A-Rod participating illegal high-stakes poker?

[Clem Fandango]

CHICAGO -- Major League Baseball is taking "very seriously" the allegations that Alex Rodriguez took part in some illegal, underground poker games, one of which reportedly turned violent, and he could face suspension if his participation in the games is confirmed.

 

"We're talking to people involved in the investigation and we're taking this very seriously," said an MLB executive who spoke to ESPNNewYork.com on condition of anonymity. "Because he had been warned about this before, I would say a possible suspension would be very much in play."

 

The allegations, first published by RadarOnline.com, are that the New York Yankees third baseman played in at least two of the games, one of which took place at the Beverly Hills mansion of a record executive at which "cocaine was openly used and a fight nearly broke out when one of the players refused to pay after losing "more than a half-million dollars."

 

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6830659/mlb-looking-alex-rodriguez-illegal-poker

[Tarver]

Wasn't he busted for this years ago and swore to give it up?

 

And pretty ridiculous to include the cocaine stuff. I imagine every person in this country who's ever been to a party has been around cocaine use, whether they knew it or not.

[javy knows my name]

Wasn't he busted for this years ago and swore to give it up?

 

And pretty ridiculous to include the cocaine stuff. I imagine every person in this country who's ever been to a party has been around cocaine use, whether they knew it or not.

 

Yeah, the presence of hard drugs at a party is not the issue here. What the [expletive] was he doing playing ILLEGAL POKER?!

[Sammy Sofa]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

[Pushfrog98]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

Because the gubbament can't make money off the underground stuff.

[TruffleShuffle]

He does really well on the small pots, but every time he's in a huge pot he chokes and loses the hand.

[javy knows my name]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

 

This goes double for online poker. The US is the only country that places restrictions on it, and the restrictions basically kill it in this country.

[Tracer Bullet]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

 

To balance out those insane mandatory minimums for crack.

[NonProfitCow]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

 

This goes double for online poker. The US is the only country that places restrictions on it, and the restrictions basically kill it in this country.

Swing and a miss.

 

The US restrictions have completely killed it (banhammered) and it is pretty regulated through most of Europe.

 

But yeah, it's really stupid. Legalize, set standard practices, regulate it and tax it.

[Sammy Sofa]

Seems right up there with outdated laws regarding prostitution and alcohol that are based more out of morality as opposed to an actual need for legislation.

[TruffleShuffle]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

 

This goes double for online poker. The US is the only country that places restrictions on it, and the restrictions basically kill it in this country.

Swing and a miss.

 

The US restrictions have completely killed it (banhammered) and it is pretty regulated through most of Europe.

 

But yeah, it's really stupid. Legalize, set standard practices, regulate it and tax it.

 

same with online sports gambling. or really online gambling in general.

 

it's really obnoxious that there are massive deficits and yet lawmakers are ruling out significant revenue streams because they enjoy legislating their own morals onto the entire country.

[erik316wttn]

I have a friend who moved out of the country to Costa Rica of all places because he makes his living playing online poker. Apparently the online poker sites were getting money from some not-entirely-legal revenue sources and that's why they were shut down. Not saying it's right or wrong, just putting it out there.

 

And MLB won't do anything more than a slap on the wrist to A-Rod. 3 games at most.

[TruffleShuffle]

And MLB won't do anything more than a slap on the wrist to A-Rod. 3 games at most.

 

3 games for what? mlb doesn't have rules against playing poker and as far as i know, they don't have a personal conduct policy like the NFL, so the commissioner can't just decide to suspend guys who [expletive] up away from the ballpark.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, I'm not sure why anyone would want anything done by the league. Unless he was pulling a Pete Rose or there's proof he was using coke there's really nothing there.

[erik316wttn]

And MLB won't do anything more than a slap on the wrist to A-Rod. 3 games at most.

 

3 games for what? mlb doesn't have rules against playing poker and as far as i know, they don't have a personal conduct policy like the NFL, so the commissioner can't just decide to suspend guys who [expletive] up away from the ballpark.

 

Like I said, that would be "at most." Bud can always pull that "best interests of baseball" clause out of his ass that he likes to reference but never use.

 

Unless he's charged with some sort of illegal activity or broke some baseball rule all MLB is going to do is huff and puff and then not do anything.

[Guancous]

I did not log onto this thread expecting rational discourse about victimless crimes. Solid.

[Cubswin11]

Yeah, I'm not sure why anyone would want anything done by the league. Unless he was pulling a Pete Rose or there's proof he was using coke there's really nothing there.

I agree, unless he was running/organizing/financing the poker games, using/financing/helping distribute coke, or betting on/fixing baseball games there is nothing here. And all of those things don't seem to be the case here, seems like Selig and MLB caught wind of "A-Rod gambling again" after they scolded him not too and have their feelings hurt he didn't listen to them.

[rocket]

maybe bud selig will pressure him to take a year off to try nba basketball before heroically coming back to the yankees

[NonProfitCow]

I have a friend who moved out of the country to Costa Rica of all places because he makes his living playing online poker. Apparently the online poker sites were getting money from some not-entirely-legal revenue sources and that's why they were shut down. Not saying it's right or wrong, just putting it out there.

They got shut down because it's been illegal for awhile, the sites found a fuzzy loophole that the government decided to call money laundering.

 

And MLB won't do anything more than a slap on the wrist to A-Rod. 3 games at most.

He should get 0 games at most. For all intents and purposes, it's a home game. If the issue is "illegal gambling", dollar amounts don't matter and at least 50% of MLB should be suspended. They have "friendly games" in the clubhouses for christ sake.

[NonProfitCow]

maybe bud selig will pressure him to take a year off to try nba basketball before heroically coming back to the yankees

you just became murder suspect #1

[Tracer Bullet]

Seems right up there with outdated laws regarding prostitution and alcohol that are based more out of morality as opposed to an actual need for legislation.

 

Wait, so we shouldn't ever legislate morality?

[NonProfitCow]

Seems right up there with outdated laws regarding prostitution and alcohol that are based more out of morality as opposed to an actual need for legislation.

 

Wait, so we shouldn't ever legislate morality?

OOOHHH I like where this is going.

 

 

Who knows what is moral and what is not? How do you decide a punishment? I banged a married girl a year or two ago. Immoral? Prosecutable?

[TruffleShuffle]

depends how hot she was

[Tarver]

They start throwing out suspensions for every guy who's gambled or done blow, there's gonna be a helluva lot of minor league call ups.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I still don't understand why poker/gambling is illegal sometimes.

 

This goes double for online poker. The US is the only country that places restrictions on it, and the restrictions basically kill it in this country.

Swing and a miss.

 

The US restrictions have completely killed it (banhammered) and it is pretty regulated through most of Europe.

 

But yeah, it's really stupid. Legalize, set standard practices, regulate it and tax it.

 

same with online sports gambling. or really online gambling in general.

 

it's really obnoxious that there are massive deficits and yet lawmakers are ruling out significant revenue streams because they enjoy legislating their own morals onto the entire country.

 

Legalize weed, gambling, and brothels, tax the hell out of all of them and there's a much better answer to fixing the debt than a bunch of old guys arguing, who can then go off to a brothel and gamble while smoking weed.