22 Feb 2026 Beginner This material is for beginner players Doug Polk is willing to battle with anyone who thinks they can beat him. The three-time WSOP bracelet winner has officially issued a new high-stakes heads-up no-limit hold 'em challenge to the poker world. And this time around, Polk is offering bigger rewards to anyone who is ready to battle him online in high stakes. Polk promised a $25,000 bounty to anyone who beat him in more than 5,000 hands at $100/$200 or higher. Polk indicated that the matches will last for three days. If Polk wins the first match, the next challenger will get an extra $25,000. The fourth and final opponent would get an extra $100,000 if Polk wins three matches in a row. The challenge is open to residents from the US and Canada who can play on Club WPT Gold. Polk will choose his opponents based on who he thinks will be the most captivating match for the fans. High-stakes poker fans will be in for a treat, since this format is not just a one-time spectacle; it is meant to be dramatic and suspenseful all the time. A New Bounty Format Raises the Stakes Polk's proposed structure will put pressure on his opponents in a smart way. Each challenger will battle Polk in a 5000-hand heads-up duel instead of a long marathon with one opponent. The rollover bonus is the twist. Plenty of players will want to take on Polk if he keeps winning. Polk's fourth opponent will have a $100,000 bounty if Polk wins three matches in a row. The buildup from one heads-up match to another will create an intriguing storyline. Polk will be in the spotlight with each win. On the other hand, he will lose momentum and money with each loss. The encounter will not be a casual match since the heads-up battle will be played at $100/$200 stakes. Polk’s History in Heads-Up Battles This is not the first time Polk has issued a public heads-up challenge. He played a 25,000-hand heads-up match against another poker star, Daniel Negreanu, in late 2020 and early 2021. The heads-up battle took place online after months of tension between the two poker stars. Polk emerged victorious after the heads-up duel, generating a profit of approximately $1.2 million. What started out as a very heated battle cooled down after the last hand. Both players showed respect to each other after the duel. In 2023, they briefly met again during a live heads-up match on PokerGO. Negreanu won that short session. Still, it doesn't look like there will be a full rematch. Negreanu is now a global ambassador for GGPoker, a site that operates differently from Polk's platform of choice. This time around, Polk's challenge takes on a different direction; instead of facing a single rival, he will face multiple opponents on rotation, contrary to his previous showdown. Possible Opponents and Old Rivalries Polk mentioned a few big names as possible challengers. Phil Hellmuth, Phil Galfond, Matt Berkey, Bryn Kenney, and Sam "Senor Tilt" Kiki were some of them. Each name has a story behind it. Polk and Berkey have clashed publicly before over issues such as where to train and how to play. A heads-up match between them would likely draw a lot of viewership. Picking his opponents is how Polk ensures every match is both fun and competitive. What This Means for Polk and Modern Heads-Up Poker For Polk, this challenge is about more than just winning money. Many consider Polk as one of the best heads-up poker players in the world. This move puts him back in the competitive conversation. For the past few years, he hasn't played many high-stakes games regularly. Additionally, it comes at a time when high-level heads-up content is very limited. Long heads-up battles require time, a large bankroll, and player attention. By limiting each match to 5,000 hands and adding a bounty, Polk has made the game feel fresh and fun to watch. Poker Community Reaction Below are a few reactions from the poker community: @GmanPoker: I would not like to play. Instead, you, me, and 2-3 mouth breathers play 5K live hands @LodgePokerClub stream. Whoever wins more/loses less gets a large bounty and we settle this GTO vs exploit thing once and for all.— Garrett Adelstein (@GmanPoker) February 20, 2026 @junglemandan: Dude, this isn't an open challenge. There's aren't serious contenders for HUNL poker. Don't go the route of @phil_hellmuthIf you're going to make it a "private" challenge among non-specialists that's one thing but don't lie pretending it's a challenge for true top HUNL…— Daniel Cates 🇺🇸 🌎 (@junglemandan) February 21, 2026 @bp22: You know I can't resist!— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) February 20, 2026 @MikeMcDonald89: Great challenge. So many challenges just seem to be about marketing by adding some clickbaity terms, but poker would be a lot better if we had more short challenges with stakes that are enjoyable for viewers without forcing unnecessary stress on participants— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) February 20, 2026 @NCTarwheel: If I’m understanding this correctly…If at the end of 5k hands, villain is +$.01 or more, you pay out $25k.Yet… the rake @ClubWPTGold is 4% with 3BB cap at those 100/200 stakes. So even if NO opens there would still be min $30k in rake collected. (With a rake cap of $3MM 🤯…— NCTarwheel (@NCTarwheel) February 20, 2026
