Poker in the back

The Mob continues to strong-arm the competition:

If you ever find yourself in a friendly game of poker that involves betting at any type of bar or other establishment in Indiana, it might be time to fold. That's because the Indiana Gaming Commission is taking a tough stance against illegal gambling. And one bar owner in Scott County, Indiana has already been busted. WAVE 3 Investigator Lindsay English has the details.

Outside Boomer's Bar and Grill, a banner hangs announcing a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament twice a week. The problem is the tournament is illegal. Wednesday night Indiana State Police, along with Excise Officers and the Indiana Gaming Commission, busted into the bar and broke up the game.

I swear, the more the state gets into gambling itself, while harassing people who gamble outside the state's approval, the less attention I pay to anything it says. The state has abandoned even the pretense of the high ground, and I'll bet others will soon join me in questioning its moral authority. Oh, jeez. I didn't mean bet. Please don't come after me.

Texas Hold 'Em is for poker-playing wannabe wusses, by the way -- too much luck, not enough skill. Seven-card stud is the chess of poker.