2 Arrested For Hosting Illegal Poker Game In Tulsa Bar

Detectives arrested a man and a woman Wednesday night, accused of hosting an illegal poker game in a Tulsa bar.

Pete Manzanares, 49, and Julie Jones, 41, were both booked into Tulsa County jail and bonded out for $1,000 each a few hours later.

Police say an officer went undercover at a poker tournament at the Undercurrent Club, at 7970 East 41st Street. They say players were initially told there was no fee to enter and they could play for free, for a pot of a few hundred dollars. That's all perfectly legal.

But police say, about 45 minutes into the game, dealers started asking players to pay for chips to stay in the game. That makes the game illegal in Oklahoma, anywhere but in casinos on Native American land.

Manzanares and Jones were booked on complaints of gambling. The bar owner could still face charges and possibly lose his liquor license, according to police.

The 47 people playing in the Wednesday night's game could also face arrest.

Police confiscated about $500 in gambling proceeds and about $2,000 in gambling paraphernalia.