Houston Poker Room Raided: $118,000 Seized

Texas police raided a popular card room in the Houston area, seizing $118,000 in cash and arresting four people. Police claim "illegal gambling activity" was taking place at the club. The raid took place Thursday at 101 Poker Club in Katy, carried out with armed police teams.

The reason for the raid was initially unclear. Several sources who spoke to the poker news site PokerNews said the club did not follow the time-based table fee model common in Texas, which they said could conflict with the state's strict gambling laws. Police gave no details about what happened during the raid. As of Saturday afternoon, no charges were listed on the Harris County Sheriff's Office website.

The Houston Police Department said in a statement on its social media account Saturday that the Vice unit and the Harris County District Attorney's Office had seized the money and four suspects. The detained individuals were named as Stephen Hohman, Brian Keegan, Laura Respondek and Randolph Reynolds. Proceedings against a fifth suspect are ongoing.

Despite the raid, 101 Poker Club reopened about 24 hours after the incident. A broader operation against card rooms police consider illegal is continuing in the area. Lucky J Social Club, which was raided with drones in May, has also reopened and started offering non-poker table games that are not legal in Texas.