A poker player shot outside an Austin, Texas card room was upgraded to stable condition, according to a friend, a positive development after initial reports said he suffered life-threatening injuries.
The incident took place at 4 am on April 30 in the parking lot of the Texas Card House, a members-only private social club on the northwest side of Texas’ capital city. Police say the victim, whose full name hasn’t been publicly released, was shot while attempting to leave the establishment.
The suspect fled the scene and got away, but the social club has 26 surveillance videos, one of which captured the attack. Police aren’t releasing the video.
Authorities haven’t identified a suspect but believe the attack was targeted.
Popular Poker Player
Instagram user “jillianfades” (Jillian) confirmed her friend, Tom, who is known as “3betpanda” on social media, was the victim, and another of her friend’s, who was not physically harmed, was nearby. The victim’s last name isn’t publicly available.
Per Jillian’s post, Tom has been upgraded to “stable condition,” and the victim has a “heart of gold.” The Instagram user who shares her poker-playing experiences with her 2,400 followers, angrily vowed to get revenge on the suspect for harming her friend.
“You coward selfish piece of sh*t who cannot work for your own money: You think you are big and bad because you tote around a gun, you will pay and you will be sorry that you f*cked with this family.” – @jillianfades
Jillian let the suspect know she doesn’t “carry stacks” of cash around but she does carry a “cute little 22” and knows “how to use it better than you.”
“F*ck with me or my family and you will be sorry.”
Safety a Concern at Texas Poker Clubs
Following Monday’s incident, some players who frequent social poker clubs in the area expressed concern about the security and safety at these establishments.
One customer told Fox 7, an Austin TV station, that certain players from the Texas Card House put themselves at risk by showing off their big wins on social media.
“Yea they’ll post themselves with $5,000, $10,000 worth of chips. They always post their chip stacks and obviously, I know the guy’s name. It’s in his profile. So, it’s not the best to advertise it. I never take pictures and post it online,” the card room member who requested anonymity said.
Tom, aka “3betpanda,” who once appeared on “Live at the Bike,” frequently posts pictures of his poker exploits on Instagram, sometimes showing off stacks with thousands of dollars in chips in front of him.
Twitter user @paris87, who claims he plays in similar private social poker clubs, blames the card rooms for announcing a set closing time for the incident.
I just heard that 3betpanda (IG) was shot in the back during an armed robbery leaving a private poker club in Texas this morning. As someone who played in a similar private game community previously, it’s quite jarring. Leaving these clubs at their announced closing time… (1/3)
— Ｐａｒｉｓ ８７(@paris87) April 30, 2018
In response to the shooting, the card room is adding an extra security guard to work the night shift in hopes of preventing another unfortunate incident.
