The North Carolina Court of Appeals yesterday struck a blow against poker players across America when it ruled that poker was a game of chance, not skill.
The Court was hearing a case brought by Howard Fierman, from Durham County, who had planned to open up a poker club in 2004 but was told by the attorney general that it would be illegal.
Fierman decided to sue the county, on the grounds that poker was a game of skill and therefore should not be considered gambling. Fierman had four witnesses testify towards his case, including the CardPlayer magazine contributor Roy Cooke, who explained that while on a single hand of poker luck may prevail, over the long term skill became the most prevalent factor.
The attorney general on the other hand, brought just one witness into court, an alcohol law enforcement officer called Richard Thornell, who testified that 40 years of playing poker have taught him that luck matters more than skill when it comes to poker.
Amazingly that one testimony from an amateur poker player (and a poor one by the sounds of it!) was enough to convince all three Appellate judges that poker was a game of chance, and throw out Fierman’s case.