
Upswing Poker Lab Review 2024 – Everything You Need To Know In One Place!
Most poker courses out there focus on a particular segment of the game and rarely do we see a course that comes equipped with a kind of knowledge that covers all of the areas in one place.
That's what makes the Upswing Poker Lab stand out from the crowd, so make sure to check it out!
However, this could be both good and bad, depending on your situation, so I hope this review will help you answer all of your questions.
Upswing Lab covers everything, from the basic strategy to advanced concepts, cash games, MTTs, and even live play, so you will definitely find useful information.
Since everything is neatly organized, you can take one segment at a time and focus on improving that particular area by learning from the best Upswing Poker Lab instructors.
In this Upswing poker lab review, we'll look into all parts of the Lab to see what it is that they offer. I want to start this review by recognizing the poker coaches behind the strategies, so let's jump directly into that.
Upswing Poker Lab Review: Your Elite Coaches

Each part of Upswing Poker Lab is covered by a top player in that particular game, giving the viewer a lot of value. MTT players are not trying to teach you deep stack strategies, and cash games specialists are not explaining ICM spots, so I like that everyone concentrates on the areas they excel.
Doug Polk and Ryan Fee were the main instructors when Upswing Lab was launched, but now this training program features multiple high-stakes crushers sharing their knowledge.
- Doug Polk – advanced strategies, ranges, and deep stack play.
- Ryan Fee – an overall strategy.
- Fried Maulders – online 6-max and solvers.
- Jason McConnon – high-stakes cash games.
- Daniel ‘DANMERR’ Merrilees – cash games, heads-up.
- Moritz ‘Mo’ Dietrich – high-stakes tournaments.
- Parker ‘tonkaaaap’ Talbot – MTTs short stack play.
- Mike Finestein – Live games.
New coaches are constantly joining the team, so you can expect this rooster to only increase in the future. That said, you can learn everything you need to know to beat low to mid-stakes games from the ones sharing their knowledge on Upswing Poker Lab at this point.
If you want a dedicated program covering a specific game in much more detail, check out advanced courses from Upswing Poker.
Finding Your Way Around the Upswing Lab
Upswing Lab has been through a number of changes and iterations over the years, with the team behind it constantly looking for ways to improve the Lab and make it more useful to the end user.
In its latest version, Upswing Lab features eight distinct learning paths covering specific games/game types, namely:
- No Limit Simplified
- Online Cash Games
- Live Cash Games
- Tournament Starter Pack
- Advanced Cash Game Tactics
- Advanced Tournament Strategy
- Best of Doug Polk
- Best of Gary Blackwood
Each of these learning paths consists of a number of modules breaking down important concepts and offering you a structure path to success in whatever format you've chosen.
You have an option to go through and watch individual videos as well, but sticking to a specific path is probably the best way to go for those new to poker.
Upswing Lab Review – No Limit Simplified

The Upswing Lab Core Strategy segment (formerly Upswing Lab Core) has you covered if you’re looking for a course that will introduce you to general poker concepts and fundamental strategies.
With 30 modules (written lessons and videos) to go through, this segment covers everything. From the core poker terminology to basics and outside factors such as poker software, bankroll management, and mental game considerations.
It is worth mentioning that this segment is delivered by Doug Polk, the Upswing Poker founder, and a well-established high-stakes pro.
⭐ Introductory Videos
The first several videos of the No Limit Simplified cover things such as:
- Terminology
- Ranges
- Hand categories
- Matrices

In these videos, Polk explains how you should be looking at poker in an organized and understandable fashion.
For many new to the game, this is an important first step toward becoming a good player. Without understanding these core ideas, it is virtually impossible to properly understand any later talks even about basic strategy, let alone some more advanced concepts.
This introductory segment is what’s missing from many poker courses targeting novice players as they assume everyone is familiar with concepts such as ranges and categories of hands. But that is not always the case. So, these first few introductory videos are a must-watch if you are new to this game.
⭐ Fundamental Strategy
After explaining these core ideas and terminology, the course continues to deliver over a dozen videos covering poker strategy basics.
Many of the things discussed in these videos are nothing new to those who have been playing seriously for a while, but they can be a real eye-opener to someone who’s been playing poker recreationally and has been trying to improve their game.
Topics include:
- Preflop raise (raising first in, playing against the raiser)
- Postflop bet sizing
- Value and advantages of position
- Playing with and without initiative
- Turn play
This is just a brief overview of what you’ll find inside the Upswing Lab No Limit Simplified segment. All these various concepts are in several videos to cover specific angles, i.e., playing as the aggressor or playing against the aggressor, different bet sizing ideas depending on what you’re looking to achieve, etc.
Keep in mind that this part is intended primarily for new players, so that is not a surprise that Doug does a good job of bringing various ideas down to earth and explaining them in a way that is understandable and logical for those just starting their Hold’em journey.
⭐ Outside Factors
A lot of vital poker parts are away from the tables, which is why the module wraps up with several articles discussing things like:
- Best poker tools
- Mental game & tilt
- Bankroll management & building
- Game selection
- Making Adjustments
All of it is very important for someone looking to take poker seriously and make it into something more than a hobby or a pass-time.
For example, poker software is must-have these days if you’re playing online at any significant stakes. Everybody’s using it, and if you’re the one without it, you’ll be at a serious disadvantage.
Despite what we all would like to think about our playing abilities, going up against someone who has much more information on us is already a huge disadvantage.
The bankroll management, game selection, and mental game segments offer insights into some of the most common issues every poker player has to deal with: tilt, variance, dealing with pressure, and maintaining a healthy life balance, which is vital for long-term success.
It is essential to get all that information to reach long-term success.
⭐ Members’ Hand Reviews
Upswing Poker Lab added a new module that focuses on analyzing hand samples sent by the members, where the course moves from theoretical discussion to real play.
Ryan Fee and Doug Polk sit down together to go through some interesting spots found in the samples from Lab members and look into hands, referring back to theoretical concepts discussed in previous lessons.
It’s good to see that the course covers several different stakes, ranging anything from NL5 to higher ones. Since there is a big difference between these stakes, this approach ensures that players who are just starting to build their bankroll are getting the type of advice they need and understand the necessary adjustments for their games.
Upswing Lab Review – Online Cash Games

There is no particular order in which you’re supposed to go through Upswing Lab paths, as each one of them stands on its own. So, I’ll just start the review with Online Cash Games.
After mastering the core strategies in the No Limit Simplified section, Upswing Lab lets you pick your game of choice and get down to business.
If that’s cash games, this is the module for you.
Keep in mind that the module has been created targeting specifically the players who watched the introductory course, as you’ll find references to the ideas and concepts mentioned there.
The Online Cash Games path of the Upswing Lab features a number of coaches, including Fried Meulders, Ryan Riske, Tim Jenkins, Gary Blackwood, and Jason McConnon.
The course takes you from the introductory module's basic concepts to the next, more theory-based level and is divided into four main sections, namely:
- General concepts
- Preflop & flop
- Turn & river
- 3bet & 4bet pots
- C-betting & delayed c-betting
- How to use different poker software solutions
This module provides everything required to be successful in modern-day cash games. It relies heavily on solvers and other poker software, which may sometimes feel a bit tedious, but it is the best and most accurate way to study poker.
As you’d expect from an Upswing course, there is a lot of quality content inside. Tens of hours of videos featuring theoretical lessons and hand examples will help you absorb the knowledge in the fastest and most efficient way.
Using the Preflop Charts Viewer tool, you can also access solved preflop ranges for both online and live cash games, another tremendous resource you get from joining the Upswing Lab.
⭐ Upswing Poker Chart Viewer App
Upswing Lab prepared their mobile app that contains all sorts of charts presented throughout different modules all in one place. In total, there are more than 240 ready-made charts from the Lab.
This app is extremely handy as it makes it possible to have your ranges with you wherever you go. You’ll have easy access to them during your live poker sessions and online play without constantly switching between different screens on your PC.
These charts are truly one of the best parts of the course because they provide an answer for pretty much every situation out there. While it is always great to be flexible and analyze your play, if you stick to these charts, you can pretty much be certain that you’re playing a very solid and fundamentally healthy game.

Advanced Cash Game Tactics by Upswing Poker
For those cash game players who are ready to take their game to the next level and tackle higher stakes, the Advanced Cash Game learning path is just what the doctor ordered.
Taking things up a notch from the basic course, this one covers a more advanced and complex concepts, such as:
- Deep stack play
- Using big flop bets
- Block betting
- Triple barreling
- Raising on the river
- Playing single-raised pots out of position
- Over-betting and donk betting
The content inside this learning path is provided by players with a proven track record in cash games of all shapes and sizes, including Ryan Riske, Gary Blackwood, Fabian Adler, and David Yan.
There are 11 individual modules contained in the Advanced Cash Game path, with over 30 hours worht of content. You'll find the most up-to-date cash game strategies inside, allowing you to take on seasoned opponents and do well against them.
Upswing Poker Lab Review – Tournament Starter Pack
It is no surprise that there are not one but two sections of Upswing Poker Lab devoted to MTTs. The first one of these is the Tournament Starter Pack, and, as the name suggests, it is intended for tournament beginners.

There is a lot of valuable information contained inside this learning path, but it has a bit of an unusual structure. The lessons inside are not arranged in any particular order, so you should just pick a topic that’s you’re interested in and get started.
While this approach may have its advantages, it may not be the best for beginner players, who may feel a bit lost, not knowing where to start. If this is the case, I strongly recommend first going through the No Limit Simplified section, as it will help you navigate the rest of the Lab.
The module consists of 18 large lessons in total, with different coaches covering different topics, for example:
- Doug Polk explains that ICM
- Ryan Fee and Parker Talbot talk about playing 10 – 25 big blinds deep
- Aaron Barone discusses mistakes to avoid in tournaments
- Parker Talbot covers the 3-bet pots’ strategy in detail
Each section contains a few hours' worth of videos with an expert coach covering the topic they’re familiar with.
There is no doubt that the Tournament Starter Pack section of the Upswing Lab contains everything you need to significantly improve your tournament play.
The only struggle you can have is how to go through the lessons.
If you feel like this is the case, I’d suggest you start with the preflop guide, followed by the flop betting and blind play lessons. After that, you can pick any of the topics, and you should have a good foundation to keep up.
Below, you’ll find an overview of some of the more important lessons in this module, which should further help with figuring out where to start.
⭐ ICM
ICM (the Independent Chip Model) is a concept only applicable in tournaments as it is non-existent in cash games.
In cash games, every chip is worth its face value, i.e., one dollar won is one dollar you can cash out and take with you. This isn’t the case in tournaments because money is distributed differently through prizes for finishing in a certain position.
So, to give you an idea of what your chips are worth at a certain point in a tournament, the ICM model was invented.
Many players seem to overlook the importance of this model, so this 20-minute video on ICM by Polk is an invaluable source of information.
In it, he explains how the values of your chips change throughout the tournament and how you should change your strategy accordingly to maximize your expected value.
Overall, this is a very good video that brings across the whole idea of ICM, what it is, how it works, and why it exists in the first place.
Even if you don’t know the exact math behind ICM, it is important to know how to use it during your play, and here you will learn how.
⭐ Playing 10 – 25 Big Blinds (Short Stack)

Another important area of tournament play to master is short stack play, i.e., playing with the stack between 10 and 25 big blinds.
This can be a real struggle for players transitioning from cash games because it is a concept they are just not used to, seeing how barely anyone ever plays with a <50bb stack.
Across 11 videos in this particular segment, the course touches upon almost every possible scenario when playing with a short stack, such as:
- Raising first: all-in and non-all in situations
- 3-bet all in situations
- Calling all-ins
- Flatting
- Playing in single-raised pots
With this being such an important and extensive topic, there is a lot of material covered in the videos, all accompanied by many examples to get different points explained, especially in terms of how they relate to ICM.
Almost everything you do in a tournament has to do with ICM considerations, and when you’re on a fairly short stack, meaning you’re putting your tournament life on the line, this becomes even more important.
To deliver this topic, Ryan Fee is joined by Parker ‘tonkaaaa’ Talbot, which is a well-known player streaming on Twitch.
⭐ The Final Table Play

In tournaments, the final table is where you want to be. It is where all the big prize money is.
When you reach the final stage, pay jumps between one or two positions can be dramatic, so by letting someone bust before you, you can significantly increase your earnings.
At the same time, the biggest rewards are usually for those finishing in the top three spots, with the winner getting the lion’s share of the cake. So learning how to maximize your chances of finishing on top and avoiding early busts is the way to success.
This segment is delivered through different final table reviews played by ‘tonkaaaa’, looking into different scenarios with short, medium, and large stacks and different table dynamics, getting all the various points across.
In the videos, Fee and ‘tonkaaaa’ discuss many different hands and difficult situations to give you a much more hands-on approach instead of theoretical stuff so that you could learn from real-life situations.
⭐ Members’ Tournament Reviews
Another fresh segment added to the MTT module covers more than five hours of tournament play submitted by Upswing Poker Lab members.
Like with the cash game module, this is an excellent way to look into how things play out at the tables, how different concepts can is in real play, and what some common leaks are.
Once again, the segment covers three different tournaments, namely:
- $22 Knockout MTT
- $22 regular MTT
- $500 MTT
There is a huge difference in the average skill level between these two buy-in levels. So, by analyzing both of these, Polk and Fee cater to players from both sides of the spectrum and also give lower stakes players an insight into what’s the play like at higher levels and how to adjust based on concrete, actual examples.
Upswing Poker Lab: Advanced Tournament Strategy
Although the Lab is aimed primarily at beginners, a couple of segments inside are geared toward more advanced players who already have a good grasp of the basics, whether through the previous experience or thanks to the knowledge acquired from beginners' lessons.
The Advanced Tournament Strategy path is one of these. It takes things up a notch from the initial segment, providing a more comprehensive MTT game-plan.
One of the first modules in this section is Tim Jenkins' Tournament Crash Course, which summarizes a good tournament strategy in a couple of hours, covering some of the most important on and off-the-tables concepts.
Beyond this, you'll find quite a few individual modules covering specific aspects of the tournament strategy, such as:
- ICM breakdowns and explanations by several coaches
- Blind vs. blind play
- Advanced Preflop Guide for MTTs by Moritz Dietrich
- Check-raising flops as the preflop raiser, and much more
This particular learning path is designed to take your tournament game to the next level and get you ready for events with tougher competition. Here's a quick overview of a couple of key modules you'll find inside the Upswing Lab Advanced Tournament Strategy learning path.
⭐ Big Blind Play
In tournaments, the big blind is probably the most important position, which is why one video in the module is dedicated to big blind play.
Playing from this position is extremely challenging because you are forced to put the chips in with a random hand and out of position. Therefore, your main goal isn’t to win from the big blind but to lose as little as possible.
Once the antes kick in, the big blind will often have great pot odds to call and see a lot of flops with fairly weak hands. Ryan Fee makes some interesting points about this, showing that even calling with a 72o against a fairly strong range opening 2.5 big blinds is slightly profitable in terms of raw equity.
Of course, raw equity isn’t all we need to look at in these spots, but it is something to think about when figuring out your big blind defense ranges.
To help with this, Ryan lays out some logical rules to follow in big blind defense scenarios, making it easier to predict if the hand will realize, under-realize, or over-realize its raw equity.
Being out of position works against us realizing our full raw equity; suited hands realize its raw equity much better than their unsuited counterparts, etc. This video should give you a good understanding of how you need to proceed in various situations and what you need to consider before making a final decision.
⭐ Check-raising the Flop as Preflop Raiser
Moritz Dietrich has covered several topics in the MTT module, primarily dealing with the postflop play.
He’s also the main man behind one of the latest additions to the course covering the topic of check-raising the flop as a preflop raiser. While this may seem like a highly specific area, Dietrich does a great job of covering various aspects of it in a series of videos.
The segment starts with an overview of different board structures and explanations when you should be looking to check-raise on the flop.
In addition to board structures, videos also look into how to structure your check-raise ranges vs. different sizes and how the stack depth and ICM influence our decision-making process.
In the final video of this module, Dietrich also looks into several examples that take into consideration population tendencies, which I really liked.
He explores what kind of results we can expect to get when using the check-raise move against three main types of players: those who fold slightly too much, those who fold way too much, and finally, the ones who fold too little.
The Upswing Poker Lab Review: Live Cash Game Bankroll Booster

A majority of courses out there are geared primarily towards online poker, which makes sense since most people looking for these types of training materials are primarily online players.
However, most of us do occasionally play live as well, and having some resources to fall back on in this particular area is very helpful.
This is where the Live Cash Game Bankroll Booster section of the Upswing Lab comes in. Although it isn’t as extensive as some other modules, it covers specific points related to live play.
It will help you build a solid starting point, avoid big mistakes, and understand how to adjust your strategies.
Naturally, all the strategy considerations from previous learning tracks still apply in live games as well, but there are adjustments that you need to know. The module is delivered by Doug Polk, Ryan Riske, Tim Jenkins, Gary Blackwood, and Fabian Adler, among others.
⭐Advanced Live Poker Strategy by Gary Blackwood
The longest and most extensive module in this track is provided by Gary Blackwood, a player with extensive online and live cash game experience. This allows him to offer a unique perspective on live poker through the lens of the online game, recognizing the most important adjustments and differences.
This particular module lasts almost five hours and consists of a combination of lessons and quizzes, offering an interactive learning experience.
Blackwood covers everything, from necessary preflop adjustments and opening sizes over flop play and deep stack scenarios to games featuring button straddles.
If you are transitioning from online to live poker, this is one of the best resources available on the internet. This module will help make that transition much smoother and help you avoid many pitfalls that online players fall victims to when entering the live arena.
⭐Live Poker Concepts & Ideas
The rest of the learning path consists of about a dozen modules covering specific concepts and ideas, combining theory behind them and real-life examples.
- Costly cash game mistakes
- Overbets
- How to think through spots like a pro
- Early vs. late position play
- Range & Nut advantage
The latest addition to this module are live cash game sessions from Doug Polk. In this module, Doug reviews some of his own hands played in a live setting, breaking down some interesting spots and explaining the reasoning behind his decisions.
⭐ Live Play Examples
Like with the rest of the modules, this one also includes a good amount of hand examples where all the different concepts, ideas, and adjustments are further dissected through actual hands from real games.
In addition to content from Doug Polk, hands discussed in the analysis videos come from $5/$10 and $25/$50 games at Hollywood Park and Poker Night in America show, so some interesting spots and situations arise during reviews.

The Upswing Lab Review: Best Of Sections
There are two “Best Of” sections inside Upswing Lab: Best of Doug Polk and Best of Gary Blackwood. These two sections don't feature any new lessons. Instead, they are a selection of hand-picked modules from the entire course.
Some of the lessons you'll find inside these two modules are:
- Block Betting by Gary Blackwood
- WSOP Tune Up by Doug Polk
- You Check-Raised the Flop… Now What? by Gary Blackwood
- Blockers by Doug Polk and Ryan Fee
- Playing Overpairs Like a Pro by Gary Blackwood
- Overbets by Doug Polk
These are simply some of the most interesting and impactful lessons found in different modules, and if you like the teaching style of one or both of these players, this is an easy way to access their best work for the Lab.
The Upswing Poker Lab Strategy – Play & Explain

Upswing Poker Lab used to have a separate part called “Mini-courses”, but removed that section and put those videos into Core and Advanced strategy areas. That being said, they did not leave you behind and introduced an ever-growing play & explain section.
As the name suggests, this is an area where you will be able to see how the best players in the world play and explain their thought processes.
What I like about this part is that it is constantly updated with new videos, so you can get the most up-to-date information and see how these crushers take on the games.
Ability to see how Doug Polk plays heads-up, how Fried Meulders is crushing Zoom on Pokerstars, how Jason Mcconnon deals with cash games, or Moritz Dietrick crush MTTs can be a game-changer for you.
On top of that, they cover all of the stakes, going from the lowest ones up to the nosebleeds, so no matter what you play, you will surely get valuable information from these guys.
Upswing Poker Lab Pricing

Upswing Poker Lab discontinued offering regular promo codes, but they still sometimes offer a discount on special occasions, so keep an eye on that.
At first, you may think that this is a huge investment, but Upswing Poker Lab offers different plans to choose from, so you will find one that fits your needs.
Moreover, you should see this as it is – AN INVESTMENT. If you implement at least half of these tips, you will improve your game at once and make much more on the way!
Conclusion – Is Upswing Poker Lab For You?
All in all, it must be said that this Upswing Poker Lab review clearly shows that it is one of the best whole-encompassing poker course.
What I particularly like about Upswing Poker Lab is that the course has been around for a few years now, and has been constantly updated with new content.
Upswing poker lab is a well-suited course for beginners and more advanced players looking to improve their game and raise the stakes.
So, the Upswing Poker Lab is well worth the investment, especially for someone making their first steps towards becoming a serious and profitable player. If you are in this spot, you can save a lot of time and money by joining the Lab NOW!
