|
A directory of storefront poker clubs and card rooms in the Valley of the Sun (Maricopa and Pinal Counties) of Arizona.
Since the mid-2000’s dozens of storefront poker clubs and card rooms have been operating in the Phoenix Metro area. These card rooms and poker clubs are not casinos, they are independent, private membership establishments that offer poker tournaments and ring games, as well as other non-banked card games, to their members. These clubs operate in a legal gray area, with most claiming exceptions under one or more statutes or through creative not-for-profit or cooperative ownership and management structures. These clubs offer an intermediate step between amateur home games and competitive play at casinos. These clubs bring a level of professionalism and freedom of choice to poker players. Choose to visit these clubs at your own risk, knowing they are, at best, self-regulating. These clubs vary in terms of location, types of games offered, customer service, membership requirements, fees and/or rakes, weapons, alcohol and smoking policies, on-site security, equipment, staff and other amenities. This is not a review site. We do not recommend any specific venue over another. We do recommend that before visiting any of these clubs that you call or click to verify any information provided. All personal information provided is from the public domain.
If you want to add a new place or change any information listed here, contact Phoenix Poker Clubs via e-mail.
Name |
Location |
Notes |
Open |
Tables |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Tilted Jack Social John Schnaubelt, 480-694-7292 cell |
18425 N 19th Ave #112 (602) 993-4727 |
 |
TheTiltedJack.com Facebook/TheTiltedJack Many Directory Listings |
Membership Fee - Lifetime for Club ($20), Annual for Cooperative (equal ownership for all with equal vote). No Rake |
Oct 2010 (Also co-founded Poker Union Oct 2009-Jun 2010). |
3-5 |
The Wheel Poker Room Tyler Teague, Lou, |
303 W Van Buren #104 (602) 677-5174 |
 |
TheWheelAZ.com Few Directory Listings |
$20 Membership Fee No Rake Button Fee Tips Accepted Tournament Fee |
May 2011 |
4 |
Pocket Jacks Poker and Supplies Sean Stone, |
Mesa: 9123 E Southern Ave #102, Mesa AZ 85209 (480) 984-6589 |
 |
PocketJacksPoker.com Facebook, not active |
Membership Fee? Button Fee? Tips Accepted
|
2010 |
3 |
Champions Social Club Brian Johnson, |
15332 West Bell Surprise, AZ 480-359-LUCK (5825) |
 |
enjoychampions.com Few Online Directory Listings Some Social Media Is "Rounders Lounge" within Champions open now, or tentative, for live poker? |
Restaurant and bar with free slot tournaments and tables for card games Cove was: $25 Membership fee |
8/17/11 Paradise Cove (formerly) opened Dec 2009. |
? Cove had 8 to 10 tables. |
The Diamond's Poker Social Club Samantha, Owner No AZCC.gov filing found |
NW 35th Ave and Cactus |  |
None | Samantha has been operating rooms for 17 years, helped Fernando open his original room. 27th Ave room. | Nov. 2011 |
2? |
All In Card Club Rin, owner |
3143 E. Greenway Rd. Suite #803, Phoenix, AZ 85032 |
 |
|
11/12/11 |
2? |
|
Elite Poker Social Club and Poker Supplies William Luck, Owner Same LLC appears to have been started in Avondale with different owners
|
3632 W Pinnacle Peak Rd #115
|
 |
www.elitepokeraz.com No social Very few directory listings |
$20 Annual Mem Fee Button fee Tips accepted for house and dealers No Rake |
Since 2008 Closed and Reopened at new location 2011 |
2? |
Good Fellas (Formerly Niño’s) |
NW Corner of 19th Ave and Greenway (480) 226-4600 cel
|
 |
No website No social Few directory listings |
No membership fee? Button fee? Tips accepted |
Since 2008? |
3 |
Joker’s Social Club Ralph Jorgensen, Owner |
3519 W Northern Ave
|
 |
No website No social media |
No Tournaments Cash Games Only Button fee? Tips accepted |
June 2011 |
2 |
Lady Luck Poker Shelly Gray, |
18700 N 107th Ave #13
|
 |
LadyLuckLivePoker.com social |
No membership fee Button fee Tips accepted |
May 2011 |
|
Papa Mike’s Michael P. O'Hara, ”One of the original poker room operators” |
15820 N 35 th Ave #22 Phoenix AZ 85053 |
 |
No Membership fee No Button fee Rake up to $3 per hand Tips accepted |
July 2011 |
3? |
|
VIP Poker Supplies No AZCC.gov registered name found |
5128 W Northern Ave (623) 915-5500 |
 |
No website Limited Facebook Many Directory Listings |
Membership Fee? Rakes? Button Fee? Tips Accepted |
2009 |
|
Pete’s Poker Supply 480-634-6273 |
3002 N Arizona Ave Chandler (480) 634-6270 |
 |
Online Directory listings Facebook, but not active. |
"Not closed" as previously listed. | 10/1/2008 |
5 |
Jack’s All In Social Club and Card Room Karen and Jason Whitlock and Mike Uhl, Owners |
4226 W Dunlap Phoenix AZ 85081 623-939-4590 |
 |
www.JacksAllInPoker.com PokerRoomPhoenix.com |
Button Fee Membership Fee? Tips accepted? |
June 2011 |
3? |
Pocket Rockets Tom, |
13048 W Rancho Santa Fe #115, |
 |
PocketRocketsRoom.com |
Membership Fee? Button Fee Tournament Fee? Tips Accepted |
2009 |
3 or 4 |
Poker Play Rob & Liz, (aka Frank’s Place) Frank, |
4494 W Peoria Ave (623) 444-8067 |
 |
No website Some Directory Listings Valley's oldest room still in operation today! |
No Button Fee No Rake Ring Games Only Dealers rent seats from house? Tips Accepted |
2006 |
4 |
Poker Union Esho Odisho, |
717 W Union Hills Dr #4 (602) 466-3111 |
 |
PokerUnionUSA.com Some social media Some Directory Listings None updated often |
Membership fee Button fee + Rake Closed Monday night for private high stakes cash game Tournament Fees |
Sep 2009 |
3 |
"Fernando Room" Formerly: Owner: Fernando Gonzales and/or Maria Olga Gonzales |
3411 W Northern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051 |
 |
No website No social media |
Membership fee? Button fee Tips accepted |
Since 2006? |
2 or 3 |
The Poker Room Live! |
on Fry Blvd behind Sun & Spokes between Dairy Queen & Wells Fargo (?) in Sierra Vista, AZ (520) 226-0536 |
sierravistapoker.com http://thepokerroomlive.com/ sierravistapoker@googlegroups.com |
$1-2 button |
Since 2005? |
3 with automatic shufflers. |
Benefits that these Phoenix/Valley card rooms and poker clubs offer players are closer proximity to their neighborhoods, less rake than casino poker rooms, and a more social, friendly, neighborhood game, usually with lots of “regulars”. Some poker clubs offer much greater player input and control than others. Most offer various casino-style promotions, where municipal regulation and oversight are most needed to prevent crimes of opportunity, such as money laundering, in this cash intensive business.
These Valley card rooms and poker clubs benefit Indian casinos because they are a stepping stone for recreational, online and social home game players. Social card rooms and poker clubs bring amateurs out of their garages and basements and into the world of professional, competitive poker. These clubs will never match the casino fields and prize pools and are not in direct competition with casino poker rooms for this reason, nor do they intend to. Strictly neighborhood poker parlors augment the casino poker rooms. Casinos and poker clubs should work together to align themselves with each other and offer promotional benefits to players. For example, satellite tournaments for the Annual Casino Arizona State Poker Championship could be offered at various poker parlor affiliates throughout the state
Valley Poker Rooms that are no longer in business: Nash's Social Club - 4220 W Northern Ave #5, Phoenix Paradise Cove - 15226 W. Bell Rd, Surprise (voluntarily closed non-profit card room and opened Champions 2011) [2] Ace High - 12751 W Bell Rd Surprise PokerFace - Previous owner of Arrowcrest Live Poker in Glendale Arizona Aces - 1435 E University Dr. Suite C108 Tempe Sweet Tooth Billiards - 10040 N 43rd Ave #1H Glendale Poker Bluffs At Anthem - 4220 W Summit Walk Ct #1201 Anthem Arrowcrest Live Poker - 8160 W Union Hills B201 Glendale Camelback Card Club - 2201 E Camelback Rd 323B Phoenix Chip N’ A Chair - 15820 N 35th Ave Phoenix [4] Club Royale - Tucson AZ Club Poker Supplies LLC 10656 N 32nd St Phoenix Crazy Fish - 710 E Gilbert Dr Tempe [3] Deal Me In - 7607 E McDowell Rd #102 Scottsdale Double Deuce Gaming Supplies - 4825 E Warner Rd #5 Ahwatukee Elite Poker - 10565 W Indian School Rd #101 Avondale Got Poker AZ 10620 N 43rd Ave #4 Phoenix Pocket Jacks Poker Supplies - 825 S Cooper #B7 Gilbert Poker Nation - 1859 W Greenway Rd Phoenix Rounders Club - 1290 N Scottsdale Rd #122 Tempe Smokin’ Aces Poker Club - 9132 W Cactus Rd #E Peoria That's Poker - 1610 E Bell Rd Phoenix The Final Table - 3320 S Price Rd #B115 Tempe [1] The Nuts Card Room - 4139 W Bell #1 Phoenix (raided 12/9/11) The Nuts Card Room II - 2333 N Pebble Creek Pky, Goodyear (voluntarily closed after a few months)
[1] The Nuts, as the ADoG Agent "Roy" Nejo told one of the players detained in the raid, "was 'the big one' and we got 'em". Fear, confusion, and coercive tactics designed to disrupt the fledgling card room industry in the Valley ensued after the SWAT-style raid on The Nuts 12/9/11 by Goodyear Police. A massive task force comprised of Phoenix and Glendale Police, Maricopa County Sheriff Deputies, and Attorney General SIS agents (No DEA). It is later discovered the ADoG was involved in the investigation from the start, when Goodyear PD received an anonymous tip that "they were charging people to deal into poker games", in other words, the operator was taking a percentage of the dealer's tips. This is one thing that all four of these clubs shared in common that led to run ins with the law. [2] Ace High closed and within a month the two owners were indicted on illegal gambling charges stemming from an ADoG investigation of former Judge Harold Lee going back to 2005 and his Bisbee, Tombstone and Sierra Vista ICGPA sanctioned card rooms. Lee is named as a co-defendant and also charged with felony conspiracy. Lee is the first defendant that has refused to plea bargain and ask for a jury trial. The former three-term Justice of the Peace is presently set to go to trial in late January 2012. This is the first case against poker players rights that involves the State of Arizona as plaintiff. The two previous cases were municipalities working in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Gaming who initiated all investigations and recommendations to prosecute. Ace High indictments seem to be more about silencing Judge Lee than actually serving justice. [3] Deal Me In was raided by ADoG and Scottsdale police. The owners and dealers that where charged with illegal benefit from unlawful gambling by Scottsdale City Prosecutors, plea bargained to lessor charges and probation. [4] Club Royale was the first storefront card room to be raided. and civil charges were brought by an Indian Tribe with headlines claiming they wanted to see Club Royale shut down for stealing their poker players away from their casino. "Judge" Harold Lee, a former East Phoenix Justice of the Peace, and founder of the International Card and Game Players Association, was also named as a defendant. Charges were dropped against the owner, Donna Rogers, when she agreed not to reopen. Lee was also a named defendant in the case, which was dismissed without notice. |
Players and operators would like to see legitimized venues providing options for poker players. The goal of Phoenix Poker Clubs is to work with legislators to enact changes in the existing, poorly written laws with regards to poker and poker as a legitimate business, social entertainment subject to an amusement tax. We would like to see social poker parlors licensed, taxed, and regulated in a similar way as other amusements such as bingo halls, bowling alleys and pool halls. And we would like to see small social clubs operating in a competitive, free market, working with casinos to cross-market for the betterment of poker, the world's most popular strategic contest of skill.
The State of Arizona's hands are tied with regards to regulating poker. The poison pill clause of the State Gaming Compact prevents any regulatory or legislative change to existing laws without giving the Tribal Casinos carte blanche in terms of gaming, and it would also nullify their required tithes to the euphamistically named "Arizona Benefits Fund". So regulation of poker must come from the Cities, and it is the sovereign right of each city to so choose to regulate or prohibit any amusements within their jurisdiction. Poker is most definitely an amusement, an entertainment, and not something that the Indians or the Gambling Industry has any more right to than we, the people, in our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
If Phoenix or any other city in the Valley won't work with us to license and validate our operations, then a grassroots campaign and a signature petition allows the registered voters of Phoenix to determine what is best for our communities. Licensing neighborhood poker parlors of 9 or fewer tables keeps the game and the players safer than they are today, allows the capture of fees and taxes, and creates jobs. Barring these efforts and condemning these rooms only forces poker underground in seedy rooms and illegal home games, where the only winners are the criminal elements.
Looking to review any of these rooms? You can find many listed on review and directory sites such as Google Places, Yelp, SuperPages, Facebook Places, Yahoo Business and many more.
All information provided here is public domain information gathered from website, google, and azcc.gov.
© 2012 Phoenix Poker Clubs, LLC