WPT Postpones Lodge Wildcard Event After Poker Room Raid

The World Poker Tour has postponed its upcoming Lodge Wildcard: Wacky Weekend of Poker event that was scheduled to take place March 13–15 at The Lodge Card Club.

In a statement shared on social media Tuesday, the WPT said the decision was made due to “circumstances outside of WPT’s control that impact event operations.” New dates for the festival will be announced at a later time.

The postponement came soon after authorities raided the Texas poker club.

Authorities Raid Texas’ Largest Poker Room

PokerNews confirmed that state police and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) conducted a raid at The Lodge on Tuesday morning. The Round Rock venue is the largest poker room in Texas and is co-owned by Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen.

The action came roughly 16 hours after the Lodge Championship Series Main Event concluded.

According to player reports circulating online, patrons were instructed to take their chips home and return them when the club reopens. One player on Reddit claimed authorities required identification before allowing them to leave the property, though the reason for the enforcement action remains unclear.

PokerNews contacted the Round Rock Police Department, which confirmed the matter is currently being investigated by the TABC. Officials have not yet clarified whether the raid is related to poker operations or the club’s liquor license.

Polk told PokerNews he was not present during the raid and is still gathering information before issuing a formal statement.

Second WPT Event Postponed This Month

The Texas postponement marks the second World Poker Tour event delayed in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, the WPT also postponed the $1,100 WPT Prime Cyprus Championship, which carried a $1 million guarantee, due to the escalating military conflict involving Iran.

The event was scheduled to run March 5–9 at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Spa, but the tour cited safety concerns and logistical challenges for staff traveling to the region.

While the Cyprus tournament was removed from the schedule, the remainder of that festival continued with an alternate $1,100 event replacing the Prime Championship.

For now, players planning to attend the WPT Wildcard weekend at The Lodge will have to wait for further updates as the situation surrounding the Texas poker room continues to unfold.

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game.

Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).