Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding is a common clinical problem that accounts for a large number of hospitalizations and results in substantial health care expenditures. Risk stratification after UGI hemorrhage involves the use of clinical and endoscopic parameters to predict the likelihood of rebleeding and death. This information can guide management decisions, such as the necessity of hospital admission, the application of endoscopic hemostatic therapy, and the length of inpatient stay. This concise review examines the current literature on risk stratification in UGI hemorrhage and attempts to integrate evidence-based data into the clinical decision-making process.