Doug Polk, two months after the Texas card room he co-owns reopened following legal issues, is stepping away from his duties with The Lodge Card Club.
The heads-up no-limit hold’em specialist, in a tweet, said he hasn’t sold off his shares of the business, however.
“As many of you know, I’ve always enjoyed building businesses and taking on new challenges. With several other projects demanding more of my time, and my family continuing to grow, I’ve decided this is the right time to step back from my involvement with The Lodge so I can focus more fully on those priorities. While I’ll remain a shareholder, I will no longer have any active role or involvement with The Lodge. The company will move forward under its current leadership,” Polk wrote.
Polk’s Journey as Owner of The Lodge Card Club
Polk, along with vloggers Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen, purchased a stake in the established Austin-area poker club in 2022. The trio brought star-power to what was already the biggest poker room in the state, and helped make it one of the most recognizable poker brands in the country.
The Lodge has over 70 card tables, a popular livestream, and operates as a membership-based club instead of collecting rake due to the strict anti-gambling in Texas. But in March, the company faced its toughest legal challenge when the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) conducted an early morning raid on the social club on the suspicion of money laundering and illegal gambling.
No one was arrested, but assets were seized, and the business remained closed for more than two months. A grand jury declined to indict The Lodge Card Club, paving way for the poker room to reopen in late May.
Polk, one of three majority-share co-owners, has been The Lodge’s most prominent promoter and an active owner since he bought a stake in the company. He often appears on the livestream, wears Lodge gear during televised poker shows, and has been known to jump in some of the low-stakes games at The Lodge to mingle with customers. But those days appear to be over.
“The Lodge has accomplished a great deal over the past several years, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped make that possible. I have every confidence in the current management team, employees, and ownership, who remain committed to providing a first-class experience for players in both Round Rock and San Antonio. I expect The Lodge will continue to thrive,” Polk continued in his tweet.
Polk, Jake Abdalla, and Jason Levin control over 60% of The Lodge Card Club, while Neeme, Owen, Nik Airball, Ethan “Rampage” Yau, and about a dozen others have smaller stakes in the business. The Lodge faced some tumultuous times this past spring, but the legal issues are in the rearview mirror, and so is Polk’s days as an active owner of the Texas poker club.
Grand Jury Ruling Paves Way for Raided Texas Poker Room to Reopen Soon
