Pub owner gambles on poker 

Pub owner gambles on poker

Chess Strategy
LONDON, July 10 (UPI) -- The owner of a fashionable London pub has bet his business on the argument that poker is a game of skill, not chance.

Derek Kelly did not get a casino license when he opened the Gutshot in 2004, The Independent reported. But hundreds of people play poker there every week.

"We just want to play poker," Kelly said. "We cater for the social player who doesn't want to play for high stakes and doesn't want to be in a gambling environment like a casino."

Kelly argues that poker should be considered a game of skill like chess or checkers instead of being classified with roulette and blackjack. But he was recently charged with violations of the Gambling Act and is expected to go on trial early next year.

If Kelly makes his case, that would allow pubs all over Britain to host poker tournaments and allowing playing on the premises. If he loses, he could get a jail term.

"In a pub, people may get in over their heads, start playing for very high stakes and be exploited by far more experienced players," said Phill Brear, head of the Gambling Commission. "This is about protecting people."