The Lodge livestream has been dark since mid-December, but the Texas card house has been very busy since then. They plan to rejoin the livestream streets on Friday in what looks to be an incredible week of poker, all while showing off their new digs.
Nestled just North of Austin in Round Rock, Texas, The Lodge boasts one of the biggest card rooms in the country. Their live stream has steadily grown in viewership over the last few years. When Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen bought ownership in the club last year, they brought plans of investing in major improvements to the stream. Now, they're ready to burst back onto the streaming scene.
Starting on Friday, February 17th, the club will stream high-stakes poker action every night from their new, cozy, top-of-the-line studio. They're advertising games of $50/$100 and $200/$400 all throughout the week. Lots of big names have been thrown around, but we know Owen, Neeme, and Polk will be heavily in the mix.
Get a glimpse of their new setup and hear what Polk is excited about in the clip below.
I'm getting big High Stakes Poker meets Texas hospitality vibes from that setup. I can't wait to see who finds their way into the games this week, and equally excited to see who relaxes by the fireplace in the background while chips fly. And if you didn't notice, the whole week is hosted by the beloved Jamie Kerstetter and Joe Ingram. They'll be facilitating commentary, player interviews, in-house content, and more.
Of course, the familiar voices of "Skull Mike" Reisman and Slick Rick will be back on the mics to call all of the action as well. They've been staples in the cardroom and in "The Bunker," their affectionate name for the livestream commentary headquarters.
YouTube poker sensation and part-owner Brad Owen was also excited to share their new room with the world but he also has a personal score to settle. "I'm looking forward to seeing the reaction from the poker world," said Owen. "Our team has put in an immense amount of effort over the last several months to make this the best stream possible; I’m ready to show it off. On a more personal note, I got torched for $30,000 my last time playing on stream at The Lodge in what was listed as a 5/10 game so I’m excited to never have to play on that old table again and hopefully get some signature wins this week in a new environment."
The new space has Neeme's blood pumping, too. "We're firing it up again with massive games in a sparkling new studio. Anytime you run a poker game, there are stories that unfold. Some big moments are guaranteed, and there will be blood. Hopefully not too much on the new furniture because it looks really pretty, but if so then so be it."
The first stream fires up at 3 pm central time on Friday, February 17th, and they already have a link up on YouTube. Check back here, if we get details about who else will be in the lineups, we'll update this article. We've heard rumors of some big names that you won't want to miss.
After this relaunch week, they'll resume their schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday streams with occasional other days on special occasions. If you want to play on the stream, use this link to throw your name in the mix.