Houston's newest poker club opens in Westchase

What they're saying: "My career has been built on being the best and doing business with the best," said Phil Hellmuth, the legendary 16-time World Series of Poker champion and one of the club's co-founders. "Champions Club is the next step in that process. We are building the finest poker club that Texas has ever seen."

Details: The bar and lounge are open daily, with offerings from executive chef Connie Trujillo like traditional Vietnamese pho, a barbecue banh mi burger and a Vietnamese coffee creme brulee.

The intrigue: The hotel has 71 rooms and a 19-table poker room with VIP seating, livestreaming capabilities and 24/7 on-site security.

Of note: While organized gambling is illegal in Texas, a loophole in the law — as some gambling proponents argue — allows clubs to operate by charging membership fees rather than taking a cut of an individual's earnings, according to the Texas Bar Blog, the official blog for the State Bar of Texas.

If you go: The hotel is located in the heart of Houston's Asiatown at 6440 W. Sam Houston Parkway South.

• The lounge and bar are open to the public. Entry into the poker club is $10, with an additional $12 per hour played.