Doug Polk Bankroll Challenge Resumes November 4th

This past August, Upswing Poker featured pro Doug Polk began his $100 to $10,000 Online Poker Bankroll Challenge on WSOP.com Nevada with high hopes of quickly grinding a hundo into five-figures. Ten days into the Challenge, it appeared as if the two-time WSOP bracelet winner was well on his way to achieving precisely that. The original $100 had swollen to over $500 thanks to Doug’s micro-stakes skills and some timely breaks. All Doug needed was just a lil’ more cooperation from the cards and he’d be soaring above $10k in time to enjoy a few days’ respite before heading to Vancouver to compete in the September WCOOP. Live stream viewers hopped onto the risk-taking bandwagon alongside our favorite pro as he embarked on a $10 MTT journey that would most definitely lead to the Promised Land!

Well the wheels came off the wagon shortly thereafter. The roll dropped back down to a humble one-thirty something. Doug’s most loyal live-cast fans looked on in disappointment as the chat alternated between being supportive and abusive throughout late August. The 27-year old’s groundbreaking A+ effort (highlighted by a 19-hour marathon session) had gone largely unappreciated as online poker fans around the globe instead focused on the math of a 37% Return on Investment. One month, 37 dollars. The official count is actually closer to $142 thanks to some much-welcomed WSOP.com NV bonus money (BLING BLING), but The Lab creator, Upswing Kaitie and their trusted four-pawed sidekick Binks were admittedly a bit bummed when looking at the Challenge subtotal through a results-oriented lens. Yet the struggles endured by the I Go To Wakefield lyricist had placed him on the Twitch Poker map and quickly elevated him into the upper echelon of high-ranking poker streamers. That single month of casting managed to grow poker through increased viewer interest, community engagement, and separate player-based bankroll attempts such as the Spins Challenge hosted by YouTuber and Team #GrindNation member courtiebee.

This Friday, the Twitch record holder will get his second-go at the 2016 Online Poker Bankroll Challenge. Viewers can watch the action live (with a short delay to prevent hole card sniping) on the official @DougPolkPoker Twitch Channel.

An Evolved Twitch Poker Landscape

Doug will enter Friday’s continuation of the Bankroll Challenge under far different circumstances than just a few months ago. Non-premium “Followership” numbers for Twitch Poker casters have maintained steady growth since our June 16th Twitch Poker Report article was posted.

Doug Polk has a significant lead in percentage-based gain over that period, followed by MTT personality Parker Talbot and Poker Life Podcast publisher Joey Ingram, who hosted a WSOP November Nine Rail Show that was watched by more than 7,000 real time viewers earlier this week. A numbers-based calculation of Followership popularity also shows Polk ahead of the pack, with Twitch Poker superstar Jason Somerville also attracting more than 12,000 new fans to his channel since mid-June. The Twitch Poker landscape has redefined itself from the 2015 dual-personality domination of JCarver and PokerStaples to a highly competitive environment as online poker streamers flock towards third-party content and social media platforms to establish or augment their personal brands.

An Evolved Doug Polk

WCGRider will be re-opening action on WSOP.com NV with a renewed sense of accomplishment following his September 2016 WCOOP show which resulted in a $455,000 runner-up effort that was viewed by more than 23,500 poker fans.

The stage is now set for one of Poker’s Top 5 Modern Day Personalities to guide his Twitch followers to an all-important November bankroll boost. Fans around the world can catch the action live starting this Friday!