Meet the Team
At The Barrel Social, great poker experiences start with great people. Every member of our crew plays an important role in creating a welcoming, player-focused environment. Meet the people who keep the action moving and the experience unforgettable!
Admin
Meet Adam
Adam Rude is the founding father of The Barrel. While working at his family’s restaurant, he dreamed of one day opening a poker room. After starting the project, Adam had to adjust his plan to involve a larger team, as he and his wife Grace found out that they are pregnant with twin boys! About a year after Ian and Theo were born, The Barrel opened its doors as Triple Barrel Social.
Meet Matt
Matt Vaughan is a poker professional who relocated from Las Vegas, NV with his wife, Mickey, and their dog Jackpot (“Jackie”). In addition to playing cash and tournament poker, Matt offers private coaching and creates poker content on his Youtube vlog. While he also dreamt of opening a poker room, Matt didn’t start conceptualizing it until he was invited onto The Barrel team. In addition to his passion for poker, Matt favors billiards and cornhole when he has time. These two games were quickly agreed to be added to The Barrel. Matt’s excitement and commitment to the club brought Mickey on board after opening in March 2023.
Meet Jalen
Jalen grew up watching his father play poker and it became a passion they still share at the tables today. He began his journey at The Barrel Social Club as a dealer and quickly worked his way into a floor position before gaining additional experience at The Lodge Card Club. Now serving as Assistant General Manager, Jalen brings both industry knowledge and a genuine love for the game. He leads the team in creating a welcoming and professional environment for members and staff alike.
“One of the nicest card rooms I have played in. The dealers are experienced and friendly. The staff does everything they can to make your experience enjoyable.
The owners are involved and listen to their customers to improve even little things to make the place better. Kudos to Matt and Adam!”
Meet Mickey
Mickey’s journey into the poker world started as a sympathetic ear, listening to her husband Matt’s endless stories from the table. When the unexpected opportunity arose to become General Manager at The Barrel, she jumped in with curiosity and heart. Though she started with little poker knowledge, Mickey quickly found her footing, becoming a trusted leader and steady presence in the room. Her dedication to learning the game and supporting the team has earned her the respect of players and staff. In 2025, she put her skills to the test and took third place in The Barrel Series Women’s Event - proof that she's not just behind the scenes, but part of the action too.
Floors
Meet Carson
Carson comes from a poker family—his grandfather was a floor manager at the Union Plaza in Las Vegas in the 1970s. He began dealing in 2005 and spent years both dealing and playing before stepping away to focus on family. After moving to Kentucky, Carson didn’t expect poker to return to his life, but discovering The Barrel Social changed that.
“I love the club experience for so many reasons. Beyond the fantastic game, the atmosphere and people make coming to work feel less like work and more like an opportunity to spend time with great people and build new friendships. Poker brings together people from every walk of life and gives us a common love.”
Meet Q
Q got into poker during the Moneymaker boom and quickly fell for the strategy and social side of the game. Competitive at heart, he turned his passion for the game into a professional career. After years playing professionally, Q joined The Barrel seeking more stability and routine while continuing to work in a field he truly loves.
Meet Ed
Ed brings eight years of casino experience to his role as a floorperson. A self-proclaimed “late bloomer” in poker, Ed found his passion for the game later in life—especially four-card variants, which remain his favorite. He then got into the industry when he realized he liked the guaranteed spot in the box more than chasing pots as a player. Meanwhile, Ed ran a successful lawn care business, where he built a strong foundation in customer service, work ethic, and leadership. His well-rounded background makes him a valued part of the team.
“Fantastic poker room. Solid action. Local grinders are cool. The staff is excellent. Probably the best crew of dealers and floor I have witnessed in any poker room, everyone there has the southern hospitality from check-in to cashier. We shall return for more action. I’m all in!”
Dealers
Meet Kirby
Kirby has been part of the poker world for over 20 years, getting his start in wild home games as a teenager and falling in love with the game after back-to-back wins in a $20 bar tournament. While he’s always been a strong player, dealing became his true calling, allowing him to stay close to the game while building genuine relationships. From home games to full-time dealing, Kirby has worn every hat—at times even serving as cook, server, and clean-up crew. In 2023, he joined us as a founding team member. Known for his quick wit, warm heart, and rock-solid integrity, Kirby runs a tight but fun table where everyone feels welcome. When he’s not at The Barrel, he’s with family, cooking something delicious, or cheering on his beloved New York Knicks.
Meet Brittany
Brittany got her start in the industry at just 21, landing a dealing job through a job fair. She spent five years at Harrah’s, where she found her rhythm at the poker table. While she’ll tell you she doesn’t have the face for playing poker, she genuinely enjoys dealing it and being part of the action. Outside of the room, Brittany is a proud and passionate aunt who loves to unwind on the lake with her paddleboard and her dog, Kizzi. Her laid-back vibe and solid experience make her a favorite among players and coworkers alike.
Meet Mikey
Mikey’s poker journey started in the early 2000s, after he moved to Las Vegas and enrolled in dealer school to learn Craps and Blackjack—adding poker classes just for good measure. One busy Memorial Day weekend, a floor manager asked if he could help out in the overwhelmed poker room. Though he’d never dealt a live poker game before, Mikey jumped in. When they asked him to stay in the poker room permanently, his answer was a resounding “HELL YEAH!” He’s never looked back.
“For any serious player, the quality of the game and the environment are the only metrics that matter. The Barrel Social Club sets a high bar that makes the 2.5-hour commute I make feel like a short trip. It is rare to find a room where the staff is so consistently professional and welcoming.
The dealers are incredibly competent and keep the action moving at a crisp pace. They handle game flow and table management with a level of precision that you usually only see in much larger markets. Beyond the technical skill, the floor staff is remarkably courteous and treats every player with respect. They run a tight ship and ensure a safe, fair environment for everyone at the table. This team delivers every single time.”
Reserve Team
Meet James
James Lyle was born and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where competition quickly became a part of his everyday routine. He grew up playing baseball and sharpening his strategic instincts through family card games, checkers, and chess. His first exposure to poker came in 2013 while watching Ryan Riess win the WSOP Main Event, a moment that sparked a curiosity he didn’t yet realize would grow into a defining passion.
He began playing casually during high school Friday night games and carried the habit into his years at Western Kentucky University, mixing home games with online play. In 2021, James entered his first WSOP Circuit event and quickly found himself drawn to the structure and challenge of tournament poker. After joining The Barrel as an early member in 2023, he deepened his commitment to the game, especially following the loss of a close friend in 2024 — a turning point that pushed him to study, improve, and pursue poker with intention.
James continues a dedicated poker schedule with trips planned for WSOP Circuit and RunGood tour stops, and his results are reflecting his work: a WSOP Circuit ring, two RunGood rings, and multiple major runner-up finishes, including the April Barrel Main Event and the October Kentucky Poker Open Main Event. Through discipline, resilience, and steady progression, James has become a formidable tournament presence and a valued member of The Barrel community — a role he now carries forward as an inaugural member of The Barrel Reserve Team.
Meet Sam
Sam Hicks, originally from Hartsville, Tennessee, brings more than two decades of experience and passion to the game of poker. A product of the post-Moneymaker boom, he first learned the game during his sophomore year of high school, playing friendly matches with his best friend Steven and a small circle of classmates. What began as casual competition quickly turned into an obsession with strategy, discipline, and personal growth. Each hand became a puzzle, each session a test of resilience and creativity — and the game never stopped challenging him.
Over the years, that curiosity evolved into a serious competitive career. In 2024, Sam captured a WSOP Circuit ring in Tunica, followed later that year by a Wynn Winter Classic trophy in Las Vegas. Despite the accolades, he remains grounded in the aspects of poker that first drew him in: the pursuit of mastery and the relationships built at the table. Sam is still driven by the same excitement and dedication — and he’s proud to bring that energy to the Reserve Team at The Barrel.
Interested in Joining the Team?
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