Exactly why I started this thread. To help protect our community. I am a player not a game runner.

So many shill accounts in this thread.

Clive has self interest but he has added value to this thread.

Namely that link to the podcast.

Michael is with out a doubt reading this thread. No doubt in my mind.

Fwiw, I spoke with Clive on the phone and he seems like a nice enough guy. Sure, part of this is a turf war for him, but he def sounded like he felt bad for me and wanted to see me made whole. Offered to fly me out to Houston once the place is open, which is quite generous. After all his history running games in TX, I would be irked too if someone showed up with a record of not paying tournament winners. Everyone in this thread just wants to see clean, honest poker thrive in Houston. Clive included.

Michael Eakman paying the $10k in full would do wonders for the confidence in his club, yet he remains silent.

i live in houston and looking forward to mint poker opening.. looks awesome compared to other underground games in houston.. i only play cash games so i dont have to worry about tournament prize not getting paid.. i couldn't care less about clive's rant lol

This is NOT a turf war - this is about someone that could bring a great room to houston and all he has to do is make people "whole" on the past accounts

yes..i felt bad for the young man and i offered to fly him in to get his money
I just want to see rake free poker thrive but starting out with contraversy is not the way to do it

There are 3 million plus people in houston - I estimate at least 5k play at least once a month - plenty of customers for many rooms.

Mr Eakman has been asked face to face no less than three times and each and every time he has just refused to answer at all.

honestly, i couldnt care less as well if he pays bigruk or not lol..

i'd take my chance on mintpoker than play at these 10% rake houston underground poker.. i think cash games player have lower risk than tournament players that could win big and not get paid..i dont see that happening anytime soon when it just opened... maybe if this place isn't successful and he is about to close the place..

I'll be honest, you seem like a total douche. "As long as nothing happens to me, I don't care about anything else".... That about sums you up, right?

Just got an email that they are opening tonight.

So after enlarging, I am not seeing any video cameras over the tables. If there is a dispute, a theft of chips or a shady dealer, you are screwed.

never been to any underground game in houston that has cameras for that purpose.. they only have cameras for security..

right.. like it will affect you if bigruk (a completely anonymous person) gets paid or not.. it's easy to say you're affected for the sake of being decent but is that what you really feel or you really don't care at all?

Im not claiming to be affected at all. I am claiming that you are a complete and utter clown, though. I am claiming to actually care about fellow poker players. As a decent human being, thats fairly standard.

This is not an underground game.

One could argue that, even in broad daylight, this and all of the other card houses playing in the weeds that surround the Texas statute are still 'underground.' They are not licensed by the State and all are potentially subject to attempts at prosecution. Cameras for the purpose described would be sending a feed to something apt to be seized pursuant to a search warrant...

You could argue that but it would be a silly argument when their own web site proclaims

Not necessarily, a feed easily could be directed anywhere, including off-premises locations unlikely to be covered by a search warrant.

i want to see comments from those who went there today? how many players were there?

my decision to whether go there or not will be based on the experience of people going there since already open and not based on whether bigruk gets paid or not what is owed him (thus my statement i couldn't care less about bigruk's money)

This is an underground game. The fact that they proclaim themselves to be legal clearly doesn't mean that they are actually legal.
The authorities are currently allowing some of these clubs to run in Texas, but they can be shut down and prosecuted at any time. They are also allowing rake based clubs to run as long as there are no other illegal activities going on. If there are any complaints or other illegal activities or the place gets too big, then the authorities move in.
As explained in the "legal poker in texas" thread, if anyone makes money on the game, that makes it illegal. That includes dealers, gamegirls, and gamerunners. If this place is paying the dealers, they are illegal and I know for sure that dealers in Texas will not work for free.

I think we know each other IRL

And if you got hit by a bus most people would just gawk in mild amusement.

You know someone named Michelle that likes to talk out of both sides of her mouth so that she can lay claim to some sort of intellectual superiority over the people she has discussions with?

You seem upset that people can actually discuss both sides of an issue...as a hint, one of the things that helps people in the legal profession IS being able to argue both sides of an issue. And since post-conviction criminal defense IS where my bread is buttered, I would say I have a position to view things that many on this and other forums do not...but that is not the same as what you claim is laying 'claim to some sort of intellectual superiority blah blah blah...'

And as I opined in the Texas-specific thread, I do believe there are defenses that can be asserted if prosecution were to be had on some of the non-rake card rooms but I can also see, as in this thread, why some operators may be wary of overhead cameras as opposed to those that simply watch the entrances and general activity in a room. By the time one of a room gets busted, local law enforcement usually knows about any of the offsite options as well when it comes to video storage. Whether Harris, Bexar, Travis or Dallas prosecutors would go to that extreme to pursue is another matter...but I have also had a lot of involvement with eight-liner operators. When a prosecutor gets the hard-on for them, they actually tend to skip the gambling provisions and go straight for money laundering. That WOULD actually be a felony worth tracking down video feeds...

You sound so affected by people defending this mint poker. are you Clive's alt? Or another game runner? I couldn't care less either when your place close down because of better poker places like mint poker.

No I just don't have any respect for a scumbag like you that is only in it for themselves. This is a recurring theme in the poker community. These scumbags lie/cheat/steal/scam and do whatever they can to make money (and feed their addictions) and then in a few months time they are on here creating a thread in which they complain about being scammed. GTFO of here with that bull****.

Right so Michele was a scumbag also? I didn't see her say anything wrong yet you attacked her. You gtfo with your BS

I'm a scumbag because I may play at a poker place that one of the owners is accused of not paying a tournament winner?