Doug Polk Announces in New YouTube Video: ‘I’m Not Gonna Play Poker Anymore’

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Doug Polk doesn’t enjoy playing poker anymore. And for that reason, he said in a recent YouTube video, he’s done with the game he’s played professionally for nearly a decade.

Doug Polk retirement poker
Doug Polk announced in a YouTube video he no longer enjoys playing poker, but isn’t officially retiring from the game. (Image: thepokerhaus.com)

It’s game over for the 2017 WSOP One Drop High Roller champion, at least for now. Despite his public pseudo-retirement, the Upswing Poker founder admitted that he’ll probably jump back into the mix at some point.

“This doesn’t mean I’m never going to play poker again,” he said in his most recent YouTube video. “I’ll probably play occasionally from time to time for fun. Maybe, at some point down the road it will be something that I really want to get back into, and the flame will reignite and I want to play a lot of poker, I really don’t know.”

Is Doug Polk Done with Poker for Good?

Polk stopped short of officially announcing a retirement from the game. He doesn’t want to go down the same path as players such as Vanessa Selbst who retired only to return to tournament poker weeks later. If Doug announces a firm retirement and then gets the urge to play next month, some poker fans may be critical.

Doyle Brunson had one of the most memorable “retirements” this past summer. He announced on Twitter he was jumping in the WSOP $10,000 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship and said it “might be” his last, leading poker media and even mainstream media to speculate he was retiring.

After Doyle finished in seventh place ($43,963), the media and fans sent heartfelt goodbyes. Even ESPN SportsCenter covered the story. Brunson told reporters he owes it to his sick wife to spend more time at home. But a lifelong gambler can’t just walk away from poker for good.

Doyle was back in Bobby’s Room at Bellagio grinding the high-stakes cash games daily the rest of the summer. Some “retirement.”

Doug Polk is choosing a more low-key retirement strategy, just in case he changes his mind. He did, however, say in his video that he will still make some poker videos “from time to time.”

Polk recently completed a two-year $100 to $10,000 bankroll challenge on WSOP.com. That may be the last time his fans get to watch him play poker for a while.

Changing Career Paths

At age 29, after 10 years of playing poker, Polk is ready for a change in his life. He has plans for the rest of his life that don’t involve chasing flush draws.

“You know, I’m not going to play poker anymore,” he said. “That’s a chapter in my life story that’s coming to a close. I had a great time. I had a blast. Poker has given me so much.”

So, what’s up next for the YouTube personalities? More YouTube content, he expects. But he won’t focus heavily on cryptocurrency and poker content as much as in the past.

Instead, the three-time WSOP winner will tackle mainstream topics. He also owns CoinCentral, a crptocurrency news and advice website, and the Upswing Poker poker training site.

Polk is three months from his 30th birthday. He’s already accomplished so much in poker. His resume includes $9.4 million in lifetime live tournament winnings, three WSOP bracelets, and is considered one of the best heads-up online poker specialists ever.



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