There was a familiar name on the final table of the $1M Mayhem Main Event at the Lodge Card Club on Monday night. Doug Polk held a commanding chip lead but couldn't convert that to a win and first-place money of $195,700.
People might not have been surprised to see him there, with his track record as a player. However, it was his position as Lodge owner that led to some people questioning whether it’s right that he plays tournaments there.
Ahead of the final table, Polk ran a poll on X and asked the question to his legion of fans: “Is it a bad look for the owner of a card room to final table and/or possibly win a big tournament at their own room?”
The poll got nearly 15,000 votes, and enough people said it was “a bad look” for Polk to respond after he was eliminated from the tournament in sixth.
“Crazy to me that 3 out of 10 people think its a bad look for me to play tournaments @LodgePokerClub. While I think they are dead wrong, I will likely be stepping away from playing in tournaments at the Lodge moving forward. I prefer cash anyway 😆.”
Players split about Polk playing tournaments
The debate continued on X, and you could roughly split opinion into two groups.
Some explained why they thought it was a “bad look," with Dan Ross providing one of the most eloquent responses. He said, “Nothing positive comes from a cardroom owner winning their own tournament – you’re in totally unregulated Texas where shady shit happens in some of the state’s cardrooms 36 hours a day. Why add to it by giving people reason to question the legitimacy of the game?”
Matt Savage had a slightly different take, posting, “It’s bad IMO only if you are missing the guarantee and entering and reentering for what appears for free. I’ve played events in my tournament festivals and charity events for promotional purposes, and it helps because I’m not a pro.”
The Donks said he thought it was “crazy” that Doug would play the Lodge while most employees can't play at clubs they work at.
Polk replied, “We encourage our employees to play fwiw! Most of the times that employees can't play, its because of state laws.”
Lodge not the same without Polk
Other players chimed in to say that they want to play with Polk at the Lodge, and that’s part of what makes the club such an attractive place to play poker.
Patrick Muth said, “Your integrity in the way you run the card room should be enough to prove that you should be allowed to play. Many people would wanna play against you in tournaments, myself included.”
Brad Cowger was of the same opinion, saying, “Why listen to the minority on this? If I was to play at Lodge, not only would I want you to play, I’d want to play against you even though that would make the road to winning much more difficult.”
PokerOrg’s own Terrance Reid came down on this side of the fence too, saying, “Doug would never risk his business and reputation to rig a poker tournament in his favor. He's done as much for Texas poker as anyone, and his presence at their tables is a net-positive, win or lose.”
To anyone suggesting any impropriety, Polk wryly posted after he was eliminated: “You'd think that the owner of the card room could get a few better runouts. Nice playing with everyone this weekend!”
The situation is obviously fluid, but as it stands, it looks like Polk won’t be playing any more tournaments at the Lodge while continuing to play cash there.
