Doug Polk Relives NLCS Game 6

The Chicago Cubs are in the World Series for the first time since 1945 and are attempting to capture their first World Series championship since besting the Detroit Tigers during back-to-back title appearances in 1907-1908.

Upswing Poker featured pro Doug Polk was on hand for the Cubs’ epic 5-0 shutout victory Saturday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers at historic Wrigley Field, and relayed his experiences to YouTube fans in a recent video update.

First Base Line or Home Plate Seating?

When it comes to having the most panoramic view of on-field play, WCGRider prefers a cozy seat behind home plate. You can see the pitches a lot better that way, plus it’s a lot easier to judge where a fly ball is going immediately after contact is made. But if we’re talking about absorbing the atmosphere and getting into the game with a lively, success-starved crowd and receiving some candid camera TV exposure, the First Base line isn’t a bad spot to be in.

“You’re kind of more in the action along the foul line. You can catch a ball. Sometimes you have to duck from balls that are coming at you, and I feel like you’re more part of the game from that seat even though your view of the pitch isn’t quite as good,” explains the two-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Doug Runs into The Poker Brat

The scene leaving Wrigley Field Saturday night was a “madhouse,” Polk tells his YouTube viewers. More than 40,000 were exiting the stadium and that’s not counting all the off-property bars and restaurants that tend to fill up when the Cubs are chasing a pennant.

So all in all, the line on a chance encounter with none other than Mr. WSOP Bracelitz himself Phil Hellmuth, would have likely paid better than a Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson gag wager. Yet there Phil was… self-branded baseball cap & all.

Redemption for Chicago Cubs Fans?

Doug alluded to the “curse” many Chicago Cubs fans have etched into their memories from a failed 2003 NLCS effort against the Florida Marlins. With 1 Out in the Top of the 8th of the ’03 NLCS Game 6, the Cubs held a 3-2 Series advantage along with a 3-0 lead, and were 5 Outs away from ending a World Series drought that had been endured for nearly 60 years at that point.

That’s when one man, Cubs fan Steve Bartman, reached out for opportunity and became the focus of a snake-bit hometown crowd yet to realize the ramifications of modern day Outlawry.

Whether Cubs Left Fielder Moisés Alou had a legitimate chance to catch that foul ball is questioned even to this day. What remains undeniable however is that Bartman was not responsible for the on-field antics that led to an 8-run two-thirds of an inning and concluded the following night with a 9-6 loss in Game 7.

Bartman’s plight and his iron-willed silence throughout the years has become a nationwide story as the Cubs look to even the Series before heading back to Wrigley Field for what they hope will be Games 3, 4 and 5. It is my opinion that the former youth baseball coach should be afforded a chance to connect with the community once again, regardless of whether the Cubs win the 2016 World Series.

Punta Cana Here We Come!

Doug Polk is heading south to the Dominican Republic this weekend to participate in the 2016 Punta Cana Poker Classic. There is a $1,650 buy-in NLHE Re-entry Main Event that is already underway, with plans for final table commentary hosted by the Twitch Poker Record Holder (barring a Doug Polk final table run).

This will be Upswing Doug and Upswing Kaitie‘s first trip to the country. They will fly through Chicago on their way back to Las Vegas as the Upswing Poker featured pro resumes his 2016 Online Poker Bankroll Challenge on November 4th.

(Note: Want to learn poker with Doug Polk and I as your coach? Our in-depth poker training course is called the Upswing Lab and in it we cover a massive amount of important topics. Our members are crushing and you can too!)