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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tonkaaaap Reveals 3 Insights On His Way To A 2000% ROI

tonkaaaap $530 party hand review

“Do as I say, not as I do” -Parker “tonkaaaap” Talbot as he analyzes a hand from a $530 multi-table tournament (MTT) on PartyPoker, which he went on to win for about $10k. In this 1.5 hour hand review for Upswing Lab members, tonkaaaap walks you through every hand he played in this MTT. I…

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7 Short Stack Poker Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings

short stack poker tips

Are you ready to improve your short stack game? Read on! Being short stacked can happen in any game type. In formats like Hyper-Turbos and Spin-and-Go’s you start with a short stack, and in tournaments you’ll very often find yourself short-stacked. So, let’s dive into 7 tips that will prepare you for these crucial situations!…

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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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5 Tips for Staying Focused at the Poker Table

focus at the poker table

Being able to focus for extended periods of time is one of the most important skills a poker player can have. Better focus during sessions will increase your win-rate substantially, and it separates okay-to-good poker players from the great players. Giving the game your undivided attention might even be more important than figuring out your…

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3 Strategic Mistakes to Avoid in Tournaments with Nick Petrangelo

nick petrangelo tournament course

Meet the latest elite player to join the Upswing team: Nick Petrangelo. Nick is a tournament crusher who you’ve probably seen playing the world’s biggest buy-in tournaments. He’s 30th on the all-time money list, with cashes totaling about $16,000,000. In the past 4 months alone, he’s cashed for ~$5,700,000 and won his second WSOP bracelet.…

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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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How to Analyze Your Poker Hands Effectively in 5 Minutes

analyze poker hands

(If Google sent you here to find out what beats what in poker, check out our guide to poker hands.) The difference between a strong player and a weak player is what they do after a poker session. Weak players play poker hands and forget about them. They put themselves in tough spots and fail…

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How Equity Denial Influences (Almost) Every Decision & Your Results

equity denial

Equity denial underlies almost all of your decisions at the poker table, even if you don’t realize it. When understood and considered correctly, it can increase your edge in every spot and thus improve your win-rate. In this article, I will explain exactly what equity denial is and how it ought to shape your strategy.…

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3 Heads-Up Rules Drawn from a $20,000 Buy-In Match

heads up poker rules

Let’s talk heads-up poker! Today we’ll dive into a $100/$200 cash game match between Doug Polk and Ben ‘Sauce123’ Sulsky – world-class heads-up players who have faced off many times.  Doug recorded the match and analyzed notable hands in an 11-part video series for his advanced heads-up training course. I’ve watched the first few parts of the…

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