The Academy Mental Skills The Team How It Works Membership 🧠 Free Mental Game Assessment ♠ Hand Replayer Apply Now
Level Up Poker Academy
For live Hold'Em players only — cash games & tournaments
"To help players go from good to great — by bringing the best practices of professional sports and performance psychology to the live poker table."

Your skill sets your ceiling.
Your mental game
determines how often
you reach it.

Most players know how to play. Few can consistently execute — hand after hand, hour after hour, session after session. At LUPA, we close that gap.

Apply Now 🧠 Free Mental Game Assessment See How It Works
Free Tools from LUPA

Start here. It's free.

Whether you're exploring LUPA or already a member, these tools are available to every serious player.

🧠
Free Assessment

Know Your Mental Game

A 20-question free version of LUPA's Peak Performance Profile assessment. Takes about 10 minutes. No sign-up, no submission — just a clear look at where your mental game is strong and where it leaks. Academy members have access to the full 116-question instrument.

Take the Free Assessment →
♠
Free Tool

Poker Hand Replayer

Build, replay, and share any live Hold'Em hand — including multi-way action, side pots, and all-ins. Share a link with your coach or teammates for review. The best free hand replayer built specifically for live cash games. Used by every LUPA player for session hand submissions.

Try the Hand Replayer →
Academy member? Access the full 116-question Peak Performance Profile Assessment →
The Academy

Everything serious live players
need to level up

Our methodology is built on three pillars: Elite Coaching  ·  A Culture of Respect, Teamwork & Continuous Growth  ·  Structured Accountability

🧠

Mental Skills Training

One-on-one coaching with Aaron built around your personalized Peak Performance Profile — identifying your mental leaks, building pre-session preparation habits, and developing the in-session tools to stay sharp under pressure. Weekly sessions throughout every Block.

♠

Poker Strategy

An established poker coach leads twice-weekly team sessions on Microsoft Teams, covering node-locked hand review, GTO solver deep-dives, and strategic discussion. Players also submit hands after every session for detailed individual analysis.

🤝

Team & Accountability

You're placed on a team of matched players — same format, similar experience level — who train together every Block. Real accountability to your teammates, your coaches, and your own data is what separates this from every other coaching program.

The real problem

Strategy is rarely
the limiting factor

"You don't get paid on what you know. You get paid on what you can execute — consistently — over hours, not minutes."

Live poker magnifies everything: the time between hands, the emotional weight of a bad beat, the physical fatigue deep into a 10-hour session, the pressure when the money is meaningful.

Most players can hold their game together in ideal conditions. The edge belongs to players who hold it together when conditions aren't ideal — card dead, distracted, running bad, or just having one of those days.

That's not a strategy problem. That's a mental game problem. And it's exactly what we train at LUPA.

Mental skills training

One goal: more A-game,
less C-game

We focus on one thing — helping you make high-quality decisions, consistently, in a live setting. The six pillars below are where we spend our time.

01

Emotional Control

Frustration, boredom, and entitlement are expensive leaks. We train you to keep them out of your decisions — especially in the moments that matter most.

02

Focus & Endurance

Deep into a 10-hour session, your focus is a competitive edge — if you've trained it. We build habits that keep you sharp from first hand to last.

03

Decision Confidence

Doubt at the table is expensive. We help you build the kind of trust in your game that holds up under pressure — so you act clearly, without second-guessing.

04

Resilience to Variance

Players who profit long-term aren't the ones who run best — they're the ones who hold their process together when they don't. We train that resilience.

05

Mental Leak Detection

Leaks come bajo la lupa — under the magnifying glass. We help you identify limiting beliefs and flawed patterns before they affect your play.

06

Identity & Consistency

At the highest levels, the edge comes from becoming a certain kind of player — not just applying techniques. We build the identity that holds up across sessions and downswings.

Your team

Mental skills. Poker strategy.
Real accountability.

At LUPA you're not training alone. You're placed on a team of dedicated players at a similar experience and game level, working with two coaches and each other — every Block.

Mental Skills Coach & Team Manager
Aaron Weintraub

Aaron leads your mental skills training and manages the team across every Block — from your onboarding sessions through the end-of-Block review. His background in performance coaching with elite athletes informs an approach grounded in process, preparation, and resilience under pressure.

Head Poker Coach
Established Professional

Each Block features an accomplished poker coach who leads strategic hand review and discussion at twice-weekly team meetings. LUPA engages coaches with proven results at the game type and stakes relevant to your team — cash or tournaments, matched to where you're competing.

Your Teammates
Players Matched to You

Players are placed on teams based on preferred format — cash games or tournaments — and experience level. Your teammates are serious players working toward the same goals. Accountability to each other is built into the structure, and it's one of the most powerful parts of the program.

Team placement is based on game format preference and experience level. Not every applicant is guaranteed a spot on the first available team — we build teams thoughtfully to make sure the fit is right for everyone on it.

How it works

Built into every session,
not bolted on after

Mental performance at LUPA isn't an add-on. It's embedded in the structure from day one — and reinforced every session, every week, every Block.

01

Mental Skills Onboarding

Before your Block begins, you complete three one-on-one 60-minute sessions with Aaron to build your personalized Peak Performance Profile — a clear portrait of what you look like at your best, and the specific conditions and mindset that bring it out. This becomes your standard; everything else is measured against it. Onboarding is available to Academy members as soon as they join, even before a Block team is formed.

3 × 60 min · One-on-one · Before Block begins
02

Weekly Mental Skills Sessions

Every week of your Block, you meet with Aaron for a 45-minute one-on-one session. These go deeper — refining your Peak Performance Profile as your game evolves, working through the mental patterns showing up in your sessions, and building the in-session tools you need to reset, refocus, and stay sharp.

Weekly · 45 min · One-on-one
03

Post-Session Hand Review Requests

After each session, players submit hands for node-locked review. Every time a player steps away from the table — at minimum once every two hours — they submit up to two hands, flag the key decision point with context (their read on the villain, what they were thinking, what they want feedback on), and indicate with a simple yes or no whether they'd like node-locked solver analysis on that hand. Hand review is available to all Academy members and can begin even before a Block team starts. Submitted hands are reviewed and returned with detailed analysis.

After sessions · Member benefit · No Block required
04

In-Session Peak Performance Self-Check

During live play, every LUPA player steps away from the table at least once every two hours to complete a self-check against their Peak Performance Profile. This keeps your mental game calibrated across a long session — and creates a real-time feedback loop between the table and your training.

Every session · At the table
05

Twice-Weekly Team Meetings

Two live sessions each week on Microsoft Teams, 60 minutes each. Your Head Poker Coach leads the session — driving strategic hand review and discussion from the hands players submitted during their sessions. Aaron integrates mental skills training throughout. Your teammates share hands, challenge each other's thinking, celebrate wins, and hold the group accountable. Teams are small by design — typically a handful of players — so every voice matters. These sessions are mandatory. This is where the team gets built.

2× per week · 60 min · Microsoft Teams · Full team
06

Block Review

At the end of your 100-hour Block, we evaluate both your strategic and mental performance. Where did your process hold? Where did it slip? What do we build on next? Improvement becomes measurable and intentional — not just a feeling.

End of Block · Full review
Membership

Train at the elite level.
Play your own game.

LUPA members play with their own money. The Academy fees cover everything — mental skills coaching, hand reviews, the poker coach, team meetings, and the full support structure.

Step One
Join the Academy
One-time initiation fee to enter LUPA, complete your mental skills onboarding, and receive your team placement.
$500 one time
Paid once when you join. Not charged again on future Blocks.
What's included
  • Application review & onboarding
  • 3 × 60-min one-on-one mental skills sessions with Aaron
  • Personalized Peak Performance Profile
  • Mental leak identification using hands from your game
  • Pre-session preparation system
  • Immediate access to post-session hand review requests
  • Team placement based on format & experience level
Step Two
Per-Block Membership
Covers one full Block of 100 hours of play — typically 3 to 6 weeks, with a minimum session length of 3 hours.
$250 per Block
Paid at the start of each Block. Renewals based on continued good standing.
What's included
  • Weekly 45-min one-on-one mental skills sessions with Aaron
  • Twice-weekly team meetings on Microsoft Teams (60 min each)
  • Head Poker Coach leading strategic hand review & discussion
  • Post-session hand review requests with detailed analysis
  • GTO solver access and node-locked hand analysis
  • In-session Peak Performance self-check system
  • Full team accountability structure
  • Block launch meeting & end-of-Block performance review

Not sure if LUPA is a fit? Apply and let's talk. We'll schedule a brief call to discuss your game, your goals, and whether this is the right environment for you.

Apply Now
What you can expect

Play the way you know
you're capable of playing

More consistent A-game sessions

Your best poker shows up more often. The gap between what you're capable of and what you actually execute narrows, Block by Block.

Reduced emotional swings

Bad beats and cold streaks stop bleeding into your decisions. You develop tools to reset quickly and get back to clear thinking.

Stronger focus deep in long sessions

The mental fatigue that costs you chips at hour eight is trainable. Focus and endurance improve with the right structure and consistent practice.

Faster, clearer decisions in key spots

Doubt at the table is expensive. You build trust in your process — so when the big moments arrive, you act with conviction.

Greater trust in your game

You stop second-guessing yourself mid-hand. Your identity as a player grows more stable and more resistant to variance and outside noise.

Measurable improvement over time

Block reviews make your growth visible. You know exactly where you've improved, what to build on next, and what the data says about your game.

About the founder

The methodology
behind LUPA

Aaron Weintraub
Aaron Weintraub
Founder · Manager
Mental Skills Coach

Performance coaching principles, applied to live poker.

Aaron brings an extensive background in performance coaching — developed over years working with elite athletes in high-pressure environments — to the live poker table.

The methodology is grounded in the same principles that drive elite performance in professional sports: process over outcome, repeatable preparation, and mental resilience under pressure. These aren't motivational concepts. They're practical, trainable skills that show up at the table in real, measurable ways.

What makes LUPA different is the structure. Mental performance training is embedded into every session through the bi-hourly self-check, built into the weekly one-on-one coaching rhythm, and reinforced through team accountability at twice-weekly meetings. It's not an add-on — it's the foundation everything else is built on.

No fluff. No generic mindset advice. Just practical work that shows up at the table.

Ready to level up?

Serious about your game.
Let's talk.

LUPA is selective. We're looking for players who are committed to the process — not just looking for a quick fix. If that's you, apply below and we'll be in touch within 48 hours.

Apply for Membership

Applications reviewed within 48 hours  ·  Team placement based on format & experience

Apply

Tell us about
your game

Let's start the conversation.

Share a bit about yourself — where you play, your current results, and what you're hoping to get out of LUPA. We'll follow up within 48 hours to discuss whether it's a fit.

Website www.lupapoker.com
Email [email protected]
Initiation $500 (one-time)
Per Block $250 per Block
Launch May 2026
Platform Microsoft Teams
Be honest — it helps us place you on the right team.
Where do you want to be?
Application received — we'll be in touch within 48 hours.
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LUPA and who is it for?+
Level Up Poker Academy is a professional poker training and staking organization for serious live No-Limit Texas Hold'Em players. We combine elite mental skills coaching, GTO strategy, team accountability, and financial staking to help skilled players compete at a higher level. LUPA is for players who are serious about improvement — not looking for a quick fix.
Does LUPA stake players?+
Yes. Qualified players at the Silver and Gold levels are staked by LUPA — meaning we fund 60–80% of their buy-ins in live cash games and share proportionally in the results. Players reach staking eligibility through the Bronze pathway (building a $3,000 Player Account from winnings) or through direct recruitment for established professionals.
What is the Know Your Game assessment?+
Know Your Game is LUPA's mental game self-assessment — available free to anyone at lupapoker.com/know-your-game. The free version covers 20 questions across 7 areas of poker mental performance. Academy members complete the full 116-question instrument as part of onboarding, and it becomes the foundation of their personalized Peak Performance Profile.
How much does LUPA cost?+
There is a one-time $500 initiation fee and a $250 per-Block fee (one Block = 100 hours of play, typically 3–6 weeks). This covers all coaching — mental skills, poker strategy, GTO hand review, twice-weekly team meetings, and the full support structure. Bronze players play with their own money. Staked players share profits with the Academy.
What is the LUPA hand replayer?+
A free web-based tool for building, replaying, and sharing live poker hands — available at lupapoker.com. Input every action across all four streets, track pot sizes and side pots accurately, and share a replay link with coaches or teammates. It's built specifically for live cash games and used by LUPA players for session hand submission and review.
What makes LUPA different from other poker coaching?+
Three things most programs lack: embedded mental performance training (grounded in professional sports methodology, not generic mindset advice), a real team structure with built-in accountability, and financial staking for players who earn it. The methodology is applied specifically to the demands of live poker — long sessions, emotional variance, and high-stakes decisions under fatigue.