Corvallis allows poker to resurface

After retreating underground for two months, poker night could soon be making a comeback in Corvallis.

City officials have approved an ordinance allowing social gaming in public places, including bars and restaurants.

So far, the city has received only one application for a license to hold tournaments. Scott Shepherd, owner of the Headline Caf? downtown, was the first to turn in the required paperwork and pay the $50 licensing fee.

If an establishment meets the standards, including a review by the city finance department and a check for felony convictions related to gambling or violations from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, tournaments could be up and running within a few weeks, said City Manager Jon Nelson.

Several more bar owners have expressed an interest in applying for a gaming license, including The Library, Tom's Peacock and AJ's.

Many bars had held tournaments until police notified owners in February they were unlawful because the city didn't have an ordinance officially permitting them.

Organizers of many of the local tournaments notified players of the change at the Web site www.corvallispoker.com, and began holding tournaments at private residences.

Participants were encouraged to pursue an ordinance making tournaments legal in public places, and sought guidance from City Councilor Rob Gandara.

The City Council unanimously approved the new law last Monday, and Mayor Helen Berg congratulated Gandara after the vote.

"Councilor Gandara, I am tempted to say, ?Let the games begin,'" Berg said.

The city requires that businesses or individuals hosting the games receive a license, pay a fee and abide by rules prohibiting a house take, odds or bank. Other restrictions limit games to between 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and players must be 18 and older.

Bars and restaurants that host games cannot advertise them off-premise, they must provide equal access to people interested in playing, and can only charge an entry fee for playing.

Businesses cannot offer a reduced or increased cost for food or beverages for game participants. And games must be played in a place that is open and accessible to police.

The council agreed to give businesses one year to try the new law, and then will review it.

Jeff Rhoads is a bartender and bouncer at The Library, a popular watering hole for college students. He said bar owners and employees there planned to seek a license so they could resume poker tournaments.

The Library, on Northwest Ninth Street, had poker night on Mondays, and there had been a noticeable increase in the number of patrons on what used to be a slow night.

"It wasn't a big night for drinking, but we got a lot of people here to play poker," Rhoads said.

Some of the players were just 21, while others were in their 50s and 60s, he said. In general, the crowd was more subdued than people who come to drink on a Thursday night.

"Generally, they maybe had a beer. They definitely didn't drink much and they were way more polite," Rhoads said, adding, "Not that our normal crowd isn't polite."

When the tournaments ended, a lot of people were disappointed.

"They were shocked that we couldn't have it," Rhoads recalled. "They wanted to get it back."

Local tournament organizer Nick Hurst said he's waiting for the city's administrative approval of licenses before resuming Sunday and Wednesday night hold 'em tournaments or registering people for the first big quarterly tournament, the Spring Classic, planned for late April.

"We're hoping we'll find out in the next couple of days when we can start playing again," Hurst said.
By BECKY WALDROP

News Added: 10 April, 2005

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