Houston SWAT team busts illegal poker room

It’s beginning to look like the Houston police are copying their Dallas cousins. A few months ago, the internet was awash with stories about the Dallas SWAT team busting illegal poker games, knocking down doors, and scaring the bejeesus out of poker players who don’t represent a threat to anyone—especially not to law enforcement.

Last Wednesday the The Houston Police Department's Vice Division, accompanied by the SWAT team, raided an illegal poker game at The Palms Poker Room. Thirteen people were arrested, including game organizers and even dealers. While none of the players were arrested, several were given subpoenas to appear in court. The Houston Vice Division also confiscated all the cash on the premises.

It looks like the police will lean heavily on players to testify against the dealers and management of the poker room.

If this is anything like Dallas, it also looks like this will be the first in a series of poker room raids and arrests.

Here is another police event that provides no public safety, wastes valuable police resources, and while it might make good news footage for TV, accomplishes absolutely nothing of value and provides nothing of benefit to anyone. Unfortunatley, this is probably just a little taste of things to come and if you're a Houston poker player, it's probably time to play online—at least until the heat dies down.