By Staff
In a dramatic crackdown, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) raided The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas, seizing over $2 million in cash and other assets. Agents from the Financial Crimes Unit executed search warrants on April 8, 2026, essentially shutting down the club. The operation stemmed from suspected illegal gambling and money laundering at the private card club.
A statement from the Lodge Card Club Austin on their X account read in part, “What we do know is that no charges have been filed, and we remain committed to cooperating fully so that any concerns can be addressed. At the same time, we can confirm that all of the club’s assets and bank accounts have been frozen. In addition, we have been told not to re-open until the investigation concludes.”
The popular card club had just concluded a sizable poker tournament, resulting in many players not receiving their payouts. In addition, poker players who were participating in cash games at the time of the raid weren’t able to cash out either, and were told to take their chips home. Regulars, who stored cash in “lock boxes” at the club for safe-keeping, were also left holding the bag, prompting majority owner Doug Polk to issue the following statement guaranteeing the funds:
“I have personally guaranteed that all player funds will be safe as this witch hunt from TABC plays out,” he posted on X, later adding, “With the advice of my lawyers, I am committed to cooperating with law enforcement officials, answering any questions they have, and doing everything I can to clear up the confusion of what has and has not been happening at The Lodge.”
A TABC civil forfeiture notice, filed after the raid, aimed to link the assets to illegal gambling based on a preponderance of evidence—a standard lower than that required in criminal cases, where a conviction of the owner is not necessary. PokerNews obtained a copy of the nine-page civil asset forfeiture document and reported that it did not mention any allegations of money laundering. Senior editor Jon Sofen opines that this “indicates that the state is no longer pursuing money laundering allegations against the Texas card room.”
The omission, however, does not imply that any money laundering allegations have been dismissed. Civil forfeiture proceedings under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 59 focus on specific contraband ties without requiring the inclusion of every potential charge or exhaustive evidence at the outset. Separate criminal investigations may pursue additional claims, such as money laundering, independently.
Importantly, there has been no official statement from TABC indicating that they have dropped any money laundering allegations. A request for clarification from Rounder Life Media was not answered by TABC at the time of this publication. However, past agency releases indicate that they routinely decline to comment on ongoing investigations due to litigation.
An excerpt from the forfeiture notice published by PokerNews specifically mentions the “economic benefits” the Lodge was receiving, including from poker tournaments: “The Lodge Card Club was receiving an economic benefit through individuals gambling by selling food, beverages, alcoholic drinks, merchandise, streaming poker play, and hosting poker tournaments.”
Listing poker tournaments as an economic benefit is at odds with an interpretation shared by Polk in a YouTube video he posted shortly after the raid, in which he stated, “As for economic benefit, really what that has boiled down to is that there cannot be an economic benefit within the hand itself.”
The possible “misinterpretation” involves an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars in entry fees that were presumably deposited or dispersed over the years via bank accounts controlled by majority owners Polk, Jake Needham Abdalla, and Jason Levin, although no direct details were shared.
Poker tournaments and cash games at the Lodge have become very popular, in large part due to partnerships with popular vloggers and players. On March 24, 2025, Polk announced he had taken on new investors: “I am excited to announce that Ethan Yau (aka Rampage Poker) and Nikhil Arcot (aka Nik Airball) are joining Lodge Card Club as investors. Both of these guys are fixtures on high-stakes poker livestreams and have a deep understanding of the value that entertainment brings to poker,” he shared on his YouTube channel. He added, “I am giving away $100,000! To get in on the giveaway, sign up at ClubWPT Gold and use code DOUG.”
Some have speculated that entry fees to Lodge poker tournaments won through ClubWPT Gold satellites may also be under scrutiny by authorities. The online poker site uses a “gray area” sweepstakes model where players purchase sweeps coins (SC), which have no value but can be converted into real money. In a post on February 11, 2025, The Lodge announced, “With the $500,000 GTD Mini Monster starting next week at LodgePokerATX, we have partnered with ClubWPT Gold to offer online satellites for as little as 5SC*.”
“Sweeps Coins are used to play poker on ClubWPT Gold and are redeemable for the equivalent number of dollars. When you buy a Gold Coin package, you also get Sweeps Coins” it noted. “If you have any questions regarding ClubWPT Gold, please reach out to their support team.”
Read the article in the 2026 Winter Recap issue of Rounder Magazine
Lead image : Four Ace playing cards with chips on casino table symbolizing Texas Hold’em. (image: RomanR). Britney looks on as Doug Polk rakes in pot during the Hustler Casino Live poker show on November 14, 2025 at Hustler Casino. Ethan “Rampage” Yau and Nik Airball share a laugh during the same show (photos: John Villarama/HCL)
