Poker Writer
Doug Polk announced that he is stepping away from active ownership at The Lodge Card Club near Austin. Polk broke the news by posting on his X account early Friday morning.
Polk purchased a stake in the Austin-area poker club in 2022, along with poker vloggers Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme. Over the last four years, Polk has become synonymous with the club and the most recognizable face of any poker club in the country. He often played on high-stakes cash game streams, which went a long way to promote the club. It became a very popular place for poker in the Lone Star State. At least, while it wasn’t under state investigation.
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Family and Other Projects Taking Up Polk’s Time
The 37-year-old indicated that he is stepping away to focus family and other business ventures. He will remain a shareholder in the club but will not oversee operations any longer:
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 moved to the Austin area when he became the owner of The Lodge. Since the move, he has had two children with his wife, Kaitlin, a son in 2023 and a daughter in March of this year.
His family may be the main reason for the step away from The Lodge, but it is also possible that he has a new venture coming that will require more time. Polk has always had a lot of irons in the fire when it comes to poker business interests. He still runs a popular poker YouTube channel where he discusses all things poker, although his posting volume has reduced in recent months. He has also continued to promote his solver program, Lucid Poker, and ClubWPT Gold.
Leaving the Lodge After Getting it Back on Track
Polk did not indicate how long he has been considering stepping away from The Lodge, but the birth of his second child in March was a likely motivator. However, that turned out to be a bad time to step away, as in that same month, The Lodge was raided by the TABC.
The raid led to a month-and-a-half-long battle with the Texas district attorney, during which the club had to shut down while the investigation continued. It was a dark time for The Lodge, which was forced to let all staff go.
But after about 45 days, a grand jury rejected all charges against The Lodge and allowed it to reopen. The card club then set a grand reopening date of May 26.
With the club no longer in flux and on stable footing again, Polk said it is now the right time to step away.
This feels like the right time for me to close this chapter. I wish everyone at The Lodge nothing but success in the years ahead.
There is no word yet if Owen and Neeme will adjust their ownership responsibilities at all in the wake of Polk leaving The Lodge.
