Big things are happening in Texas poker.
The Lodge has won its case; all charges have been dropped, and they will reopen soon. This outcome has set the tone for what’s to come in Texas poker.
Many poker clubs across the state were concerned about facing legal troubles similar to those faced by The Lodge. Now, with The Lodge’s victory, players and operators alike see it as a big swing and a miss for the state against poker in general. That’s a good thing for the community moving forward.
WSOP Circuit comes to town
Building on this win, that momentum carried directly into one of the biggest tournament series Texas has ever seen — the World Series of Poker Circuit at Texas Card House Social in Austin.
The series absolutely destroyed expectations. The WSOP came in thinking it would be big. They were right. It was even bigger.
There were tournaments where the first-place prize was greater than the entire guarantee. They had the first-ever 2-7 ring and the first-ever Double Board Bomb Pot ring. People came from all over, the numbers were huge, and records were broken.
Everyone had a good time.
It went so well that the WSOP already announced another stop in September. So if you feel like you missed your chance to play a WSOP Circuit event in Texas, guess what? It’s coming right back.
Texas poker is my life
I moved here six years ago, and I’ve been running tournaments and watching the game grow ever since. Texas has been near and dear to my heart for a long time.
There is so much pride around the game in this state. It just warms my heart to see things like that.
There have been multiple RunGood Poker Tour stops. The Poker Atlas Tour is here in Houston, and they’re headed to Austin and Dallas in the coming months.
Poker is one of those things where people come once and want to come back. Texas is a great place for poker.
Are the legal battles over?
No. Ongoing legal challenges remain for Texas poker clubs and operators, as the interpretation and enforcement of poker-related laws continue to be questioned.
As someone who works closely with operators, the people running poker in Texas believe they are operating within the framework of the law.
They have legal advisors telling them the correct way to do things, on the up and up. Those are the places you should visit if you want to check out poker in Texas.
Texas poker is thriving. It's one of the most fun places to play poker anywhere. I highly recommend you come to Texas and check it out.
Justin Hammer is the Live Events Director for PokerAtlas, an online tournament director for the Texas-based poker app Hijack, and a tournament director at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. He also works as a consultant and is a minority owner of Desert Bluffs Casino in Kennewick, Washington.
iFor more info, visit PokerAtlas.com, HijackPoker.com, and bluffs.poker. Follow Justin on X.
