Champions Club Houston Launches $150,000 Rebirth of Champions Cash-Game Push
New poker director Mike Traylor has eliminated the club’s prop-player program as daily drawings begin and a $100,000 January finale is scheduled.
Champions Club Texas in Houston launched its Rebirth of Champions cash-game promotion Oct. 1, pairing a no-prop-player format with $150,000 in advertised player returns and a January finale. The club calls it its largest promotion to date, and the campaign offers more than $150,000 in prizes and runs into the start of 2027.
The promotion arrives shortly after Mike Traylor took over as poker director. PokerNews reported that Traylor left Texas Card House Spring, where he had been general manager, in July, and said he wants to reintroduce Champions Club as a leading destination for both tournaments and cash games. The club has historically been seen more as a tournament venue than a room for recreational cash-game players.
Champions Club removed its prop-player program entirely after Traylor’s arrival. He said props had been intended to get games running, but limited action and a poor overall player experience ultimately outweighed that benefit.
Rebirth of Champions is explicitly built around cash games. According to the club’s promotion page, players can enter daily Royal Champion drawings beginning Oct. 1, with two progressive jackpots worth up to $25,000 apiece. Players can also qualify for the $100,000 Rebirth Finale, scheduled for Jan. 15-16, 2027.
Traylor began in poker as a low-stakes dealer in 2011, became a game runner and later general manager of a larger private club, then joined Texas Card House Spring as assistant general manager in 2022 before taking its top job a year later. At Champions Club, he has also introduced additional training and development opportunities for dealers and staff.
The Houston club, co-owned by Phil Hellmuth, promotes itself as a private-membership room for beginners and experienced tournament players. Its attached hotel, formerly a Hampton Inn, provides on-site accommodation for tournament travelers, and the property also has a sister location in Dallas.
The club’s next major tournament stop is the RunGood Poker Series, which begins Oct. 12.
