Andrew Neeme on The Lodge’s Successful Return, Crushing Cash, and Aspiring Players

Images courtesy of the World Poker Tour

In the midst of the 57th annual World Series of Poker, a time for tournament poker players to celebrate, one cash game legend is toasting a very important recent success.

Andrew Neeme is one of the several co-owners who run The Lodge Card Club in Austin, Texas. Along with Doug Polk and Brad Owen, Andrew experienced a nightmare recently when The Lodge was closed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC).

Following outrageous allegations of money laundering, illegal gambling, and organized crime, it took two months to get the case thrown out by a Grand Jury and The Lodge’s good name cleared.

In that time, staff had to be laid off, so with The Lodge now back and operational, we caught up with Andrew, who once blogged on this very site. We discussed The Lodge’s return to action, his own poker career, and how someone following in his footsteps might approach that lofty ambition.

Lights Kept On at The Lodge

Just speaking with Andrew, it’s clear that there is a huge sense of relief for everyone involved at The Lodge Card Club in Austin, Texas. Back open for business, the past two months now feel like a nightmare that has been woken from.

It was a big mix of emotions that included stress, sadness, and confusion, Andrews tells us. Everyone in the business has always believed we do things the right way, as the laws are written. That includes measures at the cage that are buttoned up; a business model that eschews illegal games despite the profits that could be generated; proper employment practices and paying our taxes – the list goes on.

As Andrew explains, having that reputable business closed down without any warning was painful for him and all involved, and hurt many normal folks who temporarily had to find other employment to sustain their families.

To have what is not only our business but a social gathering place for many in the local community, yanked away without warning, was very difficult. Thankfully, the legal nonsense is behind us now, but we have a lot of rebuilding to do from the whole ordeal. The support at reopening was incredible, and it’s been great to get back to work with a lot of friendly faces.

What Makes The Lodge So Special?

Andrew isn’t just a co-owner at The Lodge; he’s a player and still loves cash games as much as ever. After booking a nice $12,000 win in a recent $25/$50 game, he organized a giveaway on his hugely popular YouTube channel, where he has over 195,000 subscribers. It’s his way of giving back to the community at The Lodge.

It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been there, but the Lodge is just a very special place. It isn’t the most glamorous, being located in a strip mall in suburban Austin.

But it was started as a family business, and that sort of charm is very different from what you’ll find in a lot of corporate-owned casinos. The original owners are often found spending time with the members, playing some low stakes poker.

The homespun charm of The Lodge is appealing to many patrons, as are the new tournaments and cash games that the involvement of Neeme, Owen, and Polk have brought to the table.

Absolutely – you combine that with some professional-grade, big-guarantee tournament series, some insane mid-and-high stakes poker, with the power of YouTube to capture and share it all, and you’ve got a very fun place.

The Lore of the Lone Star State

The Lodge’s success in The Lone Star State has helped to strengthen Texas’ position in poker folklore. The birthplace of historic players like Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss, Texas could be the most important location in the world for poker’s future growth outside Las Vegas.

Texas is the second biggest state by population, so without any consideration of demographics, they should have the second most poker players by raw numbers. If you go anywhere in the U.S. and pretty much anywhere in the world, you find lots of people who like to have a bit of fun, responsible, and often social gambling.

Over the course of the last century, that’s no different in Texas. As Andrew sees it, the main question that determines how the industry will unfold is what type of structure the state government wants poker to exist within.

Is it one that rewards good actors and professional staff, taxes the gaming income, and exists above ground for all the people that enjoy this pastime safely? Things rarely stay the same for long, but if it sticks with a hands-off approach, the game will continue to flourish around its current pace.

But if it decides to go in a different direction, then the games won’t exactly go away – they’ll just go back underground. Time will tell.

WSOP Cash Games Memories

WSOP is a big time for tournament poker, of course, but cash games are huge too. Over a long time, Andrew used to play cash games every summer in Las Vegas, where the action was better than ever.

I lived in Las Vegas for 16 years, so I was there for that many summers, mostly playing cash games. Everyone is romantic about the early days of their poker experience, and I’m no different. Meeting some of my earliest poker friends, just vibing even though we were essentially broke.

And then later on, once the vlog caught traction and MUGs (meet-up games) felt like a really good idea, that was a ton of fun in a completely different way where people were excited about poker content and doing something very different.

Over the past two decades, Andrew has carved out a niche in the poker content world, as well as becoming a professional, winning big in cash games, and growing a global fanbase that now translates to visitors at The Lodge. He looks back on his career with pride.

Starting the vlog is an achievement on its own, because starting is one of the hardest parts. All those hours editing my own stuff is something worth celebrating. The fact that my dad got to see so many people dig these videos before he passed is a blessing.

I’m really just happy that I still value the same things that I did when I started creating – wanting to work with good people who want to build something fun, together.

Can the Aspiring Poker Pro Still Achieve Their Dream?

Cash games are king to many, but many winning recreational players might not see the path to success as clearly as they did in the past, assuming that it’s more hard work than they’re capable of. Despite the obstacles in many players’ paths, Andrew still sees routes to earning the money he has from the game of poker.

The path of a professional cash game player is still possible. I’m not saying I would strongly recommend it, but if you love games and can stomach losing a third of the time, it’s there for you. You just have to be a lot more thoughtful about your approach.

Andrew wouldn’t say grinding low stakes is a viable route to a full-time living, but he theorizes on what the perfect way is for a poker player to turn their hobby into a profession.

Have a job and play in the evenings and on weekends. Get a lot of hands in on CoinPoker using code AN. Network your way into streams and/or private games that you know are run by respectable people. Make content; there are different paths which are less obvious than things used to be, but they are there.

Andrew Neeme’s success may now be identifiable in terms of subscribers, The Lodge, which he continues to co-own in Texas, and his cash game profits. Those are skills shared by others. But Andrew’s unique appeal boils down to his likability, his common touch, and his desire, no matter what, to meet up and have fun that welcomes thousands of others to the poker felt.

Few can have done that better in the history of the game.