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Doug Polk and Bill Perkins Drop a Million in Epic Texas Cash Game

Written by: Paul Seaton 5 min read
What do you get if you take two big cash game players, a Texas cardroom, and a cash game session that produced the biggest pot ever seen in one of the world’s highest-profile venues? Over a million in losses!
Polk and Perkins

This week saw popular YouTube star and triple WSOP bracelet winner Doug Polk and financial investor, high stakes cash game player and prop bettor extraordinaire Bill Perkins combine for a seven-figure loss at the poker felt.

Where Did the Cash Game Take Place?

Fans of Doug Polk will know that the Texas-based World Series of Poker legend is part of a triumvirate of poker room co-owners. With a big stake in The Lodge Card Club in Texas, Doug Polk and World Poker Tour ambassadors Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme have successfully grown the club’s tournament and, in particular, cash game action in the past year.

This week, the line-up at The Lodge was incredible. With Doug Polk joined by big names such as Perkins and one of the most entertaining players of 2023, Nik ‘Airball’ Arcot, there were always going to be fireworks. True enough, the action was explosive and at blinds of $200/$400 with a $400 big blind ante, every pot was worth winning.

The Lodge Card Club, in Austin, Texas, welcomed several players to the long cash game session, with the action taking place over the course of 12 hours, beginning at 3pm local time and ending at the same time in the small hours. With the action streamed, once again poker fans were enthralled as they got to see some of their poker heroes battle with those they love to hate. Who won or lost? Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape.

Big Names Lose on the Night

Whilst Doug Polk endured a losing session largely due to the biggest pot in poker history, the biggest loser on the night was Bill Perkins. The hedge fund manager, who penned a life advice book entitled Die With Zero, did his very best to make some small steps towards doing just that as he trimmed a thick wedge of $741,100 off his immense personal fortune. One particular hand on a board of Q-8-4-6-8 was painful in the extreme. Holding just pocket fives, Perkins lost a pot worth $160,800 to local man Alex. It was not Perkins night, but his vivacious personality never dimmed and once again he proved just how good he is or the game, whether you’re sharing the felt with him or tuning in online.

Doug Polk didn’t lose as much as Perkins, but in dropping the biggest pot in Lodge Card Club history, he put himself at the bottom of a mountain he couldn’t then surmount.

On the river of a board showing 9-3-2-J-8 with two failed flush draws on it, Polk bluffed with just a suited ace-four, betting $186,000. Alex it was again who called, showing pocket jacks for turned trips, and that was good enough to scoop the record $707,800 pot.

 

Given he lost that epic hand, Polk actually made a very decent recovery over the ensuing hours, but still ended down to the tune of $288,900 on the night. With lifetime winnings of $10.4 million in live tournaments alone, the co-owner of the club will certainly cope but it proves how tough the table really was on the night… and early morning.

Who Won the Most Over the Session?

Over the course of the mammoth session, players may have bought in for a minimum of $100,000 but they each left with very different amounts. The biggest loser on the night was Perkins (-$741,100), with Doug Polk himself ($-288,900) shipping over a quarter of a million. ‘Bulldog’ was bitten for $75,200, while Nik Airball just ended up in the red, losing $71,600 across the session.

The biggest winner on the night was Alex, who after taking down the biggest ever pot at the Lodge against Polk, also won big in that hand where tens topped foves against Perkins. Overall, Alex cashed out for an incredible profit of $590,100 on the night, with ‘Brown Balla’ $+$255,500) and ‘Taras’ (+$237,400) also banking huge profits. Charles had $436,800 on the table as the clock was called but only $93,800 of that was that which he didn’t put on the table himself.

Want to watch the session in full and see exactly how experienced cash game players Doug Polk and Bill Perkins lost over a million dollars at the poker felt in Texas? Of course you do. Here it is in all its glory:

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Paul seaton

Paul seaton

Author

Paul Seaton, a poker luminary with over a decade of experience, has reported live from iconic poker events, including the World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour, and World Poker Tour. He’s not just a spectator; he’s been the Editor of BLUFF Europe Magazine and Head of Media for partypoker. Paul’s poker insights have graced publications like PokerNews, 888poker, and PokerStake, where he’s interviewed poker legends such as Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Phil Hellmuth, and The Hendon Mob’s, entire lineup. His exceptional work even earned him a Global Poker Award nomination for Best Written Content. In the poker world, Paul Seaton’s expertise is a force to be reckoned with, captivating enthusiasts worldwide. 

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