Local Poker Club

7,430 Views | 37 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by spursfan80
yell_on_6th st
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AG
Played there a couple times, really good venue. Great room, free snacks/drinks, friendly people. Just need more regular (hopefully soft) players to keep it going. Lots of fun...

https://www.gameonsocialpokerclub.com/
TheOC16
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AG
My friend has been going to the new Texas Ave one. He loves it (because he's winning a lot).

I keep wanting to go, I just never can find the time. I figured I'd try the one he mentioned, but I'll consider this one as well.
TyHolden
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yell_on_6th st said:

Played there a couple times, really good venue. Great room, free snacks/drinks, friendly people. Just need more regular (hopefully soft) players to keep it going. Lots of fun...

https://www.gameonsocialpokerclub.com/
what's the membership fee? what kind of stakes? i don't wanna do this...



Corn Pop
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What's the name of that one? Is it locally owned or some out of tower trying to press into the market?
yell_on_6th st
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Tourneys have no fee, just a dealer appreciation add on for extra chips. No entry fee or seat rental. There is what they call a "ping" and they can explain how it works. Here is a typical text:

"Thirsty for action Thursday @Game On!
1/3 NLH or 5/5 NLH
PLO, Hi/Lo, Big O, Pineapple
We deal games you love!!
Cash @6pm - Game On!!!"
yell_on_6th st
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Corn Pop said:

What's the name of that one? Is it locally owned or some out of tower trying to press into the market?


There is a link, leads to a website with lots of info.
ShawnTxAg
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AG
Interesting. I'd be down to become a member.
localag88
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So they get their revenue solely from the membership fees? No rakes?

How does a no entry fee tourney work?

I'd really like to try this place, but I need it to be perfectly legal
yell_on_6th st
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localag88 said:

So they get their revenue solely from the membership fees? No rakes?

How does a no entry fee tourney work?

I'd really like to try this place, but I need it to be perfectly legal

They have a "ping". $50 buy in on Saturday tourney, gave em $60 for a little dealer love and sat down and had fun.

Doesn't sound like you're the poker type. Read up on Texas Dolly.
localag88
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Well I've been playing for about 35 years, occasionally make it over to the lodge or TCH, won a qualifier and played in WSOP a few years back, make Lake Charles runs every other month or so.

.but I may not be the poker type!

But seriously, for reasons I'd rather not get into, it's imperative to me that a game be perfectly legal. I'm satisfied TCH and the lodge are doing it right, but I'd love to play locally
Corn Pop
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You must have been in the raid 10ish years ago.
localag88
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Not in the raid, but knew several who were
yell_on_6th st
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It's poker, not the glee club. That attitude has fish written all over it. I've played in a lot of underground rooms, this one is like a safe space.
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yell_on_6th st
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Troll

Funny
localag88
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Think I stepped on some toes
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TyHolden
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has anybody been to this outside of OP?
DisneyFan5
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My son has played in a couple free roll tournaments at Game On and enjoys it. He hasn't played much in person, only on-line and they have been very welcoming to him.

He's not been to the Texas Ave Social club, but I do know a couple people involved with it and it looks great, we just haven't been yet. I know a couple people that have played there and they seem to enjoy going.
AggieEE83
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"Social Club" poker in Texas is in a gray area of the law. As far as I can tell, in it's current form it hasn't been tested in court. The Texas AG has declined to offer an opinion on it's legality. Without the AG's opinion I suspect that a local prosecutor (county or city) doesn't want to try such a case and lose because they put all other such cases on a back foot - my guess.

That being said, local prosecutor's are elected and poker games are a soft targets around election times when a candidate might want some headlines to show they are 'tough on crime'.

I have played at three clubs in B/CS. In my opinion, they all operate their tournaments in the gray area. These are generally 'loss leaders' to get people into the club.

As far as cash games, in my opinion, two of them (B/CS Poker and Texas Avenue Social Club) are operating in the consensus gray area such as Prime Houston, The Lodge in Round Rock and others, but not all, around the state.
The third (Game-On Social Club) is operating illegally - again, my opinion.

The "ping" used at the Game-On Social is not voluntary and amounts to a 10% rake of the pot - no matter how they try and couch it. An artificial "player" - basically a stack of chips - posts blinds, in turn, but plays no hands and collects the "ping" that is then collected off the table by the house operator.

I played the cash game at Game-On Social Club once and won't be back.

localag88
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Thank you AggieEE for some useful input here...I thought this "PING" thing sounded bogus.

As for the grey area clubs, it's interesting those aren't being tested in court. I suspect it's tied in some way to the numerous "recreation rooms" (eight liner halls) that have popped up, particularly in South Texas, and the politicians that are comfortable looking the other way. At least most of the poker clubs are trying to comply, and if an adverse ruling came down on them, these other establishments would surely come under scrutiny.

In other news, despite "not being the poker type", I won a live satellite Saturday night/Sunday morning! Yay Me!
yell_on_6th st
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$150 tourney tomorrow at 5, from what y'all say it's one of their loss leaders. Thinking about playing so you sharks have an opportunity to take this fishyfish's money.
TheOC16
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Which place? There wound up being a couple discussed in the thread.

Been wanting to try one out, just haven't had the time. But got some free time tomorrow since the rain is probably going to cancel my other plans.
yell_on_6th st
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TheOC16 said:

Which place? There wound up being a couple discussed in the thread.

Been wanting to try one out, just haven't had the time. But got some free time tomorrow since the rain is probably going to cancel my other plans.


Link at top of post, Game On
yell_on_6th st
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Just gave $ away, localag88 would kill it at this room!


localag88
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Get rid of the rake and I'll be over!
TyHolden
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AG
This is how Molly went down...
Hornbeck
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localag88 said:

Get rid of the rake and I'll be over!


So, the house collecting this 10% makes it illegal? Just asking because I honestly don't know.
Wicked Good Ag
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Hornbeck said:

localag88 said:

Get rid of the rake and I'll be over!


So, the house collecting this 10% makes it illegal? Just asking because I honestly don't know.
yes
TyHolden
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Wicked Good Ag said:

Hornbeck said:

localag88 said:

Get rid of the rake and I'll be over!
So, the house collecting this 10% makes it illegal? Just asking because I honestly don't know.
yes
If I offer the same thing at my house, is it illegal?

What if I say I want an AMZ gift card instead?

Or all winnings are paid out in AMZ gift cards?

lockett93
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MaximusDMeridius said:

If I offer the same thing at my house, is it illegal?

What if I say I want an AMZ gift card instead?

Or all winnings are paid out in AMZ gift cards?




The house (yours included) can not take a rake, or percent of the bet amount. I understand they can charge each guest an entry fee, require drink purchases, or even an hourly fee.
techno-ag
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lockett93 said:

MaximusDMeridius said:

If I offer the same thing at my house, is it illegal?

What if I say I want an AMZ gift card instead?

Or all winnings are paid out in AMZ gift cards?




The house (yours included) can not take a rake, or percent of the bet amount. I understand they can charge each guest an entry fee, require drink purchases, or even an hourly fee.
Way back in the day there used to be "massage parlors" up and down Hwy 6 heading out of town. They weren't houses of prostitution. Nope.

This arrangement sounds similar.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
satexas
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The current 'gray area' that makes poker legal and thrive in Texas is very simple - no rake... as other have stated.

A 'rake' is when a forced (involuntary) amount is taken from the pot and kept by the house/dealer.

The 'legal' very well established houses across Texas are currently running 'legal' by charging a :

1. Monthly fee or Daily fee as a MEMBERSHIP FEE

2. An hourly fee as a SEAT LICENSE FEE (cash games)
3. A fixed tournament fee (to cover house/dealer fees, on tournaments)

That's it. You can't do weird cup-and-ball renaming things and pretend something isn't what it is. What Game On was (and still is?) doing as stated in this thread is 100% illegal and is a rake, regardless of what they want to call it. A "ping" is poker is typically when one player gives another play a chip(s). But in this new 'legal' poker, players can no longer swap chips between each other in 'ping' form - and can ONLY do cash. Chip's can't leave the table unless you're getting up and cashing out.

To whit - if a friend at the game walks up and says he's busted out and needs $100 bucks, you can't give him $100 in chips off your chip stack, no matter how much you have in front of you. You MUST get it in cash out of your wallet. That means no, you can't take 100 off the table, go to the change cage, cash out $100 in chips and then give him the $100 in cash.

The current laws are VERY clear about this.

The Asst. AG is very pro-poker as are other certain people in the business. In a very smart move, back in like 2017, SA Card House in San Antonio, and Texas Card House (Austin at the time, original owner) sued each other in a strategic move to get clarification and thus form a 'stay' on the current gray laws that allow the above... then it got delayed, delayed, delayed and delayed in a type of strategic way to keep the houses open and the games flowing and even to this day, this has not been addressed in courts.

This above, my friends, is the truth.

There are a few houses here in SA that recently made house rules that players much use cash, not their chips, if they want to do 'prop bets' aka 'side bets' which a lot of the upper-level more wealthy players do... like 'red or black dominate on the flop' or 'my chosen card versus yours, which shows up on flop' type bets. The reason they make sure those players use cash, is to church-and-state protect the card house for anyone getting confused on their side bets with how poker is run and the sanctity of what I have relayed above.
Gonna have to flush the toilet, but that's one expensive poo.
satexas
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So, it's been like 9-10 months since this thread was alive... what is/are the current most active clubs in BCS?
Gonna have to flush the toilet, but that's one expensive poo.
double b
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What kind of stakes are looking for? We have a league in town that meets 1-2 times per month.
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