Elyria natives bet big on poker-focused social club

ELYRIA — Two Elyria natives are going all in this week, as they open a new private social club seeking to bring their passion for hosting poker games to the public and to provide a new gathering place for the city. For more than a decade, Jordan Hunt has hosted private poker games at his home, sharing his love for the game with friends, family and local poker aficionados. On Saturday, Hunt and his partner, Don Brooks, took that love to a much wider audience, as they hosted more than 100 people for the first tournament at the new Lake Erie Poker Room. The poker club at 1573 West River Road N. is in a shopping center that has stood mostly vacant for years, populated only by a Planet Fitness and the intermittent Spirit Halloween storefront. After more than eight months of work and around $1 million in investments, the private poker club is already off to a hot start. Another tournament Tuesday drew just as many participants, and the club has already garnered more than 400 members, Hunt said. "The reception that we have received from the community and the turnouts that we are expecting are really exciting," Hunt said. "We are in a shopping center that has Planet Fitness, but other than that it has been void of really any activity for quite a while. To stand out there on Saturday and see how full the parking lot was, it was a little surreal. … There probably haven't been that many people here in 30 years." Hunt said that poker clubs like Lake Erie are legal in Ohio because they are private social clubs that draw revenue from membership fees, not from the games themselves as a casino does. Casinos profit off of poker games by charging what is called a rake; a scaled commission fee charged by the house from each pot. The Lake Erie Poker Room does not charge such a rake; all of the money in a game or tournament is paid out to players. Hunt said that this system is legal in Ohio, and that Lake Erie is, by his count, the 52nd such club to open in the state. Elyria Safety Service Director Chris Pyanowski and Law Director Amanda Deery both declined to comment on the opening of the business. Lake Erie Poker Room members pay either a $5 monthly fee or $50 for an annual membership, and they are then charged a $6 per hour seat fee to participate in games. The club will hold 10 to 12 poker tournaments a week, with lower buy-ins earlier in the week working up to larger, more serious tournaments by the weekend. Hunt said that the week's tournaments will start with a buy-in of $20 and a donation of a canned or other nonperishable food item. Those food items will be donated, a part of Hunt's promise that the club would do more for the city than simply provide entertainment. "That is kind of a part of a bigger mission for us," Hunt said. "One of our commitments to the city is we will be very philanthropic. We plan to do food drives, host charity tournaments for numerous 501(c)(3)s (nonprofits) and we will have a large angel tree during the Christmas season. We plan to really incorporate ourselves into the community and show that we are here to give back and contribute." Later in the week, game buy-ins may be $50, $100 or even $200 with payouts depending on how many players are participating in the game or tournament. "We want to target all audiences," Hunt said. "Another thing we will have, on Wednesday, is senior tournaments and we are having a ladies-only tournament this Saturday. We really want to make sure there is something specific for everybody." While poker is clearly the focus of the project, Hunt said that the club would seek to offer a full social experience for members, including arcade games, darts, cornhole and TVs showing events and sports. "We are certainly poker enthusiasts through and through," Hunt said. "Don and I are both avid poker players and we have been a part of that scene in Lorain County for many years. But, a part of our goal here is to eventually branch out and offer more than just poker. "In the city of Elyria, as we know, there is definitely a void in terms of entertainment venues. That was one of our goals, to kind of fill that void in the community and give people a place where they could be social and enjoy themselves." No alcohol will be served or allowed on the premises, and no food will be served there, but Hunt said the club will offer menus from nearby restaurants. With so many poker games and other activities offered, Hunt and Brooks have had to get the most out of their 8,500-square-foot space and also have hired a sizable staff of 42 people. Most of the staff members are dealers, but the club will also have full-time security and cage staff whenever it is open. For additional security, Hunt said around 50 cameras had been installed both inside and outside the building. Members of the public will be allowed in only if they are members of the club or signing up. Hunt and Brooks are eyeing plans for future expansion into other storefronts in the shopping center — perhaps a cigar lounge or restaurant, Hunt said — but for now they are focused on building their member base and perfecting the poker room. For more information about membership or tournaments, visit lakeeriepokerroom.com. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.