Upswing Poker: A Complete Guide to Poker Training

Upswing Poker has become one of the most recognized names in poker education. But is it worth your time and money? Here's an honest breakdown of what they offer, who it's for, and what alternatives exist.

What is Upswing Poker?

Upswing Poker is an online poker training platform founded in 2015 by professional poker player Doug Polk, along with Ryan Fee and Matt Colletta. The platform offers structured courses, strategy articles, and training tools designed to help players improve their game across various formats.

Doug Polk, known for his high-stakes heads-up play and his famous grudge match against Daniel Negreanu, built Upswing with the goal of making professional-level poker education accessible to recreational and aspiring players. The platform focuses on teaching fundamentally sound, exploitative strategies rather than purely Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play.

The company has expanded over the years to include courses taught by other professional players, covering everything from micro-stakes cash games to high-stakes tournaments. Their teaching philosophy emphasizes understanding the "why" behind poker decisions, not just memorizing charts and ranges.

Available Courses

Upswing Poker offers a range of premium courses, each targeting specific game types and skill levels. Here are the main offerings:

Upswing Lab: The flagship course covering No-Limit Hold'em cash games and tournaments. It includes preflop charts, video modules, quizzes, and hand history reviews. The Lab is regularly updated with new content and is designed to take players from beginner to competent regular.

Advanced Courses: Beyond the Lab, Upswing offers specialized courses taught by experts in their respective fields:

• Winning Poker Tournaments by Nick Petrangelo focuses on MTT strategy from early stages through final tables
• PLO Matrix covers Pot-Limit Omaha fundamentals and advanced concepts
• Mixed Games Mastery teaches games like Razz, Stud, and 2-7 Triple Draw
• Live Poker courses address the specific dynamics of brick-and-mortar play

Pricing: Courses range from around $249 for standalone programs to $999+ for comprehensive bundles. The Lab uses a subscription model, while most advanced courses are one-time purchases. This puts Upswing in the mid-to-premium tier of poker education pricing.

Course Format: Most content is delivered through video lessons, with supplementary materials like downloadable preflop charts, quizzes to test your understanding, and community forums where students can discuss hands and concepts.

Free Resources

One of Upswing's strengths is the amount of free content they provide. Before spending money on courses, you can access:

Strategy Articles: Upswing publishes hundreds of free articles covering poker fundamentals, advanced concepts, and specific situations. Topics range from basic hand rankings to complex multi-street bluffing strategies.

YouTube Channel: Doug Polk's YouTube presence (though less active now) introduced many players to Upswing. The channel features hand breakdowns, poker news commentary, and strategy tips. The back catalog alone contains hours of educational content.

Preflop Charts: Upswing offers free basic preflop charts for Texas Hold'em. While not as comprehensive as the paid versions, they provide a solid foundation for players building their opening ranges.

Poker Quiz: Their free poker quiz helps players identify leaks in their game and recommends areas for improvement. It's a useful diagnostic tool before committing to paid training.

Email Newsletter: Subscribers receive regular strategy tips, hand analysis, and updates on new content. It's a low-commitment way to continue learning without purchasing courses.

Alternatives

Upswing isn't the only poker training option available. Depending on your budget, learning style, and poker goals, you might consider these alternatives:

Run It Once: Founded by Phil Galfond, Run It Once offers a subscription-based training model with content from elite professionals. It's known for high-level PLO content and a more affordable monthly subscription compared to one-time course purchases.

PokerCoaching.com: Jonathan Little's platform provides extensive tournament-focused content. It's particularly strong for MTT players and offers regular live webinars.

Raise Your Edge: Benjamin "Bencb" Rolle's training site focuses heavily on tournament poker with a data-driven approach. Their Apprentice program is well-regarded in the MTT community.

Crush Live Poker: If you primarily play live cash games, Bart Hanson's Crush Live Poker offers specialized content for the unique dynamics of brick-and-mortar play.

Free Alternatives: YouTube channels like BlackRain79, ThePokerBank, and various Twitch streamers provide quality free content. While less structured than paid courses, dedicated learners can piece together solid fundamentals without spending money.

Books: Classic poker books like "The Theory of Poker" by David Sklansky, "Applications of No-Limit Hold'em" by Matthew Janda, or "Modern Poker Theory" by Michael Acevedo offer deep strategic knowledge at a fraction of course prices.

Putting Knowledge to Practice

Here's the truth about poker training: studying is only half the equation. You can watch every course, read every article, and memorize every chart—but improvement requires putting concepts into practice at the table.

Start with Home Games: Before testing new strategies at the casino or online, home games with friends offer a low-pressure environment to experiment. You can practice bet sizing, hand reading, and positional play without risking significant money.

Focus on One Concept at a Time: The most common mistake students make is trying to implement everything at once. Instead, pick one concept—say, c-betting frequency—and focus on that for several sessions before moving on.

Track Your Results: Improvement requires data. Whether you're playing cash games or tournaments, tracking your sessions helps identify patterns, leaks, and progress over time. Note the stakes, duration, profit/loss, and any significant hands worth reviewing.

Review Your Hands: After each session, review interesting hands. Could you have extracted more value? Did your bluff make sense? This reflection is where learning truly happens.

Balance Study and Play: A common recommendation is the 2:1 ratio—for every hour studying, play two hours applying what you've learned. This keeps your knowledge practical rather than purely theoretical.

The best poker training in the world won't help if you're not getting hands in. Whether it's online, at the casino, or hosting a home game with friends, actual play is where your investment in education pays off.