rooms

One of your faithful Oddjack staff is an unassuming recreational poker player living in the Upper Midwest. So why the hell is BG getting email advertisements from an “underground” New York City poker club? After the jump, we’ll post the emails and give you a peek at what a couple of these clubs are doing to increase their player base…

ILLEGAL POKER ROOM SPAM

Here’s the email that found its way to our inbox this week:

Located at XXX Street, 1st floor (between XXX and XXX) with plentiful street parking after 6pm. Open Monday thru Saturday from 2pm - 6am; Sunday we open at noon with brunch. Complimentary pasta and capuccino provided by our chef, Ricardo, -the best in the city. You may reach club mgmt by calling Anthony @ 201-555-5555 0r Chris @ 917-555-5555

Many new changes have come with new mgmt. Look for the installation of several plasma TV’s with DirectTV , and the room will be getting a facelift. New, expanded hours- opening each day @ 2pm for Baby NL hold’em with 1-2 blinds. Please call the above #’s with any questions, and join us as we bring the (club) to the next level. THE (club) WILL BE CLOSED FOR 2 WEEKS while we complete the additions as well as added security measures, fo your safety and security.

On another note, we are happy to announce that the (Other) CARD CLUB will be re-opening this Friday , Nov. 25th, at 2pm for baby no-limit and will be open from 2pm to 6am each day thereafter. the (club) is located at XXX ave. unit X, between Xth and Xth streets - you may call the above listed numbers for any questions about either club.

Interestingly, the first of the two clubs in that email was reportedly recently held up at gunpoint. Closing to improve security is probably a good move. We’ve heard reports that the pasta and brunch at this joint are actually pretty exceptional. This club started out as a social club for a group of old guys who loved their soccer team, and has been around for ages.

The second club referred to in that email will have their grand reopening today. Here’s the details:

The (Other Club) will have its grand reopening Friday Nov. 25th @ 2pm!
Conveniently located @ XXX Avenue Suite X between Xth and Xth street. You may reach the club directly @ 212-555-5555
Starting @ 2pm, we will be spreading 1-2 No-Limit Texas Hold’em with a 500 cap. Starting @ 7:30pm — No-limit Hold’em Tournament!!! 40 with no rebuys, 2000 in starting chips, 20 minute rounds, 25-50 starting blinds, double every round. Please call either Anthony @ 201-555-5555 or Chris @ 917-555-5555 with any questions,comments or suggestions. See ya Friday!!!

BetCRIS Lands A Celebrity - Kinda

READ MORE: "BetCRIS', NYC Poker Raids, Poker, Robert Iler

Robert “A.J. Soprano” Iler must be getting frustrated. With the recent increase in poker raids in NYC, he not only must be having difficulty finding a game, but NYC’s tourism could be taking a hit too. That means less tourists to rob for weed money in the park. What’s a semi-employed actor to do? The New York Daily News reports:

After the 20-year-old actor recently made headlines for strolling into an illegal upper East Side poker den mid-bust, he apparently decided to take his gambling itch to the right side of the law - by signing a contract with the legal betting Web site BetCRIS.com.

“He approached us about two weeks ago,” said Ariel Espinoza, BetCRIS.com’s marketing director. “He wanted to be able to gamble from home and not end up in the newspaper.”

Hmm, it looks like that plan backfired.

Lowdown hears that the U.K.-based Web site agreed to give Iler a $50,000 account in exchange for permission to use his name and likeness for promotional purposes.

His agent, naturally, denies there’s an exclusive contract. Just an open note to any of the various gambling sites: We can’t be bought like any old C-list actor off the street. Not for less than $75K at least.

Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown (Second Item) [New York Daily News]
Previously: Robert Iler’s Proposed to by Sportsbook [Oddjack]

NYC Poker Raids: Election Season Equals Raids?

READ MORE: Craig's List, NYC Poker Raids, Poker

Another person upset over the NYC poker club raids and suggests some alternative licenses issuance for prosepective club owners and blasts some clubs for exposing themselves too much. This idea was posted on Craig’s List, of course.:

“To the frustrated poker players out there I feel your pain. I too miss playing and view these clubs as a positive not a negative…[Y]ou would think the mayor and the NYPD would have the same attitude. But speculation is that during election time these raids look good for our mayor. I do not buy this. I think there it is a case of Poker rooms flaunting their product and operating too openly. The coverage especially in the Dailey News(sic) is damaging and embaressing(sic) and because it is easy to find these clubs via chat rooms and the net the NYPD appears to be having little trouble getting judges to sign off on their warrants. The truth is these places are guilty of breaking the law they are promoting gambling.”

Re: Fucking Poker ETC [Craig’s List]

Robert Iler’s Proposed To By Sportsbook

READ MORE: NYC Poker Raids, Poker, Robert Iler

Leave it to BetCRIS to sweep in and take full advantage of a celebrity’s negative publicity in order to find a better promotion angle. And leave it to us to eat it up completely and report on it. We’re idiots. Yes, it turns out Soprano’s star Robert Iler’s presence at last week’s New York City poker bust has earned him a promotion offer from BetCRIS that will pad his bankroll and hopefully keep him out of illegal NYC poker joints:

As reported in Page Six of the New York Post, Robert Iler from the hit show Sopranos on HBO, was almost busted by the law once again. This time for being in an illegal poker room on the upper east side of New York called the Ace Point Backgammon Club & Chess Studio.

Iler entered the poker room only to find the police already breaking up the club. Iler and about 30 other poker players were eventually let go after having their ID’s run for outstanding warrants.

Iller’s late night venture in Manhattan has inspired executives at BetCRIS.com to offer the young Sopranos star an exclusive account of $3,000 to play at home and out of trouble.

“We hope that by offering Robert Iler an account to play at BetCRIS.com, he’ll be able to keep himself from having more run-ins with the law,” said Mickey Richardson, CEO of BetCRIS.com. “The Sopranos is one of my favorite shows and I’d hate to see them lose Anthony Soprano Jr. because of something like this.”

BetCRIS [BetCRIS]
NYC Poker Raids: Celebrities in the Crosshairs [Oddjack]