The originators of the modern meet-up game (aka the MUG) concept are back at it.
The Lodge Card Club Round Rock hosts a President’s Day Meet-Up Game on February 17. The event will feature MUG pioneers Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen (pictured above with Doug Polk), along with Gary Blackwood, Drew 'BetOnDrew' Gonzalez, and Ebony Kenney.
Lodge livestream commentators Skull Mike and Slick Rick will also make the rounds as part of the MUG lineup. The meet-up game will play out during the Lodge Championship Series, the poker club’s flagship tournament series that’s scheduled to run from February 16 through March 4 at the Austin, Texas area venue.
Neeme and Owen are two of the co-owners of the Lodge, and both frequently appear at MUGs, live-streamed games, and other special events at the club.
What is it like to headline a meet-up game? PokerOrg interviewed both Neeme and Owen, both of whom have starred in countless MUGs at this point.
PokerOrg also spoke with Blackwood, a content creator who’s making his first-ever appearance as one of the headliners of a MUG in February at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The Lodge MUG will be Blackwood’s second.
Creating the MUG concept
The first official MUG took place in June 2017 at the now-shuttered Mirage Las Vegas.
Neeme and Owen invited vlog watchers to the Mirage with the plan of running a pair of $2/$5 games, with Neeme seated in one and Owen in the other.
The two vloggers planned on switching tables throughout the night, and both Neeme and Owen made vlog episodes about the event.
The first-ever MUG saw as many as four tables running at one point. Watch Neeme's video below for a quick trip back in time.
Could Neeme and Owen have known how big the concept would get?
“Yes and no,” says Neeme. “I knew that it was a no-brainer of a concept. Poker was missing something that said it was okay to take the game less seriously. The vast majority of poker fans aren’t long-term winning players. But that’s obviously not a necessity to enjoy the game.
“Did I have an idea that we’d be hosting events in Canada, then London, then Cambodia, then Australia? Um, no. Did I think ‘MUG’ would become a ubiquitous term in the industry? Nope. But did I at least trademark the name and brand so that I would benefit from its usage by others in perpetuity? Also no."
Neeme and Owen are now synonymous with MUGs, which have grown into a staple of the modern era of poker. Owen recalls MUGs at the Wynn Las Vegas and at the Lodge that have drawn 400-500 people.
“Usually, if we expect a big turnout, we’ll show up early and stay as late as possible to give everyone a chance at beating us in some pots,” Owen says. “Some players are willing to drive hours or occasionally even fly in from other countries, so we want to make sure we give those people the best experience we can.”
Being 'on' at a MUG
Meet-up games involving Neeme and Owen generally draw big turnouts these days. If you’re a player who shows up at a MUG hoping to meet and play poker against Neeme or Owen, the process often involves getting on a waitlist days or weeks ahead of time.
Players get assigned to a seat at the MUG, just as they would for a standard live cash game. One seat at each table is kept open and reserved for the headliners of the MUG.
The stars of the meet-up game then go from table to table, staying at each table for anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Attend a MUG at the Lodge, and you might get to play poker with Neeme, Owen, and Doug Polk all in the same day.
From Neeme and Owen’s perspective, MUG day involves being the center of attention at every table and playing with upwards of a hundred different people.
“I definitely want to be a good host at every table I go to,” Neeme shares, “which isn’t the easiest of tasks for an introvert like me. But I try to replicate the energy at each table I play.
“Some tables are hyped, ready to gamble, and have questions about the vlog, all of which I’m happy to engage in. Other tables are just there for Brad.”
Owen also labels himself as an introvert and admits that MUG day can be a grind.
“The events are occasionally a bit overwhelming when we get massive turnouts,” Owen said. “It’s more fun when there are a ton of tables and lots of energy, but it can be a bit daunting thinking about what we need to do to ensure everyone has the best time possible. Right away we typically try to determine how much time we have to spend at every table before rotating around the room.”
“Andrew and I are both naturally introverted, which may or may not be surprising to some, so at the end of the day we’re usually pretty tired from talking with everyone for 6-10 hours, filming, writing down detailed hand histories, giving Instagram updates, etc., all while trying to play poker decently well, or at least in a way that we can justify later on.
"We tend to have drinks with players after to get to know them away from the poker table, and that’s when things begin to wind down and start feeling more relaxed.”
Neeme contends that the afterparties are often the best part of the MUG.
“We always try to include a couple of hours of hangout time with people away from the poker tables, share poker war stories, and just vibe,” says Neeme. “It’s also a good way to meet people who don’t necessarily want to gamble.
“Ironically, for a long time, this was easier to do at locations other than the Lodge; for example at that first MUG at the Mirage, the center bar was a mere 20 steps away. We didn’t have such a venue at the Lodge, until about a month ago. Now we have our full bar and restaurant called Odds Bar and Bistro. This will be our first chance to utilize the space for this purpose and all the MUG pieces are finally in place.”
Blackwood’s MUG debut
While Neeme and Owen are veterans of the MUG circuit, Blackwood will star in a meet-up game for the first time in his career in Las Vegas at the Venetian on February 15. Blackwood, Jamie Kerstetter, and Joey Ingram are among the poker personalities that will headline the event.
Blackwood will then travel from Las Vegas to Austin and make his second career MUG appearance at the Lodge two days later.
The longtime poker pro Blackwood is an up-and-coming poker content creator with 21,000+ subscribers on YouTube. PokerOrg asked Blackwood if he feels that the invites to a pair of big meet-up games are a sign that he’s made it in the poker content creation space.
“I feel like maybe it is,” Blackwood says. “[Lodge Head of Marketing] Mike Brady and I are friends, but he’s not going to give me a slot in this meet-up game out of charity. It’s because he thinks that I am going to be beneficial and people are going to know who I am.
“It does make me feel like I’m achieving the goals that I want to achieve. As well as to be able to do a meet-up game with Brad and Andrew, who I just think are absolutely incredible. Legends of the YouTube game that are great poker players and great guys. To be alongside them, it tells me that I’m getting to where I want to be.”
Blackwood considers himself an extrovert and feels that the process of starring at a MUG will be a natural extension of his persona at the poker table.
“Anyone who’s ever played with me will tell you that I’m relatively chatty at the table,” Blackwood says. “One of the great things for me about playing live poker is I’m an online player primarily, so there’s no social aspect to that.
“But when I play live, it’s great to just hang out with new people and talk to them. Especially if they’re taking interest in the vlog and the camera. It comes naturally to me to be engaging and social at the table. So I’m excited about that part of it."
Is it better to win or lose at a MUG?
Fans of Neeme and Owen’s YouTube channels know that both players like to give action at the meet-up games. Blackwood will likely do the same at his upcoming MUG appearances, if his vlogs are any indication.
PokerOrg asked all three players - is it better to win money or lose at a meet-up game?
“Considering the caliber of my poker play at these events, I hope it is better for me to lose” says Neeme.
Both Owen and Blackwood lean toward wanting to win money at the MUGs.
“Any time I play poker I prefer to win,” Owen says. “It’s usually more fun for the video if people get to see some big pots being pushed towards the camera too.
“With that being said, one of my favorite poker memories is stacking Doyle Brunson in a $40,000+ pot during the last televised cash game session he played. If I film someone stacking me and it ends up being one of their favorite poker memories, I’m glad to be a part of that.”
In Blackwood’s case, make no mistake about it - he’s playing to win.
“I’m going to give a very honest answer here. It’s all great fun being part of the meet-up game. But there are no friends at the poker table. I’m there to win money!
“I’m giving a lot of action, don’t get me wrong. But for me, it’s always better to win money.”
MUG stories
PokerOrg asked Neeme and Owen to share their best MUG stories about each other. Neeme gave this account about Owen from a Texas MUG:
“We were at a card room in Texas, and the action was wild, as per usual,” Neeme shares. “Drinks are a frequent sight at the MUGs, but for whatever reason, Brad took it upon himself to have MANY [emphasis Neeme’s] IPA’s that night, to a level which even the club manager was surprised to see.
“Brad went on to win several thousand dollars, not through brilliant play, but because he somehow out-aggressed the Texans through beer-fueled all-in wagering. I don’t know what they were thinking, but I guess it’s true that Texas players never have anything.”
Owen’s go-to MUG story about Neeme comes from the early days at the beloved Mirage in Las Vegas.
“Our second or third meet-up game ever, we stayed at the bar drinking at Mirage until about 5:30 in the morning,” Owen recalls. “We were having a great time and didn’t want the party to stop.”
“Andrew and I were both hammer-timed. Andrew started filming a slurred recap of the night with footage I’m certain he never used. A security guard interrupted to let Andrew know that he wasn’t allowed to film inside the casino. Andrew politely acknowledged the security guard and turned his camera off as we headed for the exit.
“The security guard turned to walk away,” Owen continued. “Ten feet later, Andrew took his camera back out, started filming, and said, while he was still within earshot of the security guard, 'I guess we can’t film in here'.
“That’s when the security guard turned around to stop him for a second time before giving us a personal escort outside, which is where we going anyway. Andrew is also famous for Irish exits. We’ve had a lot of great long nights after meet-up games… and some truly terrible mornings.”
Lodge Championship Series starts February 16
The President’s Day Meet-Up Game happens February 17, and the Lodge Championship Series runs from February 16 through March 4.
The series features 11 official events, including the $3,000 buy-in LCS Main Event. The Main Event guarantees $1 million in prize money, with six starting flights running February 26 through March 2.
