CBI raids poker Wheat Ridge poker business

Marilyn Robinson, Special to the Rocky

Published April 26, 2007 at midnight

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The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has seized documents and records from the Wheat Ridge office of the Amateur Poker Tour as part of an investigation into suspected illegal gambling operations.

The poker company holds "Texas Hold 'Em" and other poker games in area bars and restaurants. The bars and restaurants. hoping to bring in business, pay the company to stage the games.

At issue is a $199 quarterly fee charged by the poker company for a VIP Gold Card, giving holders a different prize than those playing for free.

"An illegal poker game is one in which players pay a fee to play," said CBI Agent Ralph Gagliardi. Social poker games are legal, but when a host or organizer charges any kind of fee for participation, Colorado law defines the game as illegal.

Armed with a search warrant, agents went to the poker company's office at 9751 W. 44th Ave. in Wheat Ridge this week and seized records and documents, Gagliardi said.

No one was arrested.

Working with the CBI on the investigation is the Colorado Division of Gaming.

The poker company holds games in a number of venues. Seventeen were on the schedule today.

"The poker tours are becoming more and more popular," said Gagliardi. "All the tours are not necessarily illegal."

There are a number of other poker tours in Colorado.

"I think they're giving everybody a bad name," said Brian Masters, president of the Denver Poker Tour.

The law is clear, Masters said. "Once you have to pay to play, it's illegal ... You cannot charge people if you're giving away a prize."

Meanwhile, operations were continuing at the Amateur Poker Tour.

"We're conducting business as usual. Everything is fine," said a man who answered the phone at its office but declined to give his name.

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