Lifestyle

Poker Vlogger Brad Owen Releases Training Course with Top Pro

Published

3 years ago

October 7, 2022

With more than 600,000 YouTube subscribers, Brad Owen stands as the world’s most popular poker vlogger. Owen’s ever-growing audience has witnessed the cash game pro climbing the stakes in poker cash games over the last two years.

Owen now regularly plays in some of the biggest cash games in Las Vegas casinos and Texas poker clubs. Throughout the most successful stretch of his poker career, Owen credits poker coaching from high-stakes pro Nick Petrangelo as the caveat to his success.

Aspiring poker players now get the chance to sit in on those sessions. Owen and Petrangelo present the “Smash Live Cash” poker course, now available at Upswing Poker.

This standalone course allows students to look in on Owen’s private coaching sessions with Petrangelo, which vaulted Owen to success at some of poker’s highest stakes.

Students that purchase Smash Live Cash can look forward to the following features:

25+ hours of content
Sit in on private coaching sessions with Brad Owen
Thousands of preflop charts

Preflop Strategy For Live Cash Games

Smash Live Cash features more than 5,000 preflop charts, covering virtually any format you might encounter in a live cash game. Some of the situations Petrangelo covers in the preflop charts include:

Ante Games (including big blind and button antes)
Raked/No-Rake Games
Straddle Games

“From those (preflop charts), we establish the equilibrium strategies,” Petrangelo says.

“Not as what we want to follow, but because without knowing equilibrium, you really don’t know how to deviate and make that extra money, which is the point of live cash games and poker in general.

Live Poker Player Profiles

The “Smash Live Cash” course offers custom strategies built to play against different player types. Some of the player profiles Petrangelo addresses in the course include:

Tight-Passive
Loose Aggressive
Solid Pros

Petrangelo presents his solver-based approach to competing against each different player type, developed over years of playing experience and study time away from the tables.

Poker Live Stream Review

The advent of live-stream poker games presents opportunities to observe and analyze the play of some of the world’s top players. The final section of the course features Petrangelo breaking down high-stakes hands from some of the biggest live-streamed games in the world.

“We’ll review a bunch of the different streams, as there are so many live streams now with so much information,” Petrangelo says. “So many great players playing live streams all the time.”

“I think it’s going to be a great experience for everyone involved,” Petrangelo says. “I spent a lot of time on this.

Price: $999

You can purchase Smash Live Cash at Upswing Poker for a one-time fee of $999. That price grants lifetime access to the course. Petrangelo shares the advanced strategies that vaulted him to poker’s highest-stakes cash games.

About Upswing Poker

Upswing Poker was launched by poker profs Doug Polk and Ryan Fee in 2016. Since then, Upswing Poker has earned a reputation as the world’s most comprehensive and respected poker education resource.

The roster of Upswing coaches includes Petrangelo, Polk, Gary “GazzyB123” Blackwood, Ryan “PokerWithRiske” Riske, and David “MissOracle” Yan, to name just a few.

Lifestyle

Why Classical Dance Is Thriving on Instagram

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2025

Michelle Langton

For centuries, classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kathak have been treasured for their elegance, complexity, and storytelling prowess. But in recent years, these age-old traditions have found an unlikely stage: Instagram. From intricate mudras to rhythmic footwork, young dancers are captivating audiences worldwide, all in the span of a 60-second reel.

So, what’s fueling this revival of classical dance on a platform known for trends, filters, and viral challenges?

Instagram, with its visual-first format, has become an ideal space for artists to share their craft. Classical dance, rich in visual storytelling, translates beautifully into bite-sized performances that are accessible and engaging for modern audiences.

“Reels are short enough to grab attention but long enough to convey the essence of a classical piece,” says one of Spardha’s dance teachers, actively creating dance videos for the Instagram page of Spardha School of Music and Dance, an online platform for performing arts education. “You don’t need an elaborate stage or hours of performance; a simple backdrop and good lighting can bring your art to life.”

On Instagram, young dancers bring a fresh approach to traditional art. They skillfully blend classical compositions with trending audio tracks, often choreographing pieces that resonate with younger audiences.

These videos show how classical dance can be relevant in today’s world as young artists reinterpret popular songs in classical style. Such performances respect the tradition, make it accessible to a larger audience by making classical dance relatable.

Social media has also given classical dancers something they’ve never had before: a global audience. Platforms like Instagram allow Indian artists to reach audiences in the U.S., Europe, and beyond, fostering cultural exchange and appreciation.

And the feedback loop is immediate. Unlike traditional performances, which are confined to auditoriums and limited audiences, Instagram reels receive likes, comments, and shares in real time, creating a sense of community and encouraging more engagement.

The rise of online platforms for learning music and dance like Spardha School of Music and Dance has further fueled this trend. Spardha provides structured lessons in classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kathak, and even Bollywood, making them accessible to young learners regardless of their location.

“Many of our students have taken what they’ve learned and showcased it online,” says a representative from Spardha. “It’s incredible to see them not just learn the art but also innovate and present it in ways that inspire others.”

By offering online classes, Spardha ensures that classical dance is no longer restricted to physical studios, enabling dancers to connect with their culture through dance no matter where they are in the world.

The success of classical dance on Instagram lies in its ability to blend heritage with modernity. The younger generation, armed with smartphones and a passion for preserving their roots, is making classical dance both aspirational and accessible.

Dance has always been about expression, and Instagram is just a new way of reaching people.