Posts Tagged ‘Tournaments’
Doug Polk Semi-Bluffs All-In With $3.7 Million at Stake (Analysis)
To mark the beginning of the 2021 World Series of Poker (which started yesterday), today’s article zooms in on a key hand from the 2017 WSOP. Specifically, a hand from the $111,111 buy-in One Drop between Doug Polk and Main Event champion Martin Jacobson. This battle took place with 9 players left at the final…
Read MoreThe $2.5 Million Bluff That Changed The Poker World Forever (Moneymaker vs Farha Analysis)
Heads-up for the 2003 WSOP Main Event title. A bracelet and $2.5 million on the line. The poker veteran in a sharp suit, shirt unbuttoned, bedazzled with chains. The accountant with the implausibly perfect name, wearing a beige Poker Stars baseball cap and sunglasses. A bluff that will change the poker world forever. Coined the…
Read MoreWhat is Board Coverage & Why Does It Matter?
Board coverage is a relatively new concept in the poker world. It became a hot topic when solvers gained widespread use, but not everyone knows what it is. To bridge that gap, this article will answer some questions about it: What is board coverage? Why does board coverage matter in theory? How much does board…
Read MoreWSOP Main Event Winner Stoyan Madanzhiev Joins Team Upswing
The perfect way to hone your skills in preparation for the World Series of Poker is here… Bulgarian tournament poker pro Stoyan Madanzhiev won $4 million and a WSOP Main Event bracelet last year. Now, he’s signed on to be a guest coach in the Upswing Lab training course. (Keep reading for a sneak peek…
Read MoreStop Punting Away Your Equity in Knockout Tournaments
A Wise Hitman Chooses His Targets Carefully… If you aren’t playing knockout poker tournaments as a part of your schedule, you’re seriously missing out. They’re both the most fun and the biggest value format on the internet these days. What is a Knockout / Bounty Tournament? In Knockout/Bounty tournaments, a bounty is a set amount…
Read MoreHow Poker Antes Should Change Your Tournament Raising Strategy
Do you open roughly the same range from each position regardless of antes? If so, you are making a costly mistake. Many players leak chips by failing to adjust their preflop ranges when there’s dead money to go after. With antes in […]
Read More5 Tips for Playing Backdoor Flush & Straight Draws
Backdoor draws play a significant role in the range construction process. If you don’t regularly consider backdoor draws when making decisions at the table, this short list of tips is for you. As you’re about to learn, backdoor draws aren’t valuable just because of their additional equity to hit a strong hand. Backdoor draws are…
Read MoreShould You Ever Donk-Bet On The Flop?
What is Donk Betting? A Donk-Bet is a somewhat unorthodox bet made by an out of position player who was not the aggressor in the previous street. Donk-betting used to be one of the greatest sins a poker player could commit. Back in the hay day of Limit Hold’em, as No-Limit was gaining popularity, most…
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 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 spots where…
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.…
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