Cash Games Archives - Upswing Poker

Beyond Raw Equity: Unlocking the True Value of Your Poker Hands

If you’ve been reading my strategy articles for a while, you may have noticed that I often talk about realized equity. That adjective is used intentionally, and it makes a world of difference. In this article, I’m going to give you a comprehensive breakdown of what realized equity is, how it differs from raw equity,…

Where does the EV come from in poker?

Continuing on the idea from the article I wrote recently (Should You Play Like a Nit Preflop?), in this article, I am going to shift focus and give you a really quick, bird’s-eye view of where the expected value (EV) is coming from postflop. This article is also going to be based on an unreleased…

How To Play Straight Turns After Check-Raising the Flop (Advanced Strategy)

In case you’ve missed the first article of the series, I am teaching you how to play after you’ve check-raised the flop. I chose a board that allows for a wide variety of turn runouts and use it as a canvas to explore the concepts that shape optimal turn strategy. While boards vary, the ideas…

High-Stakes Showdown: DavyJones922 vs Barak Wisbrod in a $46,100 NLHE Pot

I’ve got some online nosebleed action to break down for you in this article. The main characters in this showdown are DavyJones922 (Roberto Perez) and iWasOnly17 (Barak Wisbrod), two players widely considered among the top 10 cash game crushers in the world. The game is No Limit Hold’em, the blinds are $100/$200, and the stacks…

Should You Play Like a Nit Preflop?

A player recently asked: “If only a minority of preflop hands make the majority of the money, why should I play the rest of them?” It’s a great question, and in this article, I’m going to break it all down for you, with some input from Uri Peleg as well. Let’s dive in! Why You…

How Elite Poker Pros Play Pocket Kings Postflop

Everyone gets a nice hit of dopamine and adrenaline when they’re dealt pocket Kings. Your unconscious mind expects a big win, but it might also remember all the times things went off script (like when that dreaded Ace lands on the flop). In this article, I’ll break down how to approach playing pocket Kings postflop…

5 Tips for Improving Your Skills with PokerTracker

In this article, I’m going to share five ways you can use PokerTracker to improve your game. I’ve been a PokerTracker user for almost a decade, and even though I’ve added other tools to my kit, I still use it daily. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Alright, here are the five ways I…

How to Play Flush Turns After Check-Raising (Advanced Strategy)

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As you probably know, having a well-balanced check-raising range makes you a really tough opponent to play against. The reason why is simple: your opponent can’t just start taking mindless stabs at the pot once you check. He’s going to get his equity denied or end up value cutting himself way too often. That forces…

Limps in Poker: The Ultimate Guide to Crushing Open Limpers

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Think of limpers as your most valuable customers. Every time you see someone limp into the pot, you’re being handed an opportunity — often to win their entire stack, or at least a big chunk of it, in short order. You’re about to learn how to absolutely destroy these players. Here’s what you will find…

5 Preflop Tips to Help You Crush on ClubWPT Gold

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new poker site available to most residents of the USA. It’s called ClubWPT Gold and it is absurdly soft (see: our ClubWPT Gold review). This site features a unique 8-handed cash game format that includes a mandatory straddle and an ante. The structure creates a different dynamic than…

Flush on the Board? Turn These Tricky Spots Into Profit

Buckle up, poker strategy nerds. This one’s for you. 5-to-a-flush boards (like AdQd9d6d2d) are rare but fascinating from a theoretical perspective. Even top players make mistakes here. I’m going to break down key solver takeaways, plus share some real-world advice to sharpen your game. Let’s dive in! Note: This article requires knowledge of the following…

3 Tips to Make Your Opponents Regret Raising Your Big Blind

Playing well out of the Big Blind (BB) is essential. The pots you play after defending your BB might be small, on average, but the sheer frequency of this situation makes it a key part of your strategic development. In this article, I’ll share three tips to take your BB defense to the next level.…

3 Money-Making Exploits That Work in 99% of Poker Games

Whether to attempt to play a game theory optimal (GTO) strategy has been a hot topic in the poker world for years. Here’s my take: Learning GTO is extremely useful, but that doesn’t mean you follow it blindly. GTO strategies teach the correct plays in theory, but with that knowledge, we can exploit key mistakes…

How to Play King-Eight Suited in Cash Games

King-Eight suited (K8s) is a decent starting hand in cash games. It can be profitable if played correctly, but many players make mistakes with it. In this article, I’ll show you when it’s appropriate to enter the pot with K8s, along with six tips for playing it postflop. Let’s dive in! How to Play K8s…

3 Pro Tips for Playing Overpairs (via Lucid Poker)

Are you maximizing your winnings with overpairs? Playing them correctly can mean the difference between extracting max expected value (EV) and leaving money on the table. In this article, I’ll share three key tips for playing overpairs in a theoretically sound way—helping you win as much as possible. Let’s dive in! We have a podcast…

Mastering the Donk Bet (3 Pro Tips for Max EV)

Let’s kick this off with an analogy… If poker had a formal education system, donk betting would be the class with the fewest credits. The expected value (EV) gained from donk betting is small (at least in theory). In other words, it’s not a critical strategy to add to your game, but there is value…