Poker Strategy
4 Factors to Think About Before Hero Calling
Facing a bet with a marginal hand is one of the most uncomfortable feelings in poker. If you’ve ever felt lost in spots like this, you aren’t alone. Making correct “hero calls” with “bluff-catchers” is not easy. Rather than arbitrarily […]
Read More10 Things You MUST Know Playing In A Poker Home Game
Throughout the years I’ve played in some serious high-stakes home games in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. And I have certainly seen my share of crazy antics, angle shooters, and hidden opportunities for profits. Based on those experiences, here are my top 10 things you need to know before playing in live home games. What…
Read MoreLeveling: How Overthinking Costs You Money at the Poker Table
What is Leveling in Poker? Also known as Multiple Level Thinking, Leveling is the concept of evaluating a poker situation beyond what cards you hold in your own hand. In 1999 (and then later in 2006) David Sklansky in his celebrated book The Theory of Poker introduced the world to the various levels of thinking…
Read More[QUIZ] Do You Know Which Hands to Bluff With?
Knowing when to bluff is one of the most important aspects of poker, which is why we’re making another quiz to test your skills. In this quiz, your technical understanding of bluffing on every street will be challenged, from preflop through the river. Keep in mind that multiple answers might be good bluffing hands, but…
Read MoreWhich Draws Should You Semi-Bluff With?
Bluffing is an indispensable part of the game—as Doug likes to say, “Bluffing is life in poker.” In this article, we’ll discuss how to go about choosing hands to semi-bluff, and we’ll break down the process that every elite player uses to fine-tune this aspect of their game. What is a Semi-Bluff? Semi-bluffing means betting…
Read MoreWhen Should You Slow Play a Strong Hand?
It’s generally not a good idea to slow play strong hands — you’ll usually win more money by fast-playing — but there is a time and a place for every move in poker. In this article, you’ll learn how to identify spots in which a tricky slow play is more profitable than playing straightforward, and…
Read MoreDoug Polk Reveals How He Won $1.2 Million vs Daniel Negreanu
If you like improving your poker skills, here’s some great news for you: Doug Polk has peeled back the curtain to reveal his strategy from the $200/$400 heads-up challenge versus Daniel Negreanu. His new lesson (which is live in the Upswing Lab training course) has 3.5+ hours of exclusive content covering all major aspects of…
Read MoreHow to Play Poker in a Casino (Beginner’s Guide & 5 Pro Tips)
You can find many different ways to play poker without ever stepping into a casino. That first trip to a casino poker room can be an intimidating venture, however, no matter how much time you’ve put into online poker or home games. Casino poker rooms operate with their own sets of standards, and the specifics…
Read MoreHellmuth Crushes Negreanu’s Soul with 8♣ 3♣ (Analysis by Polk & Negreanu)
Sometimes you see a hand that makes you think: “what the hell am I looking at right now?” This hand between Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth is a perfect example. Half of the analysis in this article is directly from Daniel, as he explained his thought process on a recent episode of the Doug Polk…
Read MoreThe Filthiest Hand from the $10,000,000 Wynn Millions (Analysis)
Imagine this… You are playing one of the first $10,000 buy-in tournaments post-lockdown, and it’s the biggest tournament of the summer. You build up a huge stack on day 1 — one of, if not the biggest in the field — only to run the best possible full house into a top pro’s quads on…
Read MoreHow to Take Notes on Your Opponents Like a Pro
Learning how to take notes efficiently is an underrated skill in online poker. By taking notes, you give yourself easily accessible information about how certain players approach the game. This article will help you take better notes on your opponents, while also providing you with abbreviations that will allow you to do so quickly in-game.…
Read MoreTwo Top Pros Play Perfectly with $450,076 on the Line (Hand Analysis)
Welcome to some of the toughest poker games on the planet: $25k High Roller Tournaments. These events attract the best of the best, all competing for millions of dollars and the prestige that comes with winning a high roller title. This article will analyze a crucial hand from a recent online $25k High Roller event.…
Read MoreWhen Should You C-Bet with Middle or Bottom Pair in Cash Games?
Many aspects of poker strategy have fluctuated overtime… …including whether or not you should c-bet with middle or bottom pair on the flop. With the help of solvers, we now have a much clearer view of when it’s a good idea to do so. In this article, I am going to explain why you would…
Read MoreWhen to Fold in Poker (Before & After the Flop)
The ability to fold marks one of the most important aspects of a winning poker strategy. In Texas Hold’em, playing too many hands preflop, or moving forward with too many marginal hands post-flop, can end up as a major detriment to your win rate. Knowing when to fold in poker is arguably the most critical…
Read MoreWhat is Two Pair & How Should You Play Two Pair?
Two pair is usually quite a strong hand in a game of poker. To make two pair, you must have two distinct pairs in the same five-card hand. Here is an example of two pair: The hand above is two pair, tens and threes. Other examples of two pair include A♠ A♦ 8♣ 8♦ 2♣…
Read MoreHow to Play Ace-King (Big Slick) in Cash Games
Is Ace-King one of ‘‘those hands’’ for you? You know, the ones that make you say “it looks good, but it never wins.” Regardless of your personal feelings towards “Big Slick”, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the strongest hands in the game. Learning how to play properly preflop and after the flop will…
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