Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Winning poker may require taking risks, but one state lawmaker says he draws the line when an angry bull is turned loose on the players.
Sen. Larry Rohrbach introduced a bill Thursday that would ban sponsorship in Missouri of "Mexican Poker," where contestants play cards around a table inside a rodeo ring into which a bull is released.
The object of the game — a common event at rodeos nationwide — is to be the last one sitting at the table, meaning a player hasn’t been scared off or knocked over by the bull. Winners typically earn $50 to $500.
"The premise of Mexican Poker is as irresponsible as the game’s name is derogatory," Rohrbach said.
The Republican heard about the game when he got a call from a couple whose grandson was comatose for two weeks after being struck by a bull in a game last summer.
Not everyone is pleased about Rohrbach’s bill, including Chuck McKellips of Kansas City, who sponsors about 30 rodeos a year, although he wouldn’t say whether his rodeos include Mexican Poker.
"Anytime you get in that arena, it’s dangerous," McKellips said Friday. "People volunteer and they all wear protective vests. … Very seldom do people get hurt."
Under the legislation, promoting Mexican Poker would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
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