Beginner Poker Strategy Articles

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10 Quick Poker Strategy Tips That Will Help Your Game

We’ve compiled 10 tactics and strategies that will make you a more confident and profitable poker player.

4 Valuable Pieces of Poker Tournament Advice for Beginners

Highlights of the most important tournament tips from Upswing's tournament articles.

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 from the beginner-friendly Launch Pad, to the advanced Mastery Path, Lab 2.0 gives you a clear path to sharper and more profitable play.

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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 from the beginner-friendly Launch Pad, to the advanced Mastery Path, Lab 2.0 gives you a clear path to sharper and more profitable play.

Basics, Rules, and How to Play Poker

How to Play Poker (Texas Hold'em and more)

Basic rules and game flow for new players to learn how to start playing.

Poker Hand Rankings

List of poker hand rankings. Learn what beats what, learn texas hold'em starting hands, and download a free cheat sheet.

Popular Articles

Pot Odds Explained and How to Calculate Them

By Dan B.

Pot odds are a fundamental part of poker and it’s important to learn how to calculate them. Don’t worry though,…

10 Quick Poker Strategy Tips That Will Help Your Game

By Dan B.

10 Quick Poker Strategy Tips That Will Help Your Game If you’re looking for easy to remember and quick poker…

Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em Poker (The Ultimate Guide)

By Geoffrey Fisk

Success in Texas Hold’em starts with good preflop hand selection. If you’re playing a winning strategy, you’ll be folding preflop…

All Beginner Poker Articles

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Facing a Bet

By Patrick Harvey | August 25, 2020

Learning poker in 2020 can feel overwhelming. The poker community is always buzzing about solvers and theoretically optimal play —…

Playing with Deep Stacks: Tips, Tricks, & Adjustments to Help You Win

By Dan B. | August 22, 2020

If playing with deep stacks (150bb+) makes you feel anxious or confused, this article will make your life easier. You’re…

3 Crucial Types of Poker Software for Serious Players in 2024

By Dan B. | August 21, 2020

If you’re serious about poker, there are a few must-have types of poker software / poker tools. Whether you play…

[QUIZ] Do You Bluff (& Semi-Bluff) Like A Pro?

By Dan B. | August 18, 2020

As Doug Polk likes to say, bluffing is life in poker. 10 years ago you could be a wimpy bluffer…

7 Must-Read Articles That Will Help Your Poker Game

By Mike Brady | August 14, 2020

I’ve been running the Upswing Poker blog for over four years. In that time I have commissioned, read, and published…

How to Play Pocket Aces (5 Mistakes to Avoid)

By Dan B. | August 7, 2020

After hours of looking down at hands like T♠ 5♣, it finally happens. You get dealt the beautiful pocket aces.…

7 Poker Tells You Should Look Out For

By Zach Elwood | July 30, 2020

Poker tells are a tricky topic. Most beginners put way too much credence into tells early in their poker journey.…

10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Exploiting an Opponent

By Patrick Harvey | July 28, 2020

As you’ve probably heard before: everything you do at the poker table conveys information. Anyone that has played live poker…

Patrick Leonard’s 4-Part Recipe for Poker Success

By Geoffrey Fisk | July 24, 2020

Patrick Leonard certainly knows a few things about success. The English poker pro and partypoker ambassador boasts a poker resume…

Phil Hellmuth Loses It Over Liv Boeree’s Very Standard Play (Analysis)

By Dan B. | July 10, 2020

Few things in poker are more entertaining than a Phil Hellmuth rant. The ‘Poker Brat’ is an old school legend…

[QUIZ] Poker 101 Quiz for Beginners

By Dan B. | July 7, 2020

Ready to test yourself on some of the most fundamental skills in poker? Today’s quiz will take you through 10…

10 Crucial Poker Stats To Include On Your HUD (And How to Use Them)

By Dan B. | July 3, 2020

Want to maximize your win-rate? Then you always need to be on the lookout for ways to exploit your opponents.…

5 Tips to Stop Bleeding Chips from the Small Blind

By Ryan Fee | June 30, 2020

The small blind is arguably the most difficult position to master in No Limit Hold’em. This position is particularly challenging…

Amir Vahedi’s 3 Bluffing Tips from 2009 Stand the Test of Time

By Patrick Harvey | June 5, 2020

The evolution of poker strategy is fascinating. When I first started my journey into poker a few years ago, I…

Why Teddy KGB is Actually Bad at Poker

By Geoffrey Fisk | May 13, 2020

Teddy KGB is a feared character in Rounders, the most iconic poker movie of all time. Teddy’s scary traits include…

[QUIZ] Can You Beat the People of Instagram at Poker, Again?

By Dan B. | April 24, 2020

We love quizzing our Instagram audience with head-scratching poker scenarios. (If you took the first Instagram quiz last week, you…

How to Adjust Your Strategy on Loose & Splashy Poker Tables

By Dan B. | April 21, 2020

My local $1/$2 game is super loose and crazy. People call raises with all sorts of garbage hands and they…

[QUIZ] Can You Beat the People of Instagram at Poker?

By Dan B. | April 17, 2020

We love quizzing our Instagram audience with head-scratching poker scenarios. Their responses are usually a mixed bag. The top comment…

Bet Sizing Strategy: 8 Rules to Help You Choose the Perfect Bet Size

By Dan B. | March 24, 2020

Choosing the best bet size is a tricky task in No Limit Hold’em. There is no one ‘perfect’ bet size…

10 Fundamental Tips for The Most Common Types of Flops

By Dan B. | March 17, 2020

You’re about to learn about one of the most important factors in poker. Board texture is one of the most…

The Starting Hands That Make the Most Money in Multiway Pots

By Dan B. | March 13, 2020

If you play in games with loose and passive opponents, read on. You’re about to get some valuable advice for…

[QUIZ] What is Your Poker IQ Score?

By Mike Brady | March 3, 2020

How knowledgeable are you when it comes to the most popular “big bet” poker games? This 8-question quiz includes questions about No Limit Hold’em (cash games and tournaments), Pot Limit Omaha, and “big bet” poker theory […]

Fast-Playing vs Slow-Playing Revealed

By Ryan Fee | February 18, 2020

You flop a set… Your opponent bets into you and you have a decision to make. Will you fast-play with…

Want Your Bluffs to Work More Often? Try “Delaying” Them

By Dan B. | January 31, 2020

You’re about to learn a tactic that will help you steal pots from right under you opponent’s nose…and they won’t even know it happened. The tactic involves checking back on the flop as the preflop aggressor, only to bet on the turn. This is referred to as a delayed […]

3 Strategies to Help You Win After Calling a 3-Bet

By Dan B. | January 24, 2020

Your results in 3-bet pots will have a huge impact on your bottom line. In fact, one of the easiest ways to dramatically grow your win-rate is to plug your strategic leaks in these crucial situations. To help you do that, […]

5 Tips To Help You Break Out of Micro Stakes

By Dan B. | January 21, 2020

Every micro stakes player should have one goal: make enough money to move up in stakes. But while many players find it easy to beat micro stakes games, they also find it very hard to break out of them. Why is that? The answer lies in a […]

[QUIZ] Are You a Shark or a Fish at Live Poker Tables?

By Dan B. | January 15, 2020

Ready to put your live poker skills to the test? The following quiz will take you through a variety of both preflop and postflop situations that are specific to live poker. The correct answer is considered either the highest expected value (EV) action or […]

(Quiz) Let’s Play a Final Table with $173,000 Up Top

By Ernest Gorham | December 10, 2019

Fortunes are won and lost at final tables, so it’s crucial you play well when you’re lucky enough to make one. To help you practice and improve your chances at a big pay day, you’re about to be presented with […]

How to Handle Downswings Like a Poker Pro

By Patrick Harvey | November 22, 2019

What’s the only thing worse than losing money in one session of poker? Going on a poker downswing that causes…

3 Stupid-Simple Tricks That Crush Calling Stations [2nd Edition]

By George Mathias | October 15, 2019

A “calling station” is a player who calls often regardless of their hand strength. These fold-averse players are most commonly found in live and low stakes online games. Calling stations are relatively easy […]