The Lodge Poker Club in suburban Austin, Texas, has tripled its poker room capacity with a new home.
The “Lodge-Mahal” moved two doors down to a massive facility made for hosting large poker events. Located just north of Austin in Round Rock, the largest poker room in Texas lives up to its poker palace nickname.
The entire place is brand new. New TVs hang on the walls and from the ceiling. New fancy chairs that offer two kinds of lumbar support adjustment will make even the gristliest iron-butt grinder happy. New vending machines filled with free drinks join a coffee bar in the back.
Players have the option to rent a safety deposit box located in a private cage that is protected by a thumbprint lock and keypad. They can do it dressed in The Lodge Poker Club swag they bought from the poker clothing store located upfront.
Dressing the walls are large posters featuring players who have appeared on The Lodge’s live stream, Poker Night at the Lodge.
Bigger in Texas
The “Lodge-mahal” puts 21 tables to use daily, spreading small and mid-size games along with its afternoon and evening tourneys. An additional 26 tables are ready to go and sit toward the back of this massive space, with room to add 15 more. The Lodge also has a two-table private room that can be booked for up to 18 players. Management encourages people to bring food and booze, and party it up.
The new room is starting out big with its Millionaire Mayhem event, a four-day, $600 tourney with a $500,000 guarantee. A four-day, $1,125 tournament with a $1.25 million guarantee starts Thursday, Sept. 23.
If those guarantees aren’t enough, The Lodge will provide an omelet bar for its players. Players have to bring their own vodka if they want a bloody mary for breakfast, as the club is BYOB.
Like all the poker clubs in and around Austin, The Lodge is a members-only club, but players can purchase memberships for $10 daily, $25 monthly, and $200 annually. Membership gives players access to the tables, where instead of rake, they pay a $10 hourly rate — plus tips.
A video tour of ‘Lodge-mahal’ can be found here.
Austin goes all-in
Poker players looking to live a certain kind of poker dream can probably find it in Austin. With 10 poker clubs, Austin’s robust poker scene rivals that of any major city. Games in the $5-$10 range aren’t uncommon, but most cash games stay at $1-$3 and $2-$5.
Just about all the rooms include a couple of freerolls in their weekly tournaments schedules. The Lodge hosts an $8,000 guaranteed freeroll on Tuesdays (free entry, $20 rebuys), and a $4,000 guarantee freeroll on Thursdays (free, $30 rebuys).
Amenities and ambiance differ from club to club. Some provide bartenders who look like they might have stepped out of the movie Swingers, while others sell hoodies right near the double glass doors. ATX Card House has pool tables, a giant chessboard, and other games for its members, while The Palms Social has gone for “a more boutique-style, upscale feeling,” according to its owner Sam VonKennel. All have TV after TV after TV.
The Lodge, Texas Card House, and The Palms all have a live stream channel on YouTube, and all of the clubs take advantage of social media to promote their clubs, games, and players.
Have fun with your daydreams visiting their sites:
