Doug Polk – Sells Upswing Poker One Day, Fights Tax Bill on Television the Next

Upswing Poker Changes Hands
 

Upswing Poker, one of the most renowned poker training platforms co-founded by Polk in 2015, is now under the ownership of ClubWPT Gold. Polk confirmed the sale in a YouTube video last week but did not disclose the transaction amount. He explained that “Upswing used to be my 'baby' and the sole project I worked on, but now I have multiple ventures and an opportunity for acquisition arose that made sense for everyone involved.”

He further explained that the deal went surprisingly smoothly — one dinner, some fine-tuning of details, and within a few months everything was sealed. “It was far more painless than I expected... the negotiations were really straightforward, and we completed it quickly,” Polk shared about the sale's behind-the-scenes process.

This move comes amidst a period of growing collaboration between Polk and WPT. Earlier this year, Polk successfully completed a challenge to make a $100,000 profit in a month, which led to him becoming an official ambassador of ClubWPT Gold from April 1st. Additionally, his own poker club, The Lodge, located in Round Rock, Texas, will host the first-ever World Poker Tour event in Texas this October, highlighting the deepening partnership between Polk and WPT.

Polk reassured Upswing users that nothing would change for them — the entire existing team remains in place, and he will continue overseeing marketing and recruiting new coaches to ensure the Upswing brand thrives. Training lessons will be enhanced with benefits via connection with ClubWPT Gold, such as players receiving 'sweeps coins' (a virtual currency) usable on the platform. Additionally, Polk announced that by the end of August, the revamped section Upswing Poker Lab 2.0 with improved interface will launch.

Media Critique of New Tax Law
 

Just as the buzz about the Upswing sale was settling, Doug Polk threw himself into a national battle supporting poker players. He appeared on the American television station NewsNation to sharply criticize planned tax law changes related to gambling. This involves a federal amendment known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed by former President Donald Trump on July 4th, set to restrict the ability to deduct losses from winnings starting in 2026, causing significant concern among the American poker community. Under the new rules, players will only be able to deduct 90% of their losses, meaning they will pay taxes on money they didn't actually win. We've covered this topic in a separate article, which you can view here:

Polk highlighted that taxing “non-existent money” is the main issue. “If you want to tax money we've actually won, fine. But taxing money we haven't won, I have a big problem with that,” he declared live. The discussion featured Marc Short, a former senior government official, defending the law by drawing a parallel with stock market investors. However, Polk countered this argument by highlighting a crucial difference: “Short's view would make sense only if gamblers could carry forward their losses to future years like stock investors— this isn't possible in gambling,” Polk argued. He also noted that most successful players operate with small margins: “You might put a million into play over a year and win 1.05 or 1.1 million — earning perhaps 50 to 100 thousand. This law essentially wipes you out of business; you won't be able to continue your career,” Polk warned.

The debate also raised the question of whether such a tax burden would drive professional players to operate illegally. Polk responded, stating that an additional tax would indeed destroy many livelihoods, to which the moderator replied, “if that's true, this industry will end.” Polk emphasized that unless the law changes, the entire sector will feel the impact, not only in Las Vegas but across the entire U.S., with significant drops in gambling revenue, fewer players and tourists, and thousands losing their jobs.

Professional poker players are sounding the alarm, and Polk has become one of their main voices. The good news is that opposition to the law is coming from across the political spectrum — both Democrats and Republicans have spoken out against the “BBB Act.” For instance, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Dina Titus have put forward proposals to overturn this new tax twist, with Republican Andy Barr also submitting his proposal.

In just one week, Doug Polk has stirred the waters on two fronts. The sale of Upswing Poker to WPT's wings brought him not only business success but also strengthened ties within the poker community. Meanwhile, he boldly stepped in front of the cameras to defend poker as a livelihood against regulations that threaten it. Polk is proving to be not only a leading player and entrepreneur in poker but also one of its loudest advocates, ready to fight for its future at every level.

Sources – X, YouTube, UpswingPoker, CardPlayer, VIP-Grinders