http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... egal-poker

what do you think? apparently, a-rod has been involved in illegal, underground poker games (one of which turned violet) after being told NOT to participate in these games anymore in 2005, apparently. he didnt follow that "advice."

do you think he should be suspended?

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my answer was no. unless he gambles on the sport, they should turn this over to the authorities (he wont get time, just a warning or something) and move on.

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He's just trying to stimulate the economy a little with that hard-earned cash of his. I mean, Tobey McGuire and Matt Damon are hurting because of those high-income tax brackets.

No big deal to me. Playing poker is not a crime. If the game is unlicensed, go after the people running it. Going after A-Rod here just seems like it would be a personal vendetta by Selig or whoever else. Test his piss and hair every day and get him for performance-enhancing drugs, or get over him.

Do you think I should have sold my A-Rod rookie card by now? If he breaks Barry's roid-record do you think anyone will care?

I can also tell you that those actors mentioned at the game know how to play poker, and play regularly. Reading between the lines, it sounds like they probably tried to get some stupid-rich professional athletes in there and bleed them dry, which it sounds like they did. That's kinda cool.

If he was gambling with others who bet on baseball, he can be in real serious trouble.

I'm hoping nothing comes out of this, but AROD could have really fucked himself over.

i dont like arod. but hes our best chance at the MLB home run record NOT belonging to bonds. (more people need to recognize sadaharu as the real home run champ. or josh gibson)

im hoping selig forces a-rod to go to detroit as his "punishment" and he leads us to october glory!

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I said no. ARod playing in underground poker games has no bearing on anything even if he was playing with guys who gamble on baseball. If ARod himself isn't gambling on baseball, I have no issue.

I would like to see the Yankees give him a nice little Don't-Be-A-Moron tax by way of a hefty fine because seriously ARod, don't be a moron.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

If you truly believe that, you don't really know the game.

There's also a hell of a lot more to this story than just one illegal poker game. (And Stu : these were illegal because the house was taking a cut. Although I don't know where the games were played, home poker games are legal as long as the house isn't taking a rake or otherwise profiting from the game itself. This was not that. )

Yup, home games are legal. A-Rod wasn't running the game, so maybe he can claim ignorance. But even if he did know the house was taking a rake, it's the house breaking the law anyway.

I don't like A-Rod either, but poker isn't gambling, it's a game of skill. That's more than likely why A-Rod lost half a million. Just because someone plays poker doesn't make them more likely to gamble on baseball or anything else. I play poker pretty much every day and I have never placed a bet on a baseball game in my life.

While I agree with you that poker is a game is skill, the laws as currently written say it's gambling.

The reporting done on these games when it came out that Tobey Maguire was playing in them clearly indicated that the house was profiting from the games. Many of those news articles cited the fact that unlicense gambling is illegal in California, and players who play in unlicensed games are just as guilty as the the person running it.

I realize that not all gamblers are degenerates, but many in this group were. There were folks who were ripping off others, investment bankers stealing client money to gamble, drug dealers, etc. There has been more then one report of open cocaine use at these events too.

A-Rod is already on a short leash by MLB because he continues to associate with steroid muling cousins who are banned from dealing with anyone working in the game. This is just another thing he's doing that MLB is right to be concerned about.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... were-right

i forgot cashman wanted nothing to do with a-rod in 2007. hes a handful, and 30 mil a year for a player slowing down significantly, with off the field issues could he real bad for the yanks.

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I hear you. It wasn't smart. It was also what, 6 or 7 years ago? (I read the article yesterday) He hasn't been caught officially cheating at his actual job at that time. He probably thought he was invincible. If he hasn't done anything of that sort since, why punish him now for this? Go after him for still associating with his cousin. Find something he's still doing. He probably already learned his lesson about playing in high-stakes games when he shelled out his 500K. I mean that's like a whole week's wages for him.

Someone floated a stat today about how the Yankees have a better record without him in the lineup. I'll see if I can find that again.

The Tobey Maguire games were in 07/08 from those stories. An ESPN story in this says the A-Rod games were in 09. So, I'm guessing more recent, but I'm not totally sure.

I'm not a big fan of mixing in-sport life with out-of-sport life. If ARod wants to take steroids, or punch Jonathon Papelbon in the face, something done within the sport that has a bearing on his presence within the sport, then suspend the shit out of him. But if he wants to be an idiot outside of the sport, or hang out with unsavory characters, then take away his toy (money) and his ability (free time) with fines and imposed check-ins and mandated charity work.

If the out-of-sport infraction is illegal, and punishment for it means that the athlete is indirectly "suspended" (i.e. Plaxico going to jail obviously means he can't play football), then fine. I just want the punishment to fit the crime and to inhibit the ability and desire to commit said crime. I'm not sure a suspension is the best way to do that.

What do I need to know about the game in this instance?

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

i believe it. hes a world class player, but also is a world class pain in the ass. he is encroaching barry bonds territory in terms of "unlikable"

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They said A-Rod lost a few thousand, he wasn't the one who lost over half a million.

espn said they doubt a suspension will happen.

that said, a-rod needs to watch himself. he really needs to start acting like a big leaguer.

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