Frequently asked questions

Texas Penal Code § 47.02(b) provides an affirmative defense for private home games. Three conditions must be met: the game is in a private place, no one profits other than as a player (no rake, no entry fee, no house cut), and the risks of losing and chances of winning are the same for everyone at the table. Felt Poker is built around that rule — hosts list the game, players sit down, and any money exchanged stays between players. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to a Texas attorney if you have specific questions about your setup.

Never. Felt Poker does not touch buy-ins, pots, prize money, or settlement. The platform exists to help players find each other — the game itself is between the players, in person, off-platform. That's how the Texas social-gambling defense works, and we don't break it.

Listings only show the neighborhood and city. The exact street address is stored separately and is only revealed to a player after the host has approved their seat request.

Browse open games, hit 'Request a seat,' and add a short note. The host can approve, deny, or waitlist you. Once approved you'll see the address and get a chat thread with the host to coordinate.

You can cancel an approved seat from the game page or messages. The host can re-open the seat or promote a waitlisted player. Please give as much notice as possible — repeated last-minute cancellations affect your reliability score.

Every account has a public profile, host and player ratings, and a join date. Hosts can review your profile before accepting a seat. Listings and messages are also auto-scanned for risk signals — anything that looks off is flagged for review.

We're starting in Austin and open across Texas. You can post and join games in any Texas city today. Other states are on the waitlist — drop your email on the homepage to vote on the next state we open.

Yes. Felt Poker is for players 21 and older. Underage references in listings or messages are automatically flagged and removed.

Every listing and profile has a 'Report' button. We review reports and can hide listings, suspend accounts, or share a network-wide blacklist signal with other hosts in serious cases.

You can post each week from the 'Post a game' page. Recurring scheduling is on the roadmap — drop your email to be the first to know when it ships.

Yes. Pick 'Tournament' or 'Mixed' from the format dropdown when you post. Buy-in and starting time work the same way as cash games.

No — and that distinction matters legally. Membership card rooms (like the ones in Austin and Houston that have faced enforcement issues) operate as commercial venues collecting membership fees or seat fees, which is a different legal model with more exposure. Felt Poker is a discovery platform for private home games. We don't run venues, don't take money at the table, and don't profit from gameplay.