Israel Poker Association Banned from Holding Annual Championship

The Israel Poker Association holds a yearly championship in Tel Aviv and this year the Association will be unable to hold their annual event. The Israel Police have prohibited the Association from holding their annual event. The police state that the event is illegal because of a 2008 ruling.

The Association has filed an appeal with the High Court of Justice to hopefully reverse the decision. The appeal states that the tournament will have strict guidelines that will be upheld. The tournament could have six hundred Texas hold’em poker players competing. All players must be eighteen or over.

The June 2008 ruling was made by the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court and it stated that Texas Hold’em poker is illegal because the outcome is based on chance more than strategy. Attorneys for the Association state that Texas Hold’em is “enjoyable and intelligent”.

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this case is. If the tournament is allowed to take place there could be a new measure applied to the law that will change the game of poker in Israel.