[QUIZ] Can You Pick the “GTO” C-Bet Frequency on 10 Flops?

c-bet frequency quiz

This poker quiz is not going to be easy. Each of the following 10 hand scenarios starts the same way: you raise (2.5bb), your opponent in the big blind calls, and then they check on the flop. You will then decide how frequently you should continuation bet (c-bet) given the board and your position/range. The…

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Amir Vahedi’s 3 Bluffing Tips from 2009 Stand the Test of Time

Amir Vahedi Poker Advice

The evolution of poker strategy is fascinating. When I first started my journey into poker a few years ago, I began by reading every old book I could find. As I got more serious about poker, however, I realized that a lot of the strategy taught in these books is outdated. So when I recently…

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5 Advanced Poker Strategies & Tips To Supercharge Your Poker Wins

advanced poker strategies and tips

Ready for some advanced nuggets of poker wisdom that will help your game? For today’s article, I dug through Upswing’s extensive library of strategy articles and extracted five of the most important tips that have been covered over the years. While these tips cover vastly different topics, they should all play a part in your…

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Why Coffee is Hurting Your Poker Results

coffee poker

Hey there, Upswing fam! Today we’re mixing things up with a guest article by “Coach” Bahman Zarghami that will help you with your mental game. Even if you don’t want to give up your daily coffee, this short article is worth a read so you can better understand stress and anxiety as they relate to…

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What is Rake in Poker? And Should Rake Impact Your Poker Strategy?

poker rake strategy adjustments

What is Rake? Rake refers to the scaled commission taken by a casino to pay for its operating costs. Rake is collected in tournaments as part of the buy-in cost and in cash games by the dealer dropping a percentage of each pot. If you’ve ever played cash game poker in a casino, you’ve probably…

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How to Avoid the Unhealthy Mindset That Tortures Poker Players

If you want longevity in poker, you need to have a strong mental game. Among other things, that means you have to be able to self-criticize (so you can grow as a player) while not self-shaming. Way too many poker players are extremely harsh and critical of themselves. Such a mindset may help in achieving…

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Was This Bluff a Mistake? (Analysis)

Missed Gutshot Bluff

This two-part article series will help you improve your strategy with missed draws. In part one, cash game crusher Fried Meulders missed a flush draw with Q♥ 7♥, but got his opponent to fold with a couple of huge overbet bluffs. This time Fried misses a straight draw in a 3-bet pot. Will his aggression…

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How to Avoid Getting Crushed After Defending with a Weak Hand

postflop big blind play with weak hands

Most of you already know that you should defend your big blind a lot in tournaments, but do you know what to do next? Specifically, how should you approach postflop play after defending with a weak hand? It’s easy to get lost and make mistakes when playing a hand out of position that you aren’t…

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Cash Game Pro Misses a Draw and Overbets Twice (Analysis)

missed flush draw bluff q7s

Deciding what to do with a missed draw can be tricky. Sometimes you should bluff, and sometimes your stack will be better off if you wave the white flag. Choosing the wrong option will either cost you the pot or your stack. To help you better understand when to bluff with missed draws, we’re about…

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Checking Flops with Overpairs: When Should You Do It?

You look down at the beautiful Q♦ Q♥. You raise preflop and get called by two players. The flop is all undercards, so you still have an overpair. You start to reach for chips, but then you remember this article. What did it say about scenarios like this? You’re about to gain insight into when…

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10 Fundamental Tips for The Most Common Types of Flops

Board Texture

You’re about to learn about one of the most important factors in poker. Board texture is one of the most important pieces of information in any given hand. The optimal bet sizing, bet frequency, and overall postflop strategy hinges on the specific three cards that come on the flop. In this article, I will shed…

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The Starting Hands That Make the Most Money in Multiway Pots

starting hands multiway

If you play in games with loose and passive opponents, read on. You’re about to get some valuable advice for playing preflop in multiway pots. After finishing this article, you will understand the answer to two important questions: Which hands perform best multiway pots? When should you enter a multiway pot? Let’s dive right into…

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[QUIZ] What is Your Poker IQ Score?

poker iq test

How knowledgeable are you when it comes to the most popular “big bet” poker games? This 8-question quiz includes questions about No Limit Hold’em (cash games and tournaments), Pot Limit Omaha, and “big bet” poker theory […]

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