A poker room chain expands its footprint in Texas, the Wynn faces a lawsuit for not acting fast enough, and NFL-themed slot machines are some of the short stacks CardsChat picked up in its latest orbit of poker news.
Texas Card House is opening a second location in the Houston area tomorrow (March 1). It will be the fifth Texas Card House in the chain.
Poker rooms in Texas operate as as clubs, meaning instead of rake, players pay a membership fee, and then by the hour. Membership fees at Texas Card House can be bought by the day ($10), monthly ($30), or annually ($300). It costs $12 an hour to play at the clubs.
To celebrate, the room is holding a $300 buy-in $100,000 guaranteed tournament starting Friday with two flights. The second two of the four flights continue on Saturday.
Texas Card House also has locations in Austin, Dallas, in the Rio Grande Valley, and Spring, (north of Houston). The rooms are hiring.
Free food at Legends in Houston
Legends Poker Room, also in Houston, has stepped-up its complimentary food menu in a big way this week. It looks so good, it might be worth a trip to Houston just to chow down. Players get a free meal every four hours they play.
See what healthy competition does? Look Ma, no prices:
Do I see chicken braised in duck fat. Duck fat, people. Duck fat. And great, now I’m craving a Banh Mi, extra jalapeños, please.
But what the hell is a tobacco onion?
Wynn sued
A family is suing the Wynn for negligence after a man was left slumping at a blackjack table for 20 minutes after having a heart attack. Relatives of David Jagolinzer say the casino employees contributed to his death by ignoring the convulsing and unconscious man.
“(Jagolinzer) remained slumped over on the blackjack table with his arm extended onto the table for an unreasonable amount of time while no one employed by the [Wynn] intervened or checked to see if (Jagolinzer) needed medical attention,” the lawsuit said.
It wasn’t until a new dealer showed up and “made remarks that (Jagolinzer) exhibited discoloration in his skin and appeared to not be breathing.”
Paramedics showed up 26 minutes after he collapsed, which was too late for Jagolinzer, who died from lack of oxygen to his brain. The lawsuit claims he still would be alive if the casino acted quickly.
NFL-themed slot machines coming
Watch one quarter of an NFL game and, just by the number of sports betting commercials, it’s obvious the league has embraced its role as a conduit for gambling. Soon, that partnership will move off the field and onto casino floors.
NFL-themed slot machines are coming to casinos around the country this fall, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Slots players will be able to choose which teams, jersey-styles, and even players they want to use by filling out a brief questionnaire at at the machine.
“The NFL is excited to partner with Aristocrat Gaming to responsibly bring to life NFL-themed slot machines globally,” said Joe Ruggiero, SVP of Consumer Products at the NFL, in a press release. “Slot machines provide another opportunity for fan engagement and with the guidance of Aristocrat, we can continue to meet fans where they are at by creating a unique gaming experience on casino floors.”
And just think: It was only 2008 when the NFL forced some of the Rooney family to sell their stakes in the Steelers because they owned racetracks.
Gambling companies and professional sports leagues have spent the last few years celebrating partnerships. That’s beginning to extend to online poker. Last Fall, PokersStars entered a deal with the Detroit Red Wings to bring its branding to ice-level.
