Cops flush poker clubs

[BigMike]

Cops flush poker clubs

Two of the city's biggest gambling operations raked in millions

By CARRIE MELAGO and ROBERT F. MOORE
NY DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU

The two biggest poker clubs in the city - frequented by celebrities and card sharks - were raided by cops after investigators infiltrated the gambling dens.
The illegal operations raked in millions of dollars while offering players valet parking, shoulder massages - and the chance to win big payouts, police said yesterday.

"I can't believe it," said a well-dressed 30-year-old Manhattan lawyer as he stood outside the New York Players Club on the upper West Side.

"My wife is out of town. What am I going to do now?"

After initially keeping a low-profile, the Players Club and the Play Station grew immensely popular with experienced and novice gamblers.

In February, the Daily News revealed that actors Macaulay Culkin and Hank Azaria, who have both appeared on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," tried their luck at the $20 ante table at the Players Club.

It was not clear if either won - but the house folded Thursday night.

Vice cops raided the gambling parlor at 200 W. 72nd St. around 11 p.m. At almost the exact moment, more cops executed a search warrant at the Play Station at 6 W. 14th St., police said.

Cops seized about $100,000, along with a small amount of marijuana, and arrested 39 dealers, runners and managers. The clubs were owned by many of the same people, police said.

The suspects were charged with promoting gambling and possession of gambling devices, misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail.

Cops checked the players for outstanding warrants, took their names and let them go. They included lawyers, doctors and "regular guys," police said.

They were forced to leave their winnings behind.

It's not illegal to play at the clubs. But it is illegal for the clubs to take a percentage of every table's pot, authorities said.

The Players Club has been open at least a year, while Play Station set up shop in 1999, police said.

The stakes ranged from just a few dollars to more than $10,000, and the clubs allegedly netted more than $20,000 a day. More than a dozen other illegal poker clubs continue to operate in the city, police said.

In August, The News gave New Yorkers a look inside the Players Club, finding 10 poker tables, more than the number offered at most legal casinos across the country.

Sexy young women walked around in black dresses or tight jeans, bringing food, sodas and gambling chips to players in the second-floor parlor.

Giant televisions, large couches and an autographed cast photograph from HBO's hit show "The Sopranos" greeted gamblers. No alcohol was allowed.

News of the raids popped up on the Internet, but some found out firsthand.

"I'm p-----," said a 29-year-old man, who showed up on W. 72nd St. hours after the raid with four friends. "I guess everyone has to play at home now."

With Austin Fenner

Pol deals up plan to legalize club games
By OREN YANIV
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER


As a poker craze sweeps the nation, gamblers, bar owners and even elected leaders are fighting to legalize the card game in New York clubs.

High stakes and celebrity tournaments on ESPN have helped introduce poker to mainstream America, and its newfound acceptance has led some to question the merit of police raids.

"The intense popularity of poker presents an opportunity we shouldn't run from," state Sen. John Sabini (D-Queens) said.

Sabini sponsored legislation last week that would allow low-stake poker games in restaurants, bars and cafes. The bill would set a $50 limit on admission (or the "buy in") and a $100 cap on the first-place prize.

Another bill that seeks to green-light poker tournaments in charitable events has passed a state Senate committee.

Sabini's bill is being hailed in the hospitality industry as a way for patrons to socialize and for businesses to increase revenue.

"The bill would just recognize the reality of what's going on anyway," said David Rabin, president of the New York Nightlife Association and a poker fanatic. "I'm totally amazed at how many home games there are."

Robert Bookman, a lawyer for the association, added: "It's better to have it regulated than keeping it in smoky back rooms."

Fans of Texas hold'em - the most popular poker game - say it involves more skill than luck - but it is still considered gambling.

The odds are not high for Sabini's bill to pass before the legislative session ends June 23.

Originally published on May 28, 2005

[BigMike]

CLUBS' LOSING HANDS

By PHILIP MESSING
NY POST

May 28, 2005 -- Vice-squad cops flushed out a full house of high-stakes gamblers at two secret upscale poker clubs that catered to pro gamblers, power brokers and celebrities alike, nabbing 39 employees on illegal gambling charges and sending dozens of card sharks home with empty pockets, police said yesterday.
Cops raided both The Playstation in Union Square and the New York Players Club on the Upper West Side simultaneously Thursday night, seizing approximately $100,000 in cash, according to Lt. Pasquale Morena, commander of the vice squad's special investigation team.

At the time of raids, there were roughly 120 card players huddled around a dozen tables at each club, Morena said. All were let go, after cops ran their names to check for outstanding warrants, but were stuck with pocketfuls of now-worthless chips.

One high-stakes gambler, who goes by the name "Persian Steve," told cops, "Nice timing, fellas," as he left $7,000 in chips on the table, a source said.

Morena said most of the card sharks seemed relieved they were raided by cops and not a stickup gang.

"I heard the players were saying, 'We're lucky it was the cops.' They thought they were getting robbed," he said.

The raid deals a body blow to the poker scene, which has soared in popularity in recent years. High-stakes tournaments, featuring top card sharks and well-heeled celebrities, are frequently broadcast on television, and illegal clubs have popped up all over the city.



"What makes it appealing to a lot of people is why go to Atlantic City when it's right here," Morena said. "It's a matter of convenience."

The 39 club employees — managers, dealers and runners — were charged with promoting gambling and possession of gambling equipment.

Morena said The Playstation, which has been open since 1999, and the Players Club, which has been in business for about a year, were the two biggest operations in the city and are owned by the same people. He declined to identify them, however, saying the investigation was ongoing.

Each card den, located on the second floor — one above an OTB and the other above a gym — featured popular games like Texas hold 'em and Omaha, and raked in as much $30,000 every night.

Although no alcohol was served, the Players Club offered valet parking and massages for players with sore shoulders. The dealers, who worked for tips, had medical benefits, and both clubs featured chips with logos emblazoned on them.

"Other casinos have been taken down, but not recently and not of this magnitude," Morena said.