We all knew he was poker-funny, but last night we found out that Doug Polk can rub shoulders with great comedians as he debuted on the hugely popular Kill Tony podcast.
The Club WPT Gold ambassador is currently entertaining his poker audience with the ‘Code Doug Golden Redemption’ challenge. However, two weeks ago, he showed up to the Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas to entertain a mainstream audience with his comedy stylings.
Polk’s baptism of fire came in the form of one minute of stand-up and a follow-up interview with roast comic Tony Hinchcliffe and his motley crew, during which the poker player turned entrepreneur seemed at home in the spotlight.
The self-proclaimed beaster of everything did beast his set, cracking hilarious jokes with a comic timing more associated with a veteran. He also seemed comfortable jousting with the cast of comics in the ad lib portion of the night.
Speaking exclusively on the WPT Global premiere of The Chip Race, Polk spoke about how some initial nerves gave way to exhilaration and then later elation as he reflected on a job well done.
The episode was recorded on the day of the filming of Kill Tony, and it’s fair to say that he was still buzzing after his very well-received set. He also gave his perspective of the wild, drunken night in Mitzi’s Bar that led to his being granted a guest spot on the show in the first place.
Mitzi’s Bar
Mitzi Shore is considered the Godmother of standup comedy. In 1972, she founded the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and two years later she became its hands-on owner, scheduling the shows, selling the tickets, cleaning the rooms and encouraging the comics, many of whom would become big stars.
She famously kept a plaque on her desk which read “It Is a Sin to Encourage Mediocre Talent”. She believed in what the kids now call ‘Rizz’, judging every comedian who auditioned for her on their personality and magnetism.
If they had charisma, she’d give them the space and time they needed to develop their act. She would nurture their talent.
Mitzi passed away in 2018 but her spirit lives on and it was in a bar in Austin that bears her name that Polk was introduced to Hinchcliffe by a mutual friend.
Polk’s reputation as one of the great heads-up poker players preceded him because Hinchcliffe already knew who he was and immediately threw down the gauntlet, challenging Polk to a duel. The stakes were big on both sides. Hinchcliffe would get $20,000 if he won. Polk would get to do one minute of stand-up on Kill Tony if he emerged victorious.
The way Polk described it on The Chip Race, the scene descended into chaos with “everybody at the bar yelling and screaming… two dudes shit-talking… shots being drunk… cards being slammed down”. In Hinchcliffe’s version, he won the first game but offered Polk a second bite of the apple.
In Polk’s version, it was “one of the most fun poker days of my life, maybe number one… it lasted until five in the morning and I eventually won the spot.” Whatever happened, it paved the way for the birth of stand-up Doug on the Comedy Mothership stage.
The Comedy Mothership
The Comedy Mothership is owned by renowned comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan, and for the past two years, it has established itself as a home for comedy of a more raucous and politically incorrect nature.
Located in the historic Ritz building just off 6th Street, the club attracts eclectic lineups of international talent but it has also become the venue for Kill Tony, which moved to Austin from its original location at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
Over the course of twelve years, Hinchcliffe and his co-host Brian Redban have turned Kill Tony into a ratings juggernaut, consistently in the top 20 podcasts worldwide. In doing so, they have platformed new acts in a regular bit that produces mixed results.
Wannabe comics have crashed and burned. Open mic regulars have held their own. Occasionally, a diamond in the rough is discovered.
Polk is a natural performer, but he had never done stand-up two weeks before taking to the Comedy Mothership stage. He described the experience in visceral, palms sweaty, mom’s spaghetti detail on The Chip Race:
I’m not a nervous person. I’ve never been nervous before finally tables but I’ve done about seven stand-up sets now and I do get nerves right before, not because I’m afraid to bomb but because I’m afraid I’ll forget my material somehow.
That night, I was the most nervous I’ve ever been. I’m in the stairwell area behind the scenes before they bring you in. I’m running through things, running through things. I can hear the crowd. I can hear the microphones. I’m sweating bullets.
Polk’s Perspective
You can watch Polk’s routine for yourself, but what’s fascinating is his first-person perspective on the whole experience. He recalls the moment backstage when he got the signal to go on:
Then eventually you’re up. He introduces me. The crowd gets going… they open the blinds and it’s crazy, like going through a portal. One minute, I’m in this dark sketchy background area, and the next, I’m out there in this world.
Polk’s descriptions are vivid, but he acknowledges how discombobulating such a foreign experience was for him:
It’s kind of a blur but I got out there and I was confident in my stuff. I remembered everything. The jokes all seemed to land extremely well. A couple landed really well and I was so relieved after the interview [which] I thought came out nice too.
Taking stock of the rollercoaster experience, Polk acknowledged some collaborators. He also reflected on the effort that he put in during what was a month-long crash course in stand-up comedy.
It was a great experience. I’m still kind of floored with how well it went… I worked a lot on it. I worked with some close friends, writing jokes, bouncing jokes off each other… trying to improve the material… I did some open mics to prepare… Overall, I thought I did a good job. I’m proud. I’m very proud. It was awesome. It was a top life moment for sure.
With an audience of 25 million people watching and listening, Polk deserves all the plaudits that will come his way on the back of this hilarious performance. Comedy is really hard, and he clearly has a knack for it.
At the end of my interview, I wished him luck with the Netflix special that was now surely on the horizon. I thought I was joking but now that I’ve seen him in action, I’m not so sure it was that far-fetched. Mitzi Shore would certainly have taken him under her wing.
