Texas Card House on Manchaca in South Austin (Credit Taylor Wier)
It almost sounds too good to be true. Legal gambling in Austin? Short of a four hour drive to Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, it simply didn’t exist before now. Texas Card House has changed all that, offering the first legal poker room in Austin–and in the whole state of Texas outside reservations.
The trick is in the language. Texas Card House offers membership to a “card and social club” and provides a facility where members can gamble. There are no tips to the dealer and no rake (house share). Texas Holdem poker will be on the tables most nights, but other card games like Omaha Poker or Bridge/Gin/Hearts/Spades are available upon request.
How to Legalize Gambling in Texas
This gutsy move is the brainchild of Sam Von Kennel. Sam’s unique background gave him the perfect insight to set up the first legal poker room in the state of Texas. You see, Sam used to work for the Chairman of the Licensing and Administrative committee. “We got lobbied by all the major casinos including Harrah’s and MGM. They all wanted a piece of Texas,” Sam mentioned on the club’s grand opening night.
Four tables in the main room – Texas Holdem will be the primary game played (Credit Taylor Wier)
None of the casinos were successful in lobbying for legalized gambling in Texas, but Sam’s experience gave him the idea for exploiting the loophole in state law. As an avid poker player who runs regular house games, Von Kennel came up with the membership idea to give folks a setting where they can play poker in a fun, safe environment.
Country Club Setting
“The hardest part about setting up this business was finding a landlord that would be willing to rent to us once they found out what we were doing,” Sam said.
Once they found the right location in South Austin it was just a matter of sprucing up the place with a few HDTV’s, four pro-level poker tables and a lounge area where players can wait for the next game. Sam intends to have all the major sports packages for watching live sports, and eventually intends to buy major fighting events on the weekends. “This will be a social club as much as a poker room. I want people to enjoy hanging out here,” Sam told me.
Tournament chips at Texas Card House, Austin’s first legal poker room (Credit Taylor Wier)
Texas Card House doesn’t have an alcohol license yet, but they’ll be working on that in the coming months. As a workaround, certain membership levels will get you up to three drinks on the house. There were two polite servers running around getting drinks and water on opening night. And surprisingly, there was a ratio of about 65/35 guys to girls at the event.
How Texas Card House Works
The idea of legal gambling right here in the capital of Texas can be hard to grasp, so let me go over the rules again. Potential gamblers pay a daily or monthly membership for access to the card tables. Once there, they are provided with a dealer and table alongside up to 9 other players. There are currently $60 rebuy tournaments set up Wednesday-Sunday nights, as well as the option to walk into a cash game.
Check out their schedule to see the types of games being played and when they start. Membership levels are as follows:
Credit: Taylor Wier
Single Day Silver Membership
- $25
- Valid through the end of the night
- Allows access to Texas Card House’s rake, tip free card room and non-alcoholic beverage menu
Single Day Gold Membership
- $35
- Valid through the end of the night
- Allows access to Texas Card House’s rake, tip free card room and up to three alcoholic beverages
- Includes priority seating for gameplay and entrance into free roll promotional events of that day
Silver Level Membership
- $100/month
- Allows access to Texas Card House’s rake, tip free card room and non-alcoholic beverage menu
Gold Level Membership
- $150/month
- Allows access to Texas Card House’s rake, tip free card room and up to three alcoholic beverages a night
- Includes priority seating for gameplay and entrance into promotional free tool events
Founders Level Membership
- $100/month
- Minimum 6 month purchase required
- Allows access to Texas Card House’s rake, tip free card room and up to three alcoholic beverages a night
- Includes priority seating for gameplay and entrance into promotional free tool events
Credit: Taylor Wier
The first legal poker room in Texas has been open for only a few weeks now, but they’re already thinking about expanding. The current facility has a back room with the potential for up to 10 more tables. Given the club’s way south Austin location and immense popularity so far, I suspect a north Austin location is inevitable.
The concept works as its intended to, giving players a safe environment to legally gamble playing poker. You’re left with only one question after your first experience, how has nobody thought of this before?
Located at 11907 Manchaca Road
@Crafty_Ed wants to know:
Do you play regular house games? If so, would you consider Texas Card House as an alternative?
***
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K says
March 11, 2015 at 2:36 pmUnfortunately, he will be raided and shut down in a month.
v says
April 11, 2015 at 4:12 amWow, nice call. They did get raided a month later.
Texas Card House says
April 21, 2015 at 11:09 pmWe have not been raided. We still have all chips in play. We do not plan on ever being raided. We are not sure who keeps falsely speaking about the club, but we will get the false comments taken off of this article asap. For any questions please call us (512) 284-9804
Patrick Jones says
April 22, 2015 at 4:22 pmHow do you explain this? Even if you don’t get raided it looks like you will still have issues.
Looks like the owner is getting sued:
Daniel Kebort; THE Poker Lounge Partnership
v.
Samuel Von Kennel; Texas Card House, LLC
4/14/2015 D-1-GN-15-001472Fiduciary
duty, fraud and misappropriation. Defendant Samuel Von Kennel broke a
partnership agreement with plaintiff Daniel Kebort by forming Texas Card
House, LLC without his knowledge and by stealing the partnership’s
trade secrets and business plans.
Steve says
May 22, 2015 at 10:09 pmYou do understand you can be sued for just about anything and in no way does it actually mean you are guilty or have broken a law. The “trade secrets” are bullshit. If they didn’t have a noncompete there is clearly nothing illegal and the other individual would have to pay the noncompete.
Zenas Pilcher says
October 18, 2015 at 7:23 pmOdd..
Irishmike says
March 11, 2015 at 9:43 pmReally, The first. Elks, VFWs, Knights of Columbus, Redmen Etc. Have been doing it for decades. We (They) just aren’t looking for publicity. Oh, by the way all wagering (gambling) is illegal in Texas. There are excetions to the law. http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/Texas/
Edgar B says
March 12, 2015 at 4:12 pmThose are all multi-use facilities. This is a dedicated business that is solely meant to house card games.
Zenas Pilcher says
October 18, 2015 at 7:00 pmIrish Mike,
You stole a lot from me. Now you use our Texas logo.
Irishmike says
October 18, 2015 at 8:12 pmpulled it off Google Images like I do a lot of the pictures I use. Don’t really research where they come from. Here are some I used this week. Thought it was a cool logo. I’ll Take it down if you want.
Irishmike says
October 18, 2015 at 8:15 pmsorry once it’s been posted can’t take it down.
Irishmike says
March 11, 2015 at 9:50 pm47.04. Keeping a Gambling Place
(a) A person commits an offense if he knowingly uses or permits another to use as a gambling place any real estate, building, room, tent, vehicle, boat, or other property whatsoever owned by him or under his control, or rents or lets any such property with a view or expectation that it be so used.
(b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the gambling occurred in a private place;
(2) no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and
(3) except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants.
(c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
Billpoker says
July 5, 2015 at 9:53 pmThe U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that poker isn’t gambling. Why all of the selective legalese? I’m guessing that the Indians are behind this because they like their monopoly. Imagine if winstar had to compete with these rates!
jarrod says
March 13, 2015 at 2:29 pmPlaying at a place of business, or home its legal to play poker if all players have the same advantage and all money is available to win by the players. No tip or rake and it’s legal. And no entry fee to walk in the door that doesn’t go to the pot.
100% legal.
Philipp Knirck says
March 14, 2015 at 4:11 pmwow this is sooooo cheap! u normally play 10-20 per hour in rake!!! i almost thing it is too cheap!!
the games must be really good!
Patrick Jones says
March 14, 2015 at 8:02 pmThis is not an original idea. It looks like the only brainchild he had was stealing bills while working in the chairman’s office.
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/15150-social-poker-bill-introduced-in-texas
Dave from UofT says
April 5, 2015 at 1:30 amThey got raided yesterday I heard
Texas Card House says
April 7, 2015 at 7:14 pmTexas Card House did not get raided. We are open this week Tuesday-Friday 7pm-3am.
Texas Card House says
April 7, 2015 at 7:15 pmWe di not get raided. We are open this week Tuesday-Friday 7pm-3am.
Texas Card House says
April 8, 2015 at 10:29 amRetraction: We did get raided. But we are still open 7pm-3am for now.
Confused says
April 9, 2015 at 5:39 amThis is really confusing. Did they get raided or not?
Chancey says
April 12, 2015 at 10:33 amThe police took all the chips $5 and higher so they have been using custom Texas Card House drink coasters like plaques.
Bob says
April 13, 2015 at 12:58 amWhat do you mean they took $5 and higher chips? And what happen during the raid? Im interested in coming our to TCH but not if im gonna end up in trouble or something
Edgar B says
April 20, 2015 at 11:40 amCan you clarify a bit more? This seems like an odd way to handle enforcement on an issue like this.
Texas Card House says
April 21, 2015 at 11:06 pmWe have not been raided. We still have all chips in play. We do not plan on ever being raided. We are not sure who keeps falsely speaking about the club, but we will work to get the false comments taken off of this article asap. For any questions please call us (512) 284-9804.
Texas Card House says
April 16, 2015 at 10:23 pmWe have not been raided. We still have all chips in play. We do not plan on ever being raided. We are not sure who keeps falsely speaking about the club, but we will get the false comments taken off of this article asap. For any questions please call us (512) 284-9804
Patrick Jones says
April 19, 2015 at 9:11 pmLooks like the owner is getting sued:
Daniel Kebort; THE Poker Lounge Partnership
v.
Samuel Von Kennel; Texas Card House, LLC
4/14/2015 D-1-GN-15-001472
Fiduciary duty, fraud and misappropriation. Defendant Samuel Von Kennel broke a partnership agreement with plaintiff Daniel Kebort by forming Texas Card House, LLC without his knowledge and by stealing the partnership’s trade secrets and business plans.
Rancor says
June 11, 2015 at 6:10 amHey Patrick jones
Read the transcripts of your trial. …. Judge says strike that…..
Who are you suing next ? Your attorneys?
Sorry you arent enjoying life
Edward M Zihlman says
July 7, 2015 at 11:05 amWhat happened. Lastnight….. There are comments on Facebook about it..
Laila Dugom says
October 18, 2015 at 6:31 pmThis would be untrue.
Chips 4 Children and Alamo City Poker Club created the first legal poker room in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.
They have been operating legally for over four years.
Sam copied format and ideas from them.
Respectfully,
Laila Dugom
Laila Dugom says
October 18, 2015 at 6:36 pmI’m sorry to hear you were raided. Did anyone get arrested?
What happened legally?
Why were you not legal?
We have never had any trouble. I pray we don’t. Each of our locations (12) only hold one-two tables max. But each location is take free. We operate off dyes and donations.
We appreciate anything you can tell us to prevent us from doing anything wrong as well.
We have given over $800k to local charities and members.
Wishing you well,
Laila
Manager of player relations.
Alamo City Poker Club