Is it an offence to play poker (involving money) at home?

[jw5]

CNY and funeral wakes are given leeways as one is in festivity and the other is in mourning. These are not everyday gambling stalls. However, it's true that there're roving gambling gangs who use CNY and funeral wakes to set up stalls. For example, when they see a funeral wake in their territory, even if it's a stranger, they'd pay a token white gold and set up a stall there every night until it's over. Then move to look for someone else who died. If the bereaved family or neighbours complain to police, sure police will come. However it's rare, since nobody want trouble at funeral wakes, and most would worry about trouble after that too.

I don't understand why it's a custom or common to gamble at funeral wakes.
Aren't they supposed to be mourning or grieving or even honouring the deceased?
It appears to be hypocritical and disrespectful for people to be gambling at a funeral. You can bet there will be some people there for the gambling and not so much for the mourning.
How did this practice start, how has it been maintained, and how is it justified and accepted?

 

[Zombie]

I don't understand why it's a custom or common to gamble at funeral wakes.

mahjong wakes what..

 

[Pek Kim Lui]

I don't understand why it's a custom or common to gamble at funeral wakes.
Aren't they supposed to be mourning or grieving or even honouring the deceased?
It appears to be hypocritical and disrespectful for people to be gambling at a funeral. You can bet there will be some people there for the gambling and not so much for the mourning.
How did this practice start, how has it been maintained, and how is it justified and accepted?

Actually it is just to help people stay awake and pass time while they accompany the mourners "guarding" the corpse. This custom is beliee to also help to lessen the grief of the participants.

As to justification and acceptability it all depends on the individual and how it is done.

 

[wahlaneh]

Actually it is just to help people stay awake and pass time while they accompany the mourners "guarding" the corpse. This custom is beliee to also help to lessen the grief of the participants.

As to justification and acceptability it all depends on the individual and how it is done.

wahlaneh...
more like keeping the deceased 'company' lor.
another reason i heard but not sure how true: keep those alley cats away, especially black pregnant cats, coz if they jumped over the deceased 'he/she' might wake up lor.

 

[KNNBCCB]

I don't understand why it's a custom or common to gamble at funeral wakes.

In the north the chinese dont practise this.
They seriously respect the decease.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Just being curious ........... since social bridge clubs with the aim of improving ones bridge playing skills are allowed here, would social poker clubs with similar aims be considered proper?

Winnings are simply to facilitate the social interaction between members .....

If your club is meant for the promo of poker, I doubt they will license you. Better link yourself with a clan, association, cooperative etc, entities exempted under the CGHA. Then play poker within the club's premises.

Nothing wrong with winning money to facilitate social interaction. Yong Pung How said he knows of friends who gambles a few Ks each bet.

 

[GoldenDragon]

hahaha...bro, u invite friends to your house to play cards, u provide drinks and meals and playing cards and table and chairs and electricity, u collect some "water money"...why so serious.....

NTUC Club also collect money to rent their rooms out for you to game legally.

 

[Ramseth]

I don't understand why it's a custom or common to gamble at funeral wakes.
Aren't they supposed to be mourning or grieving or even honouring the deceased?
It appears to be hypocritical and disrespectful for people to be gambling at a funeral. You can bet there will be some people there for the gambling and not so much for the mourning.
How did this practice start, how has it been maintained, and how is it justified and accepted?

It started since ancient China times. The wake is supposed to be attended 24 hours day and night. Gambling helps wake-keepers stay awake at night. For not-so-bereaved mourners but more interested in gambling, their presence also help create an atmosphere of a wake well attended to instead of looking cold, dreary, ignored and unimportant.

 

[middaydog]

Oi .... numbskull .... what is the relevance of your lengthy tirade and a hole in the middle of the bed !!

I like your replies la, say if I want to copy them lock stock barrel and put in hard copy print to sell at sim lim square, do I get your approval or Ah Leong's approval ?

 

[po2wq]

I like your replies la, say if I want to copy them lock stock barrel and put in hard copy print to sell at sim lim square, do I get your approval or Ah Leong's approval ?

walan eh! ...

u so fast take over dat moe prc scholar's stall ...

 

[halsey02]

nei upp mutt foong ....

u mean the bed got a hole in between ah ....??

You don't know this one...one party can be seen at eye level, the other other below eye level...where got hole in the bed...got hole you bang too hard lah!:p

 

[drifter]

It started since ancient China times. The wake is supposed to be attended 24 hours day and night. Gambling helps wake-keepers stay awake at night. For not-so-bereaved mourners but more interested in gambling, their presence also help create an atmosphere of a wake well attended to instead of looking cold, dreary, ignored and unimportant.

100 years down the road ..there will be rave party with loud trance music at void deck wake .

 

[Ramseth]

hahaha...bro, u invite friends to your house to play cards, u provide drinks and meals and playing cards and table and chairs and electricity, u collect some "water money"...why so serious.....

Not I so serious. It's government so serious. If friends contribute money to buy foods and drinks, that's not water money, especially when it's one-off events like CNY, X'mas or birthday parties, even wedding parties. In HK even better. Many wedding dinners begin in the afternoon for guests to play mahjong until evening time when dinner is served. Singapore don't have that, but not too strict too. As I've said, if it's regular routine open table for water money income, then it's considered a gambling den.

 

[Zombie]

As I've said, if it's regular routine open table for water money income, then it's considered a gambling den.

there are old folks doing that to earn some money..

 

[Ramseth]

there are old folks doing that to earn some money..

Yah, some of my elder aunties and uncles (blood related or gang related) did that. It was good business and comfy income in the 70s and 80s, especially when you knew how to talk to police, gangs and neighbourhood, could even keep their doors opened. Nowadays very rare.

 

[Pek Kim Lui]

wahlaneh...
more like keeping the deceased 'company' lor.
another reason i heard but not sure how true: keep those alley cats away, especially black pregnant cats, coz if they jumped over the deceased 'he/she' might wake up lor.

Not just cats but also dogs. Beware of Mr Vampire!

 

[Ramseth]

Not just cats but also dogs. Beware of Mr Vampire!

I thought mourners always cry by coffinside, come back, please back, sob, sob, weep, weep... Then they should try it with the fabled black cat. But if their dearly supposedly-departed really awakens, I think they'd all run faster than cheetahs breaking Olympic records or simply faint, some may even cut queue and report to the hellgate first with heart attack.

 

[Pek Kim Lui]

I thought mourners always cry by coffinside, come back, please back, sob, sob, weep, weep... Then they should try it with the fabled black cat. But if their dearly supposedly-departed really awakens, I think they'd all run faster than cheetahs breaking Olympic records or simply faint, some may even cut queue and report to the hellgate first with heart attack.

True but not all day and night. Besides the neighbors would complain. Heeheehee so true, so very true.

 

[kukubird58]

. As I've said, if it's regular routine open table for water money income, then it's considered a gambling den.

hahaha...u r right lah.
I was angry because first, I could have been nabbed and second, i have no place to go to past my time and exercise my brain......as time goes by i become more and more kuku.

 

[Ramseth]

hahaha...u r right lah.
I was angry because first, I could have been nabbed and second, i have no place to go to past my time and exercise my brain......as time goes by i become more and more kuku.

Now you can concentrate on Tracy.

Don't gamble lah, whether gambling den or casino. In the short run, there'd be wins and losses, but in the long run, sure to lose. Nobody builds fortunes on gambling, even so-called highroller, only the house.