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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How The “King of Instagram” Plays Heads-Up Poker (Analysis)

king of instagram plays poker

You probably already know Dan Bilzerian. The man dubbed the “King of Instagram” claims to have made his entire fortune playing poker — which has been contested (see: Did Dan Bilzerian Win His Money in Poker?). It’s tough to know how Bilzerian approaches poker strategy because he mainly plays in high stakes private games. Back…

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Fast-Playing vs Slow-Playing Revealed

slow play vs fast play in poker

You flop a set… Your opponent bets into you and you have a decision to make. Will you fast-play with a raise, hoping to get all-in as soon as possible? Or will you slow-play with a call, setting a trap for your opponent? Situations like this will happen pretty much anytime you play a session…

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Why 5♠ 4♠ is Better Than 9♠ 8♠ (And How That Should Impact Your Strategy)

98s vs 54s

Since the advent of preflop solvers, poker players have discovered some very interesting things about preflop strategy. One particularly interesting and useful discovery has to do with suited connectors. In certain scenarios, low suited connectors (like 54s) are preferable to higher ones (like 98s). You’re about to learn why, and how you should adjust your…

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Want Your Bluffs to Work More Often? Try “Delaying” Them

delay c-bet bluff

You’re about to learn a tactic that will help you steal pots from right under you opponent’s nose…and they won’t even know it happened. The tactic involves checking back on the flop as the preflop aggressor, only to bet on the turn. This is referred to as a delayed […]

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3 Key Hands from a Sunday Million Final Table

Ready to improve your strategy by getting inside the head of a truly great tournament pro? Keep reading. One of the coolest and most valuable Play & Explain series in the Upswing Lab is a full review of Moritz “Mo” Dietrich’s final table run in the PokerStars Sunday Million during SCOOP last year […]

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