After being shut down by the TABC for two months, following a raid in early March, The Lodge Card Club announced they’re reopening on May 26th at 9am.
The Lodge Card Club has been under investigation since March 10th, with millions of dollars in assets frozen. They were suspected of illegal gambling, organized crime, and money laundering. Staff have been laid off and re-hired, while players who had chips on deposit or who hadn’t been paid out for tournament winnings have had their funds in limbo.
The case went before a Williamson County Grand Jury on April 28th. The Lodge Card Club won their case, and since charges weren’t filed, the TABC was required to return their assets. In addition, The Lodge Card Club could begin preparing to re-open immediately.
The Lodge Card Club official statement
The Lodge Card Club put out a three-slide Twitter post celebrating their imminent return:
“Two months ago, we walked out of these doors not knowing when we’d walk back in. It’s been a long road, but the truth came to light. JUSTICE PREVAILED.
“We aren’t going to pretend the last 60 days were easy. But every day the room sat quiet, we kept thinking about the sounds that make this place so special.
“The riffling of a fresh deck. The heavy thud of a huge chip stack sliding into the middle. The collective gasp when the river card changes everything. The bad beats you’ll complain about for a week, and the monster pots you’ll remember for a decade. Laughter. Devastation. And everything in between. This isn’t just a room with tables. It’s a community.
“ON MAY 26, THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON.
“Out team is coming home with you. The dealers who know your favorite game, the floor staff who know your name, and the servers who already have your drink order ready. We are ready to do what we do best: host the best game in Texas.
“CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR FOR MAY 26.
“We’re kicking things off with a very special grand reopening event. We’ll be dropping the details in the coming days. We promise, you won’t want to be anywhere else. The room remembers what it is. And it remembers you. See you at the tables.”
Opening day plans
The Lodge Card Club will reopen at 9am on May 26th. There will be a $50 NLH turbo tournament, in addition to another pair of low-stakes tournaments throughout the day. Their usual lineup of cash games will be on tap as well.
The Lodge Card Club will be bringing back the large majority of the 200 or so staff members who were laid off, aside from those who moved on to new positions. In addition, The Lodge Card Club is debuting a new restaurant, Frank & Margie’s, 10 days before the poker returns. Frank and Margie’s replaces the Odds Bar & Bistro and will serve a chef-driven Italian-American menu.
“The day of the raid, the entire Lodge community, including employees, members, and livestream viewers, was dealt an emotional blow,” Slick Rick, the Lodge’s lead commentator and Head of Sales, said.
“2.5 months later, we will reopen our doors and also get back to producing our award-winning livestream. It has been a tough spring, but we are all looking forward to continuing the amazing 8-plus year story of The Lodge Card Club.”
As far as any other plans Lodge co-owner Doug Polk has for the opening day and week, we’re sure there’s going to be some more tricks up his sleeve. Considering that The Lodge will open on the first day of the 2026 WSOP, we’re not sure if he’s going to physically be there.
