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Poker pro Mike "The Mouth" Matusow appears to be having the time of his life playing poker this week in Dallas, Texas.
He's called Texas poker "insane". Matusow even invited his local Twitter followers to come play with him.
But if city officials have their way, legit poker halls will be shuttered and sent back to the dark ages.
Gambling911.com, along with Axios and local Dallas media outlets, have reported extensively over the past week on how the city has revoked the permit for Texas Card House just months after approving it.
i just watched someone put in 240 pre 6 ways 68 off in 1 2 game and 800 flop 4 ways 238 flop! Turn 8 after all money in up against aa kk 10 jj! This Texas poker is insane! @pokerhousellc #dallaspokerhouse
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) January 26, 2022
i just watched someone put in 240 pre 6 ways 68 off in 1 2 game and 800 flop 4 ways 238 flop! Turn 8 after all money in up against aa kk 10 jj! This Texas poker is insane! @pokerhousellc #dallaspokerhouse
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) January 26, 2022
Should the Texas Card House permit be pulled, players will be forced to go back underground. There are plenty such establishments in the area.
Poker players should be upset as Texas Card House has gained a worldwide following through its live streaming. Matusow's endorsement of the competing Card House of Dallas provides further support for the notion that city officials are about to make a serious mistake. Matusow has nearly 115,000 followers on Twitter.
Me !kings 2 5 plo 1800 pot! @pokerhousellc #Dallaspokerhouse pic.twitter.com/L2bDVEHyzv
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) January 26, 2022
Welcome to 1 2 dollar game in Dallas! @pokerhousellc #Dallaspokerhouse 480 to go 5 ways pre ! pic.twitter.com/ZmiLhYLwjj
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) January 26, 2022
The Dallas city permit has been looked upon as the gold standard. TCH now refers to itself as Texas' FIRST Poker Club.
Fortunately for Texas Card House and similar establishments, not all city officials are on the same page when it comes to the revocation threats.
City Council member Omar Narvaez, who represents that area of Dallas, says he supports Texas Card House and called the new change of city policy “unfair.”
More specifically, Texas Card House received a notice informing the business their Certificate of Occupancy was being revoked.
"Because other rooms had been shut down we knew there was a chance something could happen," TCH's CEO Ryan Crow told PokerNews.com last week. "The city councilman for our district Omar Narvaez came out and visited us. He, as well as a few other city officials, have shown a lot of support so, in the end, we were very surprised when we received the letter. Six months ago I would have told anyone that Dallas was the safest city we operate in due to the fact that they had been so collaborative when we came to the city."
So what happens when poker rooms are forced to go underground?
More crime, that's what.
Over the past decade there have been numerous stories on armed robberies and even murders occurring at these underground Texas poker games.
Earlier this month, there was an attempted robbery at a Houston area poker club. Enhanced security thanks to that venue operating in a more regulated environment may have saved lives. A security guard on duty tackled the would-be robber.
Houston began doling out permits to poker rooms back in 2017, but it's still a grey area to be sure.
Case in point per Medium.com:
On May 1, 2019, Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan arrested the owners of Prime Social Club and Post Oak Poker Club after a two-year investigation; putting the legality of poker clubs in the spotlight. The clubs were accused of encouraging illegal gambling, money laundering, and criminal activities. After the raids, District Attorney Kim Ogg called poker rooms illegal in Texas and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said, “We can’t allow illegal gambling to go on. It drives organized crime and fuels other criminal activity.”
The Harris County D.A.’s office has since dropped the charges, and in turn they have been counter-sued by the poker clubs. Ogg had to drop all charges against the clubs after the consultant of the DA’s office, Amir Mireskandari, had been accused of scamming the clubs by telling them that they would be licensed in Houston if they paid a fee.
For now, Texas Card House remains active and open. For how long is anybody's guess at this time.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
