Houston police seize $118,000 and charge four after raid on Katy's 101 Poker Club

Houston police say they seized more than $118,000 and arrested four people after a raid on Thursday, Oct 22, at a card room on the Katy Freeway west of Houston. On Saturday, Oct 24, the Houston Police Department posted on X that its Vice Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office made the seizure in the 20900 block of Katy Fwy. It said the four were "arrested & charged with engaging in organized criminal activity on Oct. 22," and that "charges are pending against a fifth suspect." The post had about 51,000 views by Sunday morning, by X's count, more than any other poker-related post we found from the past day.

Police didn't name the business in the post's text, but one of the photos it included shows a police SUV parked outside a storefront with a "101 Poker" sign. The address matches the listing for 101 Poker Club, 20900 Katy Fwy in Katy, on PokerNews, and PokerNews reported that the raid was at 101 Poker Club. Being charged isn't being convicted, and none of the four has been convicted of anything.

What police said, and what they didn't

• The seizure. More than $118,000, per HPD's post and KHOU 11, which reported the same figures. Police described the operation as gambling that broke the law.
• The photos. HPD's post included three photos. They show poker tables left mid-hand, bags of chips, banded cash, a money-counting machine and booking photos of the four people charged. PokerNews says the photos appear to show several games running at the time of the raid.
• The raid itself. Police shut the room around 11:30 a.m. local time on Oct 22, according to PokerNews, which said its sources described officers with guns drawn. Players were let go right away, and dealers and staff were detained, PokerNews reported.
• What's missing. Police haven't said what the alleged gambling offense is. As of Saturday afternoon, the charges weren't listed online by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, PokerNews reported. We found no public statement from the club.
• Open again. PokerNews reported that 101 Poker Club reopened less than 24 hours after the raid. We couldn't confirm that separately.

PokerNews published the names of the four people arrested. We haven't, because police haven't said what part each of them is accused of playing.

Why rake matters in Texas

Texas makes betting on card games an offense, but its Penal Code gives a defense that card rooms build their business around. Section 47.02 says it's a defense if:

"(1) the actor engaged in gambling 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."

Section 47.04, keeping a gambling place, has the same three-part defense and is a Class A misdemeanor. The organized-crime statute, Section 71.02, lists "any gambling offense punishable as a Class A misdemeanor" among the offenses it covers.

That second condition is why Texas rooms that try to stay within the law don't take rake. They charge membership and seat fees instead, usually a seat fee based on time, PokerNews reports. Multiple sources told PokerNews that 101 Poker Club charged membership fees but also took chips out of pots. Police haven't said whether that's the basis for the charges.

Not the first Texas raid this year

• The Lodge, Round Rock (March). The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission raided The Lodge Card Club on Mar 10. On Apr 28, a Williamson County grand jury declined to indict, PokerNews reported, which cleared the way for the club to reopen. It hosted the $1,100 WPT Prime Lodge Championship on Oct 8–12.
• Lucky J Social Club, Houston (May). Police raided the room in May, using drones, PokerNews reported. It says the club quickly reopened and now also offers non-poker table games.
• Houston, 2019. Nine people were charged in May 2019 after raids on the Post Oak Poker Club and Prime Social Poker Room. That July, then-District Attorney Kim Ogg dismissed the charges, citing potential conflicts of interest, and referred the cases to the FBI, the Houston Chronicle reported.

What it means if you play in Texas rooms

From what's been reported, the players at 101 Poker Club were released at the scene, and the people arrested were connected to running the room. HPD hasn't said anything about players. How a court treats this room's fee model is the open question, and these cases have gone different ways before: the 2019 Houston charges were dropped, and The Lodge wasn't indicted. We'll update this story if police or prosecutors say what the charges are based on, or if the club comments. We're reporting what's been said, not giving legal advice.