Poker News

The United States of Poker: Texas

It’s rare that a state so massive will only have one casino, but the Kickapoo Indians have luck - and a favorable legislation - on their side. Texas is home to only a single casino, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, which was replaced in October 2004 by a massive $15 million building next door to the old location. In June 2005, state lawmakers did not expand gambling in the state, ensuring that the Lucky Eagle will be the only casino in the state for at least two years.

That’s not to say that Texas is without its gambling history. Poker greats Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, David Williams, and Phil Gordon, among others, were born in Texas. Amarillo Slim was technically born in Arkansas, but he was raised in Texas since the age of nine months. No-limit gambler Felton “Corky” McCorquodale introduced the great game of Texas Hold’em to Vegas in 1963, where the first World Series of Poker was played at Binion’s in 1970.

Texas Rangers raided illegal gambling establishments regularly during the 1940s and ’50s. Some backroom casinos even hid equipment in the walls to avoid detection by Rangers. Galveston was especially known for illegal gambling because of organized crime.

“We have a lot of action,” says Norma Ramirez, assistant manager of the poker room at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino. She said that the limits are 3/6, 5/10 and 10/20 for limit Hold’em, and they also offer Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Pot Limit, and No Limit. Though the demographic’s been about the same, the poker room has seen much more action since it was on TV, according to Ramirez.

“We have a no limit tournament on Sunday; it’s $30 buy in, $10 entry fee, players receive 750 in chips,” says Ramirez. “Unlimited rebuys until the break for $15 each rebuy.”

“On the second and last Saturday [of the month], it’s 2000 in chips; the buy in is $100 and the entry fee is $10 with one rebuy for $100. It’s a structured tournament until the final table, which is no limit.”

This unusual format is a theme throughout Lucky Eagle tournaments. “Mondays we have the One Shot Deal,” says Ramirez. “That means it’s $30 buy in, $5 entry fee, and it’s 2000 in chips. Half of the tournament is structured and after an hour, it becomes no-limit.” The website also says that for every hour of cash game play up until the tournament start time, a player can earn 100 in extra chips for the Monday night tournament.

“On Tuesday we have another tournament; the buy in is $5, entry fee is $3, with two rebuys of $5 each, and one add-on for $5,” she says. “It’s structured until the final table, which is no-limit.” According to the website, if a player buys both rebuys and the add-on at the same time, he or she receives 500 in bonus chips.

Ramirez doesn’t believe the poker craze will level off anytime soon. “It’s going to grow, it’s going to get bigger,” she says. “We’re having a lot of players coming in - always on the weekend, it’s packed.”

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