Swiss crack down on Texas hold 'em matches

[June 02, 2010]  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- There's no skill in Texas hold 'em.

That's the opinion of Switzerland's highest court, which banned tournaments of the high-stakes poker game outside of casinos.

Had the Swiss Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Texas hold 'em was a game of skill, it would have permitted private competitions to continue. But it said simple math, tactics and psychology played smaller roles than luck in determining the winner.

The decision will anger fans of the card game, which has enjoyed a flourishing of events in Swiss restaurants, bars and hotels.

Swiss casinos fought for the ban, saying the unregulated matches posed unfair competition.

The ruling doesn't affect poker games among friends, even if money is involved.

[Associated Press]

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