Prime Poker Houston Tx
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*Reviews on Poker in Houston, TX - Lions Poker Palace, Prime Social Poker Room, 52 Social Poker Club, Kings & Cards, Steel House Poker Club, Champions Social Poker Club, Spades Poker House, Mint Poker, On The Felt Poker Club, Bellaire Social Club.
*HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) - Houston police and investigators with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office busted two upscale poker rooms Wednesday just minutes before one was to kickoff a big.
In what was a stunning afternoon ofactivity in and around the city of Houston, several top “card clubs” – basicallypoker rooms that were skirting the laws of the state – were raided by local lawenforcement. As a result of the raids, other card clubs in the area shut downout of an abundance of concern and the future of Texas card clubs has beencalled into question.
AfternoonRaids Lead to Charges
On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Social Poker Club was raided by law enforcement officials of the city of Houston. The club had been advertising a poker tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $150,000 which, according to the Facebook page Free to Compete – Texas, was supposed to have started that same day and could have been the reason for the raid. Soon after this news came down, further information was passed along by Free to Compete that one of the other top rooms in the Houston area, the Post Oak Poker Club, had also been the subject of a raid by authorities.
Prime Social - 7801 Westheimer Rd, Houston, Texas 77063 - Rated 4.6 based on 39 Reviews ’If you looking for the nicest poker room with the most action. Houston’s Premier Social Poker Club. Prime Social Club is a premier members only entertainment destination. Texas prosecutors are no longer pursuing a civil lawsuit against the two Houston poker rooms that were raided last May. Harris County prosecutors dropped a civil suit against Prime Social Club.
Free to Compete kept a running commentaryon Facebook throughout the afternoon on their page, with updates that were inreal time and were sometimes mistaken. Early in the situation, Free to Competestated that players who were in Prime Social Poker Club were allowed to leavewith their chips and they were photographed but not arrested. A later update,however, indicated that the prior report of players being able to keep theirchips might have been mistaken, that the players were being considered aswitnesses (hence the photos) and that the general manager of the club was in handcuffs.
Prime Social, the Houston poker club shutdown because of money laundering charges in May, is set to reopen a day after it filed its own lawsuit. Houston poker club Prime Social is fighting back.
The raids on Prime Social Poker Club andPost Oak Poker Club sent several other rooms into protection mode. Mint Pokerwas rumored to have been raided, but that was shot down by late in theafternoon on Wednesday although the club closed for the day “out of anabundance of caution.” Late Wednesday evening, however, Mint Poker issued astatement that was pulled from Facebook that they would “temporarily suspendingmember services while (the Mint Poker legal team) investigates the closing oftwo clubs in Houston.”
OfficialStatements from Law Enforcement
Wednesday afternoon, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg issued a statement regarding the raiding of Prime Social Poker Club and Post Oak Poker Club. “Poker rooms are illegal in the State of Texas,” Ogg announced in the statement. “We are changing the paradigm regarding illegal gambling by moving up the criminal chain and pursuing felony money laundering and engaging in organized crime charges against owners and operators. Players are not being targeted.”
Houston Police Chief ArtAcevedo added his two cents in the press release. “We can’t allow illegalgambling to go on,” Acevedo said. “It drives organized crime and fuels othercriminal activity. According to reports, nine people involved in the ownershipof the clubs were arrested on money laundering charges and their respectivebank accounts were seized. They are:
Post Oak Poker Club
Daniel Kebort
William Heuer III
Alan Chodrow
Sergio Cabrera
Kevin Chodrow
Prime Social Poker Room
Dean Maddox
Mary Switzer
Brent Pollack
Steven Farshid
The five men charged from PostOak were all charged as owners of the club. Maddox was charged as the owner ofPrime Social, with Switzer named as the comptroller, Pollack as the generalmanager and Farshid as the assistant general manager.
What IS the Law in Texas?
Some have said that it isn’tagainst the law to play poker in Texas and that’s true – it’s not ILLEGALanywhere to “play” poker. Once money is used in the game, however, laws ongambling enter the picture. One of the key laws is that an establishment can’ttake a rake or fee from the game, which therefore makes it against the law.
In Texas, many industriousentrepreneurs thought they had found a way to circumvent this law. According tothe interpretations of many attorneys, these clubs were legal because of thefollowing reasons:
1.The clubs were “members only” and private.
2. The clubs didn’t take a rake from any hands played on the grounds.
3. The members of the club are playing against each other and not against the house, with each player having the same chance at winning and losing.
So how do the businesses make any money,plenty of people have asked. In addition to their membership fees, these clubswould also sell food on the premises (alcohol is reportedly banned from suchclubs) to make some additional cash. The clubs were looked at as a saferalternative than the legendary underground games in Texas, although anoted online poker player was shot and robbed at a poker club in Austinjust last year.
And Whatis the Future?
Currently the nine people charged in the Houston cases are going to be tried for the money laundering charges, not for any actions they took as to running a poker room. But there is plenty of attention being drawn to the subject. In the Texas Legislature, a bill has been filed by Democrat Ryan Guillen (Rio Grande City) that would license and regulate the “social gaming establishments.” Right now, that bill is stalled in committee in the Texas House of Representatives and its future is unknown.
Whether the raids were truly what they were stated – a raid against money laundering – or something more sinister, other poker rooms must be on alert. Free to Compete has announced a petition drive to bring a grassroots effort together to combat the threats. As of yet, other organizations such as the Poker Alliance (which used to be their forte – the protection of poker players and their rights to play) haven’t yet spoken up on the issue, so it may be a fight that Texans will have to wage on their own. By
September 8th, 2019 | Last updated on September 8th, 2019Home » Poker News » Texas Poker Club Sues Former Law Firm
The saga of Texas poker clubs has turned another page and taken the story in a new direction.
When two prominent Houston poker rooms – Prime Social Poker Club and Post Oak Poker Club – were raided on May 1, it looked as if the longtime skirting of poker laws in Texas was over. But that was far from the end of the story.
In fact, all charges were dropped against the nine club executives in July. All cash seized was returned.
It wasn’t a change of heart by the District Attorney, though. It was a conflict of interest as the DA found out about ties between her office and a consultant. The case was not only dropped, but the poker clubs were eying litigation.
That new case has now been filed. Prime Social is suing a Houston law firm for gross negligence.Catching Up
When the raids happened on May 1, the Harris County District Attorney’s office and Houston Police Department worked together to arrest nine club owners and managers, freeze company bank accounts, and seize bank balances.
“Poker rooms are illegal in the state of Texas,” DA Kim Ogg said.
As a result, she charged the nine people with a range of crimes, including felony money laundering and engagement in organized crime.
#BREAKING Heavy police presence at Prime Social poker room in southwest Houstonhttps://t.co/FGB1w0ho5t
Casino in roswell ga. — ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) May 1, 2019
Many thought it spelled absolute doom for poker clubs in Texas, but the DA suddenly had a change of heart. She dropped all charges on July 16 and returned more than $200K in seized funds.
Ogg’s office cited “multiple potential conflicts of interest” in her office, as one was former contract employee but also a potential defense witness. That put the situation in the hands of the FBI.
Meanwhile, Prime Social Club Attorney Wayne Dolcefino expressed outrage at the entire situation. More than 100 employees lost their jobs. The clubs were unable to make money during the shutdowns.
Further, it turned out that a consultant named Amir Mireskandari had approached both poker club operators during the two-year investigation and offered to help legitimize their clubs under Texas law through legislation, permits, and legal assistance. The cost was $250K, some of which Prime Social paid. Post Oak did not.
Mireskandari, it seems, also worked for the Harris County DA’s office, assisting in the investigation of those exact poker rooms.
The entire situation became complicated and began to look bad for the DA. The poker clubs, on the other hand, became the victims in the eyes of the law.
NEW: Representative for Prime Social releases statement after County Attorney drops nuisance lawsuit, calling lawsuit ’a joke in the first place.’ Statement also says company is working to rehire employees and open back up. LATEST ON DROPPED SUIT: https://t.co/m7ih5AcJc8@KPRC2pic.twitter.com/dOHEiu7UIP
— Aaron Wische (@KPRC2Aaron) August 8, 2019Lawsuit Filed
This week, Prime Social’s parent company, Bayou Social Club, filed its lawsuit against Jones Walker LLP, a Houston-based law firm.
Prime Social had hired the firm, which advertised representation with gaming law experts, to work with city officials to pass a new Houston ordinance to formally recognize private poker clubs as legitimate businesses.
Jimmy Ardoin, an attorney with Jones Walker, allegedly told Prime Social that it needed to pay $250K to an investigator to begin building the case for the ordinance. That investigator, presumed to be the aforementioned Amir Mireskandari, was the one also working with the District Attorney.
Prime Social began to make payments, referred to in the court document as “significant sums,” to cover the license fee under the new ordinance and Jones Walker’s representation throughout the process. But when Prime Social figured out there was no ordinance being considered, they stopped payments and terminated the relationship with Jones Walker. Soon after, the raid took place.Prime Poker Club Houston Tx
The charges against Jones Walker are misrepresentation, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Houston’s Prime Social poker club sues Jones Walker, the law firm the club retained after it claimed to be working on an ’anticipated’ legalization ordinance in the Texas city. Oddly, the word ’shysters’ does not appear in the complaint. https://t.co/ncqvrBiXRQ
— Haley Hintze (@Haley_Hintze) September 5, 2019Prime Poker Houston Tx Locations
The lawsuit seeks “monetary relief over $1,000,000” for actual damages, punitive and/or exemplary damages, pre-judgment and post—judgment interest, and legal costs.
The Hudgins Law Firm is representing Prime Social in the case. Wayne Dolcefino, a current consultant representing Prime Social, has been outspoken on behalf of the club throughout its ordeal. It even put out this video to explain what happened:Selective Prosecutions
Channel 2 in Houston pointed out that more than a dozen poker clubs have operated and continue to do so throughout the duration of the Prime Social and Post Oak ordeals. Those were the only two clubs raided – they appear to be the largest of the poker clubs in the Houston area – while all others have been untouched by the law.Prime Poker Houston Tx Login
The Houston Police Department and Harris County DA’s Office both declined to answer questions about the seemingly selective prosecutions.
It boils down to the interpretation of the law by each city or town in Texas, but if Harris County is going to target two clubs, there is no reason to leave the others alone.
Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt pointed out that there is a significant “gray area” in the law regarding gambling. Traditional poker in casinos may be illegal, but the activities inside of a private, membership-only club is different. There is no rake taken from the games. Thus, there is no economic benefit from the actual poker games other than personal winnings. The club’s revenue does not depend on the games themselves but on membership, as well as food and drink sales.
Bettencourt believes the courts may deliver a ruling in one of several pending cases that could dictate the letter of the law. If not, he said he wants the legislature to look at the issue.Prime Social Open Again
As of Thursday, September 5, Prime Social is open again. The grand reopening welcomed players back more than four months after the raid.Prime Poker Houston Tx Phone Number
The club has a new Twitter account that does not mention poker but certainly promotes it.
We’re hosting our first tournament since our grand reopening Sunday, September 8! Come out, have some fun, and win big!
-$10k gtd
-20 minute levels
-30k Starting Stack
-5k Early Bird Bonus
-5k Staff Bonus pic.twitter.com/z6vOmdJnFJ
— Prime Social (@PrimeSocialTX) September 6, 2019Prime Poker Club Houston Texas
The website still calls Prime Social “Houston’s Best Poker Room.” And it lists the tournaments, cash game availability, and specials for veterans and seniors.
As for Post Oak Poker Club, it appears that it will not reopen.Prime Poker Houston Tx Facebook Related Articles
Register here: http://gg.gg/v2nuo
https://diarynote-jp.indered.space
*Prime Poker Club Houston Tx
*Prime Poker Houston Tx Locations
*Prime Poker Houston Tx Login
*Prime Poker Houston Tx Phone Number
*Prime Poker Club Houston Texas
*Prime Poker Houston Tx Facebook
*Reviews on Poker in Houston, TX - Lions Poker Palace, Prime Social Poker Room, 52 Social Poker Club, Kings & Cards, Steel House Poker Club, Champions Social Poker Club, Spades Poker House, Mint Poker, On The Felt Poker Club, Bellaire Social Club.
*HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) - Houston police and investigators with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office busted two upscale poker rooms Wednesday just minutes before one was to kickoff a big.
In what was a stunning afternoon ofactivity in and around the city of Houston, several top “card clubs” – basicallypoker rooms that were skirting the laws of the state – were raided by local lawenforcement. As a result of the raids, other card clubs in the area shut downout of an abundance of concern and the future of Texas card clubs has beencalled into question.
AfternoonRaids Lead to Charges
On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Social Poker Club was raided by law enforcement officials of the city of Houston. The club had been advertising a poker tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $150,000 which, according to the Facebook page Free to Compete – Texas, was supposed to have started that same day and could have been the reason for the raid. Soon after this news came down, further information was passed along by Free to Compete that one of the other top rooms in the Houston area, the Post Oak Poker Club, had also been the subject of a raid by authorities.
Prime Social - 7801 Westheimer Rd, Houston, Texas 77063 - Rated 4.6 based on 39 Reviews ’If you looking for the nicest poker room with the most action. Houston’s Premier Social Poker Club. Prime Social Club is a premier members only entertainment destination. Texas prosecutors are no longer pursuing a civil lawsuit against the two Houston poker rooms that were raided last May. Harris County prosecutors dropped a civil suit against Prime Social Club.
Free to Compete kept a running commentaryon Facebook throughout the afternoon on their page, with updates that were inreal time and were sometimes mistaken. Early in the situation, Free to Competestated that players who were in Prime Social Poker Club were allowed to leavewith their chips and they were photographed but not arrested. A later update,however, indicated that the prior report of players being able to keep theirchips might have been mistaken, that the players were being considered aswitnesses (hence the photos) and that the general manager of the club was in handcuffs.
Prime Social, the Houston poker club shutdown because of money laundering charges in May, is set to reopen a day after it filed its own lawsuit. Houston poker club Prime Social is fighting back.
The raids on Prime Social Poker Club andPost Oak Poker Club sent several other rooms into protection mode. Mint Pokerwas rumored to have been raided, but that was shot down by late in theafternoon on Wednesday although the club closed for the day “out of anabundance of caution.” Late Wednesday evening, however, Mint Poker issued astatement that was pulled from Facebook that they would “temporarily suspendingmember services while (the Mint Poker legal team) investigates the closing oftwo clubs in Houston.”
OfficialStatements from Law Enforcement
Wednesday afternoon, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg issued a statement regarding the raiding of Prime Social Poker Club and Post Oak Poker Club. “Poker rooms are illegal in the State of Texas,” Ogg announced in the statement. “We are changing the paradigm regarding illegal gambling by moving up the criminal chain and pursuing felony money laundering and engaging in organized crime charges against owners and operators. Players are not being targeted.”
Houston Police Chief ArtAcevedo added his two cents in the press release. “We can’t allow illegalgambling to go on,” Acevedo said. “It drives organized crime and fuels othercriminal activity. According to reports, nine people involved in the ownershipof the clubs were arrested on money laundering charges and their respectivebank accounts were seized. They are:
Post Oak Poker Club
Daniel Kebort
William Heuer III
Alan Chodrow
Sergio Cabrera
Kevin Chodrow
Prime Social Poker Room
Dean Maddox
Mary Switzer
Brent Pollack
Steven Farshid
The five men charged from PostOak were all charged as owners of the club. Maddox was charged as the owner ofPrime Social, with Switzer named as the comptroller, Pollack as the generalmanager and Farshid as the assistant general manager.
What IS the Law in Texas?
Some have said that it isn’tagainst the law to play poker in Texas and that’s true – it’s not ILLEGALanywhere to “play” poker. Once money is used in the game, however, laws ongambling enter the picture. One of the key laws is that an establishment can’ttake a rake or fee from the game, which therefore makes it against the law.
In Texas, many industriousentrepreneurs thought they had found a way to circumvent this law. According tothe interpretations of many attorneys, these clubs were legal because of thefollowing reasons:
1.The clubs were “members only” and private.
2. The clubs didn’t take a rake from any hands played on the grounds.
3. The members of the club are playing against each other and not against the house, with each player having the same chance at winning and losing.
So how do the businesses make any money,plenty of people have asked. In addition to their membership fees, these clubswould also sell food on the premises (alcohol is reportedly banned from suchclubs) to make some additional cash. The clubs were looked at as a saferalternative than the legendary underground games in Texas, although anoted online poker player was shot and robbed at a poker club in Austinjust last year.
And Whatis the Future?
Currently the nine people charged in the Houston cases are going to be tried for the money laundering charges, not for any actions they took as to running a poker room. But there is plenty of attention being drawn to the subject. In the Texas Legislature, a bill has been filed by Democrat Ryan Guillen (Rio Grande City) that would license and regulate the “social gaming establishments.” Right now, that bill is stalled in committee in the Texas House of Representatives and its future is unknown.
Whether the raids were truly what they were stated – a raid against money laundering – or something more sinister, other poker rooms must be on alert. Free to Compete has announced a petition drive to bring a grassroots effort together to combat the threats. As of yet, other organizations such as the Poker Alliance (which used to be their forte – the protection of poker players and their rights to play) haven’t yet spoken up on the issue, so it may be a fight that Texans will have to wage on their own. By
September 8th, 2019 | Last updated on September 8th, 2019Home » Poker News » Texas Poker Club Sues Former Law Firm
The saga of Texas poker clubs has turned another page and taken the story in a new direction.
When two prominent Houston poker rooms – Prime Social Poker Club and Post Oak Poker Club – were raided on May 1, it looked as if the longtime skirting of poker laws in Texas was over. But that was far from the end of the story.
In fact, all charges were dropped against the nine club executives in July. All cash seized was returned.
It wasn’t a change of heart by the District Attorney, though. It was a conflict of interest as the DA found out about ties between her office and a consultant. The case was not only dropped, but the poker clubs were eying litigation.
That new case has now been filed. Prime Social is suing a Houston law firm for gross negligence.Catching Up
When the raids happened on May 1, the Harris County District Attorney’s office and Houston Police Department worked together to arrest nine club owners and managers, freeze company bank accounts, and seize bank balances.
“Poker rooms are illegal in the state of Texas,” DA Kim Ogg said.
As a result, she charged the nine people with a range of crimes, including felony money laundering and engagement in organized crime.
#BREAKING Heavy police presence at Prime Social poker room in southwest Houstonhttps://t.co/FGB1w0ho5t
Casino in roswell ga. — ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) May 1, 2019
Many thought it spelled absolute doom for poker clubs in Texas, but the DA suddenly had a change of heart. She dropped all charges on July 16 and returned more than $200K in seized funds.
Ogg’s office cited “multiple potential conflicts of interest” in her office, as one was former contract employee but also a potential defense witness. That put the situation in the hands of the FBI.
Meanwhile, Prime Social Club Attorney Wayne Dolcefino expressed outrage at the entire situation. More than 100 employees lost their jobs. The clubs were unable to make money during the shutdowns.
Further, it turned out that a consultant named Amir Mireskandari had approached both poker club operators during the two-year investigation and offered to help legitimize their clubs under Texas law through legislation, permits, and legal assistance. The cost was $250K, some of which Prime Social paid. Post Oak did not.
Mireskandari, it seems, also worked for the Harris County DA’s office, assisting in the investigation of those exact poker rooms.
The entire situation became complicated and began to look bad for the DA. The poker clubs, on the other hand, became the victims in the eyes of the law.
NEW: Representative for Prime Social releases statement after County Attorney drops nuisance lawsuit, calling lawsuit ’a joke in the first place.’ Statement also says company is working to rehire employees and open back up. LATEST ON DROPPED SUIT: https://t.co/m7ih5AcJc8@KPRC2pic.twitter.com/dOHEiu7UIP
— Aaron Wische (@KPRC2Aaron) August 8, 2019Lawsuit Filed
This week, Prime Social’s parent company, Bayou Social Club, filed its lawsuit against Jones Walker LLP, a Houston-based law firm.
Prime Social had hired the firm, which advertised representation with gaming law experts, to work with city officials to pass a new Houston ordinance to formally recognize private poker clubs as legitimate businesses.
Jimmy Ardoin, an attorney with Jones Walker, allegedly told Prime Social that it needed to pay $250K to an investigator to begin building the case for the ordinance. That investigator, presumed to be the aforementioned Amir Mireskandari, was the one also working with the District Attorney.
Prime Social began to make payments, referred to in the court document as “significant sums,” to cover the license fee under the new ordinance and Jones Walker’s representation throughout the process. But when Prime Social figured out there was no ordinance being considered, they stopped payments and terminated the relationship with Jones Walker. Soon after, the raid took place.Prime Poker Club Houston Tx
The charges against Jones Walker are misrepresentation, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Houston’s Prime Social poker club sues Jones Walker, the law firm the club retained after it claimed to be working on an ’anticipated’ legalization ordinance in the Texas city. Oddly, the word ’shysters’ does not appear in the complaint. https://t.co/ncqvrBiXRQ
— Haley Hintze (@Haley_Hintze) September 5, 2019Prime Poker Houston Tx Locations
The lawsuit seeks “monetary relief over $1,000,000” for actual damages, punitive and/or exemplary damages, pre-judgment and post—judgment interest, and legal costs.
The Hudgins Law Firm is representing Prime Social in the case. Wayne Dolcefino, a current consultant representing Prime Social, has been outspoken on behalf of the club throughout its ordeal. It even put out this video to explain what happened:Selective Prosecutions
Channel 2 in Houston pointed out that more than a dozen poker clubs have operated and continue to do so throughout the duration of the Prime Social and Post Oak ordeals. Those were the only two clubs raided – they appear to be the largest of the poker clubs in the Houston area – while all others have been untouched by the law.Prime Poker Houston Tx Login
The Houston Police Department and Harris County DA’s Office both declined to answer questions about the seemingly selective prosecutions.
It boils down to the interpretation of the law by each city or town in Texas, but if Harris County is going to target two clubs, there is no reason to leave the others alone.
Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt pointed out that there is a significant “gray area” in the law regarding gambling. Traditional poker in casinos may be illegal, but the activities inside of a private, membership-only club is different. There is no rake taken from the games. Thus, there is no economic benefit from the actual poker games other than personal winnings. The club’s revenue does not depend on the games themselves but on membership, as well as food and drink sales.
Bettencourt believes the courts may deliver a ruling in one of several pending cases that could dictate the letter of the law. If not, he said he wants the legislature to look at the issue.Prime Social Open Again
As of Thursday, September 5, Prime Social is open again. The grand reopening welcomed players back more than four months after the raid.Prime Poker Houston Tx Phone Number
The club has a new Twitter account that does not mention poker but certainly promotes it.
We’re hosting our first tournament since our grand reopening Sunday, September 8! Come out, have some fun, and win big!
-$10k gtd
-20 minute levels
-30k Starting Stack
-5k Early Bird Bonus
-5k Staff Bonus pic.twitter.com/z6vOmdJnFJ
— Prime Social (@PrimeSocialTX) September 6, 2019Prime Poker Club Houston Texas
The website still calls Prime Social “Houston’s Best Poker Room.” And it lists the tournaments, cash game availability, and specials for veterans and seniors.
As for Post Oak Poker Club, it appears that it will not reopen.Prime Poker Houston Tx Facebook Related Articles
Register here: http://gg.gg/v2nuo
https://diarynote-jp.indered.space
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