button in SafariChampions Social Club Becomes Newest Major Poker Room in Dallas
The long awaited opening of Champions Social Club in Dallas is over, and the North Texas metropolitan area has a new major poker room.
Champions Club operates one of the top poker clubs in Houston. The poker room, which includes an attached hotel, has played host to some of the biggest tournaments in Texas poker history, including the recently completed PGT Texas Poker Open Main Event, won by Vladyslav Shovkovyi for $180,000.
While that Houston card room continues to boom, the company has added a second property in Dallas, months after winning a key legal battle against the city.
The New Champions Social Club Dallas
Champions Social Club Dallas, which opened to the public May 14, operates inside the once iconic III Forks steakhouse, a stunning upscale dining two-story establishment.
Champions took over possession of the shuttered legendary steakhouse with the intention of operating a private social club that hosts poker games, much like other card rooms in Texas, a state with strict anti-gambling laws that only permit legal poker so long as the players are the only ones who benefit financially from the games.
As such, the plans for the new poker room were to operate similarly to Texas competitors such as Texas Card House and The Lodge Card Club, charging players membership and seat fees instead of rake, a necessity to keep it legal in Texas. But the city fought for quite some time to prevent the planned card room to open.
Champions Club, in Sept. 2025, finally won via a favorable vote following a contentious hearing with the Board of Adjustment (BOA), paving way for the poker club to open. Months later, after millions were spent on turning a former five-star steakhouse into a five-star poker club, the city of Dallas has its newest major poker room.
A grand opening is set for May 30-31, and membership fees are waived through the remainder of the month. Starting in June, club members will have two membership options — Social or Gold.
The Social Membership, which costs $200 per month, permits members to "enjoy access to the club and to all member celebrations, including dining activations, themed events, and casual game nights," according to the website. A Gold Membership, costing $800 per month, is good for elevating the member's "club experience with unlimited access to scheduled member events, including live entertainment, poker play, hosted events, and other premium amenities."
Gold Memberships come with numerous benefits, including discounted dining and unlimited hours of poker play. Day passes for $60 are also available to those who aren't interested in a Gold Membership on a monthly basis. Players must either be a member of the club or a guest of a member.
The new poker room will host cash games and tournaments. A tournament schedule is expected to be released soon. Cash games will run regularly, mostly $1/$2 and $2/$5 no-limit hold'em, although pot-limit Omaha and higher limit games will be available based on demand.
Champions Social Club will provide a specialty menu on the poker floor. Additionally, Chef Connie Trujillo, the executive chef, has been with this particular building for over 30 years and offers a full-scale Texas steakhouse experience for private parties and in our attached dining room.
