2 Strategies You Need to Crush Passive Tables

passive poker tables strategy

Playing against passive opposition might be easier than you think. It’s very easy to realize equity against these players because of how rarely they bet, and that incentivizes you to use more aggressive strategies both preflop and postflop. In this article, we’ll discuss those aggressive strategies, and how to play against one move in particular…

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[QUIZ] Do You Know How to Play Versus Check-Raise?

vs check-raise strategy quiz

Playing against check-raises on the flop is an important aspect of a poker player’s game. If you don’t know how to counter check-raises, you open yourself up to being exploited every time you c-bet. This 10-hand quiz is going to test your fundamental understanding of playing versus check-raises. Good luck! Note: These questions assume you…

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3 Poker Study Techniques That Will Make You a Stronger Player

poker study techniques

Poker is a strategically rich game with a colossal amount of strategic possibilities. And those possibilities only increase with more players at the table. Consequently, in order to book consistent wins, you need to have a better understanding of the game than your opponents. To accomplish this, you need to make studying the game part of…

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What Are Implied Odds? How to Use Implied Odds Like a Veteran Pro

implied odds poker strategy

Implied odds aren’t difficult to understand, but many players misapply them while playing. This leads to easily avoidable but costly mistakes, such as chasing a draw that isn’t worth chasing. To help you avoid such mistakes, you’re about to learn what implied odds are and how they should help shape your strategy. We will cover:…

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Pros and Cons of 66% & 100% Pot-Sized C-Bets (The Ultimate Guide, Part 2)

pot sized c-bets

Ready to bolster your flop c-betting skills? Today you’re going to learn the advantages and disadvantages of two common flop c-bet sizes: 66% and 100% pot-sized bets. This is part 2 of The Ultimate Guide to Flop C-Bet Sizing. Check out part 1 here. Here’s the example situation we’ll use throughout this article: You are playing…

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Limped Pots: How to Adjust Your Strategy to Win More Money

limped pots poker strategy

A game with a lot limped pots is a game you want to be playing. These games are often full of weak players because strong players rarely limp. (You may remember this from our How to Destroy Limpers article.)  These small pots will have a big impact on your bottom line. If you want that impact…

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Stop Letting Your Poker Ego Cost You Money & Happiness

phil hellmuth poker ego illusory superiority

What’s going on, Upswing fam? Today we’re mixing things up with a guest post that aims to help you with your mental game. Konstantinos “Duncan” Palamourdas is an award-winning math professor from UCLA who specializes in the mathematics of poker, as well as in poker education. He currently teaches poker classes at UCLA extension which…

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How Equity Realization Impacts Every Hand You’ll Ever Play

equity realization in poker explained

You’ve probably heard the term “equity realization” a few times – it’s been used in many articles here at Upswing. But if you don’t know what equity realization means, or how to use it, it’s time to learn. We’re about to cover this crucial poker concept, one that impacts every hand you’ll ever play. But…

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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 up your game. JOIN THE COMMUNITY   When it comes to improving at poker, few things are more effective than discussing strategy with friends. For meaningful discussions about poker from all angles of the game,…

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5 Can’t-Miss Insights from an Online Cash Game Juggernaut

cash game insights from fried meulders

We Lab members are truly fortunate. We get to watch a top online cash game player, Fried “mynameiskarl” Meulders, play some serious poker, and then we get to pick his brain afterward to further increase the edge we have on our opponents. But even if you aren’t a Lab member, you’re in luck because you’re…

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Stop Tanking: 5 Reasons Why Playing Faster Will Make You Richer & Happier

tanking in poker put this guy to sleep

Trends in live poker seem to come and go overnight. One that hasn’t gone away yet, unfortunately, is slow play and excessive tanking. The following updated article, originally published in 2016, is a good reminder to slow players why they need play faster. — I’m angry. There was a time when No Limit Hold’em tournaments…

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How to Crush Nits (10 Tactics That Win Against Tight Players)

nits tight players poker strategy

What is a Nit? A “nit” is a player who doesn’t take any risks and only plays premium hands, and they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. With so many nits out there, learning how to exploit them is very important for your long term win-rate. And beyond that, it’s actually pretty darn fun to…

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