HUBBARD - The operator of a poker club run out of a Spring Street garage - which has drawn the attention of police - announced Wednesday that he will no longer hold games at his house after reporters started asking questions.
John Frohman, who bills himself as ''Johnny Holdem'' on the website for the club, said his wife told him the media were snooping around and questioning neighbors about the club, so he decided he would no longer hold games at his home.
''I can't believe how much publicity this has gotten,'' he said. ''This is totally blown out of proportion.''
He also said he recently returned to work and had less time to devote to the club but he still wants to organize games with friends at rotating locations.
The club was discussed this week at a City Council meeting, and police Chief Martin Kanetsky said Wednesday that he would cite Frohman for zoning violations for running a club in a residential area that is zoned single-family residential. Two weeks ago, police cited several people for parking on lawns, Kanetsky said.
Police also check that no gambling laws were being violated, he said.
There were several tournaments advertised on the website where people must pay $16, $30 or $60 to participate. Kanetsky said as long as all the money paid in gets paid out in winnings, there is nothing illegal. However, if money is held back, even to pay for expenses, it is illegal to hold games there.
On the club's website, Frohman writes that there will be 100 percent cash payouts on all games and tournaments and also discussed a possible membership fee. He said he was willing to have the games at his home and was looking for 10 to 20 members.
''We're just a group of guys who like to play cards,'' Frohman said Wednesday afternoon.
Frohman said he likes to play lots of poker, which is why a lot of games were scheduled on the website. He stressed he kept no money for himself and it was all used for payouts.
He said he could not see how he could be cited for a zoning violation since the club is not a business and he makes no money off of it. He did say that because he is so organized, it does look like something is going on.
Earlier this month, Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins issued an opinion that Poker clubs and Internet cafes are illegal, and authorities will pursue gambling charges in attempts to shut them down following a controversy over Club Infiniti in Liberty.
A spokeswoman for Watkins said he did not want to comment on the Hubbard situation because it is up to Hubbard authorities to collect the evidence before deciding if something criminal is going on there.
Officers were called there two weeks ago by a neighbor, Bill Flowers, who had issues with the club when it was open two years before, Kanetsky said.
Flowers said he is concerned because the club advertises on the Internet and people who play poker play in an unattached garage where there is no restroom. The club advertised 19 dates in the month of May, sometimes having more than one a day, which brings an increase of traffic onto the dead end street, he said.
''That means a steady flow of people,'' Flowers said. ''They fly up and down the street,'' Flowers said.
Flowers said he travels to Las Vegas and Mountaineer frequently.
''I like playing the games but I do it legally,'' Flowers said.
The Liberty club voluntarily shut its doors April 21 and sued after attorney Mark Finamore, legal counsel for Liberty, gave the club an opinion that zoning laws would not restrict the operation. Finamore said since owners weren't getting a cut of the gambling proceeds, it appeared to be a legal operation.
The club, which reportedly has about 70 members, advertised poker tournaments and ping pong to anyone who pays a $25 annual fee and a daily usage fee of $15 to $25. Membership is open to adults 21 and older.
They have since reopened but police Chief Richard Tisone has said he will watch the club and take whatever action he needs to if he finds they are breaking the law.
