After more than two months of closure, The Lodge Card Club, one of the biggest poker rooms in Texas, will finally reopen on May 26th.
Authorities have closed The Lodge in Austin, Texas, since March 10 because of a criminal investigation into possible illegal gambling and money laundering.
Texas poker fans will be delighted to see the return of this popular poker spot.
The poker club announced that it will reopen on May 26, after an extended closure of more than two months.
Welcome back home Lodge members.
— Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub) May 12, 2026
The grand reopening is May 26th at 9am🤠 pic.twitter.com/YYLiMaPhgQ
The Lodge Raid
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) raided the Round Rock poker club on March 10, 2026.
Authorities took cash, records, and equipment that would help them look into reports of illegal gambling and money laundering.
During the raid, there were many puzzled players about their futures.
Some customers reported that the TABC officials instructed them to take their poker chips and wait for updates.
The operation made no arrests, but the sudden raid brought a collective fear that the poker room would never reopen.
As the investigation went on, The Lodge told all its employees that they would be losing their jobs while the probe continued.
The shutdown affected over 200 workers.
Grand Jury Decision Clears the Way Forward
The U.S. Grand Jury looked into the case on April 28, 2026; they decided not to arrest anyone.
The State of Texas will not be bringing an indictment against The Lodge or its owners.
The Grand Jury also instructed authorities to return all of the things they seized during the raid.
BREAKING: All charges against myself, my partners, and the Lodge have been officially rejected.
— Doug Polk (Code Doug) (@DougPolkVids) April 28, 2026
The seized money and equipment will be returned and we will reopen as quickly as possible, hopefully within a few weeks.
The Grand Jury in Williamson county heard the allegations… pic.twitter.com/giEFXKzq6N
This was good news for Texas poker fans and the poker industry in general.
Everyone has been closely following what has been happening.
Social media abounded with excitement surrounding the announcement of the grand jury's findings, and all eyes were on the reopening of The Lodge as a major event for Texas' poker scene.
Most, if not all, poker clubs take no cut from the poker pot, instead charging only for membership and a table rent fee.
Texas poker has a very complicated past.
Some believe that Texas poker clubs are operating illegally due to the clubs' compliance with local statutes, while others argue that they are legal because they follow the structure as set forth by state law.
Reopening Planned for May 26
Lodge confirms it will reopen at 9 a.m. on May 26 the same day as the 2026 World Series of Poker opens in Las Vegas, and it will be a significant day for the entire world of poker players.
On the day of the reopening of the Lodge, players will have the opportunity to participate in several cash games and poker tournaments.
Immediately following the reopening ceremony, at approximately 9:30 a.m., the Lodge will hold a $50 No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament as part of its schedule.
In addition to the $50 tournament, there will also be a number of low-stakes tournaments during opening day, which will subsequently be available throughout the week.
Poker Atlas has already listed poker tournaments for days beyond the reopening of the Lodge and will continue to have a full schedule of events on the Lodge's website throughout the week after the reopening.
With the extensive preparation that went into reopening the facility, challenges were experienced internally, including the need to re-staff the Lodge and prepare the facility for operation after a minimum of several days without use.
