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Posted

Screenshot_20250724_222513_X.thumb.jpg.d596a1c9c2ac8e1d4b28bd67ceca5016.jpg

Dude holy SHIT. I'd say that's the worst bad beat of all time but I guess, technically, they didn't lose.

I can't even fathom what the odds would be on this scenario ever happening.

  • Haha 1
Posted

Bunch of dumbasses at TCH risking all their B&M Operations for setting up an online portal like that. 

It seems like its just a matter of time before some things start getting attacked legally here I think.  Too many games in Houston where they are playing with fire by raking and not taking daily/monthly fees and/or hourly fees.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
2 hours ago, deech said:

Bunch of dumbasses at TCH risking all their B&M Operations for setting up an online portal like that. 

It seems like its just a matter of time before some things start getting attacked legally here I think.  Too many games in Houston where they are playing with fire by raking and not taking daily/monthly fees and/or hourly fees.  

I sent an email this morning just to see what they would say about it, here is their response:

Quote

Hi there,

 

Thanks for reaching out!

We totally understand your concern. While online poker is generally not legal in Texas, Hijack Poker operates under a private club model that mirrors the same setup as in-person poker clubs across the state. Because of this, it falls into a legally compliant structure as long as it's used within Texas.

So to answer your question: yes, you're allowed to play on the app as long as you're physically in Texas. We're fully geofenced and operate under the same guidelines as licensed poker clubs like Texas Card House.

Let us know if you have more questions - we're happy to help!

 

Sincerely,

Hijack Poker Support Team

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
On 7/28/2025 at 9:16 AM, deech said:

Bunch of dumbasses at TCH risking all their B&M Operations for setting up an online portal like that. 

It seems like its just a matter of time before some things start getting attacked legally here I think.  Too many games in Houston where they are playing with fire by raking and not taking daily/monthly fees and/or hourly fees.  

The hourly fees aren't exactly legal either. They're letting them operate because of lobbying and they're popular with the right people. 

Posted
4 hours ago, Bookman said:

The hourly fees aren't exactly legal either. They're letting them operate because of lobbying and they're popular with the right people. 

Nothing has been determined legally yet last I checked a few years ago.  I would have thought there would be some case by now that would have made its way up to an appellate court.

Posted

I just spent a little time looking into Hijack Poker on the interweb. One thing that stood out to me was deposits and withdrawals. You can fund the account online via credit card. But withdrawals can only be done in crypto or visiting the cage at a brick and mortar TCH location. 

Posted
2 hours ago, deech said:

Nothing has been determined legally yet last I checked a few years ago.  I would have thought there would be some case by now that would have made its way up to an appellate court.

I don't imagine there's much incentive for the TX lege to go after poker considering how much money it brings in, from out of state and otherwise.

Then again, they flirted with a dumbass THC ban recently despite how lucrative that has been for the state so who the fuck knows.

Posted
10 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

I don't imagine there's much incentive for the TX lege to go after poker considering how much money it brings in, from out of state and otherwise.

Then again, they flirted with a dumbass THC ban recently despite how lucrative that has been for the state so who the fuck knows.

I was about to say, never underestimate the power of our legislature to buckle to pressure from the Southern Baptists or in support of donors from the various casino companies in LA, OK, Las Vegas, etc.   

Posted
7 hours ago, deech said:

Nothing has been determined legally yet last I checked a few years ago.  I would have thought there would be some case by now that would have made its way up to an appellate court.

Nobody wants to litigate it. Texas Penal Code Section 47.01(8) says ""Private place" means a place to which the public does not have access, and excludes, among other places, streets, highways, restaurants, taverns, nightclubs, schools, hospitals, and the common areas of apartment houses, hotels, motels, office buildings, transportation facilities, and shops." https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/pe/htm/pe.47.htm

It's kind of hard to argue that the public doesn't have access when anybody can walk right in. 

Posted

Gilbert Arenas was arrested on Wednesday for his involvement in an illegal gambling business.

The three-time NBA All-Star was charged in a federal indictment alongside five others, including Yevgeni Gershman, an alleged member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The group allegedly held illegal high-stakes poker games at Arenas’ Encino, Calif., mansion.

Arenas is being charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators, the release stated, and was scheduled to be arraigned in the United States District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Arenas, 43, allegedly rented out his Encino mansion during the period from September 2021 to July 2022 for illegal gambling.

The “Gil’s Arena” podcast host is said to have directed a man named Arthur Kats to stage “the mansion to host the games, [find] co-conspirators to host the games, and [collect] rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office found.

Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen are accused of managing “illegal ‘Pot Limit Omaha’ poker games, among other illegal games, at the Encino mansion, [collecting] a ‘rake’ —a fee the house charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand — and [inviting] players to compete,” prosecutors wrote.

Young women were allegedly hired by Gershman and worked for tips, serving drinks, providing massages and offering “companionship to the poker players.”

The women were reportedly charged a tax from their earnings at the game.

They also hired staff, including chefs, valets and armed security guards for the outings.

Krachun was found to have worked as a chip runner in the gambling scheme, tracking betting wins and losses, distributing poker chips to players, and paying the employees.

Arenas played for Arizona in college before stints with the Warriors, Wizards, Magic and Grizzlies

Posted

had a productive session today.

bought in for 400, lost around 80 on my first hand, and then went total card dead for 2 entire rounds.  like not even worth a limp call kinda bad cards.

finally get a hand where I 4 bet AJo from $10-$25- to me making it $85 from the SB. got 2 callers, A high flop, bet out 90 both fold.  win a few smaller pots to get to somewhere around 7ish.

then the hand of the day.  I am UTG after a live 5 straddle, 3 players acting behind me have been raising most hands. so I limp call  KK  with the intention of raising... except 5 others limp until the straddle basically min bumps it to 15. 

I again slow play here because 2 of the aggressive guys are still in and they love to make a move in this kind of spot. 

except my plan totally fails and everyone calls.....  7 to the flop.

which is K 4 2 rainbow.  checks to me.. now I want to keep everyone in. so I bet 15.  all but 1 call. 

turn is fantastic, its the 4th suit 9. checks to me.. and now i size up, but again am trying to get anyone with a whatever straight draw to call i make it 55... and it folds completely around to the straddle 😒 who if he plays back at me, has me covered, 

He starts mubling about wanting to pack up and go... and then tosses in 1 chip  and then 2 seconds later says all in... 

I dont react at all... dealer correctly tells him the all-in isnt valid, the chip meant call.   inside Im like DAMMIT....  cause duh i have the nizzles right now. 

I also know based on the fucking go home speech hes got a big hand. 

river is a total brick. its a 7. 

and the straddle follows through with his  all in.

i announce nuts, call .. and he flips over AA.

more than double up... play for only another 45 mins before the table unexpectedly breaks.  in for $500 (had to buy time) out for $1512.

 

AA v KK gets ugly a lot... this one just happened to go my way.  I also played it super passive which isnt normally my style and is probably the reason he thought he was good. 

 

 

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Posted
11 hours ago, Brian Fantana said:

Yeah that's a super risky line to take if you're not sure you'll get raised enough pre-flop but it feels great when it pans out.

I mean if you are going to go with the passive/trappy route, best to flop top set with a rainbow board and no straight possibilities.  

  • Like 2
Posted
I mean if you are going to go with the passive/trappy route, best to flop top set with a rainbow board and no straight possibilities.  

Against the only possible overpair.
  • Like 2
Posted

I took my first real cooler hand in a while on Friday.  lost my first 500 buyin  with AK  vs AJ on a A-5-7 flop in a 4 bet pot where he turned 2 pair. 

then adding 500 more, spent 3 hours getting smaller wins targeting one specific player to get up around $1100. 

Its now past 1am. new super splashy player gets in, the kind that likes to blind bet 500 all in.... and wins an inordinate percentage of the time.  he quickly ends up with a 1.1k-ish.

I get AKdd  MP,  there was a $10 straddle and a $30 open.  I make it $100,  splashy player calls. so does the open player. 

Flop is As Ks 9d. 

open bets out $100, I raise to $200.. splashy player shoves.  folds to me.   This screams flush draw to me. and I know he doesnt have AA or KK here based on his play. so I snap call....

and he turns over 99.... ouch... no escape for me and Im felted and done for the night.  -1000

 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

That cooler session ended up being a 3 week downturn where I was down about $3500. Other than the cooler, it was honestly terrible plays by me.

Played Fri night bought in for $500, win 2 medium hands to have $650ish in front when I get 77, make it $20, get 4 callers.

Flop is 9-7-6 black monotone.   Checks to me, I bet out $55. Get 1 caller.

Td on the turn, I bet out $100, he has me covered and jams… I don’t think long. Call.. hes got 9T, he doesn’t improve.

Played for a few hours, out for $1750.  +1250.

 

Played Sat night  around 10p to 2a. and got revenge against the player that coolered me a few weeks ago.

Bought in for $500,  about 30 mins in got it all in against the splashy player who 5 bet shoved 7-2o into me pre when I had AA (no, the 72 game was not on)

Win, and then kinda go on auto pilot for about 2.5 hours. Small uptick, but the splashy player starts doing his thing and abusing the table and quickly getting back up above $2k.

Its like 1:30a,  8 handed table and I announce as I am the straddle that its my last rotation. – becomes the craziest rotation ever, I literally win every single hand for the entire rotation. 

Im straddle UTG made it $15, 3 callers, I look down and see black 88. Make it $45. 3 callers.

 

Flop comes Jx-Jc-Kc.   I lead out for $50,  get 3 callers… and know I'm dead.   

Except 8d on the turn!  I check, guy to my left goes all in for $100 more.  Splashy player jams, other guy folds, I call.

And its QJ vs J7(splashy player)…. And I hold on 2 runouts.  Small stack leaves. Now sitting with $2500ish.

I get QQ as the BB, when the splashy player just open jams for $700 (not a rarity with him), I call, and he shows JJ and I hold.  And he leaves

 

I get A9hh as the SB, up against AxKs, on a As-9s-2s-A   board. Called his $20 open pre.  He bets $50 on the flop, $200 on the turn. And then he calls my $200 river bet.

I get A8o as the Button, call the $15 raise that has 4 of us in it… and flop is 8-A-8.   Checks around 2 times, I bet $10 on river get 1 caller.

I get AKss on the button, I 3 bet it to $30, everyone folds, I show the hand and the table groans.

I get KJhh as the cutoff, make it $20, get 2 callers. J high flop, I bet $30, 1 caller,  turn I bet $75 he folds.  Show it again.

And last hand I get 66, make it $20 everyone folds.  And when I leave the table is down to 5 players and they break.

 

In for $500, out for $3850ish.  +3250 (had to pay for time)

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  • 5 weeks later...
Posted

all 1/2

last wed i played was in for $300 had a solid  4 hours of playing and having the best hand at the river more than 80% of the time.  got it all in with KK vs QQ and again against JJ,  AK vs KK.. won all 3 of those.  I called a 3 bet pot on the button with 5s7s, Flop was 6s-4s-3d. Before I can act both UTG and MP have gone all in. I call and hold. 

left with roughly $2100.

 

today, I bought in for $500, lost about $100 early, topped off.

 

I 3 bet AQo on the button to $60, get 3 callers.  and get it all in vs AT on an A high flop, and I held. 

then.... instead of me sun running, I had to earn the pots. 

I had to call a $180 check raise bet in a $200 pot on a A-9-8-3-3 board with JJ.

Called a $40 button bet with KQcc, check called $60 on the Ac-Kx-5x board. A turn  I check, button checks.

river J.  I bet out $50... he raises somewhere around $300. i know this player, he doesnt have an A the way he played this. He could 55 or JJ, but not an ace.   I dont bother for a count, basically snap call and Im good. 

 

Last major hand Im the button with QJo  there were 4 limpers, I make it $20 get 2 callers, including the guy who I called with JJ. 

Flop is Q-4-7  spade flush draw board.  checks to me, I bet out $40, only the previous JJ opponent calls. turn is a 7 and he bets out immediately for $80.

I do take a tiny bit, but this guy is a mega bluffer,  I decide if hes got the 7 hes getting paid. I call.. river is a red 2 and he insta shoves for $250. I confirm the count, and sigh call...  and Im good.

In for $600 out for $2020. 

Posted

played for a few hours today.  started off losing $300, tried to make a move vs a very splashy player but he dunked on me and 3 bet me all in on the flop.  then went back to back to back hands where I was way ahead on the turn, bet big, got called and lost all of them.  down 700 at that point. 

topped off to $500, finally win a medium hand to get me in the 700 range.   New an even crazier splashier player joins the game, the kind that likes to raise to 10-15-20x the BB with no action prior, he literally doubles up on his first hand, then doubles again to be sitting with 1500.   I basically had to fold for a round, but the new splashy player ended up losing about 500 to the rest of the table in that round.   I am the button, he open raises to 20 from MP,  It folds to me-hes calling and raising with just about any 2 cards.   I call with J6ss.   just the two of us. 

flop is 8c-4s-5d.   He leads out for 20.  I decide to float with the button and the backdoors.

turn is the 2s.  which is a pretty damn decent card to get. He leads out for $40 and I take the lead, and raise to $100. takes him a while and he finally calls.

river is the  6c.   He then leads out for 100.... now ive played with this guy enough to know that he deosnt have the nut straight,  and I take a line that was stupid... and raise to $300.  he goes mega tank, mumbles  and then finally calls... and Im dead.... except hes got A2o... and I rake a big pot while bluffing with the best hand. 

The very next hand, he leads out for 15, gets 2 callers and i look down at 99... and make it $65.  The button, small blind, big blind, splashy player and BOTH others call.  

LOL...   7 to the flop. 

flop is 9-5-4 rainbow, checks around to me... and I decide that I would be betting with literally anything in this situation. so I bet out 75 to get a few draws to call. 

except original splashy player is the button and he shoves for $350, folds to crazier splashy who just called my ass with ducks, he jams for something like 500 total, others all fold, I obviously call, show the hand, they both groan and the turn and river are 6-8... im fully expecting someone to turn over a 7. or 34.... nope they both muck without showing. 

played another hour, in for $1200, out for $2100.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
Posted

Are you guys noticing a decline in the number of live players in your rooms? We still do fine during events and big promos, but when those aren’t going the $2/5 game most notably is taking a hit the last few months. Curious if it’s just a local phenomenon (NE FL) or happening in TX too

Posted (edited)

I saw a YouTube clip where a guy was claiming a big influx of non-American pros have ruined the Texas poker ecosystem. They have run the marginal guys off and dramatically reduced the win rates of the good players. Plus it’s no fun to play with headphone wearing robots. 

Edited by TonyTexas
Posted

Red Star has been almost completely devestated by the reduction of live players we used to have as many as 5 live tables going on Monday, Thursday and Saturday nights, now its about 10-14 regular players  with 3-5 occasional players and then 2-5 "new-ish" or once-a-month players.. meaning at best we have 3 tables a night.  more often 2 or sometimes just 1

there are a LOT of players that I know played for years that have stopped playing (and not going to another poker room... just flat out not playing anymore). 

 

I am one of the guys who has been advocating we stop playing bomb pots. 

I stopped playing the PLO bomb pots more than a year ago, and I just watch over and over as newer players to PLO keep getting stacked, and eventually they stop coming- because they made be ok at holdem, they keep getting stacked when playing short stacked PLO. 

I am firmly convinced the once a round double board PLO bomb pots is whats killing the game.   we are playing 1/2 or 1/3 with a max start stack of $500 or $1k, and usually if a pot size bet is made on the flops,  by the turn, anyone still playing playing and wanting to continue is committing  anywhere from 15- 75% of their stack (lots of players start with $2-300) to see the river, and then having to risk their whole stack on the river bets. 

the actual dealing of the hand and then the after-hand  counting and board chops and chip chops esp if its 3 or more at showdown is  resulting om most bomb pots averaging 5+mins to be finished... in what is supposed to be a hold em game.     and usually in an hour there are 2 bomb pots. meaning somewhere between 15-20% of our paid for hours are watching 4 or less players go to the river and then watch as someone has to tank call with their hand. 

compare that to holdem where even with everyone calling a 3 bet pre and going to the flop in holdem the hand usually ends on the flop or turn, takes a minute, maybe 2 and the next hand is being dealt.  

 

Ive starting convincing several of the regulars by pointing out we play 10+ mins an hour on bomb pots, where that same time could have another 5-ish hands dealt instead.   and in the last month we have occisionally been able to have a HE only table without the bomb pots...  until they combine tables and we have to have bomb pots cause a chunk of the regs insist on them. 

 

Posted

That's a very interesting theory.  Hard to say causation, but the decrease does appear to have begun a short while after bomb pots became regular.  It 100% changed the $2/5 game to become far more swing-y.  It was actually funny to watch the consistently natural progression for newer players ... Never heard of bomb pots -> Get it, but struggle with it -> Randomly win a big ass pot -> Love bomb pots -> torch themselves every subsequent bomb pot -> curse bomb pots on their way out the door ... to your point, possibly never to be seen again.  I would say I was guilty of wanting to get the new guys to win one or two because I knew they'd be hooked, to my future benefit

I'm actually playing $2/2 now to try and rebuild my bankroll for a Vegas trip in Feb and I'm noticing a lot of other $2/5 players have migrated down to $2/2.

Posted

there are a LOT of players that I know played for years that have stopped playing (and not going to another poker room... just flat out not playing anymore). 

 


That’s pretty much me. Definitely was a regular cash player for years then moved to less often now maybe once a year. Not sure why, just lost interest. Still enjoy reading stories here and online about crazy pots etc
Posted

Interesting theory and I wouldn't be shocked to hear you are 100% correct.  I like them and still play them to help break up the monotony of a too tight NLH table but I can and have seen many players with no business being in the pot do so every time like you say.  Our room actually tried to address the issue by having a pure 1/3 NLH (no bombs, no i hand of Omaha) and it couldn't even make it week or two due to lack of players.

 

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