A Bold Step: WPTDeepStacks Makes Houston Event Happen
It has been on the WPTDeepStacks schedule for months now, but some still wondered if would really happen.
After all, club poker in Texas has been under legal scrutiny for some time, with some businesses shuttering their windows for good amid a frosty reception from local lawmakers and law enforcement.
But September 26 finally arrived, and after months of anticipation from players and hard work from staff — both that of WPTDeepStacks and the Freerolls Poker Club — WPTDeepStacks Houston $1,000 Main Event is officially under way.
Two days into the event, WPTDeepStacks Executive Tour Director Chris Torina and the rest of the event organizers can finally breathe. Just shy of 200 players have registered through two starting flights with two to go, so a decent-sized field appears to be in the offing in what was clearly a bold step for the company.
"We feel great," Torina told PokerNews. "The event has started off very well and is on par with what we believed would be a successful event in a new market."
Where No Tour Has Gone Before
In the absolute sense of the word, yes, Houston does represent a new market. Not just for WPTDeepStacks, but for poker tours in general. After all, legal gambling simply isn't a thing in Texas. Card clubs have been working in a gray area of the law for the last several years, but it hasn't always gone well, as the owners of the numerous clubs that have been shut down could undoubtedly attest.
In another sense, though, Houston is part of the oldest market in the world for Texas hold'em, Texas itself. The days of Doyle Brunson and his cohorts evading shotgun-wielding robbers in between stuffing fistfuls of cash into their pockets may be bygone, but there's still a very healthy appetite for the game in the Lone Star State.
Wily local entrepreneurs have been well aware of this, and in recent years have begun challenging the long-held belief that legal poker in Texas simply wasn't an option.
Establishments wishing to deal cards must satisfy three requirements: (1) games must be held in a private place; (2) no person may receive economic benefit other than personal winnings; and (3) the risks of losing and chances of winning must be the same for all participants.
That second of those three requirements has been the sticking point, eliciting a range of different interpretations around the state. The most basic approach for the clubs has been to charge "seat" fees, but the FreeRolls Poker Club took a different tact with an advertiser-supported model combined with a club membership fee.
FreeRolls Business Development Director Trent Daniel told PokerNews in March that his was the only club in Houston not operating in a gray area.
Evidently the team at WPTDeepStacks was convinced enough to take a plunge and go where no tour had gone before. Like pilgrims returning to the holy land, they decided to go back to where it all began, partnering with FreeRolls to bring a major poker brand to birthplace of hold'em.
The Flag is Planted
Originally scheduled for September 21-25, the event appears to have hit a logistical snag or two. For one thing, the dates were moved to Sept. 26-Oct. 1. For another, rather than taking place at FreeRolls itself, the tournament is being held at Palacio Maria Event Center, with FreeRolls maintaining a role as hosts.
The changes might have made some following the progress of the event anxious, but Torina said demand for the event simply appeared high enough that a bigger venue was going to be needed, thereby necessitating the move and rescheduling. Organizers pushed on, attempting to make the dream of a big tournament in Texas with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money a reality.
Establishing a presence in new markets has long been a goal of the WPT, with VP of Global Tour Management Angelica Hael using the phrase "putting in flags" at a 2017 media forum in reference to adding new locations. The company has been aggressive with expansion into Asia, holding recent events in South Korea and Japan, with forthcoming events in Vietnam and India.
"We believe bringing WPT events to everyone, no matter the region, is important to the continued growth of the game of poker," Torina said. "WPTDS is committed to finding the best partners, and creating the best events, for players across the globe. Partnering with FreeRolls is a great opportunity to join with a player pool hungry for WPTDS events."
Torina lauded FreeRolls for the "exceptional quality" of the team and commitment to making the WPTDeepStacks event happen.
Daniel said coordination of a big event has been a challenge, but one made easier by the support of the experienced WPTDeepStacks team. Thus far, he said things have gone "amazing."
"From the player standpoint, we are hearing from many of them how impressed they are with the first-class presentation here at FreeRolls," he said. "The first major poker event has been really important to the Houston community and we have gone the extra mile, in every aspect, to give our players the best experience possible."
The prize pool for WPTDeepStacks Houston looks certain to surpass $300,000, and big turnouts for the Friday and Saturday flights could push it to $400,000 or even higher. If events like WPDeepStacks Houston can be legally run in the state, it opens up a potentially massive market of pie, and other tours will be hungry to grab a slice.
Daniel said the buzz generated by the WPT event has resulted in two more tours contacting him to inquire about hosting an event.
"Suffice to say, this is the first, and definitely not the last major poker tour in Texas sponsored by FreeRolls Poker Clubs," Daniel said.
Of course, all of the dreams of even bigger future events with even bigger prize pools rest on the regulatory waters staying warm. Texas and legal gambling haven't mixed in the past, and nobody can be 100 percent certain things will remain as positive as they currently stand.
That said, Torina already has his sights set on making Texas a regular stop on tour.
"Houston, and Texas as a whole, is filled with countless players who love poker," he said. "The WPT prides itself on building long-term partnerships and, regulatory climate permitting, we would be thrilled to make FreeRolls one of those long-term partners."
