To many, poker’s spiritual home isn’t Sin City and the bright lights of Las Vegas. Instead, it is The Lone Star State and the birthplace of legends such as Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim and even modern superstar Doug Polk – Texas. PokerGO have decided that a major tournament has escaped Texas for long enough, and in April and May, the inaugural Texas Poker Open will put that right.

A State with a Rich Poker History

The history of poker in Texas is one in line with magic of the state itself, with cowboys, saloons and high stakes poker games, often with deadly consequences, the background of the formative years of the game. In the early 19th century, poker went from a game played on riverboats to one frequented by drinkers in Texan saloons, with the card game spreading like wildfire across the Lone Star State.

As poker moved north from the Mississippi River through New Orleans, Texas was a prominent stop on trade routes for new settlers seeking opportunities to make money. If they missed the gold rush, then they often ended up at the poker table seeking the mighty dollar.

Cowboys, gamblers, and adventurers with snake blood began to travel around the state, looking for the next big game, where fortunes might be won and lost in a single hand. Seminal poker legends such as Wild Bill Hickock and Doc Holliday were known to have honed their skills at the poker tables at the turn of the century.

The game of poker even got its most famous name from the Lone Star State – Texas Hold’em. In the early 1900s, Robstown, Texas is believed to have been the home of the infamous poker variant we now see players largely enjoy around the world. In 1969, Reno was the place to be as Texas Hold’em was the Main Event decider and from the 1970s to this day, the same has been true in Las Vegas too.

Whether it is a saloon bar, a bustling casino, or the comfort of their own home with friends and family, Texans will always have a special place in their hearts for the game of poker.

When Does the Texas Poker Open Take Place?

“We could not be more excited for those players to experience the best of what Texas poker has to offer.” – Isaac Trumbo, President of Champions Club Texas

Wednesday April 24 is the date to set a notification for on your cell, as that’s the opening day of the 2024 Texas Poker Open. Day 1a of the $3,300-entry Main Event starts on that day and each day of the Main Event will be streamed as live on PokerGO until the final on Monday April 29.

It’s not all about rhe Main Event, however, with a $5,300 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, a $5,300-entry Pot Limit Omaha event and a $10,500 buy-in event in both formats also reaching subscribers to PokerGO. The setting of the inaugural PGT Texas Poker Open is the Champions Club Texas with events running until May 5 and a massive $2 million guarantee for the Main Event alone.

Anyone looking to rack up PGT Points will be pleased to known that PGT Texas Poker Open Main Event points count towards their overall PGT leaderboard total and with seven high roller events, the tournament series will see players win big.

“In our continued effort to raise the bar for poker in Texas, it is our pleasure to welcome the PGT to Lone Star State in April for the first-ever Texas Poker Open,” said Isaac Trumbo, the President of Champions Club Texas. “The PokerGO Tour is home to the game’s top tournament players, and we could not be more excited for those players to experience the best of what Texas poker has to offer, from our luxurious venue to the region’s overwhelming appetite for the game.”

What Can Players Expect from the Trip?

“We’ve put together a truly can’t-miss series of events featuring eight PGT-qualifying tournaments.” ~ Tim Duckworth, PokerGO Director of Live Events

Welcoming players to Texas is no new thing, with Doug Polk’s own part-ownership of the Lodge Club raising the bar in the area. Tim Duckworth, PokerGO’s Director of Live Events is just as excited as Trumbo about the partnership.

“Champions Club is the place to play poker in Texas, and together with Isaac and the Champions Club team, we believe we have put together a truly can’t-miss series of events featuring eight PGT-qualifying tournaments,” he said Tim Duckworth. “In addition to the millions of dollars that will be up for grabs, the PGT Texas Poker Open will award plenty of PGT leaderboard points to players who finish in the money of qualifying events. Those points will be extremely valuable towards qualifying for the season-ending PGT Championship $1,000,000 Freeroll, and we cannot wait to see PGT regulars and Texas’ best alike showdown in Houston.”

As in many PGT events throughout the year, players who arrive on time with play at a discounted registration fee, with $200 off for $5,300 events and $400 off for any of the five-figure tournaments taking place. Anyone playing high roller events will also receive  complimentary food vouchers worth $30 for each entry into the $5k events and $50 towards $10k+ events. You can look up the official schedule in full here.

With a luxurious poker room, 71 attendant rooms in the boutique-style hotel and various other perks including a fintness center and an indoor pool, the Champions Club Texas is going to be hugely popular when players rock up to Houston later this Spring.