Doug Polk Assures Player Funds Safe as 'Witch Hunt' Against The Lodge Continues
Doug Polk promised players at The Lodge Card Club their money is safe after the Texas poker room was raided by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) on Tuesday morning.
The poker club's co-owner, in a heated X response to criticism from Tom Dwan, called the legal matter a "witch hunt." Dwan initially commented on Polk's tweet informing his audience that he is still "waiting on additional information" before releasing a statement about The Lodge's situation, and he anticipates doing so "within the next day."
"You made a lot of your brand out of going after people in times like this. I hope you can take a minute to reflect, and realize the negatives of some of those choices. Hope you do stuff like that less in the future," Dwan wrote.
Polk Rips into Dwan
Polk didn't seem to appreciate Dwan's advice. As such, he fired back at the poker pro he's been heavily critical of in the past with the following message:
"I have personally guaranteed that all player funds will be safe as this witch hunt from TABC plays out. You still allegedly owe tens of millions. Shut the f**k up."
Players who were seated in games during the TABC raid were reportedly told to take their chips home and bring them back to cash out when the card room reopens. The Lodge, co-owned by Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen, was still closed as of Wednesday morning. It is unclear when the poker club will be permitted to resume operations.
The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, a suburb of Austin, is the largest poker room in Texas, with nearly 70 tables. Polk's card room was scheduled to host a World Poker Tour (WPT) special event later this week, but the WPT has postponed it due to the ongoing legal issues.
While it still remains unknown to the public as to why TABC officials entered the Texas poker club, it should be noted the TABC is a state agency that regulates the alcoholic beverage industry in Texas. The Lodge Card Club has a separate restaurant and bar next to the poker room that has a separate liquor license from the one connected to the poker club. A public information officer with the Round Rock Police Department confirmed the law enforcement agency is not involved in the poker room legal matter.
PokerNews has contacted the TABC for comment multiple times but has yet to receive a response.
