香港扑克大动荡

　　近两年来，香港扑克楼成为香港玩扑克社区的关键所在。有些人认为扑克游戏是具有合法性的，而另外一些人则说，在香港的法律中，扑克游戏处在一个灰色地带。 HKPH作为一个私有成员俱乐部，已经经营两年，由于与警方做好充分的协调，而没有被搜查。

　　但是，8月5日左右，HKPH宣布在8月10日停止营业，并拟定在最后一晚开一个闭幕晚会。这个晚会只允许俱乐部会员和他们的客人参加，而他们只需要支付食品和饮料的300元港币附加费。晚会中的一个流程是一个免费锦标赛（即一个自由进入）比赛，有一些非现金的奖品由澳门扑克之星慷慨捐赠。

　　出席晚会的是来自香港社会具有广泛代表性的人物。部分的香港扑克交流社团都参加了，还有许多来自亚洲其他地区的扑克玩家。人群中包括许多专业人士和香港的精英：银行家，律师，会计师，香港的富人。

　　在约8:45的时候，香港警方搜查晚会。其他媒体纷纷报道这一情况，有超过100名的警察参与了此次搜查。即使玩家们打的是一个免费锦标赛和所有筹码均标有“无现金价值”，但是出席的178人（包括站在扑克桌附近的朋友和路人）作为涉嫌非法赌博的集体被逮捕。这是香港有史以来规模最大的逮捕，难道要以此来进行政治示威吗？

　　警方要求玩家向警方交出身份证，在HKPH的人们与警察交涉了3个多小时，然后才到上环中区警署。警方花了两个多小时才将被捕的178人送到交通站。负责指挥的是总督察阿尔文与张敏成，最初告诉那些被逮捕的人，他们将在上午12:30被释放，但是后来这被证明并没有这样的事情。

　　当大家都被关押在拥挤的香港扑克楼的时候，火灾警报响了约30分钟。警方不允许人们走出这栋楼。在一楼的被捕者表示，警方设置障碍了禁止他们进入大楼。一个被捕的人：“我真的很担心被踩踏到。”约30分钟后，消防员到场，报警响起，大家才知道是一场虚惊。

　　那些被逮捕者在电视和报纸摄像机前被游街示众，第二天，那些被捕的人的照片出现在香港《苹果日报》的头版。被捕者的画面显示在香港的电视和媒体网站上。

　　大部分被捕者都被毫不客气的抓到派出所，但他们在被拘留后从10至21小时之后就被保释出来了。

　　许多被捕者声称，警方的行动仅仅是一个宣传噱头。突袭中仅搜到现金22,000港元。这意味着被逮捕的人每人只拥有124港元。

　　178人被释放并等待进一步的调查和审问。当有新的消息，世界游戏将报告情况的下一步发展。

　　译文

　　The Hong Kong Poker House had been the lynchpin of the poker playing community in Hong Kong for the last two years. Some vehemently asserted the legality of the poker games there, and others said it was a grey area of Hong Kong law. The HKPH operated as a private members club for two years, with the full knowledge of police, without ever being raided.

　　Around 5 August, it was announced that the HKPH was closing its doors for good on 10 August, and a final night closing party was planned. The party was for members and their guests only and required a HK$300 cover charge for food and drinks. Part of the party was a freeroll （that is, a free to enter） tournament that had some non-cash prizes generously donated by Pokerstars Macau.

　　The party was attended by a broad cross-section of Hong Kong society. Most of the Hong Kong poker community was there, including high profile tournament poker players from the Asia region. The crowd included many professionals and members of Hong Kong’s elite: bankers, lawyers, accountants, and well-heeled members of Hong Kong society.

　　At about 8:45pm Hong Kong police raided the party. Other media have reported that over 100 police were involved in the raid. 178 people in attendance （including friends and bystanders who were nowhere near the poker tables） were arrested en masse on suspicion of illegal gambling, even though the players were playing a freeroll and all chips were marked ‘no cash value’。 Could this be the largest-ever mass arrest in Hong Kong outside of political demonstrations?

　　Police demanded players surrender their ID cards to police, and players were held in the cramped conditions of the HKPH for over three hours before being shuttled to the Central Police station in Sheung Wan. It then took over two hours to transport the 178 arrested people to the station. Chief Inspector Alvin Cheung Man-shing, who was in charge of the operation, initially told those arrested they would be released at 12:30am, but this proved to be false.

　　While detained in the cramped conditions at the Hong Kong Poker House, the fire alarm sounded for approximately 30 minutes. The police refused to allow people out of the building. Those arrested on the first floor said that the police barricaded them into the building. One of those arrested said, “I really feared there was going to be a stampede.” Firemen attended the scene and approximately 30 minutes after the alarm sounded it was declared a false alarm.

　　Those arrested were paraded in front of TV and newspaper cameras and Hong Kong’s Apple Daily splashed with pictures of those arrested on its front page the next day. Footage of those arrested was shown on Hong Kong television and media websites.

　　Most of those arrested were not questioned at the police station, but nevertheless they were detained for periods ranging from 10 to 21 hours before being released on bail.

　　Many arrestees claimed the police raid was merely a publicity stunt. Only HK$22,000 in cash was seized in the raid. This represents HK$124 per person arrested.

　　No charges have been laid and all 178 people were released pending further investigation and questioning. World Gaming will report further developments in the case as they come to hand.