101 Poker Club Raid: Houston Police Arrest 4 and Seize $118,000 at Katy Card Room on Oct. 22
Updated on October 24, 2026.
Houston police raided 101 Poker Club in Katy, Texas, on Thursday, Oct. 22, arresting four people and seizing $118,000, according to PokerNews. The four were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. The club reopened less than 24 hours later.
Quick summary
- Police shut down 101 Poker Club, a card room in the Houston area, at about 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, Oct. 22.
- On Saturday (Oct. 24), the Houston Police Department said four people were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, according to PokerNews. A fifth person faces pending charges.
- Police seized $118,000. Players were released at the scene, while dealers and staff were detained.
- Sources told PokerNews the club took chips out of pots, instead of charging the time-based seat fees most Texas rooms use.
- It is the latest in a string of raids on Texas poker rooms in 2026, after The Lodge in March and Lucky J Social Club in May.
What happened in the 101 Poker Club raid?
Police entered 101 Poker Club around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, and shut the room down. The club is off the Katy Freeway in Katy, west of Houston. According to PokerNews sources, officers drew their guns and removed players from the games. Video from outside showed police cars in the parking lot and officers blocking the entrance.
The Houston Police Department led the operation, and its Vice Division worked with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, PokerNews reported. Grizzy’s Hood News, a local outlet, also reported that officers and representatives of the district attorney’s office were at the scene.
On Saturday, HPD announced on social media that four people had been arrested and charged on Thursday with engaging in organized criminal activity, according to PokerNews. Police also released photos of games in progress, seized chips and cash, and a money-counting machine. As of Saturday afternoon, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office had not listed the charges online, and police had not described the specific activity behind them. The four are accused, not convicted.
101 Poker Club is a busy room. PokerNews describes mostly low- and mid-stakes No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, with full tables on weekends and eight to 10 games on a typical weekday.
PokerNews shared the first report of the raid on X:
Why are Texas poker rooms being raided?
The dispute is usually about rake. Texas law allows a narrow defense for private games only when nobody takes a cut of the pot. That is why most Texas card rooms charge a membership plus an hourly seat fee instead of rake (the share of each pot a room keeps).
Several players told PokerNews that 101 Poker Club did not follow that model. Sources said the room charged membership fees but also took chips out of pots. One source added that regulars often walked in without a membership check. Police have not confirmed that this was the reason for the raid.
The raid follows other actions against Texas rooms this year:
Card room | Raid | What followed |
|---|---|---|
The Lodge Card Club (Austin area) | March 2026, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission | No charges filed as of April; a grand jury ruling that month paved the way to reopen |
Lucky J Social Club (Houston) | May 2026, police used drones | Reopened, now with non-poker table games |
101 Poker Club (Katy) | Oct. 22, 2026, Houston Police Department | Four arrested, $118,000 seized; reopened within 24 hours |
Sources: PokerNews reporting on each raid.
Is it legal to play poker in Texas?
Live poker in Texas sits in a legal gray area. Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code makes betting on card games a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine. Card clubs that charge membership and seat fees instead of rake say they fit the private-game defense. A Dallas case over Texas Card House went the club’s way on appeal in 2024, and the Texas Supreme Court declined to review it in 2025, which left the question open statewide.
In this raid, the reported arrests were of people tied to the club, not players, according to PokerNews. Our guide to poker in Texas explains how the clubs work and which ones operate in the big cities.
What it means for players in Texas
If you play at a Texas card room, it helps to know how the room charges. Taking rake from the pot falls outside the model the state’s clubs rely on, and a raid can shut a game down without warning.
Online, Texas has no state-licensed poker site, and the legislature has never passed a law to license one. International rooms accept Texas players, but they are not licensed by any US state, so state consumer protections don’t apply. Our US online poker guide explains which states license online poker and what that means for you.
Many US players who play online use crypto, because banks often block card payments to poker sites. See the poker sites that accept Bitcoin.
If you sign up through the button in our Ignition Poker review and message us on Telegram, we register your account under our deal: 40% rakeback, paid monthly, plus Ignition’s 150% Bitcoin bonus up to $1,500. You can compare it with ACR, BetOnline and CoinPoker in our list of the best online poker sites.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
Get the news on Telegram
Follow our channel for poker news from Texas and the rest of the US, and ask us your questions about rakeback.
Frequently asked questions
Why was 101 Poker Club raided?
Police have not given a specific reason. Sources told PokerNews the club charged membership fees but also took chips out of pots, instead of using the time-based seat fees most Texas card rooms charge.
How many people were arrested at 101 Poker Club?
Four people were arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, according to a Houston Police Department post reported by PokerNews. Charges are pending against a fifth person, and police seized $118,000.
Were players arrested in the 101 Poker Club raid?
No player arrests have been reported. Sources told PokerNews that players were released when police entered, while dealers and staff were detained.
Is 101 Poker Club open again?
Yes. According to PokerNews, the club reopened less than 24 hours after the raid.
Sources
- PokerNews: $118K seized and four arrested for ‘illegal gambling’ in poker room raid
- PokerNews: Police raid another popular Texas poker room
- Hoodline: 101 Poker Club in Katy shut down in police raid
- Grizzy’s Hood News: Police presence at 101 Poker Club off Katy Freeway
- PokerNews on X: 101 Poker Club raid
Play responsibly. 18+ only, and check the legal age where you live.
Who writes this
The RakebackPokerWorld team: professional poker affiliates since 2017, more than 20,000 players helped. We test rooms, payments and rakeback before recommending them.
