Under the alias “WCGRider”, Doug Polk is a notable figure in the world of professional poker. During his career, Polk managed to win three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. Now semi-retired, Doug is focused on YouTube and UpswingPoker.com. To date, Doug Polk has a net worth of $10 million.
Early Life
Douglas K. Polk was born on December 16, 1988, in Pasadena, California and his family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. His father introduced him to strategy games, teaching Doug chess at five.
The Pasadena native graduated from Wakefield High School in 2007 and grew fond of playing World of Warcraft. He began competing in World Cyber Games (WCG) events and this is where he got the “WCGRider” nickname.
During this time, he was also playing poker. Polk enrolled at the University of North Carolina Wilmington but dropped out just before graduating as he planned to pursue a career in poker.
Poker Career
Polk got his first taste of online poker playing on PokerStars.com and progressed from $20 stakes to $10,000 stakes. He didn’t start playing his specialty, Heads-up No Limit hold ’em, until 2009.
In 2011, he was on the brink of going bankrupt before bouncing back and taking his game to the next level. Doug continued to dominate online poker and did well in live tournaments, winning three WSOP bracelets.
Along with fellow poker pro Ryan Fee, Doug started the poker training website Upswing Poker in 2015. However, he announced his retirement in 2018 but made a return in 2020 for a challenge match against long-time rival Daniel Negreanu. Polk won $1.2 million from the game.
YouTube Career
At the peak of his poker career, he created the “Doug Polk Poker” YouTube channel. He made videos about his experience and upcoming matches.
The YouTube channel gained traction in 2016 with the “Bankroll Challenge”. Through online poker, he aimed to turn a $100 bankroll into $10,000! Polk completed the challenge in two years and has ventured into content outside of the poker world.
Doug’s main channel currently has 406,000 subscribers and his second channel which is crypto related holds 157,000 subs. He also has separate YouTube accounts for his podcast and a clip channel to promote the content.
Net Worth and Earnings
Polk earns around $10,000 to $20,000 per month from YouTube ad revenue. Upswing Poker also gives Doug’s earnings a considerable boost. Moreover, there’s his crypto portfolio, which mostly includes CAT, BTC, WAX, ETH, DBC, and DASH. There’s no doubt, his crypto assets took a hit during the bear market but should have recovered in 2024.
However, his online ventures are not his main income stream. From live poker earnings alone, Doug has earned $10,493,951 and ranks 127th in the all-time money list. In recent times, Polk has returned to playing poker as he’s regained his love for the game. It’s estimated that his online poker winnings amount to about $3.5 million.
Personal Life
Kaitlin Karges is Polk’s long-time partner and they finally tied the knot in 2021. Doug previously lived in Las Vegas and now resides in Austin, Texas. In 2022, he became a co-owner of The Lodge Card Club.
