HOUSTON – A west Houston Poker Club that was the subject of a police raid last year, has reopened for business at 25% capacity Monday.
Prime Social Poker Club uses a temperature scanner at the door to monitor players and employees as they enter the establishment.
Other health and safety measures include only seating every other table, a maximum of six players per table and mandatory face coverings.
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“Poker is my life, I play it almost every day. I have been taking walks and working out, but it’s time to get back to reality,” said patron Erin Lee.
Lee was first in line as the club opened to a relatively sparse crowd at noon Monday.
Prime Social Poker Club has been in the news before.
Last year, police raided the club and arrested eight people, charging most of them with money laundering. Several boxes were removed from the club.
But the criminal charges were dropped over the summer, because of a conflict of interest at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
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The club later reopened and business was starting to pick up, before it was derailed again by COVID-19, according to a spokesperson.
The Prime Social Poker Club appears to be one of the first in the area of its type to reopen. The nearby Lions Poker Palace remained closed Monday.
When contacted Monday, a representative with the DA’s office declined to offer an opinion about the reopening of the club.
“This a private club and we are following the guidance of clubs and casinos open all across the country,” spokesperson, Wayne Dolcefino, said Monday.