"Home Game" robbed
Masked men rob gaming house patrons
Dec. 18, 2005. 02:50 PM
ASTRID POEI
STAFF REPORTER
Police are looking for several suspects after a group of heavily armed men entered a Toronto club early Sunday morning and robbed approximately 20 people of cash and personal effects.
About six to eight masked men entered the second-storey club operating as a gaming house on Spadina Ave. near Dundas St. at 3:45 a.m., police said.
The robbers sprayed the patrons with pepper spray before fleeing the club through a rear emergency exit, with a large quantity of cash, police said. The victims were treated for minor eye irritation.
Police are asking anyone with information related to this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.
Dec. 18, 2005. 02:50 PM
ASTRID POEI
STAFF REPORTER
Police are looking for several suspects after a group of heavily armed men entered a Toronto club early Sunday morning and robbed approximately 20 people of cash and personal effects.
About six to eight masked men entered the second-storey club operating as a gaming house on Spadina Ave. near Dundas St. at 3:45 a.m., police said.
The robbers sprayed the patrons with pepper spray before fleeing the club through a rear emergency exit, with a large quantity of cash, police said. The victims were treated for minor eye irritation.
Police are asking anyone with information related to this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.
Comments
It's stuff like this that's kept me out of "private clubs" for a year now, give or take.
I've heard about some pretty crazy stuff happening at underground poker clubs as well, though. There are no guarantees, that's for sure.
I have played at numerous clubs many times without any incidents at all.
Story 1.
In the days of the charity casinos. Â One guy had an underground game, and what he would do to fill it is go the charity casinos at their closing (I believe 3 am) and invite players to his place to keep playing. Â Anyone and everyone was welcome, which isn't the best idea.... Â Anyways, one night he returned to his club after some late night soliciting to find three gunmen inside, waiting for him. Â They beat him up, took his cash and his valuables, tied him up, and waited. Â One by one, more people arrived, the gunmen let them in, and then did the same thing until there was a whole bunch of tied-up people. Â Eventually, after people stopped arriving, they took off.
Story 2. Â More recently, and in a club I used to frequent. Â A guy was being REALLY annoying at the table. Â Beligerent to the dealers, the players, etc. Â In a break, a couple of guys asked him if he wanted to go outside and smoke a joint. Â He said yes, they went outside, and the two guys beat the absolute living shit out of him. Â Now, maybe he deserved it, maybe not, I don't know. Â But I do know that even the biggest assholes in the world are relatively safe at a casino... if a fight started outside security would be all over it in an instant.
So that's not too bad, really... nobody got killed or stabbed or anything. Â These stories just made me uncomfortable, but to each their own. Â I used to play in an underground 10/20.... one night I made about a grand I think, obviously in cash in my pocket. Â Walking across that dark, empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere was probably the longest walk ever. Â Again, nothing happened, but again, I didn't feel comfortable. Â For me, it's worth the gas money to drive farther to a casino that will protect you and your money as you walk out. Â
Or more realistically, I just play online mostly. Â ;) Â
That's probably the main reason I don't frequent the undergrounds anymore, to be completely honest. Â Sure, I felt uncomfortable, but if online poker didn't exist I'd probably still be going to them. Â I just can't find any reason not to play online. Â Some people say: the social aspect. Â Well, I've had a number of occasions where a completely and totally annoying moron ends up next to me at a poker table. Â If I want the social aspect of poker, I have a home game with my friends, or I go to one of theirs. Â Then there's the whole "tell" thing... you can't pick up any physical info. online. Â Well, in a limit game you'd often have to completely ignore physical information anyways because the pot odds are generally pretty clear. Â The most valuable information in a limit game is knowing what types of cards each of your opponents will play, and for how many bets, and what they'll do with them. Â All of this information is as available online as it is live. Â Now, NL tournaments are a different story... it's nice to have your opponents right there in front of you. Â This is why I fly to different tournaments from time to time... I love that experience.
Sorry, that just became one big rant about 'live vs. online'. Â I really will use any excuse to launch into it... my apologies lol. Â And, happy holidays! Â Woo hooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
I much prefer playing limit games live, I'm just not as focused online...maybe if I work harder on that I'll feel similarly to you. I have never had any problems at any club in the GTA in my 1.5 years since I moved back. I would certainly prefer a casino for many reasons, but it is usually an extra 3h investment with driving and waiting lists etc and thats a big frustration. ALthough, my new years resolution may just be to play casino poker 10x/month as I find it very difficult to find any decent limit games in the undergrounds these days.
Not sure if you recall, but around 1.5yrs ago I played with you and Azim at the office in Mississauga, and I assume your 1k experiience was the old woodbridge tournny...things change rapidly these days in the underground scene with everyone trying to make a quick buck off the game.
Regardless, the one I'm thinking of kinda freaked me out, too. I forgot about that. Some guys came down "just to watch". They stood against the wall with their hands in their jackets looking intimidating. I left. Because I busted out. But, I left.