April 25, 2005

DesMoinesRegister.com

DesMoinesRegister.com:

University of Iowa freshman Lindsey Negaard was drawn to the online poker tournament by the free entry and thousands of dollars' worth of prizes."I really like to play poker," said Negaard , 19, of Bettendorf. "It's hard to find places to play on campus because it's not allowed in the dorms. It's also hard to play without putting a large sum of money down."But Negaard, who is scheduled to play in the tournament for the first time todayMore than 200 Iowa college students are competing in the 2005 College Poker Championship, an international online Texas Hold'em poker tournament that state regulators say is against the law."Internet gambling in Iowa is illegal," said David Werning , spokesman for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which regulates social and charitable gambling. "It doesn't matter what form it takes."The situation represents the legal trouble that Iowans risk when playing Texas Hold'em, a card game made increasingly popular by cable television coverage of tournaments.Small home poker games among friends that are not on school property, do not have entry fees, and have winnings only up to $50 in a 24-hour period are considered "social gambling" and are legal in Iowa. But games with winnings that exceed $50 and online poker games are illegal.