The challenge
Texas Card House is the largest poker operator in Texas, but its loyalty program wasn't competitive. Research on Vegas operators showed they won players with lifestyle rewards, not just points. TCH's program lacked the perceived and actual value needed to drive repeat visits.
The original mid-year launch also would have left players too little time to reach higher tiers before fall, when engagement typically dips.
The approach
Competitive repositioning
The new tier system is built around premium offers like comped hotel stays and international travel stipends. That shifts the program from “loyalty points” to “lifestyle access,” competing directly with what Vegas operators offer.
Behavior-based milestones
Milestones are built from player visit patterns, around consecutive visits instead of arbitrary thresholds, to reward the behavior we want: consistent play across locations.
Strategic timing
The launch was moved off its original mid-year date so regular players have time to progress through meaningful tiers before the fall dip.
Local flexibility
General Managers will be able to set limited-time offers for their own clubs, keeping each market competitive without losing brand cohesion.
Online-to-club bridge
The program is designed to link in-club and online play through the Hijack Poker app. Online play is an easier start for beginners, and linked accounts should help move hesitant players from the app into the clubs.
My contribution
- Branding: a premium, vacation-forward identity that reinforced lifestyle over transactional rewards.
- Landing page: the core narrative and experience that presents the program as aspirational.
- Product design: an integrated, multi-platform experience covering a responsive landing page, member dashboard and back-office interface.
- Strategy: the tier structure, built from competitive analysis and player behavior data, plus the timing analysis and competitive positioning.
Status
Pre-launch. Results will be added once the program is live.