[Harlequin011]

I've had something picking at the back of my brain for serveral months now. I'm looking to the board for your opinions.

I am licensed to carry a firearm in most of the adjacent states to Ohio and I do so legally. I never walk the line of legality when it comes to carrying. When in doubt, I lock it up.

I don't carry a gun because I frequent places that I think I'll need one. I avoid those places altogether if I can. I'm not a hero and I don't think of myself as Rambo. I carry to defend myself, and my family. That is it. If I was asked by the home owner to remove the weapon I would gladly oblige.

When I get invited to a new poker game, I like to attend alone for the first couple meetings. That way I can get a feel for it and see if I want to come back and if I think that its a decent environment for me to bring my wife. I usually carry my conceled firearm. I don't make any referenence to it and I don't hint or let anyone know. Once I've been their a couple times I drop the piece and take the wife if I like it.

However, I do feel a little more comfortable being armed, in general.

(No. I wasn't carrying in Chicago)

So my questions to you...

* How would you feel if you knew a person was armed in your poker game? Would it bother you? Would you ask that person to remove it?

* Do you think it is wrong to carry into a private residence?

[ink_junkie]

I think it is absolutely wrong to enter a private residence without informing the owner that you're carrying. If someone is courteous enough to invite you into their home, you owe them that same level of courtesy. I think the owner should be able to decide if they want to have a gun in their house or not. For me personally, I'd not only tell the person to remove the gun, but remove themselves as well.

[panthershutch15]

* How would you feel if you knew a person was armed in your poker game? Would it bother you? Would you ask that person to remove it?

It would definitely bother me, especially if the person was not well known by everyone in the group....I would probably have to ask the person to remove it and leave it outside or let me put it away from the game until they leave.

I haven't really had a game together in months, but when I did there were 2-4 people that I've known a few years, not really good friends or anything, but people that I've known. The rest of the people are friends from back in our early teenage years, so I know them pretty well, but people can get heated and upset at games and I don't think I would feel comfortable with anyone sitting around my table having a gun on the.

* Do you think it is wrong to carry into a private residence?

I think whoever's residence it is needs to know that you have it...I think I would expect somewhat to ask me if it's okay, or at least make it known, then I can decide if I'm comfortable with the situation.

[tikipirate]

First off, bravo for using the rights the founding fathers gave you. If I lived in a Concealed Carry state, believe me, I would carry.

That being said; I know most state carve out certain areas that are a no-go for carry. Obviously schools, hospitals, and bars, etc. I think I would go ahead and treat a poker game in the same category as a bar. The reason? There's probably booze there, and tempers can flare. Add in the presence of money, and other players you may not be close friends with, andI just don't think I'd do it.

I wouldn't bring one to a casino (I don't think you actually can, come to think of it), so I think I'd just leave it home for a card game. If I was sitting across from you, and didn't know you, but knew you were carrying, I think I would just pack it in, I wouldn't be comfordable and wouldn't be having fun. I'm not gun shy by any stretch of the imagination, but thats just not a situation I'd want to be in.

Dittio to what the other posters said about notifying your host; his house, his rules.

[asam2006]

Originally Posted by ink_junkie

I think it is absolutely wrong to enter a private residence without informing the owner that you're carrying. If someone is courteous enough to invite you into their home, you owe them that same level of courtesy. I think the owner should be able to decide if they want to have a gun in their house or not. For me personally, I'd not only tell the person to remove the gun, but remove themselves as well.

I agree. In Louisiana alot of people have guns so I won't bar someone from coming in but they'd have to lock up the piece in the car.

[jdunford]

Well, it's illegal to carry a concealed firearm in my country. That aside, I would feel very uncomfortable to know that someone was armed, or even had been armed in the past, at one of my games. For home and league games (at work), I provide a safe and secure environment for playing poker. A fight has never broken out. No chips have ever been thrown. No cards have ever been marked. Only legal and decriminalized drugs (read marijuana) have been used (on the balcony). Bad language is even rare, but grows proportionally to the number of beverages consumed (and is generally in good jest). If I found out that someone was carrying a weapon of any sort (knife, gun, etc.), they would be asked to leave, taking it with them, and can return unarmed if they choose. If I had a safe storage case for said weapon, I would probably accept checking it at the door and placing it in that secure case, but I don't... so I'd have to ask them to take it home.

By the way, I mean no offence. I'm just being honest... giving my opinion.

[99%evil]

I'm not against guns, but I'd be a bit wary of a gun at the poker table. Ther's alcohol, some folks can't handle beats/ragging. I'd like to eliminate even the chance of anything. I'd feel a bit put off if someone was carrying at my game.

[Couga]

At a new game for the first time, I think it is fine if you bring it, but you should let the owner of the residence know you are packing. If they are not cool with it, and you are not cool being without it, leave.

I would hate it if I knew someone at my game had a firearm. It would bother me to the point it would affect my game. Further if I knew in advance if someone I was not very good friends with (like I would have to know the guy/girl 10+ years) was packing I just wouldn't go.

- Couga

[MasterBrewer]

I'm really pretty indifferent to guns in general. I've been shooting a few times but neither own or plan to own one. My feeling is that if you want to legally carry one around in public then by all means go for it.

That said, I completely agree with Ink. I think I would have a serious issue if someone brought a gun into my house without asking / informing me first. I think that doing this would show a lack of respect for the owner(s) and residents of the house. You don't know how that person feels about guns and having guns around. I would think that expecting me to respect your right to have a gun in your house should automatically require that you also must respect my right to NOT have a gun in my house. (Not you and me specifically, the generic 'you' and 'me' ... I'm sure you get it )

Secondly, not everyone carries a gun just for personal security, and not everyone is as responsible and respectful with their gun as I'm sure you are. So, for those reasons I think I would be extremely uneasy if I saw that someone I didn't know was armed at a poker game I was in. I have no idea why they have that gun and what they do or do not intend to do.

[mizuchaud]

I'm not up on your state's gun laws, but does that mean you have a concealed carry permit?
If you do, you've passed a bunch of screens by the state anyway, and the choice is up to you, right? I have no context for comments, just wanted clarification on what type of permit you got.
And by the way, if it was my game, I'd be freaked out.

Makes me think twice about calling out 300lb chinamen after a bad beat........