UpSwing Poker’s Legal Drama Spills Over to Social Media

The crux of the three professional players’ argument appears to be Fernando “Jnandez” Habegger’s many legal battles with Doug Polk-owned UpSwing Poker, which started five years ago. An online jab against Polk by poker pro Charlie Carrell unleashed a spectacular cascade, opening old wounds and drawing the three players into a heated Twitter war.

Disagreements Sparked a Protracted Legal War

Upswing Poker and Jnandez had a spectacular falling out roughly half a decade ago as the poker pro left the online coaching platform on less than amicable terms. He alleged that UpSwing significantly short-changed him and unilaterally kicked him out of a private Facebook group. Polk, in turn, accused the poker star of trying to steal customers, and their relationship quickly became unsalvageable. 

The two parties then engaged in a protracted legal battle, trading claims and counter-claims with varying success. Jnandez claims to have won the dispute regarding his unpaid commissions, winning a five-figure payout plus roughly $150,000 in legal fees. Habegger then issued a defamation counter-claim against Polk, further feeding much-needed capital into the US legal system.

A Twitter Post Reignited Old Grudges

Despite the bad blood between Polk and Jnandez, their disputes quickly faded out of the public space. However, a recent Twitter argument thrust the ongoing drama back into the limelight as the two poker pros again locked horns. Their followers were bombarded with lengthy posts revealing detailed information about their previous legal battles.

The incident that triggered the deluge was an online jab by UK poker legend Charlie Carrell who attacked Doug Polk regarding the UpSwing owner’s recent feud with Matt Berkey. A reply soon followed as the poker coach replied with his own quip. Things might have de-escalated had Carrell not mentioned Polk’s ongoing beef with Jnandez. The argument quickly escalated, dragging Habegger into the fray.

Jnandez Entered the Ring with a Torrent of Info

The poker pro took offense to Polk’s claims of achieving partial legal victory, promising to upload evidence of all their previous encounters at court. A short time later, the star player delivered, posting message after message with receipts, screenshots, and copies of legal proceedings, individually addressing each of Polk’s claims. He focused on the defamation lawsuit, revealing that he won some points in the case.

The torrent of messages left Carrell out of the loop as the two old rivals focused exclusively on each other. Carrel has long urged Polk to settle their differences via a live stream and hopefully move on from the ongoing debacle. However, the UpSwing owner appears content to duke it out on social media, providing their followers with plenty of content.