Success in poker is heavily dictated by logic and problem-solving skills. But perhaps above all else, it’s about math! Thankfully, you don’t need to be a savant to understand the mathematical principles of poker. This quiz will test your knowledge with 10 questions about the core mathematical components of poker. You’ll get a famous poker […]
Should He Fold Pocket Aces At The Final Table? (Analysis)
Some poker players love to set traps. Players who trap too often are pretty easy to play against, but so are those who never trap. Like most things in poker, balance is the key. It’s also important to navigate cautiously when a trap doesn’t go exactly to plan. In 2017, Irish poker pro Dara O’Kearney […]
The Worst Poker Hand Of His Life (Analysis)
Every time you sit down at the poker table, you make mistakes (even if you’re Phil Ivey). What matters is how you learn from those mistakes. Jamie Nixon is one of the brightest young poker talents in the UK and, like most great players, he is immensely self-critical. In 2019, when he was up against […]
The Preflop Poker Quiz (Only 20% of Poker Players Will Get 10/10)
Preflop is the most important street in poker… …so we made this quiz to put your preflop strategy to the test. You’re about to answer 10 questions, and you’ll get assigned a poker player based on your final score. Good luck! (Note: Click here to reference the table positions.) If the quiz is not displaying […]
How Phil Hellmuth Lost His $1.6 Million Match Against A Top Pro (Analysis)
Phil Hellmuth has been an absolute wrecking ball in high stakes heads-up matches on PokerGO… …but he just went up against the impenetrable fortress that is elite poker pro Jason Koon. This article will retell the story of that match by recapping (and briefly analyzing) the 9 most notable hands. But first, let’s set the […]
Should She Fold Aces Full in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event? (Analysis)
What does it take for you to lose all your chips in level 1 of the WSOP Main Event? With 300 big blinds and the slowest structure of any live tournament… …it should require the coldest of cold decks. Let’s look back on a classic, crazy hand from the 2017 Main Event that demonstrates what […]
[Quiz] Do You Play Pocket Aces Like A Pro?
How good is your strategy with the best hand in the game, Pocket Aces? This quiz will test your skills with preflop and postflop situations. In all 10 situations, you hold Pocket Aces. Let’s see what your score looks like at the end (be sure to drop a comment with your results). You’ll get assigned […]
Patrik Antonius Hero Calls Bottom Pair with $825,000 On The Line (Analysis)
Could you make a sick call with bottom pair with 3 players left in a big tournament? It takes guts, the lack of a certain type of fear, and a level of confidence that is often the result of years of experience playing at a high level. Patrik Antonius is no doubt a player with […]
Why You Should NOT Chop When Deep In A Tournament
If you have ever made a deep run in a tournament, you may have been asked “Do you want to chop?” It’s no wonder why. Especially in bigger tournaments, the pay jumps at final tables can be steep. You are playing for massive stakes with no idea what the future holds. But while making a […]
Should He Try To Bluff The Recreational Player? (Analysis)
I’ve analyzed a lot of high stakes tournament hands here on the Upswing Poker blog, so I figured some readers might appreciate a dip into a low stakes hand. After all, tournaments in the $10-50 buy-in range online and the $100-500 buy-in range live are what the majority of poker players prefer to play. That’s […]
Should He Call All-In With Ace-High in a $250,000 Tournament? (Analysis)
One of the toughest spots in poker is when you have a marginal hand and face a decision for all of your chips. It doesn’t matter if you play the micros online or live high rollers, these situations are almost always anxiety-inducing. Cut to the Triton $250,000 Buy-In High Roller tournament, in which Daniel Dvoress […]
[QUIZ] Do You Know When to C-Bet in 4-Bet Pots?
Poker players get more aggressive (on average) every year. As a result, playing well in 4-bet pots has become a vital skill if you want to succeed in today’s games. This quiz will help you improve that skill. The focus will be on playing 4-bet pots as the preflop aggressor (a future quiz will have […]
[QUIZ] Do You Know How to Play vs Preflop Raises?
It’s extremely tough to become a long-term winning poker player without a good grasp on the fundamentals… …and one of the most important fundamentals is only playing hands that profit when a player raises in front of you. This quiz will put you in 8 different preflop situations in which you face a raise before […]
What is Equity in Poker & Why Does it Matter?
Equity is the most fundamental concept in poker. If you’re not very familiar with it, then this article is going to be extremely valuable for your poker game. Let’s dive into what equity is and why it matters so much. What is Equity? Equity refers to the share of the pot that belongs to a […]
Should He Call This Jam for His Tournament Life? (Analysis)
There is perhaps nothing more satisfying in poker than watching your opponent fall into the trap that you carefully set. The feeling is so great that many players often slow-play strong hands in situations where they should be fast-playing. But this is not one of those hands. In the 2019 Battle of Malta Main Event, […]
[QUIZ] Do You Know When to Shove a Short Stack?
Knowing when to shove with a short stack in a tournament has a massive impact on your ROI in tournaments. This quiz will test your ability to do just that. For each question, assume the following: You are playing at an 8-handed table There is a Big Blind ante You are playing a shove or […]
