Legal Poker Room inTexas

There is a poker room in Austin called Texas Card House . They claim to be leagal. They use a membership social club model. No rake, no tipping. Membership is $20 per month and you pay $8 an hour to rent a chair.
They've been running for a year or so. I thought they would get shut down or if it worked the model would be copied all over the state. I'm kind of leery of the place. I looked it up on google street view and it looks like a dump. What are your thoughts?

Shocked they take credit cards- wonder if they were held best with the card company or coded as something different like auto repair using square

Chair rental is a different form of a rake.

I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Chair rental is a different form of a rake.

I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down.

For one, it sits in the long shadow of the Capitol. The number of state legislative reps (and aides!) who play is likely proportional to the probability of being shut down.

One thing in their favor is not even the dealers take money off the table -- no tips -- let alone the house.

My best guess is they filed their papers as a "membership club" and didn't need to disclose what happens inside that club. (But it's a guess. It's also what I would do, had I known enough cash players.)

If you play regularly, $8 an hour and $20 a month with no tips is a great deal.

I always try to sneak a peak at people's IDs. I love to see someone from Texas. Assuming it isn't already severely infested with regs, this should be a very good place to play.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Chair rental is a different form of a rake.

I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down.

I'm surprised too. Our Attorney General would enjoy nothing better than making a big show out of shutting the place down. On the room's website they use the tag line "legal fun safe". I am convinced they're legal. I'm not so sure about the other two.

Quote: gameshowfan

The number of state legislative reps (and aides!) who play is likely proportional to the probability of being shut down.

I gotta assume you meant, proportional to the probability of NOT being shut down.

And that may explain things.

Then again, it may be legal, although I would assume that if it is, it's via a loophole.

Also, I'm not a lawyer, but I wouldn't be worried about it getting shut down. I'd be surprised if the police stormed the place and arrested everyone there or something. So what effect would a shut down have on you? Just don't keep the chips.

As small as the place is with only a couple of tables going, my biggest concern would be collusion and cheating. I find it hard to believe that they have great security measures in place.

Quote: DRich

As small as the place is with only a couple of tables going, my biggest concern would be collusion and cheating. I find it hard to believe that they have great security measures in place.

that is exactly my concern as well as the general safety of the place. It's not in a dangerous neighborhood but it's surrounded by weed lots ant auto repair places and doesn't look like it's very well lit.

Quote: JimRockford

that is exactly my concern as well as the general safety of the place. It's not in a dangerous neighborhood but it's surrounded by weed lots ant auto repair places and doesn't look like it's very well lit.

Collusion is overblown, especially at the lower limits. Even if they try to collude, most people are clueless. One of my bigger pots last year was against a group of Euro buddies who kept squeezing people out of pots. So I just waited till I had something decent, let them squeeze me and stacked two at once. Only time I can say for sure people colluded against me, excluding light stuff like softplay, and I wish it would happen every day.

Cheating is possible, I guess, but unlikely. You'll likely see some soft play and stuff like that. If you don't like the vibe, you can always leave.

I don't know that the size of the room is much of a factor. It's not like Vegas poker rooms have teams of experts looking for collusion, or even cheating, really. It's not their money at risk.

I can't offer much opinion on the neighborhood or security, but can't be worse than the rooms in LA. Just park somewhere smart and pay attention when you leave. Don't let any shady looking guys get anywhere near you.

I don't think things like this are much worth worrying about. Too much concern about stuff that is dramatic, or movie like. You're probably better off using that concern about your poker game or your diet of something. But that's just my opinion.

Update: They're now open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I've played there a couple of times and had a good experience. The place is bare bones simple and low budget but it's friendly and the chairs are comfortable. I understand there is now I similar room in San Antonio and one in San Marcos. Maybe it's catching on. I'm still doubtful that the loophole will hold up if the AG decides to take a stand. "Your Honor, someone could rent a chair at a crowded poker table for any number of reasons other than gambling."

Update: The loophole seems to be holding up. Poker rooms using the membership model are popping up all over the state. Law enforcement has shut down Dallas locations and there is some organized resistance in Houston, but here in Austin there are several rooms doing pretty well.

The state AG has been asked to issue an opinion on the legality of the model and their office committed to do so in July.

Possible game changer:
One of the Austin rooms has an uncapped 5-5 game that plays really deep and attracts a few players from out of town. On April 30 at 4:00 am as the place was closing, a player was shot and robbed in the parking lot. Turns out he's a Vegas regular with an Instagram following posting as 3betpanda. Thankfully he is recovering after surgery and has been released from the hospital. Yesterday they arrested the shooter. It turns out it was set up by the security guard who has also been arrested.

I predict a lawsuit that will take down that room. When the AG issues his opinion in July they'll all get shut down.

I predict they will all be eventually shut down for violating the unwritten law.

NO RECREATION WITHOUT TAXATION Just that simple