The state's top liquor regulator is looking for a test case to prove his contention that Texas Hold 'Em poker tournaments held in bars are violations of state gambling law.

The Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control contend that bars are profiting from gambling because they sell more drinks during the tournaments. But bars hosting the games say poker is legal as long as the house does not take a cut of the wagering.

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ATC Commissioner Murphy Painter said Thursday that his agents won't be "kicking down doors" to raid bars holding such large-scale tournaments.

But Painter said agents will be keeping a close eye out for reports of poker tournaments he believes rise to the level of being part of an establishment's business.

On Oct. 29, Lafayette police arrested eight people at a bar who were playing the game. But police said they believe the bar was taking a cut of the pot - and the game was being played after hours.

Painter said he does not believe those arrests are a test case.

Bars filed suit in Baton Rouge in an attempt to stop the planned crackdown. But a judge ruled that no such action could be taken unless actual charges were filed.

Source: The Associated Press