Poker Writer
The Lodge Poker Club near Austin, Texas, is well known for its wild cash games streams, which have been known to create some crazy hands. Owner Doug Polk has created a high-stakes cash environment, attracting many big-time players. Nik Airball and Rampage are also recent investors in the Lodge.
Polk, who has a prop bet to worry about, and Airball were involved in Saturday night’s cash game. They each played in many big hands. But neither of them was a factor in what ended up being the most notable hand of the evening, and grabbed the attention of many in the poker world.
"Taras has some ******* balls" –@DougPolkVids
The biggest pot of the year happened last night between Mariano and @TarasBob 🤯
You truly won't believe how this one plays out pic.twitter.com/RcFMYuO9Ye
— Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub) May 11, 2025
- Stakes were at $200/$400.
- Mariano rasied to $1,000 withA♣K♣ from early position.
- Two players, Doc Hollywood and Hook called.
- Taras three-bet to $6,000 with7♣5♣, which Mariano responded to with a four-bet to $20,000 which cleared the other two players as Taras called.
- The flop came 2♠6♦J♥ to miss both players entirely. Taras called a bet of $10,000 with seven-high.
- The turn was the K♠. Mariano bet $40,000 with top pair and top kicker. But Taras was not done with the hand despite having nothing and no draw. He jammed all in for $136,800 with complete air.
- Mariano thought about it for a moment, but called fairly quickly. Taras was drawing dead and had to surrender the large pot of over $335,000, the largest of the stream.
Taras responded to this play, which was not sterling example of how to play cash game poker, after the Lodge X account posted the video of the hand.
“I look worse than I actually am. I wasn’t that drunk and I don’t get high ever. I was just sleep deprived. Not the best play of my life lol”
Taras, who is an angel-investor by trade, ended the night down $160,000 after losing the two largest pots of the night as he was able to win some back to avoid what could have been an even larger disaster of a night.
