Advanced Poker Strategy Articles
Popular Advanced Articles
Building Bluffing Ranges Like the Pros: A Guide to Smarter 3-Bets
Today, solid preflop strategies are part of the tournament poker zeitgeist. (Don’t worry—set-mining doesn’t make you a fish.) That said,…
How to Play Flush Turns After Check-Raising (Advanced Strategy)
As you probably know, having a well-balanced check-raising range makes you a really tough opponent to play against. The reason…
5 Advanced Poker Strategies & Tips To Supercharge Your Poker Wins
Ready for some advanced nuggets of poker wisdom that will help your game? For today’s article, I dug through Upswing’s…
All Advanced Poker Articles
ICM vs Chip Leader: How Dylan Weisman Navigates a Tough PLO Final Table Spot
In this preview from his upcoming Crushing PLO Tournaments course on Upswing, Dylan Weisman walks through a hand from a…
Play More Hands, Win More Pots: 5 Tips for PLO MTT Success
Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) tournaments are a completely different animal from No-Limit Hold’em. If you try to carry over your standard…
How Double Board Bomb Pots Actually Work (And Why Most Players Get Them Wrong)
Bomb pots have become a staple in modern poker. Whether you’re playing in private games, apps, or live settings, you’re…
Inside a $30K CGWC Pot: TaxHere vs Jasamgale Hand Analysis
The 2025 Cash Game World Championship (CGWC) has provided us with many jaw-dropping hands, with players taking lines with hands…
5 Things You Should Be Doing BvB (But Probably Aren’t)
In poker, particularly online, where blind-versus-blind (BVB) situations arise frequently, developing a strong BVB strategy is essential to maintaining a…
When Betting Bigger Is the Solver-Approved Play In Tournaments
Big hand. Big bet. Usually. In the pre-solver era, continuation betting for half pot was fairly common, if not the…
Inside a Championship Hero Call: A Street-by-Street Analysis from the 2025 CGWC
In this article, I am going to break down a big hero call that went down in the 2025 Cash…
The River Block Bet: Why Small Bets Can Be Your Biggest Edge
The river block bet is a solver-derived discovery that revolutionized poker strategy. I will break down why that is and…
5 Situations Where C-Betting Is a Big Mistake in Poker Tournaments
C-betting is super effective in MTTs, so it’s no surprise that it happens so frequently. On average, after you open-raise,…
The Next Step After Range Checking: Turn Strategy (Part 2)
In the previous article in this series, you learned that low, connected boards are best played by checking your entire…
How to Play the Turn After Range Checking the Flop (Part 1)
Some time ago, I wrote about a few spots where checking your entire range on the flop is the right…
3 Concepts That Should Shape Your Postflop Strategy
Are you familiar with positional, range, and nut advantages in poker? These concepts will help you shape your postflop strategy…
From Satellite to Chip Leader: A Day 1 Among the Poker Elite in a $26,000 Event
I am a mid-stakes MTT player. Frankly, I have no business going toe to toe with the poker elite. But…
3 Reasons Solvers Check Top Pair Out of Position in Tournaments
You flopped a pair. In fact, the strongest kind. Even the highest ranking. Now it’s time to work out exactly…
Mastering Preflop 3-Bets: Value, Bluffs, and Exploits
3-betting preflop is a fundamental strategy for winning at poker. Getting it right is also easier than ever, thanks to…
Slowplaying in MTTs: Three Spots Where It Prints Chips
Slowplaying a big hand isn’t optimal… usually. When you have a big hand, you want to make the pot big.…
MTT Survival Guide: The Right Way to Defend Against Turn Probes
Well, you checked back the flop like an intelligent, disciplined, strong poker player. But now they’re reaching for chips… They’re…
PR0DIGY vs Riggedeck: A $35,000 Hand Breakdown from the Cash Game World Championship
As we steam ahead with the 2025 Cash Game World Championship (CGWC), I am going to break down a hand…
LLinusLLove vs Kevin Paqué in a CGWC High-Stakes Showdown
We got a blast from the past in this article. Well, it’s not quite so far back in the past,…
Check-Raised the Flop? Here’s What to Do When the Turn Pairs
In the previous part of this series, we looked at how to approach unpaired brick turns. Now it’s time to…
We’re Cutting Prices for Cyber Monday (25% Off Everything)
The 2025 Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale is over. We’ll see you 2026 with more sales and more killer…
5 Situations Where C-Betting Will Burn You
C-betting is a fundamental part of playing good, solid, winning poker. There are many situations where c-betting frequently is the…
Unleash Your Potential with Lucid Poker
This will change your poker game for the better. Lucid Poker Version 3.0 launches on November 10, offering a faster,…
5 Solver Strategies That Crush in Theory (and Crash in Real Life)
If you’ve spent any time studying with solvers, you know how powerful they are. Tools like Upswing’s Lucid Poker can…
Outplaying the Reckless Player: Mastering Turn Probes After Missed C-Bets
In the first part of the series, I covered the most common opponent type – the risk-averse player profile. In…
The Hidden Mechanics of C-Betting: Lessons from Phemo
What Is a C-Bet? A continuation bet, or c-bet, is a follow-up bet made by the player who took the…
What to Do After You Check-Raise the Flop and the Turn Bricks Out
In this part of the series, we’re going to cover how to play on blank turns. We’ll start with the…
MTT Preflop Strategy: Turning Flat-Calls from Leak to Weapon
Most losing players aren’t bleeding money because of massive, obvious mistakes. It’s the small, repeated errors that make or break…
Your Opponent Checked Back—Here’s How to Capitalize (Part I)
Over the years, I’ve mostly focused on how to play as the aggressor, particularly on the flop. That stage is…
Check or Bet? How to Build Strong Flop Check-Back Strategies in Tournaments
Let’s face it. Checking back stinks, doesn’t it? It can feel even worse than folding — the most cowardly act…
Firing a Triple Barrel Bluff with 6♣️ 5♣️ on K-7-4 (Analysis)
All of the world’s top poker players have something in common: they play extremely aggressively. Playing aggressively allows you to put tremendous pressure on your opponents, which oftentimes forces them to […]
How to Win Your Blind vs Blind Battles (as the Preflop Raiser)
As I said in part 1 and part 2 of the series, blind vs blind battles are happening way more often than they used to. This means there is more money to be won in these increasingly common spots. The focus of this article is playing […]
How to React to a Check-Raise on the Turn: Theory vs Practice
If facing a turn check-raise has ever made you hate life, this is the article for you. We are about…
Bluff-Raising the River with $38,381 on the Line (Analysis)
You’re about to improve your final table skills with Nick Petrangelo’s third and final free strategy video before the release of his new course High Stakes MTT Sessions. Nick starts the video with a short walkthrough of the course, then moves on to a […]
Super High Rollers BATTLE on the Money Bubble (Analysis)
As promised, Nick Petrangelo is back to help you improve your tournament skills. The focus of this hand review video is blind versus blind strategy, but some money bubble-related concepts come up as well. Enjoy! Ready for video #3 covering a big final […]
Advance Your Multiway Skills with Nick Petrangelo (Free Video)
High stakes tournament BOSS Nick Petrangelo is here to bolster your multiway pot game. He’s also got a special announcement about a new project he’s been working on. Watch below! […]
When a WSOP Champ Called All-in with Ten-High (Analysis)
With 5 players left in the 2019 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event, Ryan Riess and Manig Loeser played a hand that shocked poker fans around the world. Here’s what the stacks looked like before the hand was dealt: Riess started the hand as by far the shortest […]
When to Avoid a Solver’s “GTO” Plays
I was just listening to a podcast with Doug Polk and Andres “Educa-p0ker” Artinano. This quote from Andres stood out…
The Only Two Valid Reasons to Bet in Poker (Every Other Reason is Wrong)
Why do we bet? This question has fascinated the best poker players for decades now. The legendary David Sklansky probably…
How to Win More Chips When Out of Position in 3-Bet Pots
Like I said in part 1 of this series, a quick way to increase your win-rate is to improve your…
When Should You Bet on the Flop After 3-Betting?
A quick way to increase your win-rate is to improve your c-betting strategy in 3-bet pots. This article series will…
This Poker “Cheat Code” Will Help You Win More Hands
You’re about to learn about a powerful play that was kept secret for years by elite poker pros. It’s called…
[QUIZ] Which Upswing Poker Training Course is Made for You?
Have you considered upgrading your skills with an Upswing Poker training course? Read on! Take this quick quiz to find out which course is best for your poker playing needs, or keep scrolling for a breakdown of each course. […]
3 Spots You Should Actually Consider Minimum Defense Frequency (And 3 Spots You Shouldn’t)
Poker theory can baffle new players, partly because they have preconceived notions about the game — they’ll say things like,…
Pros and Cons of 66% & 100% Pot-Sized C-Bets (The Ultimate Guide, Part 2)
Ready to bolster your flop c-betting skills? Today you’re going to learn the advantages and disadvantages of two common flop…
What Flop C-Bet Size Should You Use in Cash Games? (The Ultimate Guide, Part 1)
Here’s a situation you’ve probably faced many times. You are playing a $0.50/$1.00 cash game. The action folds to you…
Stop Letting Your Poker Ego Cost You Money & Happiness
What’s going on, Upswing fam? Today we’re mixing things up with a guest post that aims to help you with…
10 Must-See Strategy Chats from the Upswing Community
Join the Upswing Community YOUR NEW POKER STRATEGY GROUP Connect with thousands of players, share hands, get coached, and level…
5 Can’t-Miss Insights from an Online Cash Game Juggernaut
We Lab members are truly fortunate. We get to watch a top online cash game player, Fried “mynameiskarl” Meulders, play…
3 Strategic Mistakes to Avoid in Tournaments with Nick Petrangelo
Meet the latest elite player to join the Upswing team: Nick Petrangelo. Nick is a tournament crusher who you’ve probably…
Stop Tanking: 5 Reasons Why Playing Faster Will Make You Richer & Happier
Trends in live poker seem to come and go overnight. One that hasn’t gone away yet, unfortunately, is slow play…
How to Make Profitable Decisions Against Any Bet Size (Minimum Defense Frequency vs Pot Odds)
Faced with a bet, you can react in one of three ways: call, fold, or raise. It’s usually pretty apparent…
Can You 10/10 OtB_RedBaron’s Strategy? — Advanced Poker Quiz
‘Otb_Redbaron’ is considered one of, if not the best 6-max player right now, and Upswing’s own Andres Artinano (‘Educa-p0ker’) has been battling him for years. In fact, Andres built his strategy by studying the Baron’s strategy, and he […]
How to Analyze Your Poker Hands Effectively in 5 Minutes
(If Google sent you here to find out what beats what in poker, check out our guide to poker hands.)…
How to Beat the Guy Who Is Always Betting — Countering an Aggressive Poker Strategy
Geez, this guy just won’t stop betting. I just need to be patient, wait for a strong hand, and then…
When Should You Continue Barreling on a Brick Turn Card?
If you’ve ever been confused on the turn after c-bet-bluffing on the flop, then this article is for you. Knowing…
Stop Fearing Triple Barrels with this Professional Approach
Let’s be honest: we all sigh when an opponent fires that dreadful triple barrel, putting us to the test both…
How to Check-Raise on the River Like a Pro
It’s difficult to play out-of-position as the preflop caller. In this scenario our opponent, the preflop raiser, has both a…
4 GTO Myths That Way Too Many Poker Players Believe
GTO? More like GT-NO! Today we’ll be debunking 4 big myths about game theory optimal poker strategy, or “GTO,” as…
3 Can’t-Miss Insights from a Cash Game Millionaire
One of the best players to ever grace the 6-max cash game format, Andres “Educa-p0ker” Artinano, is here to drop…
Poker Training Course: Upswing Lab 2.0
Enjoying the free strategy articles, but want to take your game to the next level? Upswing has a poker training path for you in the new Lab 2.0, the Mastery Path has advanced curriculum from some of the world's best coaches including Uri Peleg and Qing Yang. Lab 2.0 gives you a clear path to sharper and more profitable play.
Enjoying the free strategy articles, but want to take your game to the next level? Upswing has a poker training path for you in the new Lab 2.0, the Mastery Path has advanced curriculum from some of the world's best coaches including Uri Peleg and Qing Yang. Lab 2.0 gives you a clear path to sharper and more profitable play.