At least four Houston-area poker rooms have been targeted by armed robbers over the past month, according to a PokerNews report. Texas Card House Houston was not among the clubs reported robbed, but has added an extra security guard on duty at all times to protect its business and players.
The wave of robberies has rattled the region’s card-room scene, according to PokerNews, which reported that Capri Poker Club, Spades Poker House and Empire Poker Club have all been targeted by armed crews in recent weeks. Texas Card House also beefed up security at its Dallas location, though the outlet reports that move was for reasons unrelated to the Houston robberies.
Capri Poker Club’s Robbery and Looming Move
Capri Poker Club, a 20-table card room in Webster roughly 25 miles from downtown Houston, was robbed about a week before PokerNews published its report. More than a dozen armed robbers reportedly entered the club and demanded money from those inside, according to the outlet. Capri is planning to relocate around the first of the year; the club told PokerNews that its building lease ending, not the robbery, prompted the move.
Spades Poker House in Baytown was also targeted, as was Empire Poker Club, though PokerNews did not detail the circumstances of those incidents. Capri told PokerNews that surveillance video it shared on Facebook appeared to show a suspect matching one from the Spades robbery, a possible connection between the two cases.
No Arrests Yet, But a Suspect Identified
PokerNews reported that no suspects had been arrested in connection with the Houston-area poker room robberies. The outlet said police in the jurisdictions involved appeared to have identified at least one suspect, but no further details about that person’s identity or status had been released…