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In early March this year, The Lodge Card Club in Austin got raided by federal agents, with claims of illegal gambling, organized crime, and money laundering among the alleged reasons behind the raid.
Now, less than three months later, The Lodge is back in a big way, as Doug Polk and his partners reopened the popular Texas poker room on May 26.
At first sight, it seems like it’s business as usual at The Lodge. Slightly understaffed to begin with, the club was able to attract record numbers for its first days of action, as dozens of players were waiting for a place at the cash game tables, and a $50k freeroll gave players a chance to compete once again for next to nothing.
With the return of The Lodge, the popular “Poker at the Lodge” show also came back to YouTube, with the first episode since the shutdown featuring none other than Garrett Adelstein, one of the most legendary live cash game players of all time.
Garrett will be returning to The Lodge today to play in one of the most stacked cash game lineups in TV poker history, with the likes of Alan Keating, Doug Polk, Taras, Senor Tilt, and Bill Perkins all seated at the same poker table.
A Grand Jury Clears The Lodge of Any Wrongdoing
On April 29, after well over a month of The Lodge being shut down, the case against the poker room was finally heard by a Williamson County Grand Jury, which decided that the investigation conducted by the federal agencies did not support any charges of criminal conduct.
The Grand Jury found that The Lodge was, in fact, operating in line with Texas law and honored all the regulations it was bound by, which is exactly what The Lodge owners were saying from day one.
The exact reasons behind the raid at The Lodge may never become fully clear, but the more important thing is that the Grand Jury’s decision not to proceed with an indictment meant The Lodge could proceed to reopen and continue its business.
For the vast majority of the poker community, the news that The Lodge is reopening was a joyful one, as it brings a positive outcome for poker in Texas and live poker as a whole.
With the legal drama behind them, The Lodge owners rushed to reopen the room as soon as possible, which was a logistical nightmare in itself, after more than 200 members of the staff were let go during the uncertain period behind us.
Yet, The Lodge pulled it all off, and Wednesday, May 26, became a day of celebration for the poker community in Austin, as the city’s most popular poker room once again opened the doors to its members.
Welcome Back Freeroll, Staff Perks, and Upcoming Tournaments
To celebrate the return of poker to The Lodge, the poker club threw a $50k freeroll tournament for all its members. A $30 registration fee was all you had to pay to enter yesterday’s freeroll, which meant all members of The Lodge could get their chance to win a share of the prize pool for next to nothing.
Even as the freeroll was kicking off, hundreds of players were lining up to play in the cash games, with waiting lines extending for hours at a time, as all tables were packed and the club was at full capacity.
In a true Texas fashion, the $1/$2 games played like $5/$10 or higher, as thousands of dollars were routinely wagered on every hand, even at the lowest-stakes tables.
Day 1 is in the books, and we are completely blown away.
To be transparent, we were running short-staffed across the board yesterday. Our dealers, floor managers, front desk, cage, and kitchen crew were pushed to the absolute limit, but watching the team pull together to handle… pic.twitter.com/c71mxSe7TA
— Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub) May 27, 2026
The Lodge didn’t forget the commitments it made to its community and staff a couple of months ago, when things seemed bleak, and immediately introduced some changes to benefit its employees.
A profit share model was introduced, which means staff members will get to enjoy the club’s success directly. In addition, a 50% discount for all staff at the adjoining Frank and Margie’s will ensure all employees get the best possible prices.
As The Lodge continues hiring new staff, the players can look forward to plenty of cash game and tournament action alike.
In June, The Lodge will be hosting a RunGood Summer Series, which will run from June 11 to 21. A total of 11 trophy events with more than $560,000 in guarantees, and a $250,000 Main Event, will welcome tournament players back to The Lodge.
The entire Series will feature affordable buyins, ranging from $200 to $600, which means players with all bankroll sizes and experience levels will have a fair chance to compete in the friendly tournament environment we are used to seeing at The Lodge.
Poker at The Lodge Streams are Back in a Big Way
The Lodge didn’t wait long to bring its live streams back either, as the first new episode of Poker at The Lodge is already out, and it’s quite an epic one.
To commemorate its return, The Lodge brought none other than Garrett Adelstein out to Texas for his Lodge debut and his first poker game in over a year.
The popular cash game crusher has made very few appearances in the poker world since the infamous J4 incidents on Hustler Casino Live in 2022, but may be looking to reconnect with the poker community now that his memoir, Beneath the Cards, is in presale.
⚡️EPIC LIVE STREAM TODAY⚡️
LIVE at 4pm with Garrett playing high stakes 🚀
You don’t want to miss this👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/zKnYlHMj2H
— Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub) May 27, 2026
Garrett joined a lineup that included Muscle Mike, Steve, 3Coin, and San, a few of the Poker at the Lodge regulars, and the action was heated from the get-go.
Yet, this stream was only a prelude to what’s coming today, as The Lodge was able to put together one of the most epic cash game lineups we have ever seen.
The original idea was that Alan Keating would join Garrett Adelstein at the tables on Thursday, which would be the first time these two poker legends face off.
Once announced, this idea got a life of its own, as the likes of Senor Tilt, Bill Perkins, Jasper, and Taras all expressed their interest in joining the game to make it even more epic.
Doug Polk could not pass up on the opportunity to play in a game like this at his own club, either, which means today’s stream may just end up being one of the most memorable ones we have ever seen.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS
Bill Perkins is playing tomorrow’s high stakes stream. It’s gonna be the sickest game we’ve ever had🔥
Myself@Mister_Keating @GmanPoker @bp22 @senortilt @TarasBob @KeyboardMonkey3 @JasperMa905
EZLive around 2:30 CT tomorrow @LodgePokerClub
— Doug Polk (Code Doug) (@DougPolkVids) May 27, 2026
Even as the World Series of Poker kicks off in Las Vegas, the attention of thousands of poker fans will surely be directed at The Lodge, as Keating, Adelstein, Polk, Perkins, and others promise to put on the kind of show we don’t see often.
This game, and the events of the week, are only the first steps in what will be a full recovery for The Lodge, as the club seeks to reach new heights with the unwavering support of its tremendous fan base.