“I had played poker for over 20 years and was really interested in [opening a poker club],” Montgomery said. “But I was hesitant because of the way Texas laws are written. So I waited and nothing happened, and more poker clubs opened up, and there was a demand for it in Georgetown.”
How it started
Montgomery said demand was driven largely by Georgetown's senior population and retirement community.
“Eventually, a buddy of mine asked if I wanted to open a club in town, and alongside our other partners, we opened it up,” he said.
Since 2018, the Georgetown Poker Club's clientele has grown to also include those outside the senior community. It has provided opportunities for those wanting to learn to play poker or brush up on their skills, bringing in professional poker players to teach one-day academies, as well as running weekly and monthly tournaments with a variety of cash prizes.
However, the pandemic changed everything, and the business had to pivot, Montgomery said.
“At first we started opening at 10 a.m. and had a line out the door of the retirement community just ready to play at 10 a.m., and then COVID[-19] hit,” he said. “Charity games and sweepstakes kept the business alive during the pandemic.”
How it’s going
To reach new audiences, the club now does livestreams on YouTube.
“It’s just like how you watch poker on TV—you see the cards; you see the odds; you see the people at the table playing each other,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said the club adheres to state gambling laws by only charging a room excess fee, whether that’s an hourly or flat fee. This differs from casinos, where patrons are charged a percentage of every pot, known as a rake, which Texas law does not allow.
“With the possibility of casinos in the future, I do not know where the poker industry is going to go, but right now I am just keeping my options open for different opportunities,” he said.
- 3010 Williams Drive, Ste. 206, Georgetown
- www.georgetownpokerclub.com
