[hachkc]

While I feel for the VFW folks, it was an illegal game. I don't claim to know TX laws regarding poker and charities and such but in MI its not difficult to run something like this legally. My son's soccer team has a tax exempt id number which is pretty much all you need to to host a charity event once you fill out the forms. They've even changed the laws regarding these events specifically for Texas Hold'em to allow bigger payouts. You used to be limited to a max $500 payout and I've seen events where 1st got $500, 2nd got $490, 3rd got $480, etc.

No argument that the police should have better things to do. This seems typical from what I've heard before that they only get involved when a complaint has been filed regardless of the merits of the complaint. Anytime the house is taking "money off the table" whether its a rake or part of a buyin, you need to be careful.