Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Review: A Complete Walkthrough

Update: I no longer recommend Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class. Most players are better off starting with my free poker cheat sheet.

It is really hard to find good information on how to beat poker tournaments these days. Most of the best poker educational material available is for cash games.

Note: This poker course was discontinued by Upswing Poker in late 2018 in anticipation of their new poker tournament course. You can find my complete review of Upswing Poker's brand new tournament poker course right here.

So when I heard that Upswing Poker had launched it's own poker tournament course with Doug Polk and Pratyush Buddiga I knew I had to check it out.

Buddiga is a well known tournament pro with a vast knowledge of this format and Polk is a 3-time WSOP bracelet winner with millions of dollars in winnings both online and live.

So I have recently spent the last few weeks studying all the material in their Tournament Master Class. And in this article I will be giving you my complete Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class review.

You will get a complete walkthrough of what you are going to learn in each section of the course including an insider's look at the dozens of videos included.

Before I get started though I need to warn you that this is a high level poker tournament course taught by world class professionals. The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class is therefore not for poker hobbyists.

This poker course is for serious poker tournament players only. With all that said, let's dive in!

By the way, if you're new to poker and you just want to learn my simple system for exactly what hands to play, grab my free poker cheat sheet.

Memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

Is Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Worth It?

Here is the short answer:

Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class is a decent option for beginner poker players. However there are many significantly better options for online poker training available these days.

This is why it did not make the list of my top recommended online poker programs.

I do want to mention right off the top though, that for beginners or those struggling in small or mid stakes, there are many good free options these days to get you winning quickly.

For example:

If you just want to know the basic strategy to start winning consistently, without spending a dime, you can just grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

Alright, on to the review.

1. Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Preflop Section Review

Anyone who has ever played poker tournaments before at any level knows just how important the preflop stage of the hand is.

Since the stacks in a tournament are often considerably less than in a cash game, your decisions on this street are much more important.

That is why I was happy to see that the Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class begins with a comprehensive breakdown of poker tournament preflop strategy.

In the very first video in fact Pratyush provides a complete analysis of what hands to RFI (raise first in) with from every single position at the the poker table.



And what I liked even more is that below the video there are links to download all of the ranges that he talks about.

Therefore, you can study them again in your spare time and make sure that you are implementing these ranges correctly every time you play.

The preflop section of Tournament Master Class continues on with many more videos analyzing every situation possible before the flop.


This includes:

• How to adjust RFI for various stack sizes and player types
• When to flat call 3Bets (complete ranges from every position)
• How to react versus a 3Bet
• How to re-steal from the big blind
• When to put in the 4Bet
• Adjustments versus short stacks

And much more.

This section is one of the most comprehensive preflop strategy analyses that I have ever seen. I think it covers what to do in nearly every situation imaginable.

I particularly liked the fact that you can just download the hand range suggestions that Pratyush and Doug suggest.

This is especially helpful for newer poker players who want some guidance on exactly what hands to play in each situation.

By the way, if you just want to learn my simple no BS system for exactly what hands to play, when to bet, raise and bluff, I cover this all in my brand new training program, Play Fearless Poker.

Memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

My new Play Fearless Poker training program includes 12+ hours of advanced poker lessons, 100+ step by step example hands and "cheat sheets" below every single video.

If you're serious about taking your poker game to the next level, enroll today.

Enroll in Play Fearless Poker

Get $100 OFF Use Code: 100OFF

My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Teaches You How to Make $1000+ Per Month in Tournaments

Are you struggling to beat low stakes poker games like 2NL, 5NL, 10NL, 25NL online or $1/$2, $2/$5 live?

Do you want a simple step by step guide to show you exactly how to start winning consistently right now?

That is why I recently wrote this free little 50 page no BS guide to teach you exactly how to start crushing these games right now.

You will learn the exact poker strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $1000+ per month in small stakes poker games.

Enter your details below and I will send my free poker cheat sheet to your email right now.

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2. Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Flop Section Review

The postflop section is where we get into the real heart of the Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class poker course. And once again the material is comprehensive.

In fact this section of the course contains so much high level information that it is broken down into strategy specifically for the flop, turn and river.

The flop section begins with an explanation of exactly how we should approach this street in tournament poker. It is very different from a cash game.

There are then 8 more videos explaining what to do in every conceivable flop situation in a poker tournament.



I really liked how it is broken down into what to do various board textures: high boards, low boards, paired boards, monotone flops and so on.

The flop section concludes with a complete breakdown of how to approach facing a CBet, a donk bet and a check/raise.

Overall the flop section of this course provides a solid explanation of how to play like a world class pro in all situations for both new and advanced players.

This is an integral component of any good poker training course.

3. Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Turn Section Review

The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class continues on the turn with a comprehensive breakdown of how to react to every situation on 4th street in a poker tournament.


You will learn:

• When to turn CBet
• When to make a probe bet
• When to delay CBet the turn
• How to float the turn effectively
• When to check/call the turn
• When to check/raise the turn

Once again there are close to 10 videos with a thorough discussion of what to do in each of these situations.

Dozens of example hands are also provided to explain what to do versus various player types, stack sizes and board textures.



You can also download all of the ranges provided once again which I think is particularly helpful for newer poker players.

4. Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class River Section Review

The final strategy section of Tournament Master Class covers how MTT pro's play the river. And this is especially important since everybody knows how much this street matters in poker tournaments.

This section of the course is extremely example heavy because tournament river situations are so often specific to the specific player and situation you are in.

So there are dozens of examples of what to do in various spots when facing a river CBet, when to CBet yourself, what to do versus a stop and go river bet and so on.



Overall I felt that this section provided a solid gameplan for how to approach nearly all river situations that you will face in a poker tournament.

It takes out a lot of the guesswork so that you know exactly when to make the big call, raise or when to lay it down.

5. Tournament Dynamics Review

The next section of the Tournament Master Class is arguably the most important in the entire course in my opinion. And that is because it covers so many common issues that are specifically related to poker tournaments.

This is exactly the kind of thing that I have not been able to find in most other poker courses or books online even if they cover MTTs.

So for example, how to approach the bubble, what to do against stallers, ICM math, live adjustments and dealing with tournament downswings and variance.

These are all extremely important topics that only poker tournament players face.

The bubble and dealing with downswings sections in particular should really help a lot of newer poker tournament players. Because they often struggle the most in these two areas.

See my mega article on tournament poker strategy for more on this.

6. Play and Explains Review

The next section in this poker course is one of my personal favorites because you get to see the actual decisions that a world class tournament pro makes.

Over roughly 10 more videos Pratyush talks about important hands that he has played in 3Bet pots, bubble situations and of course, the final table.

And perhaps most interestingly of all, he goes over all of the most important hands that he played in a 2nd place finish in the Party $5000.



Being able to essentially look over the shoulder of an experienced tournament pro as he explains all of his decision making is invaluable in my opinion.

And that is why I think this is one of the most important sections of this poker course especially for beginner and novice poker players.

7. WCOOP $10,000 Runner Up Finish

The final section of the Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class is kind of the cherry on top in my opinion.

It closes with a 12 part video series featuring every important poker hand that Doug Polk plays in the WCOOP high roller 10k buyin tournament.

This is the same guy who won the 2017 One Drop for $3 million USD by the way. And he has 3 WSOP bracelets to sport display his dominance as well.

In this particular poker tournament (covered in this course) he took 2nd place for $455,000.



I think for any aspiring poker tournament pros out there, it doesn't really get much better than this.

You get to watch the decision making of one of the best high stakes tournament poker players in the world with hole cards revealed.

The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class Review Final Verdict - Is Worth It For You? (3/5 ★★★☆☆)

The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class is a decent option for newer poker players but there are quite frankly many significantly better poker training options available these days.

This is why it did not make my list of the top poker educational tools.

Also, this is a discontinued product now as mentioned at the beginning of this article.

The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class is a decent option for tournament poker training program.

The specific information for tournament players on stuff like bubble play, dealing with short stacks, final table adjustments and so on was particularly helpful as well.

And lastly, the ability to look over the shoulder of two world class pros like Pratyush Buddiga and Doug Polk while they explain their decisions is worth the price of admission for this course alone in my opinion.

Now with all that said, will you suddenly start winning million dollar tournaments after studying this poker course? Probably not. That takes time, effort and a real commitment to consistently learning and improving your poker game.

However, if you are a serious poker tournament player who is struggling to produce real and consistent results right now, then I would recommend checking out this course.

Lastly, if you want to learn how to start consistently making $1000+ per month in low stakes games, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.


Let me know your thoughts on The Upswing Poker Tournament Master Class in the comments below.

Advanced Heads Up Mastery Review 2026 - Complete Walkthrough

Update: I no longer recommend Advanced Heads Up Mastery. Most players are better off starting with my free poker cheat sheet here.

I recently had the opportunity to review the Advanced Heads Up Mastery course by Upswing Poker. I've been itching to have a look at this one for awhile because it is taught by well known pro, Doug Polk.

I also want to be very clear from the start that this course is not meant for beginners. 

This is a highly technical poker course that is meant for very serious players who are looking to take their game to a world class level.

And that is why it also comes with a very high price tag, which I will discuss at the end.

With all of that said I am going to do my best below to give you a complete walkthrough of everything that is inside the Advanced Heads Up Mastery course.

This includes the good and the bad, so you can decide for yourself if it's a fit for you or now.

By the way, if you're new to poker and you just want to learn my simple system for exactly what hands to play, grab my free poker cheat sheet.

Memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

Is Advanced Heads Up Mastery Worth It?

Here is the short answer:

Advanced Heads Up Mastery is a decent option for serious poker players. However there are many significantly better options for online poker training available these days at a much lower price.

This is why it did not make the list of my top recommended online poker programs.

In fact, since 99% of my readers are small stakes players, a $1000 course will simply be out of their price range.

And quite frankly, as it should to be!

There is simply no reason why you should be spending this much in an era when there is a plethora of totally free or much lower priced high quality poker education available everywhere these days.

But I decided to review this course nonetheless, just for those who are curious.

This Advanced Heads Up Mastery review will give you everything you need to know, the pros and cons of the course, what’s included in the course, and whether or not it’s a good fit for you.

I do want to mention right off the top though, that for beginners or those struggling in small or mid stakes, there are many good free options these days to get you winning quickly.

For example:

If you just want to know the basic strategy to start winning consistently, without spending a dime, you can just grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

Alright, on to the review.

Preflop RFI Course Material

The preflop section of Advanced Heads Up Mastery begins with a detailed analysis of small blind raise first in (RFI) strategy.

By making extensive use of equity analysis tools like PokerStrategy's Equilab Doug Polk breaks down the theory behind which hands to raise first in here.

He then goes into a deep analysis of his own PokerTracker database from the small blind and discusses exactly what is profitable and what is not. These conclusions are drawn from his high stakes heads up matches online where he has won millions of dollars.

In the next section Doug goes on to discuss the big blind strategy beginning with what to do when the small blind limps.

He then discusses continuance ranges versus a small blind RFI, when to 3Bet and the math behind it. Once again all of this is backed up with equity analysis in both Equilab and his own PT4 database.



This section finishes with the download links for some charts which include the exact hands to play in heads up poker from both the small blind and the big blind. This is a virtual "cheat sheet" for the entire preflop strategy in heads up poker.

And there are another set of downloads which gives you the exact bet sizes to use for RFI, 3Betting, 4Betting and 5Betting from both the small blind and the big blind.

Furthermore, Doug gives you the exact frequencies for how often you should be making each of these plays. I have personally never seen anything as thorough as this.

The entire heads up preflop strategy is broken down into a science here teaching you the exact hands to play at the very highest level.

By the way, it should be mentioned that Doug does refer to GTO and solver software tools a fair bit throughout this course.

If you want to know more about this, I have already written a comprehensive article on the best poker software tools used by pros these days.

By the way, if you just want to learn my simple no BS system for exactly what hands to play, when to bet, raise and bluff, I cover this all in my brand new training program, Play Fearless Poker.

Memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

My new Play Fearless Poker training program includes 12+ hours of advanced poker lessons, 100+ step by step example hands and "cheat sheets" below every single video.

If you're serious about taking your poker game to the next level, enroll today.

Enroll in Play Fearless Poker

Get $100 OFF Use Code: 100OFF

Preflop 3Bet/4Bet Course Material

The next section of Advanced Heads Up Mastery dives deep into the theory, strategy and math behind 3Bet and 4Bet pots.

Anyone who has played heads up poker before at any level knows that understanding how to play in 3Bet and 4Bet pots is absolutely crucial to your success these days.

So Doug begins by discussing small blind facing a 3Bet concepts and ranges. He once again makes extensive use of equity tools and his own database to show you exactly how to make the most profitable decisions in this situation.

The next section dives into 4Bet strategy from the small blind and how the big blind should react. Again, there is a concerted effort to find mathematically sound reasons for every recommendation.



Doug gives you the exact ranges for when to make the 4Bet from the small blind along with when to fold, call or 5Bet from the big blind.

The discussion is once again thorough with hours of video and analysis. 

If you want to learn 3Bet and 4Bet strategy in heads up poker at the very highest level, frankly I have never seen anything this detailed before.

If you aren't ready to spend $1000 on advanced poker training like this yet though, there are many good free options for advanced 3Bet/4Bet strategy these days.

For example, my free step by step guide to dominating 3Bet pots in today's games.

Not Ready to Spend $1000 on Advanced Poker Training Like This Yet? Get My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Instead

Let's face it, advanced poker training can get pretty pricey these days.

And I know that many of the readers here on my poker blog play poker part-time at small or mid stakes.

Therefore, they simply don't have thousands of dollars to invest in advanced poker training right now.

  

So that is why I decided to write this free poker cheat sheet for you. 

This is the best completely free poker strategy guide available online today. It shows you how to crush the small and mid stakes games step by step. 

Learn exactly what hands to play and when to bet, raise and bluff all in! 

These are the proven strategies that I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to create some of the highest winnings of all time in these games. 

Enter your details below and I will send my free poker "cheat sheet" to your inbox right now.

 

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Postflop SRP Advanced Heads Up Mastery Course Material

Now as important as preflop strategy is in poker, anyone who has played this game seriously knows that most of the biggest edges come after the flop.

Preflop in many cases is almost a solved science at the higher limits. In fact the preflop sections of this course give you pretty much as clear of a blueprint for how to crush preflop in heads up as I have ever seen.

But postflop is a whole different story. This is where the men are separated from the boys to use a worn out old cliche.

And so that is why the majority of the content in Advanced Heads Up Mastery covers postflop play. It offers a comprehensive analysis of how one of the best heads up poker players in the world thinks about the game on the flop, turn and river.



So after Doug explains some of the key concepts and terminology behind postflop heads up play he gets right into flop play from the small blind in single raised pots (SRP).

As you can see above, literally every scenario possible is covered. From what hands to CBet with, what value combos to include, bluff combos, how and when to barrel, dealing with probe bets and facing a check/raise on the flop, turn and river.

There is a corresponding video for each section, typically 15 minutes to 45 minutes in length. Again, the discussion here centers around teaching you the mathematically correct decisions at the highest stakes of heads up poker.

The next section includes over 20 videos and even more analysis for how to play from the big blind in every scenario possible in a single raised pot.


You Will Learn:

• When to fold to CBets
• Value and Bluff combos when facing a barrel
• Probe bet range combos
• Check/raising CBets
• Check back ranges
• Playing against delay and double delay CBets
• Turn and River bluffing combos

There is honestly so much here that I think it would take most people at least a week to get through just this section. 

I would recommend studying just one or two strategy videos a night to avoid information overload. This is what I did.

In fact, this the approach I would recommend no matter what advanced poker training site you decide to join.

Postflop 3Bet Pot Advanced Heads Up Mastery Course Material

The next section continues with a breakdown of how to play postflop in 3Bet pots from both the small blind and the big blind.

The discussion here once again is highly technical including numerous examples from Doug's own high stakes database.

He also makes use of "Game Tree" analysis to teach you 3Bet pot decision making from a mathematically correct point of view.



Doug then goes on to discuss when to bet versus check the flop in the big blind in 3Bet pots, double barreling, triple barreling, AQJ combo breakdown for calling down, delay CBets and barrels.

The next section of Advanced Heads Up Mastery focuses on teaching all of these same concepts from the perspective of the small blind this time including exact value betting and bluffing ranges.

Finally, the last section breaks down the theory and strategy behind playing 4Bet pots. 

Since so much money goes into the pot preflop here, the decision making is not quite as complex. Nevertheless, no stone is left unturned here either.

Heads Up Versus Sauce123

The very final section of Advanced Heads Up Mastery is called "Play and Explain." It is basically just what it sounds like. Doug plays heads up and explains his actions at the same time.

But this isn't any old heads up match.

This is an 11 part 4-tabling session versus one of the best heads up players in the world, "Sauce123" aka Ben Sulsky.



In this epic heads up session where Doug plays against Ben at $100/$200 the amounts of money flying around are staggering. You are truly getting an inside look at heads up poker played at it's highest level possible.

This section of the course is honestly worth the price of admission alone. Quite simply, you get to watch two of the best heads up players on earth go at it.

And of course this includes getting to see Doug Polk's hole cards for every single hand as he explains exactly why he makes the decisions that he does.

Downsides to the Advanced Heads Up Mastery Course

Alright, now with all of that out of the way, there is one major downside to this high level poker course.

And that is the price.

At $999, this is simply going to be well out of the price range of the majority of my regular readers here on my blog who play small or mid stakes.

I know that I certainly did not have this kind of money to spend on poker training when I was first starting out with just $60.

While I eventually became a full time professional poker player, something like this would not have been affordable for me until many, many years into my career as a pro.

So for most people who play poker part-time at small or mid stakes, I can't really recommend this poker course.

I only recommend this poker course for very serious high stakes professional poker players.

Now, luckily there is lots of other good advanced poker training available these days, at a much more affordable price.

And if you are just starting out in poker, and you literally have no money at all to invest in poker training, I wrote a free poker "cheat sheet" for you.

I wish a free step by step guide like this was available when I was first starting out in poker.

So this is my way of giving back.

You can grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet, right here.

Advanced Heads Up Mastery Review Final Verdict - Is Worth It For You? (3/5 ★★★☆☆)

Advanced Heads Up Mastery is a decent option for serious poker players but there are many significantly better poker training options available these days at a much lower price.

This is why it did not make my list of the top poker educational tools.

The Advanced Heads Up Mastery course is a comprehensive heads up No Limit poker course.

However, it should be noted that at the current $1000 price tag this is simply going to be out of reach for many small and even mid stakes players.

There are simply many far better and lower priced options available these days that I would recommend instead first.

Getting back to Advanced Heads Up Mastery though, the amount of content and high level analysis that went into the making of this course is truly overwhelming at times.

This is why I recommend that you study this course over weeks and possibly months. Do not try to take it all in at once.

I want to re-iterate as well that Advanced Heads Up Mastery is by no means meant for beginners or those just starting out at the lowest limits.

This is a very high level course meant for serious poker players who want to take their results to a world class level. And that is why it comes with a pretty serious price tag as well.

If you take poker very seriously, and your goal is to dominate at the very highest stakes one day, then I would recommend checking out this poker course.

Unfortunately though, at this price point ($1000), it will simply be out of reach for most of the small and mid stakes players who read my blog.

So if you just want a simple step by step proven strategy to start winning right away in your poker games, grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

Upswing Poker Lab Review 2026 (Is It Worth It For You?)

Update: I no longer recommend Upswing Poker Lab. Most players are better off starting with my free poker cheat sheet.

I first heard about the Upswing Poker Lab years ago, but I never took the time to really dig into it until recently.

As a professional poker player with over a decade of experience, I wanted to see exactly what they’re teaching, who this program is actually for, and whether it makes sense for the small and mid-stakes players who read my blog.

So I went through the entire Upswing Poker Lab from start to finish.

In this review, I’ll show you what’s inside, who it might help, where it falls short, and why I ultimately don’t recommend it anymore for most serious players today.

Let’s get into it.

Is The Upswing Poker Lab Worth It?

Here is the short answer:

The Upswing Poker Lab is a decent option for beginner poker players. However, there are many significantly better poker training options available these days for serious poker players, at a much lower price.

And that last point is crucial. Most people who read my poker blog play in low stakes poker games. 

For example: 

$1/$2 blind cash games or $50 buyin tournaments.

Heck, some people even play super low stakes like $10 games online.

So at a price of $99 per month for the Upswing Poker Lab, this is going to be simply too much for many beginner or small stakes poker players on a short bankroll.

If you enroll for say 3 months, this will cost you $300 already, which could be your entire bankroll if you play small stakes!

This is especially difficult to justify when there is a huge amount of totally free poker training available these days, such as my free poker cheat sheet.

Just memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

And there are also tons of totally free high quality poker training videos on platforms like YouTube.

For example:

Just last week I released this 17 minute video with my 9 Preflop Poker Tips EVERY Beginner Should Know.

Never miss my new poker videos. Join 150,000+ who are already subscribed.

Bottom Line:

Most beginner or small stakes poker players would probably do better to take advantage of some of these free options first.

Especially if they are on a limited bankroll or don't have a lot of money to invest in poker training yet.

Alright, with that fairly big disclaimer out of the way, let's jump into the review!

I have spent the past few weeks going through every single lesson module in the Upswing Lab in order to write this comprehensive review for you.

The Upswing Poker Lab is huge, which is the first thing you will notice. There is over 250 hours of poker training included.

There are literally dozens of videos, hundreds of hand charts showing what hands to play, and live play videos from some well known poker players.

However, it should be noted that a large portion of the content in the Upswing Poker Lab appears to have been made quite some time ago.

This is one of the bigger potential drawbacks of this course in my opinion. Much of the core material is out of date at this point.

Especially when compared to many similar poker training options these days, which are often lower priced, and include much more up to date poker training videos.

But I will discuss that more later on in this review when it becomes problematic.

In this Upswing Poker Lab review I am going to break down all 6 sections of the course for you step by step and give you an inside look into exactly what you will find.

This way you can decide for yourself whether this poker training program is right for you or not.

Alright, let's dive in!

By the way, if you just want to learn my simple no BS system for exactly what hands to play, when to bet, raise and bluff, I cover this all in my brand new training program, Play Fearless Poker.

Memorize the charts. Stop guessing. Start winning.

My new Play Fearless Poker training program includes 12+ hours of advanced poker lessons, 100+ step by step example hands and "cheat sheets" below every single video.

If you're serious about taking your poker game to the next level, enroll today.

Enroll in Play Fearless Poker

Get $100 OFF Use Code: 100OFF

1. The Upswing Poker Lab Core Strategy

The heart of The Upswing Poker Lab is the core strategy section. This is also the recommended starting point for this course.



There are currently 29 poker training modules (lessons) in the Lab Core Strategy section to which more are regularly added.

There are multiple videos within each module discussing how to play a solid tight and aggressive poker style.

If you are new to the game of poker or you are a struggling small stakes player, this section is going to be insightful for you.

I think the coaches do a good job of explaining the basics like what hands to play, when to raise and re-raise.

The biggest issue I had is that much of the content here looks like it was filmed a long time ago, so it might be a bit out of date (i.e. not the correct strategies for today's games).

It should also be noted that the production value of the videos in this section is below the standards of most modern premium training courses.

However, since much of the material covered in this section is evergreen in nature (it's the basic strategy to beat beginner players), this isn't as problematic as some of the dated content in other sections of the course.

The amount of poker strategy instruction included in this section is solid though.

Here are a few of the topics covered:

• Hand reading and understanding ranges
• What hands to raise with preflop
• How to react versus a 3Bet
• Flop, turn and river bet sizing
• Single raised pot strategy as the preflop raiser and caller
• 3Bet pot strategy as the preflop raiser and caller
• Postflop bluffing strategies
• Postflop value betting strategies
• Bankroll management
• Tilt control

And much more.



Format:

Each lesson is typically comprised of a 20 to 40 minute video by Doug Polk.

He explains the core concepts of the lesson making use of range charts, equity analysis tools and hand history examples.

He shows you what hands to bet, raise, call or fold with in all common situations.



There is also a writeup below each video lesson (similar to a blog post) explaining the core ideas of the module in even more detail and sometimes with quizzes or other downloadable content.

Overall, this intro section of the course is good for a beginner or even seasoned player looking for a refresher on the basics.

While a lot of this same material is covered in other comparable courses, the coaches do a good job of explaining the fundamentals here for newer poker players.

2. Advanced Upswing Poker Lab Strategies Review

The Advanced Lab Strategies section is where the Lab gets serious.

For somebody who is struggling at NL10 or higher online (2/5 or higher live), this is the section of the Lab that you will want to have a serious look at.

Following a similar format as before, in the advanced section there are 26 more modules with video lessons on high level poker theory and how to apply it from both Doug Polk and Ryan Fee this time as well.

This section is the real heart and soul of the Upswing Poker Lab in my opinion, and offers some good advanced poker theory.



Here are some of the topics covered:

• How to play your flush draws
• Dominating multi-way pots
• How to crush the regs with overbets
• Hand reading and understanding blockers
• Deep stack poker strategy 

And much more. 

This is also the section where you will find some of the best content in the course for GTO, intro to using solvers and other poker software tools.

I will say that much of this content in this section is dated though (the videos were clearly filmed a long time ago), so I think many other poker training options these days are a better choice.

GTO strategy and solvers are both fast evolving fields in poker so it is important that you are getting the most up to date information.

Many other comparable poker training courses offer much more up to date videos on GTO strategy and solvers.

By the way, if you want to know more, I have already written a comprehensive article on the best poker software tools used by today's poker pros.

There is also one final module in this section where you can download hundreds of hand range charts (439 to be exact) which explain what hands to play in all common spots.



These charts cover online cash games, live poker games and tournaments as well.

Upswing Poker have also developed their own app for these hand charts (available for both Android and iOS) so that you can view them all right on your phone.



Now of course all of the standard caveats apply here.

I would advise that you don't try to copy these charts literally. Every situation is different in poker and you need to adjust for things like player type, stack size, relevant history and so on. 

However, these hand charts are a solid tool nonetheless especially for beginner or novice level poker players who are still trying to figure everything out.

Now, in order to remain balanced throughout this review though, I do need to point out there are charts showing you which hands to play in many other similarly priced poker training programs these days.

There are also charts showing you exactly which hands to play in my free poker cheat sheet.

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And these are also many of the exact same strategies that you will learn in The Upswing Poker Lab.

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3. Upswing Poker Lab Review: Tournaments

The next section in The Upswing Poker Lab is all about MTT's (multi-table tournaments). 

Even though I am primarily a cash game player I think this section is decent for any aspiring tournament pros out there. 

Starting with preflop there are detailed explanations of how ranges work in MTTs and how they differ from cash games. 

After that there is a large discussion of ICM (Independent Chip Model) analysis and an entire section devoted to just big blind theory (stack-off ranges). 

All of this is explained with dozens of videos and charts like the other sections of the Upswing Poker Lab that I already discussed above.



The Tournament section continues with a large "Play and Explain" series of videos which covers actual situations deep in large online tourneys like the WCOOP $100k Final Table. 

There is also a large section devoted to live poker tournaments, discussing World Series of Poker preparation and strategy in particular. 

The MTT section finishes with a series of videos on 10bb-25bb short stack play by Parker "tonkaaaap" Talbot.

Overall though, if I had to pick one of the weaker sections of the Upswing Poker Lab, tournament strategy would be it.

I think many other similarly priced poker training programs these days just simply offer a lot more if you are a tournament player in particular.

Also once again, if you are looking for a free alternative though, I have created a comprehensive free tournament strategy guide which you can find, right here. 

4. Upswing Poker Lab Review: Live Poker

The next section in The Upswing Poker Lab continues with a look at live poker. 

Even though I am primarily an online poker player I found this section to be particularly refreshing as well because so much poker training these days focuses on just internet poker.

In this section there are 3 modules and about 20 videos in total. Doug and Ryan discuss various high stakes situations, many of which are televised hands that they themselves played in.



There is also tons of expert analysis included on how to adjust your play for live games, how to pick the right casino, reading physical tells and so on. 

Overall this section is a solid addition to The Poker Lab. There is plenty here to help a live poker newbie confidently step into casino cash games or tournaments.

I will say that this is currently another area of The Upswing Poker Lab though that could use some improvement. 

I would like to see more added here in the future though for live players (casino and home games).

I think some other advanced poker courses available these days simply have more content than The Upswing Poker Lab in this key area of the game, which a lot of people play!

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5. Mini-Courses Within the Upswing Poker Lab

The next section includes a bunch of mini-courses on various advanced topics. 

This is another section which is tailor made for anyone who has already had some success online or live, but is struggling to really break through to the big time.



The mini-courses here include detailed analysis of sample sizes and variance, how to finally fix that redline of yours (non-showdown winnings) and how to master using database software like PokerTracker or Hold'em Manager.

The final module in this section was particularly interesting to me. 

This is a detailed breakdown of GTO (game theory optimal) poker strategy by Matthew Janda (author of Applications of No Limit Hold'em). 

He explains the main differences between exploitative poker strategy and GTO. 

The latter becomes an increasingly vital skill to know especially as you start moving up the stakes. 

Matthew also walks you through the math behind GTO poker theory, balancing your ranges, and lots of hand history examples to help illustrate it all for you.

GTO and Solvers Will Hurt Your Results in Small Stakes Games

Now there is one big problem here though.

In lower stakes games (which is what 90% of people play), GTO is a demonstrably proven sub-optimal strategy.

I have written about this extensively here on my blog, including how using GTO in small stakes games might even harm your results.

I have also discussed at length why the use of solvers is counter-productive in small stakes games and likely to also negatively affect your results.

An Exploitative strategy by contrast (which is what teach in everything I put out), is proven to be the most effective (and profitable) strategy in small stakes games.

This is the strategy after all that I have used to create some of the highest winnings of all time in these small stakes games.

So it is a little bit startling to me that many modern poker training programs continue to market this sub-optimal strategy of using GTO and solvers in small stakes games to their users.

Therefore, I would take this entire section with a big grain of salt. Just to be totally clear, I do not recommend using GTO or solvers in small stakes games.

However, they do become effective once you move up to mid stakes and they are definitely mandatory at high stakes.

My guess though is that 90% of the current subscribers of the Upswing Poker Lab are small stakes players.

And that is why this massive disclaimer should be made crystal clear in the course material, but for some reason, it is not.

My guess why is because many of the coaches have not actively played in small stakes games in quite some time.

Therefore, they are out of touch with the reality of how these small stakes games actually play in the modern era.

And this is not just an Upswing Poker Lab issue by the way. 

This is an industry wide problem that is also prevalent in many other comparable modern poker training courses.

Essentially, you have high stakes coaches, teaching strategies that only work in high stakes games, to small stakes players.

*Facepalm*

But anyways, that is a topic for a whole other discussion and it is beyond the scope of this review.

However, for those interested in learning about GTO and solvers, the Upswing Lab has a pretty good breakdown here.

These videos once again are a bit dated though. This is a recurring issue with a lot of the material in the Upswing Poker Lab.

It just isn't current enough.

And so I would actually look to other poker training options these days in order to get a more up to date idea of what GTO is and what the best solvers are to use.

That is, if you play mid or high stakes.

If you are new to GTO, solvers or various higher level poker tools and strategies like this, I have already written a comprehensive article on all the best poker software used by today's pros. 

6. Play and Explains Section Review

The last section in The Upswing Poker Lab is called "Play and Explains." And it pretty much is exactly what it sounds like. 

This is arguably my favorite part of the entire course because it is basically a bunch of old school type training videos like you would see on CardRunners back in the day or the 100+ videos I made for DragTheBar. 

Basically you get to look over the shoulder of 4 poker pros while they play and explain their actions.



You get to watch as Doug "WCGRider" Polk and Ryan "Fees" Fee play small, mid and high stakes cash games with a little bit of heads up thrown in there sometimes as well. 

Fried "MyNameIsKarl" Meulders, who is another solid cash game pro, has also been making a lot of 500NL Zoom videos for this section lately. 

And lastly, the MTT live play videos are once again covered by tourney pro and popular Twitch streamer Parker "tonkaaaap" Talbot.

*Update* - There have been several brand new coaches added to the Upswing Poker Lab who are now regularly making Play and Explain videos as well.

This includes "Danmerrrr" among others (More on this below).

New Content in the Upswing Poker Lab

Unlike many other poker training programs these days, the Upswing Poker Lab charges you a monthly fee ($99). 

More on that below by the way.

Anyways, what you get for this is new content added each month.

Especially "off the table" stuff like tilt, how to manage your bankroll and so on.

And speaking of "off the table" poker training, my one main gripe about The Upswing Poker Lab in the past was that there was not enough content included on stuff like:

• The mental game
• Tilt control
• Bankroll management for the micro stakes
• Understanding how variance works in poker
• How to use a poker HUD

But now all of these vital parts of your off the table poker strategy are covered in the Core Strategy section of the Upswing Lab.

This is all stuff that comes included in nearly any other comparable poker training course these days, so this upgrade was long overdue in my opinion.

For example, one of the biggest problems that low stakes poker players face in my experience is dealing with the swings of the game (bad beats, coolers).

Well now there is a video series included in The Upswing Poker Lab on how to break down your poker hands over a 10,000 hand sample and plug your leaks in your HUD database.



This is a good new addition to The Upswing Poker Lab that will help many low stakes players.

As a 10+ year online poker pro myself, my single biggest weapon in staying on top of the games is learning how to plug my leaks through HUD database review and study my opponents to find the right strategies to beat them.

Ryan Fee does a good job of showing you how to do this step by step with individual videos on how to analyze your hands, run filters and plug your leaks and study your opponents.

Another one of my favorite new sections of The Upswing Poker Lab is Doug Polk's video series on bankroll building at the micro stakes.

Drawing off his recent poker bankroll challenge, he shows you exactly how to manage your bankroll in low stakes games, how many tables to play, when to move up and tons more.



This is another new important section in The Upswing Poker Lab that will help struggling low stakes poker players in particular.

Doug Polk teaches you the best strategies to build your bankroll quickly that are specifically aimed at low stakes poker games.

By the way, if you play small stakes, I have also written a comprehensive article on the 15 proven ways to beat small stakes poker.

Upswing Poker Lab Mental Game and Tilt Control (*New)

Some other important updates to the Upswing Poker Lab includes several new sections on the mental game and tilt control.

I was particularly happy to see this as I have been saying for years that I believe the mental game is the single most important factor in your success as a poker player.

Most people have a big tilt problem, and there is new material to help you understand why you tilt, notice the signs and ultimately prevent it from happening in the first place.

I also liked the new mental game section which includes several new ideas I have never seen covered before such as warm up and cool down rituals and the importance of fitness and proper nutrition.

As a 10+ year poker pro myself, this is something that I have been preaching the importance of for years. Real poker pros take all of this poker "lifestyle" stuff very seriously.

There is also a brand new section in The Upswing Poker Lab on game selection which is another area that is absolutely vital for your poker success.

The new material teaches you how to locate the bad players and get the right seat against them which is something that I have been talking about for many years on this poker blog.

Overall, I really like all the new content in The Upswing Poker Lab on mental game, tilt control and game selection but I would like to see these sections expanded even more in the future.

There are several other poker training sites available these days which clearly have much more to offer than the Upswing Poker Lab in some of these key areas of the game.

Upswing Poker Lab Live Poker, Tournament Poker and Elite New Coaches

There have also been significant upgrades to the live poker and tournament strategy sections included in The Upswing Poker Lab.

For example, there are now sections on how to understand live table dynamics, make Bayesian adjustments in live poker games and play 3-bet pots better.

If you play live poker in a casino there is some good stuff here to help you start understanding how to read players at the table better and make specific adjustments against difficult players.

On the tournament side, there are all new sections on how to probe effectively from the big blind, check calling on the river out of position and check raising flops as the preflop raiser.

This includes new videos teaching you tournament poker strategy for the early stages, middle stages, bubble and final table.

But perhaps the best new content upgrade for The Upswing Poker Lab is the addition of several new high stakes coaches creating new Play and Explain videos and regular content as well.



This includes:

• Tournament pro Mo "MuckCallOK" Dietrich
• Cash game pro Jason "JASON.MAC100" Mcconnon 

And my personal favorite, well known high stakes online cash game pro, Daniel "Danmerr" Merrilees.

With these new additions to The Upswing Poker Lab coaching lineup you are learning from some of the best.

Who is The Upswing Poker Lab For?

So who is The Upswing Poker Lab for?

The Upswing Poker Lab is best suited for:

• No limit holdem players
• 6max games
• Zoom poker games
• Full ring 9 player games
• Tournament poker players
• Live poker players
• Mid stakes and high stakes

I think at $99 per month though, most low stakes poker players would be better suited to keep this money in their poker bankroll for now.

And simply take advantage of the huge amount of totally free high level poker strategy information available these days.

The Upswing Poker Lab is a well known poker training program. I do think there are considerably better options available these days though for serious poker players.

And that is why it is no longer among my list of the best poker training options anymore.

But with over 250 hours of high level poker training most new players will get some decent value here.

Upswing Poker Lab Engage Private Facebook Study Group

The Upswing Poker Lab also offers a private Facebook group for all members.

You can also post your own poker hands or strategy questions in there and get feedback from the coaches and other pros.

In fact, the Upswing Poker Engage Facebook Study Group (for Upswing Lab members only), currently has 4000 members.



While I think this is great for newer players, most comparable other poker training options these days also provide a private Facebook group like this.

In fact many of them (like my own private community), are much larger, with a much more active community.

So while this is a "nice touch", most other poker training programs these days offer a better more engaged community experience.

Free Bonuses Included in The Upswing Poker Lab

Along with free access to the private Facebook poker study group, recently the Upswing Poker Lab has added some free bonuses when you enroll as well.

These include:


1. Advanced Solver Ranges

You get 98 preflop charts based on GTO ranges using advanced solver analysis:





2. Advanced Tournament Ranges

With this free bonus you get 82 tournament preflop charts which teach you how to play well in tournaments with various stack sizes in 3bet pots, multi-way hands and much more.



Honestly, these free addons are pretty common among comparable poker training options these days, but they are a nice bonus nonetheless.

Is The Upswing Poker Lab Advanced Enough? Is It Good For High Stakes Players?

Also, another question that many people ask me is does The Upswing Poker Lab include enough advanced content for high stakes pros or is it only for struggling small and mid stakes players?

I would say that The Upswing Poker Lab is mostly targeted at small and mid stakes players but there is enough high level GTO (game theory optimal) strategy in it to satisfy some high stakes players as well.

For example, the GTO sections of the course by Matthew Janda are good.

Even though I do not recommend GTO for small stakes poker games, this will definitely help you once you get to mid and high stakes games.

Also, with the recent addition of Daniel "Danmerr" Merrilees to the coaching lineup you have one of the top high stakes players these days making content.


For example:

Just last week Danmerr released a new 2 part series on 500NL Zoom (each video is 45 minutes). You get to see every hand he plays as he beats a lineup of tough regulars.

He also recently released an 8 part series on "Raising the River" where he analyzes hands with a solver that he played in nosebleed games against TrueTeller.



So while The Upswing Poker Lab is accessible for beginner and novice poker players, I think there is enough high level strategy in the Upswing Poker Lab that even some advanced players will be satisfied.

How does it compare to the competitors though?

It is important to note that many other advanced poker training programs have been launched in recent years as well though. 

And many of these offer even higher level poker training than the Upswing Lab, with more current top level players as coaches.

The Upswing Poker Lab Review Final Verdict - Is Worth It For You? (3/5 ★★★☆☆)

The Upswing Poker Lab is a decent option for newer poker players, but there are many significantly better options available these days for serious poker players at a lower price.

This is why it did not make my list of the best poker training courses.

Firstly, the Upswing Poker Lab struggles with a lot of outdated content especially in the Core and Advanced strategy sections of the course, which is what most people will look at first.

Many comparable online poker training courses these days simply have more up to date videos that are teaching you the right strategy that works for today's poker games.

This is especially problematic in the sections of the course discussing GTO and solvers. Most other comparable poker training courses have much more up date videos on GTO strategy and the best solvers to use.

I also felt that the Upswing Poker Lab has clearly fallen behind many of it's competitors in terms of the quality of it's coaches and the depth of material in key areas such as cash games, tournaments, Zoom, live poker and mixed games.

The Upswing Poker Lab private community is also surprisingly small and inactive. Many alternative training programs these days offer a much better, more engaged, community experience.

Lastly, many other comparable poker training programs these days do not charge you every single month like The Upswing Poker Lab.

For most comparable programs you only have to pay once. But more on that below.

The Upswing Poker Lab offers some value for beginners, but there are many significantly better poker training options for serious players these days, at a lower price.

What is the Best Way to Improve Your Poker Game Quickly?

People ask me all the time what is the best way to improve your poker game these days. Or what is the best advanced poker training?

Well, if you are brand new to the game of poker or struggling at the lower stakes, then I would say any of the hundreds of free strategy articles I have written here on my poker blog would be the best place to start.

In fact, if you literally have no money at all to invest in any poker training right now, just grab a copy of my free poker "cheat sheet."

It actually includes many of the exact same poker strategies that you will find in the Upswing Poker Lab. 

Only difference is that I don't charge anything for it.

It's 100% free and always will be.

You can get my free poker cheat sheet, right here.

What if you are truly ready to take your game to a world class level and start making the big money at higher stakes games though?

After having a thorough look now at the Upswing Poker Lab training program, I am going to give it a passing grade for newer players. 

But I think there are many much better options for online poker training these days that offer a better bang for your buck.

This is why the Upswing Poker Lab is no longer among my top recommend poker training options anymore.

Because most comparable poker training programs simply have more up to date material, with better coaches and more wide ranging content covering all aspects of the game.

Now with all of that said, will any poker training program suddenly turn you into a world class high stakes crusher over night though? 

Probably not.

That is entirely up to you and the effort you are willing to put into the program.

What is the Price of the Upswing Poker Lab?  

Lastly, let's discuss what it will cost.

Membership in The Upswing Poker Lab is currently $99 per month although there are cheaper options if you opt for a longer term plan like 6 months or 1 year.

However, my guess is that most people don't want to commit to a time period like that and so often they opt for the monthly payments instead.

For me though, this is definitely the biggest drawback of the course overall.

In fact, as mentioned, many comparable poker training programs these days only charge you once. But with The Upswing Lab, you have to pay every single month.

This can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars if you choose to stick around for even a couple of months.

I think this is too big of a price commitment for many small stakes players on a short bankroll.

When I was just starting out my professional poker career, I certainly could not afford something like this!

Especially when we are in a day and age where there are literally tons of totally free high level poker strategy videos available online.

For example, I put out a new advanced poker strategy video every week on my YouTube poker channel.

Join 150,000+ others who have already subscribed.

I have uploaded over 700 videos with hundreds of hours of advanced poker training over the years.

And YouTube is of course, completely free.

Also, many people who read my poker blog play in small stakes games and spending hundreds of dollars on poker training (assuming a multiple month membership) is just not something they are ready for yet.

Now of course, you get what you pay for typically in life. 

While The Upswing Poker Lab might be cost prohibitive for many small stakes players (especially when many cheaper or free options abound), the level of instruction is good.

While I have removed it from my list of recommended advanced poker training programs I still think it is a decent option for newer players.

Is There Any Free Poker Training Available?

I know what it is like to be a struggling small stakes poker player though. 

Many years before I went pro, I didn't have the money to sign up for something like the Upswing Poker Lab either.

In fact, I literally started my professional poker career with just $60.

And luckily this game has been very good to me over the years. I have been traveling the world for over 10 years now and have been semi-retired from the game for quite some time.

But it wasn't always easy in the beginning, as many of you know.

And I also struggled for many years to find my way in this game.

So I wanted to give back, especially to all the loyal readers here on my blog over the years.

That is why I recently decided to create a totally free alternative for you.

My free poker "cheat sheet" includes many of the exact same strategies that you will find in The Upswing Poker Lab.

Only difference is, I don't charge anything for it.

It is 100% free.

You can download my free poker "cheat sheet" right here.