I went to VIP last night. Very well run and nice place. Friday nigh they had a $100 tourney with an 8k pot. Last night they were running $35 satellites for the $35k tourney in January. Afterwards two cash tables. One was playing ROE and was pretty big. Drinks and snacks were reasonably priced plus one of the players runs a pizza place and they’ll deliver. They have a deal when you sign up you get 5 free Time chips.

Went to play at the VIP poker club over weekend and was impressed the tournament and structure was better than most in Houston and the Club is top notch. The whole layout was impressive everyone at table was raving about the place and how it looked. Good crowd on Friday and decent crowd Saturday lots of tables and space really comfortable place to play a lot of people still don’t know it’s even there supposedly they have no advertising I knew they were there thru friends. I definitely like it better than mint and they have huge badbeat and Tournament series coming up but not a lot of players yet

Augie and Robert are running it so play at your own risk

Today they started adv a $50k bad beat jackpot. Good luck getting paid on that! Wonder where the $50k is coming from?

What's the significance of this? Literally no idea who they are so it's a genuine question.

People also campaigned against Michael Eakman but realistically, was anyone ever in doubt that they would get paid at the cage? It doesn't feel like there's much at risk here.

You pay $3 a session to be eligible for the bad beat jackpot. It’s 50k cash and 5k in tourneys. Quad 9s or better. I’ve heard why Eakman is bad but no details on the VIP guys. Not saying they’re angels but would like to know more.

Ill take my chances paying the $3 to hit the Bad beat. I doubt the guys that built that room are worried about 50,000 hell that room looks like it cost quite a bit to put together. Room is really nice and the info put out is well put together can definitely tell they know what there doing there. I like the action at Mint but the place is garbage compared to the others in Houston and im sure soon they will lose action to VIP and another club opening in pearland soon. ill be playing at vip or post oak just ran better and i feel safer at both places. i reached out to guys at Vip and they were really welcoming and responded fast on facebook. one owner did tell me they would get alot of scrutiny cause they were underground guys and lots of haters in the business that will say the model is no good for them but hey for 5 dollars for 30 min ill take that gamble there tournaments are well put together. if something better comes along then im there too i just wanna play poker

I wouldn't trust Augie not to try and invent some ruling to avoid paying out...he was the reason I quit playing at 333.

Have known them both from playing in their underground games for years. Robert is ok but always has been broke and has had trouble paying out his games at times. Would have a lot of House players on tab to keep the game going. At times if someone who bought in with cash won big he couldn’t pay out. Eventually paid out but might string them along for a while.

Augie on the other hand has been at multiple games all over Houston and all I’m going to say is I’m not playing in one of his games again. You will be fine day to day but if they get shut down or the bad beat hits I wouldn’t trust him to pay out.

Neither has scammed like Eakman as far as I’m aware.

Thanks, @BulltexasATM and @michelle227. Appreciate the honest responses.

If either of you are at PostOak Sat night, I'll be there with a buddy. You'll know me by my odd card protector if you want to say hi.

Ok now I’m curious.

Ditto...

I haven't been to POPC in a few weeks and rarely play weekends, but am curious what card protector I would be looking for.

LOL. It's not that interesting. I was just looking for a way for people to come say hi or not as they wanted. Saying I'm the middle-aged, overweight, white guy was probably not going to cut it.

It's a little statue of a dude, looks kind of like he's in a 3-point stance, but is actually an Indian (subcont) icon. Brass. Used to be my avatar before the Muppets came back and the shrimp started playing teh pokerz.

Some updates on Post Oak.

Was there all weekend and again yesterday. All tables full and action is good. Lots of 1/3 tables but now instead of 5/5NL players have shifted to ROE. Started out as 5/5 the first day(Saturday) and has now transitioned to 1/3 ROE. They had 2 tables going all last night. Games are unbelievably soft and some of the players don't seem to have a clue how to play Omaha. They also had 2 5/5 PLO tables going last night. For those that play NL only, the games allow you to buy up to biggest stack so they are still playing pretty deep on some of those 1/3 NL tables. They had a 5/5 NL list going but it never got off as most of the players that populate that game were playing the ROE.

Announced updated hours. Now opening during the week at 2:00 pm(was 4 previously) and staying open all days until 4:00 am(was 2:00 am previously).

Sounds like there doing fantastic at popc... Anyone been to Westside poker?

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk

Yeah, would love to hear about Westside and/or Lion.

I played for about 4 hours at POPC on Saturday. The play was unbelievably soft. The better players at the table were better only in their aggression and willingness to make large bets.

Prolly about 10 tables when we were there.

Only significant complaint: PLEASE go to 9 handed tables. 10 is brutal, both in play, but also physically uncomfortable.

Interesting... I have not heard of this place.

I play at Mint all the time as well. We have probably played against each other there...

Absolutely still profitable, just as one might reasonably anticipate being profitable in a casino with both rake and a jackpot drop.

Specific examples lead too much towards straying into BBV territory, but the same principles still play of looking for tendencies of the other players and exploiting them as much as possible.

I know, for example, walking in the door at POPC that I start at -$40 with my door fee and four time cards that I get when I also get my chips. So I sit down and am out of pocket (on average) -$340. I generally go out with more in my pocket than I walked in with and by enough that it is still worth my time. Having something like POPC close enough to the Houston office is added bonus...beats the hell out of having had to drive to South Sam in the tail end of evening rush hour traffic.

Am I making what I make in my day job, on average? No. But then again, I've had courts approve my hourly rate for expert testimony north of $300, and I don't ever expect that from poker.

Poker isn't my living. It is, in the case of local clubs, my tax-free play money...at least until such time as the State of Texas wises up to what they could be getting a cut of in some manner.

Anyone know about the Texas Association of Social Card Clubs? Apparently it was created to increase legislator's awareness of membership-based poker clubs in Texas. I can't find much.

Interesting. This place https://lionspokerpalace.com now has a big ole billboard on 59 just outside the loop (heading S, towards Sugar Land). Website is updated as well, clearly trying to make a splash.

Anyone play there? Membership rates are less than PostOak, but same hourly.

They are also advertising on the radio. Haven't been there personally yet but have heard it is nice and pics on FB look good. Problem is they aren't really getting much going for cash games over 1/2 for no limit. They have had a decent PLO game going though some days. Their tourneys have been getting good turn outs from what I hear. Parking lot is very small so you pretty much have to valet. Another room is supposed to open soon on Richmond just west of them as well. No way all these places will make it. Not enough players.

I agree a lot of rooms out there when to post oak Saturday at seven and only two tables of one three.. Word is lion had tourney and players went to that. What are there five rooms now in Houston?

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk

Not sure what time they opened on Saturday...I know on Thanksgiving, they didn't get tables going until 6:30P and it took a little while to fill, but ultimately had at least four going. There may have been a fifth by the time I left at 8:30p, but they also were opening what I believe was the 5/5 PLO.

FWIW, it was also a game day with some substantial games on television, and that could have impacted traffic to the tables. By the time the evening rolls around, the last thing I look to do on a weekend is drive downtown to play cards...and that is if I am even in condition TO drive LOL!

San Antonio is looking the same way. 6 clubs that I can can count off hand. Player pools doesn't seem big enough for most to run more than two tables. Kinda sucks having to travel around to find the good game...