WPH #599: Why Doug Polk Is NOT To Be MESSED WITH!

As one of the co-owners of The Lodge Card Club, Doug Polk has played his fair share of crazy hands on their live poker stream, especially against fan favorite Taras! The two battle it out again on stream in a 3-bet pot, where Polk bluff raises Taras’ river block bet. Will Taras be able to sniff out the bluff and humiliate Polk at his own poker club, or will this show why Doug Polk is not to be messed with?

In poker cash games it is important to understand when to use a blocker bet, which is typically a small bet made on the river with a medium strength hand that does not want to face a large bet from your opponent. Blocker bets allow you to set your own price, extract thin value from worse hands, and reduce the likelihood of facing a big bet. But strong made hands and bluffs should also be used to keep your range balanced and help you to avoid being exploited.

Doug Polk ‘WCGRider’ is the owner of The Lodge Card Room along with Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme. Doug has won over $9,500,000 in live poker tournaments and 3 World Series Of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, including a win in the 2017 $100k Super High Roller for $1,600,000. Since 2014, he has played over 135 times on live streamed poker cash games and has won more than $900,000.

Taras, whose real name is Taras Bobrovytsky, is a Canadian amateur poker player living in Texas. Taras is the Founder of Prediction Explorer and RandomWalk NFT, he is also known to be a software engineer and angel investor. He has been a regular at The Lodge for a long time and will play stakes from $5/$10 up to $400/$800. He is known to be very talkative at the table. Since 2022, he has played over 32 times on live streamed poker cash games and has won over $160,000.

In early 2022, poker professionals Doug Polk, Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme joined forces to acquire a controlling stake in The Lodge Poker Club & Card Room, which happens to be the largest poker establishment in Austin, Texas. This exclusive poker club, accessible only to its poker members, boasts an impressive array of amenities, including over 80 poker tables of cash games and poker tournaments, operating around the clock. Additionally, The Lodge provides an inviting ambiance with 40 large screen TVs, allowing poker club members to enjoy sports entertainment whilst playing poker or while relaxing in the cozy waiting area. The live poker stream includes commentary from Skull Mike and Slick Rick, who have been long time regulars at The Lodge Poker Club. They provide vie