Nobody was betting on $212 million at The Pour House on Friday.
A week after Charleston police and State Law Enforcement Division agents raided a pool tournament at the Savannah Highway tavern, three patrons at the bar shook their heads "no" over their beer. They hadn't bought a $1 chance at the state-sponsored, long-odds Powerball game.
The prize at stake in tonight's drawing for the multistate lottery payoff has climbed to more than $200 million for the second time in five months. The last time, a $221.5 million payoff in January, produced the first South Carolina winning ticket.
But at The Pour House, the pool tables behind the bar patrons stood empty.
"It's hypocrisy at its best," David Bridges of Johns Island said. Bridges was miffed at the state running a legal, 1-in-120,526,770-chance, revenue-producing game after corralling him and other patrons because of a friendly $5 pool game.
As of Friday, Powerball wagering was approaching a fever pitch.
The prize had reached more than $2 million in South Carolina, and the total jackpot had climbed some $10 million during the day based on sales in 27 states and the Virgin Islands. S.C. Education Lottery officials were predicting $4 million in sales in this state alone.
None of which escaped The Pour House regulars.
"They took out the video gaming but put in the convenience store gaming," said Thomas Jordan of Ravenel, who stopped by the tavern after the raid to see what was going on.
"I'm sick and tired of standing in line at every convenience store waiting for someone to decide whether they want a Magic 7 or a Lucky 8," Bridges said. "They ought to have uniformed betting officials running betting machines. Get a man with a little betting outfit on in a little booth with the green machine."
The winning ticket in January was sold at McCarter's Stop and Shop in Clover, a small town on the North Carolina line. "Oh, yes," a clerk at the store said Friday, lottery tickets were going fast. Since the jackpot climbed to more than $200 million, the line of customers waiting had occasionally stretched out the door. "We're never alone."
At Angler's No. 11 in North Charleston, one of the highest-selling Powerball outlets in the Charleston area, business had doubled since the jackpot reached $200 million.
"It hasn't slowed down. The higher the Powerball, it gets busier," said a clerk at Pantry No. 873 in Mount Pleasant, another big ticket seller.
The $212 million game Friday was the largest under way in the world. It was the ninth largest ever and will be the sixth largest ever won if a single ticket cashes in.
"I don't see enough people winning those tickets. They ought to have $1 million winners and way more of them. Seems like a bait-and-switch," Bridges said.
SLED Chief Robert Stewart defended his agency's actions at The Pour House.
"If there is a complaint in an alcohol-licensed location (about) gambling, we respond to the complaint as best we can," Stewart said.
As for the distinction between the lottery and the pool-game wagering, he said, "One is illegal, and one is not."
But no, he said. He hasn't bought a lottery ticket.
Meanwhile, back at The Pour House, Bridges shook his head again. He buys a lottery ticket sometimes when he doesn't need the money. He figures he's spent $100 on tickets since South Carolina opened betting in 2002.
But, no, he wasn't going to buy a ticket this time.
"The odds are too far," Jordan said. "I bought a ticket Wednesday, and I didn't get anything."
Quote:Originally posted by smd173 on May 08, 2004
I find it hard to believe the police would bust up a $5 pool game. Seems to me something was left out of this story.
They must have run out of free doughnuts at the coffee shop and were bored.
there's a big difference between a pool tourney and a 5 dollar pool game. In a tourney the 1st and 2nd place winners receive there cut of the pot. After the last game is played and usually there's a trophy involved also.
In a regular pool game if they were passing money across the table or to one another after each individual game then they were gambling and that's a no no especially in front of the police.
From the article: "The last time, a $221.5 million payoff in January, produced the first South Carolina winning ticket." Where do these people get their information? That was actually the SECOND sinning ticket sold in South Carolina. A little over a year ago, South Carolina sold its first jackpot ticket.
I find it hard to believe the police would bust up a $5 pool game. Seems to me something was left out of this story.
They must have run out of free doughnuts at the coffee shop and were bored.
Chas
there's a big difference between a pool tourney and a 5 dollar pool game. In a tourney the 1st and 2nd place winners receive there cut of the pot. After the last game is played and usually there's a trophy involved also.
In a regular pool game if they were passing money across the table or to one another after each individual game then they were gambling and that's a no no especially in front of the police.
There's a pool tournament that I know of that the winning team splits $16,000 at the end of it.
Welll... I made $4 tonig
From the article: "The last time, a $221.5 million payoff in January, produced the first South Carolina winning ticket." Where do these people get their information? That was actually the SECOND sinning ticket sold in South Carolina. A little over a year ago, South Carolina sold its first jackpot ticket.
I had a $3 winner out of six tickets.