Dallas Social Club Wins Fight to Keep Poker Offering

The former III Forks steakhouse, once a Dallas North Tollways landmark, has been given new life. The North Dallas icon that officially shut five years ago has undergone an impressive $15 million overhaul and is now home to the Champions Social Club, an upscale private club cleverly mixing fine dining with ambitious plans.

Bumpy Ride for the “Legacy Project”

For Isaac Trumbo, who led the project, the transformation represents more than just business. “Something that is a legacy project, for me, for my family,” he explained. “I expect my daughter’s first job to be here in the kitchen.”

The renovation was extensive, as it restored a property that Trumbo said had fallen into serious disrepair after years of vacancy to “its former glory.”

From the beginning, Trumbo saw poker as part of the experience, following news that the city had worked out a framework for social clubs to “provide poker as an amenity for their guests”. However, a few hiccups came along, with the first one being the Champions’ first application for a certificate of occupancy being denied in 2021. 

The renewed application that was submitted in 2024 finally received approval earlier this year, only for it to be revoked two weeks later on claims that the certificate had been issued “in error”. The city also pointed to concerns regarding illegal gambling.

The on-and-off carousel disrupted more than just the business plan, as people started getting hired during the successful permitting process. “People quit their jobs; some people moved in from out of state to join us.”, Trumbo explained. 

Trumbo also injected $600,000 into an advanced security system and “best-in-class security personnel,” which features a former chief deputy U.S. marshal as director of security. 

Crucial Vote Reinstates Eight to Offer Poker

This week, Champions got a crucial victory, with the Board of Adjustment (BOA) voting 4-1 to overturn the city’s revocation of its occupancy certificate, giving the club new momentum in its battle.

Commenting on the win, Trumbo said they were “gratified” that their “expectations about being treated fairly at the Board of Adjustment came to fruition,” Trumbo said.

Michael Hopkovitz was the only member to express opposition, arguing that poker is illegal in the state. Before the voting took place, neighborhood residents asked the BOA to vote against the club that operates on a similar model to that used by Phil Helmuth’s co-owned Houston venue operating inside a former Hampton Inn hotel.

The club is getting ready to host a Fall Poker Open series between October 1 and 13, with a $1 million guaranteed Championship Event as the highlight.