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

Mixed Games & 8-Game Poker Guide – HORSE & 8-Game Rules

By Mike Brady | December 27, 2017

Mixed games are when multiple poker games are played in rotation, switching from one to the next after a certain…

How to Build Stacks and Avoid Spewing Early in a Tournament

By Miikka Anttonen | December 12, 2017

Early stage tournament play, before the antes kick in, is a subject that players have varying ideas about. Some think…

8 Proven Strategies for Crushing Micro Stakes Games

By Nathan Williams | December 6, 2017

You’ve put in long hours at the tables. You’ve studied the books, courses and training videos. But the results aren’t…

My Tried-and-True Method for Conquering Tilt

By Ryan Fee | December 1, 2017

Featured image credit: Live at the Bike One thing can instantly transform a world-class poker pro into a mega-whale: Tilt.…

How to Win at Poker in 4 Steps

By Kenneth Goddard | October 27, 2017

The best poker players in the world tread a calculated path to success, and work constantly to improve their game.…

5 Tips for 4-Betting That Every Aspiring Pro Should Know

By Kenneth Goddard | October 13, 2017

A single 4-bet pot can make or break a session. Putting lots of chips in the pot early is not…

5 Skills That Will Boost Your Live Poker Earnings

By George Mathias | October 6, 2017

Listen up, live poker players! You might technically be playing the same game as your online counterparts, but live poker…

4 Skills That Will Help You Win More Money From the Blinds

By George Mathias | September 26, 2017

Your strategy from the blinds will have a huge impact on your winnings. It’s an indisputable fact that you will…

Becoming a Pro Poker Player: 7 Things to Consider First

By Ben Ward | September 19, 2017

If you love playing poker and are any good at it, you’ve probably dreamed about ditching your current job and…

How to Bluff with Flush Draws Like a 3-Time Bracelet Winner

By George Mathias | September 15, 2017

Not all flush draws are the same. This may seem like an obvious point, but it is one that draws…

6 Essential Tips for Dealing with Downswings in Poker Tournaments

By George Mathias | August 15, 2017

Downswings hurt no matter what poker format you play. But downswings in poker tournaments are the stuff of nightmares because…

Does Your Poker Journey Feel Stuck? So Did Doug Polk’s

By George Mathias | June 9, 2017

Does your poker career feel stuck? Have you been playing in the same low- and mid-stakes games for what seems…

5 Poker Tournament Myths Way Too Many Players Believe

By Miikka Anttonen | June 6, 2017

Everyone seems to have a strong opinion nowadays, and many people present their views as absolute truth. This is particularly…

5 Poker Misconceptions That Way Too Many People Believe

By Doug Polk | May 12, 2017

Even the best poker players make mistakes. The difference between the best players, however, and merely average players, is why…

When Should You Bet the Flop in Multi-Way Pots?

By Ryan Fee | April 25, 2017

A unique approach is required to avoid spewing away your chips in multi-way pots. This is simply because as more…

The Top 5 Most Important Traits of Successful Poker Players

By Doug Polk | April 11, 2017

“What separates a decent poker player from a great one?” I get asked this question often. There are a ton…

How to Bluff Your Straight Draws Like a High Stakes Pro

By Doug Polk | April 7, 2017

Straight draws tend to make the best bluffs. And not just because of their chances of actually hitting a straight.…

Hand Combinations – The Secret Weapon Pros Use to Win More Money

By Ryan Fee | March 28, 2017

High stakes poker players have a secret weapon. If used properly, this secret weapon will: Force more folds when you…

How to Understand and Crush HUSNGs [2nd Edition]

By Yaniv | March 14, 2017

Heads-up poker is sheer one-on-one competition. Every time you sit at the table you’re essentially telling a single opponent: “I’m…

What Really Makes a Tournament Structure “Good” and Profitable?

By Jason Lee | March 10, 2017

You’ve probably seen a tournament with a name like this… Super MEGA-Stack Tournament of Champions Poker Event “Wow,” you may…

How to Make Winning Adjustments in Low Stakes Games

By Yaniv | March 7, 2017

Low and micro stakes poker is different… …but not as much as a lot of you guys seem to think.…

The Beginner’s Guide to Opening the Button in Heads-Up No Limit

By Ryan Fee | February 24, 2017

Heads-up poker is a whole new ball game. As there are only two players, ranges are dramatically wider in every…

Doug Polk Answers Your 6 Best Questions About Pre-Flop Play

By Jason Lee | February 21, 2017

Pre-flop, where all of the mayhem that is no-limit hold’em begins. With the tough poker climate of 2017, a good…

What NL Players Don’t Realize They Already Know About PLO

By Tom Chambers | February 14, 2017

Taking the PLOnge (Part 2) It is very tempting to draw analogies between NLHE hands/situations and PLO hands/situations… …but sometimes…

3 Tips for Crushing Jackpot Sit & Gos

By Yaniv | February 8, 2017

Want to experience the excitement (and heartbreak) of poker tournaments without the huge time commitment? Then you should try some…

3 Poker Concepts Every Aspiring Pro Needs to Know

By Yaniv | January 10, 2017

Poker used to be easy. It almost makes me sick to think about how much money was up for grabs…

Answered: Your 5 Most Burning Post-Flop Questions

By Jason Lee | January 6, 2017

Post-flop play is what makes poker interesting and complex. There are virtually infinite possible post-flop situations, which can lead to…

Strategy Comparison: Regular Tables vs Fast-Fold Tables

By Ryan Fee | December 30, 2016

The world is constantly looking to do things faster and the evolution of poker has been no exception. In recent…

12 Preflop Mistakes You Must Avoid to Move Up in Stakes [2nd Edition]

By Ryan Fee | December 23, 2016

Poker is easy to learn but difficult to master, which I love! Players with well-thought-out and in-depth strategies are rewarded…

These 5 Common Mistakes Are Costing You Money

By Ryan Fee | December 9, 2016

Poker is a complex game. There’s more than one way to win, and the depth and variety of available strategies…