AUTHOR: Jerry "Jet" Whittaker TITLE: Northern Ireland Poker Championships Stopped by Police DATE: 11:02 AM ----- BODY: Poker players from all over Europe who had come to play in the Northern
Ireland Poker Championships March 16 were furious when, one hour before the
event was due to start, the Gardai (Irish Police Force) prevented the event
from proceeding. Players were understandably upset because they had incurred
transportation and housing costs to be at the event, many coming from
England, and some coming as far away as Austria and Poland. The event was
being held at the City North Hotel, Gormanston, Co. Meath located on the M1
motorway just south of Drogheda and 10 minutes North of Dublin Airport (a
half hour drive from the Burlington hotel where the 2007 Irish Open will be
held April 5-9). Just the previous week, sponsor JPC Poker from Magherafelt
Co. Derry, had moved the event outside of Northern Ireland to the City North
Hotel because of a number of uncertainties including the legality of playing
poker in the North. Now, one hour before the event start, the Gardai
informed City North hotel management that if they allowed the poker festival
to continue that the hotel could lose its license. They also threatened to
return the next morning with a warrant. The organisers spoke with the police
several times to sort out the problem and even offered to donate any profit
to charity. But the police would not agree to allow the game to proceed. JPC
Poker tried to move the game to a Dublin club or another hotel nearby. But
with no locations available on such short notice, organizers were forced to
cancel the game. JPC Poker refunded 1100 pounds to all players who had
registered including the registration fee and generously added another 100
pounds on top to represent the guaranteed overlay on the main event's
prize-pool. Speculation was that the event was targeted by the police in the
north, the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland), who contacted their
colleagues in the south to prevent the game from proceeding. Though prior
raids on clubs have occurred, this was the first time a poker event was
stopped by police in the Republic, where poker tournaments have been held in
pubs and hotels without interference for years. Under current Irish law,
poker tournaments with a one-time registration fee are legal. So the police
interference with the Northern Ireland Poker Championships has caused
confusion and concern by tournament operators and corresponding venue
management. --------