*major warning & heads up to those considering a Texas(specifically Houston) poker trip*
From searching online & asking around there is big lack of information on what's actually going on in and around these rooms in Houston. I can't imagine there has ever been a more dangerous, chaotic, corrupt, and risky place to play poker in history. The current culture, climate, and local criminal element (who have their teeth sunk into these games) living their lives with no regard for the their own life let alone those around them have the cities players going to rooms on edge looking over shoulders for the next drama to unfold. Im wrapping up a long trip down here, have made a lot of contacts with players who were here before me who GTFO as well as locals who've lived here all their life, and overheard and witnessed countless shocking things. That's with lots apparently getting swept under the rug and attempts to keep so much quiet. Here's some of what I've either witnessed or heard from multiple sources, buckle your seatbelt.
1) Every jackass has a gun. Ive been to several rooms where I could see guns in players pockets who were playing some of which I've seen make threatening statements over silly things related to how a hand was played. *4 people I've met say have had guns pointed at them in traffic and I had the same happen to me. At a stoplight outside prime social (7801 Westheimer) in broad daylight a car pulls up to another shooting 2 people 7+ shots killing 1, they were local poker players and supposedly were playing at a room in the area earlier. Link
https://www.khou.com/amp/article/new...d-23ec9735b8f9
2) I've heard multiple on edge players make statements eluding to feeling like getting their AR15 or AK out of the trunk and shooting the room over losing $ or feeling they've been cheated. I've heard these statements made in a general shootup room way & personal disputes arguing with players. Virtually none of these rooms have security to stop an active shooter.
3) I saw someone go get a gun out of car and use it to threaten someone he was arguing with. I've separately heard stories of this happening over and over.
4) heard 2 separate stories of people putting guns in the mouths of players in above ground rooms.
5) if someone attacks you in a room it's up to you and the other players to protect/save you. Saw a player get up walk over and hit another player and no security came over at any point once, the other time I saw it it took forever to get security. Also seen players standing over ready to attack a guy if he said another word and it not be for minutes till security showed up. I heard about a floor guy threatening to take players outside to fight them.
6) At a room with supposedly better security heard a pro had a local grab the chips and violently throw them into his face and threaten his life bcuz he thought the guy slow rolled him.
8) Multiple instances where dealers had to be held back by multiple people from attacking players while in the box who were arguing with them. I've heard of dealers actually attacking players while in the box.
9) players apparently have been getting followed outside of room and in some cases all the way to hotels or home for some time. I'm told there are countless incidents, so who knows how many were afraid to even speak up. Some of these folks were robbed, beat up, and had their home burglarized. For amounts ranging from only 200 friggin dollars to tens of thousands. There are shady people in all these rooms watching the cashouts, some not even playing, just looking. There has been talk of employees being involved with some of these people & incidents
10) if all the above wasn't nutty enough, how about rooms being shot at with assault rifles as if they were games with high value targets present in the most active war zones? Yea, it's a thing in Houston. So much so some rooms have attempted build&construct bullet barriers (never noticed this anywhere in the country) around the outside of rooms bcuz the rooms are targets of drive by AR15 shootings while players are playing so often. I mean to actually build barriers like your in a warzone? You know you're taking gambling to a whole nother level.
11)In a small built room full of players+staff a player with mask enters from kitchen with an assault rifle demanding cash, in the struggle 15 shots are fired in the room which luckily went through wall to parking lot rather than hitting players. Guy supposedly played and has a lot of friends who still do. ***Players had lots of chips maybe thousands taken by people in the room while they were hiding under tables or running out back, supposedly not reimbursed***
12) Again during a busy time people go by with an assault rifle and fires 20+ shots at & into the room. Multiple bullets got through, there are pics online of a bullet hole in TV and players on the floor. Chips stolen again. Management says things are fine get back to dealing/playing.
13) Play in the burbs instead? A room in the {supposedly} safer more suburban area (Katy) is shot up from the outside.
14) Someone dies outside of legends from being shot in parking lot.
15) There is a room that has had at least 3 robberies in the last couple years.
16) Countless shootings outside or across street from rooms near clubs.
17) Fight and shooting in front of a room leads to people running inside front door scrambling pushing each other fearing their lives looking for safety.
18) A room that tried to put up a barrier to block gunfire takes supposedly anywhere from 30-70 rapid fire auto weapon shots when gunman gets out and tried to shoot over barrier. Some gunfire confirmed made it through. Management yells at everyone to get back to dealing/playing everything is fine again.
19) low rent security has been threatened with violence by players when security had questions after metal detector went off
20) lots of people have had car windows busted out, broken into, and even stolen in some cases outside of games.
21) heard of an instance where a staff member clocked someone he didn't like into a table late night to drain their "time" and told the players and dealer not to worry about it.
22) more dealers than not seem unprofessional commenting on the action, the players, allowing influencing action in hands, and disrespectful name calling of players. They get defensive and fire at you when you try to point out their errors(before significant action occurs) in hand.
23) cheating and scamming is beyond prevalent. there have been fake chip scandals at a bunch of rooms including $100 chips.
24) extra aces end up in decks all across the city. lots of documented hands with an extra ace at showdown.
players have gotten caught keeping an ace under their phone, up sleeves, ect over and over and still play in the rooms. Confirmed cheaters constantly conning are in the games daily, even after getting caught.
25) marked cards are the norm.
26) checkout Joey Ingrams videos on cheating related to at least 1 Houston room possibly even involving rigging the shufflers. That isn't even the one of the sleeziest rooms, most are worse. There are criminals from here and all over the country coming to exploit these weak unregulated rooms getting away with cheating.
27) another thing I was unaware of prior to my visit is that so many of the people playing in the rooms are house players. Most are at a minimum solid and have been playing for decades, some for income. A bunch them are questionable speaking different languages at the table and at times trying to talk to each other quietly multi way. Seems like some are put in the best games also, which should be the opposite. A lot of other things related to this that has been speculated and assumed.
28) A room manager was apparently caught on camera stealing green birds from a players stack.
29) there are known chip thieves who steal from players stacks who the rooms won't ban, they are even really nice to some of these people. so GL protecting those stacks away from the table or when your head is turned.
30) lots of known violent criminals are embraced by the rooms. If you win on the felt, the game isn't over, you need to make it away from the room and safe inside your hotel to secure the win.
31) a room is allowing a wealthy player to grab, punch, twist the arms, and fist to fist punch players. Hard. Seemingly never telling him to stop.
32) "Best poker" recently opened up and a shooting happened in the parking lot the very first night
33) there was another supposedly safer room shot up in the last week. supposedly by a disgruntled player who'd been kicked out shortly before
34) a room on the north side near Texas card house was robbed by multiple armed gunman a few days ago.
35) All I heard was prior to coming was Texas action&donkeys(I don't see it), nothing about any of this craziness. The games aren't even that good in Houston IMO. There are tough 2/5-10/25 types at many of the 1/3s. People seem seduced by just a few whales around town chasing them, but if there is a good game these people already have a long transfer list to play the game. Dunno that the list are properly ran down either.
36) Locals have become desensitized I think to the violence, culture, and chaos in these poker clubs. Folks seem to be operating as if they don't fear death or incarceration. The most extreme hustlers operate as if they're invincible and are embraced. You have to witness some of the daily interactions, acceptance, and hear the conversations.
37) I imagine the rooms get shut down from someone being killed in a room. Good luck getting back the money&chips in those safety deposit boxes when the operation is permanently shut down.
This is all corroborated by me asking plenty of longtime players what they've heard. It isn't all I've heard, just a portion. Im told the other Texas cities aren't as bad as this, but I haven't been. I would guess it gets spread to other Texas cities to some degree, that's how it goes when certain factions of society see what some are getting away with. Absolutely mind blowing surreal poker trip. I won't be coming back
