What is a Flush? And How Should You Play Flushes?

slow-play flopped flush 5-4 spades on A-J-9 all spades

Making a flush can often result in winning the pot in a game of poker. One of the stronger hands you can make, the flush ranks fifth in the poker hand rankings, behind the royal flush, straight flush, four-of-a-kind, and full house. A flush consists of any five cards that are all the same suit.…

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High Stakes Players Collide in Record-Breaking $974,631 Pot (Analysis)

tan xuan vs ali imsirovic

2020 has already produced some of the biggest pots in online poker history. The hand in question today features Tan Xuan facing off against rising star Ali Imsirovic. Ali has been crushing the high stakes tournament scene for a few years now, racking up $8,912,717 in tournament earnings. Interestingly, Ali was the second member ever…

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10 Poker Infographics That Will Help Your Game

poker infographics

Infographics are a fun and effective way to learn, which is why we’ve created numerous infographics throughout the years. Today’s article is an aggregate of 10 of the most bookmark-worthy poker infographics that we have created. Starting with beginner-friendly topics, the infographics get more advanced as you scroll. Be sure to download the ones you…

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4 Valuable Pieces of Poker Tournament Advice for Beginners

poker tournament advice

You’ve played your A-game for hours and you made some hands when you needed to. Now, it has finally happened: you’re at the final table eyeing the biggest score of your life. In order to make more moments like this happen for you, I dug through Upswing Poker’s library of tournament articles to pull out…

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How To Play Ace-King On A Middling Flop After 3-Betting

ace king on a brick flop

Raise your hand if you feel like every time you 3-bet with AK, the flop brings three undercards. 3-bet pots are common, but the amount of money involved from the get-go makes things a bit more tense. Today we will try to ease that tension by explaining how to proceed on a pretty common board…

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[QUIZ] Can You Play These 10 Flush Draws Optimally?

flush draw quiz

Your skills with flush draws are about to be put to the test with ten example scenarios. You will play as the aggressor in the first six hands, then as the defender in the final four hands. Keep in mind that in close situations, the correct answer is the action PioSolver chooses most often. Take…

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The Ultimate Guide to Squeezing in No Limit Hold’em

squeezing in poker the squeeze play

The “squeeze” play — 3-betting preflop versus a raise and one or more callers — was once a staple of TV poker. Players used to be much more likely to just call raises before the flop, which presented many squeezing opportunities for aggressive players. Squeezing is a less frequent part of the game nowadays, especially…

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[QUIZ] Can You Ace 10 Super Tough Poker Questions?

tough poker quiz

There are dozens of poker quizzes here on Upswing Poker. Over the past few days, my team and I sifted through each of them to find the 10 questions that were answered incorrectly at the highest frequency. In other words, these are the most challenging Upswing Poker quiz questions ever. All were answered correctly by less…

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3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Facing a Bet

3 questions to ask versus a bet

Learning poker in 2020 can feel overwhelming. The poker community is always buzzing about solvers and theoretically optimal play — and for good reason. In order to reach the highest levels of the game, you need to be familiar with these things. But for most people, especially those who are newer to the game, mastering…

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Playing with Deep Stacks: Tips, Tricks, & Adjustments to Help You Win

deep stack tips and adjustments

If playing with deep stacks (150bb+) makes you feel anxious or confused, this article will make your life easier. You’re about to learn how to: Adjust your preflop bet sizing when deep stacked. Choose the correct hands to 3-bet and 4-bet when deep stacked. Adjust your postflop game plan when deep stacked. Let’s dive in!…

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3 Crucial Types of Poker Software for Serious Players in 2024

poker tools and software

If you’re serious about poker, there are a few must-have types of poker software / poker tools. Whether you play online or live, these tools can help take your game to the next level so you can maximize your winnings and rise up in stakes. In this article, I am going to review the three…

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[QUIZ] Do You Bluff (& Semi-Bluff) Like A Pro?

bluff semi-bluff quiz

As Doug Polk likes to say, bluffing is life in poker. 10 years ago you could be a wimpy bluffer and still win in most games. These days, however, you need to have a good handle on this foundation of the game. In this quiz you will be presented with 10 hand scenarios. Your goal…

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7 Must-Read Articles That Will Help Your Poker Game

7 valuable poker articles

I’ve been running the Upswing Poker blog for over four years. In that time I have commissioned, read, and published nearly 1,000 articles to help you, my dear reader, improve your poker skills. Today I’ve gathered seven of the most valuable/fundamental Upswing Poker articles ever published. These articles will help you improve your strategy, mental…

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