Two people were arrested and a 13-year-old was referred to Child Protective Services after undercover officers determined a San Mateo house was holding illegal Saturday night poker games.

Cutberto Cardenas, 42, of San Mateo is facing two misdemeanor charges for fraudulently obtaining money under false pretenses and for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Patricia McCoy, 47, of Hillsborough, is facing one misdemeanor charge for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

At approximately 2:25 p.m. Saturday, San Mateo County deputies and agents from the state Department of Justice found 20 adults and one minor in a house on the 1600 block of Lexington Avenue in the unincorporated San Mateo Eichler Highlands neighborhood. Officers issued a search warrant and found three poker tables, playing chips, cards, $1,300 in cash and other paraphernalia associated with gambling, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation began three months ago after the Sheriff’s Office received numerous complaints from residents of the Eichler Highlands neighborhood about heavy foot traffic and parking problems.

A background investigation into who occupied the house and those who visited led investigators to Meetup.com, a Web site that allows groups to manage public events related to a number of different hobbies or interests. The Web site had a page that touted weekly poker tournaments at the home on Lexington Avenue, according to Lt. Marc Alcantara of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

The undercover investigation determined that the gaming operation was more than just a casual card game and in fact maybe an illegal gambling operation perpetrated by Cardenas to fraudulently obtain money from the unwitting participants who were recruited online, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The poker games typically required a $25 to $55 buy-in, with re-buys. An additional “refreshment” fee of $5 was collected from each participant upon entry, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Both Cardenas and McCoy were arrested and transported to San Mateo County Jail. The two were released on bail. A13 year old who was in the residence at the time of the search warrant was referred to the San Mateo County Child Protective Services.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office encourages citizens to report instances of heavy foot traffic, frequent visitors and illegal parking in residential areas by calling its anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.