Three of the biggest YouTube vloggers Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen have joined forced to purchase the Lodge Poker Club also know “Lodge Mahal.” in Austin, Texas.
I started my YT channel after watching and being heavily inspired by @DougPolkVids and @andrewneeme. Today, the three of us are officially co-owners of @LodgePokerClub. It’s really hitting me today. I’m so excited for my new role in the poker industry and for what’s to come. pic.twitter.com/RsdwCKvMij
— Brad Owen (@TheBradOwen) January 3, 2022
Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen will enter the poker industry and operate the largest poker room in Central Texas.
Fast-growing live poker scene in Texas
The live poker scene in Texas has been growing fast lately as state laws don’t allow poker rooms to take rake, so the Texan poker rooms operate as clubs, which charge membership fees instead.
Doug Polk has already announced and explained their new business venture in the following YouTube video:
Doug Polk came up with the idea after he moved to Austin
Polk moved from Las Vegas to Austin, Texas last year and once he saw how huge live poker is in the Lone Star State, he came up with the idea to open his own poker room.
However, Doug realised it would take up to 18 months to build a room from scratch, which was not an option.
That’s why he decided that taking over a well-established poker room such as the Lodge Mahal is the better option.
“The group owns the majority”
Brad Owen said when asked about the details of the purchase:
“The group that I’m involved in, which includes Doug and Andrew, owns the majority. The previous owners still own a lot. We’re just teaming up with the previous owners.”
Andrew Neeme added:
“Brad and I have kicked around the idea of an ownership role in Texas for years, but it was tough not being based there. Doug approached us about partnering up and it all became much more doable. We’ve been having calls and meetings for months now.”
Although Neeme and Owen continue to reside in Las Vegas they will be visiting Austin regularly and hold their popular Meet Up Games there.
Doug Polk said in the video that he will be playing two times a week at the Lodge Poker room.
Neeme, Owen and Polk announce Monster Meet Up Week
As kick off promotion the three have announced the Monster Meet Up Week from January 24-30.
It consists of live streamed high stakes action, a $500,000 Guarantee tournament and the biggest Meet Up Game in history!
“The highlight of that week will probably be the Tuesday meet-up game that I anticipate will get 20 or more tables of $2/$5,” said Brad Owen.
That operating a Texas poker room is not a walk in the park shows the example of poker legend Johnny Chan though, who wasn’t able to cash players’ chips in the end and was replaced as owner only three weeks later.
We hope that Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen will be more successful and wishing them the best for their new business endeavour.
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