Image: Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla
What promised to be an epic day at the Lodge Card Club in Texas
He did it! 99 days and 4,908 attempts later, Kevin Martin hit the royal flush
At 5:00 PM on Saturday, with icy gusts hitting Austin and grim forecasts for the coming days, the club management announced the decision no one wanted to hear: close its doors and cancel all tournaments until Monday. The reason — more obvious than pocket aces on the river — was the safety of players and staff in the face of the storm that has put nearly 50% of the US population in check.
The main tournament in play, with US$150,000 guaranteed, was going strong when the notice arrived. More than $97,000 in buy-ins had been collected — with eager participants and plenty of action — but the cold doesn’t negotiate. Therefore, the club decided to pay all present players an “ICM chop”: distribute the pot according to current stacks, bringing the total prize pool to US$100K which will be awarded among the day’s survivors.
The Lodge Card Had To Evacuate Its Players.
And as in poker, everything can improve even with blizzards in between, the Lodge will also award the 10 largest stacks with entries for next week’s RunGood Main Event — a US$600 buy-in tournament with US$250,000 guaranteed — ensuring that the competitive spirit doesn’t get as frozen as the outside weather.
In a statement full of empathy, the organizers made it clear: “We know many planned their day around this event. This was not the outcome we wanted, but safety must come first.” For the players, at least, there is the consolation of a fair prize, stories to tell, and, humorously, the certainty that the next hand will be played… preferably in safer weather.
Source and images: dw.com
