The Lodge Card Club Issues Statement Following Poker Room Raid

An electronic mail despatched to membership members provides an replace on the present standing, with restricted rationalization, as to what’s going on with The Lodge Card Membership, a Texas poker site that is still closed two days following a raid.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Fee (TABC) carried out a raid of the biggest card room within the Lone Star State Tuesday morning. It nonetheless stays unclear the aim for TABC officers getting into the ability, and it seems from the e-mail the house owners of The Lodge are a bit confused as to why they’re being focused.

“Our attorneys are working to know the explanations behind the search however at the moment, the scenario has not been defined to us,” the assertion learn.

“That is clearly upsetting, and till this case is absolutely understood, The Lodge Card Membership is closed,” the e-mail continued.

The Lodge Card Membership within the Austin space, co-owned by Doug Polk, added an connected however separate restaurant and bar to the poker site in 2024. Some poker gamers on social media found the cardboard room’s liquor license had expired in 2024, and that was correct. However the guardian firm, Sleamond’s Ice, LLC, utilized for and was granted a brand new license to cowl each the restaurant and the poker membership on the identical time. Information obtained by the TABC present the enterprise has an lively Blended Beverage Allow, which is ready to run out on Aug. 8, 2026.

The e-mail didn’t give gamers a timeline as to when or if the poker membership will reopen. PokerNews confirmed no employees members or gamers have been arrested within the search. Now we have additionally reached out to the TABC a number of occasions for remark however nonetheless haven’t acquired a response.

The TABC search, which didn’t contain native police, occurred hours after the completion of the Lodge Championship Collection Essential Occasion. Whereas that huge match reached its conclusion earlier than the closure, a particular World Poker Tour (WPT) occasion had been scheduled to start March 13 and is now postponed.

Texas Poker Room’s Development

Polk, together with Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen, teamed as much as buy a share of The Lodge Card Membership in January 2022. The poker site has undergone a latest renovation and added its personal restaurant and bar within the connected unit final 12 months.

Most of the largest money video games and tournaments in Texas have been hosted at The Lodge because the high-profile possession workforce took over, which now additionally consists of Nik Airball and Ethan “Rampage” Yau, two high-stakes regulars on Hustler On line casino Stay.

Polk, who resides in Austin, is the cardboard room’s largest ambassador. His affiliation with the membership has led to elevated viewership on the Poker on the Lodge livestream, which he typically competes on, and general turnout in money video games and tournaments.

However the poker site, a direct competitor to Texas Card Home, is now dealing with some authorized points. It stays to be seen what sort of an impact that may have on enterprise.