Middling offsuit Aces include A6o, A7o, A8o, and A9o. Playing these hands correctly can be tough, even for experienced players. They aren’t super strong hands, but they’re still worth playing in some situations. If you’re always folding middling offsuit Aces, you’re leaving money on the table. However, it’s arguably an even bigger mistake to play […]
When Should You Bluff with a Missed Flush Draw? (3 Tips for the River)
When you reach the river with a missed flush draw, should you try and bluff your opponent, or is it best to give up? That will be the focus of today’s article. I am going to share with you 3 tips for bluffing (or not bluffing)on the river when you hold nothing but a missed […]
How to Play Combo Draws in Cash Games
Combo draws are super strong hands, especially on the flop… …but their value can obviously change drastically by the time you reach the river. You may end up with a strong five-card hand, a total airball, or something in between (like one pair). To help you navigate this dynamic, this article covers how to play […]
The 5 Best Poker Strategy Articles of 2021
If you want to crush your poker games in 2022, read on. These 5 must-read articles published on the poker strategy blog will prepare you to dominate the tables in 2022 and beyond. I included something for everyone, regardless of your skill level (#5 is introductory, #2-4 are intermediate, and #1 is relatively advanced). (I […]
The 5 Best Poker Hand Reviews of 2021
If you like expert poker hand analysis, you’ve come to the right place. The Upswing Poker team is constantly on the lookout for interesting hands to review. When we stumble upon a great one, we analyze and publish it on the poker strategy blog. This is a list of the 5 most notable/interesting/thought-provoking hands reviewed […]
How to Play King-Jack Offsuit in Cash Games (Preflop & Postflop)
King-Jack offsuit (KJo) is one of those hands that looks super strong to newer players. That’s why Daniel Negreanu calls it “the rookie hand” — it’s easy to overplay KJo and many players make mistakes with it. But after reading this article, you will be better prepared to win more (or lose less) money when […]
DoorDash Founder Fires $20k Overbet Bluff with Queen-High (Analysis)
For decades, wealthy people have loved to dabble in high-stakes poker games. One such billionaire poker enthusiast is Stanley Tang, the founder of the delivery app DoorDash, who is worth an estimated $2.2 billion dollars. He recently played a session on Hustler Casino Live, where he attempted a bold $20,350 bluff. It might be easier […]
Magic Antonio Tries to Bluff Aces with 9-5 Offsuit (Analysis)
Live games can get crazy at times, especially in high stakes games that are streamed for thousands of viewers. Some players love to make ambitious (and sometimes reckless) plays when there is an audience to entertain. This recent hand between Antonio Esfandiari and Jeremy Levin from Hustler Casino Live is a great example. “Magic Antonio” […]
How to Play Pocket Eights in Cash Games (Preflop & Postflop)
Let’s talk about the snowmen! Playing pocket eights can be tricky. The middling pair is a strong hand that’s very frequently worth playing preflop, but most of the time the flop will have at least one overcard. This makes them difficult to play, so I wrote this article to make it a little easier for […]
[QUIZ] Would You Win the WSOP Main Event?
Every poker player has dreamed of playing at the final table of the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event. This quiz will give you that chance, putting you in the shoes of 2021 WSOP Main Event Champion Koray Aldemir. Your goal is to pick the move that he chose. And because Aldemir is a […]
The Final Hand of the 2021 WSOP Main Event (Analysis)
High stakes poker pro versus fearless amateur… It’s a matchup that happens daily on poker tables around the world. But it usually doesn’t happen with the World Series of Poker Main Event title and $8,000,000 on the line. In the final hand of the No Limit Hold’em championship, German pro Koray Aldemir held a slight […]
What are Reverse Implied Odds & Why Do They Matter?
You’re probably familiar with implied odds, but what about reverse implied odds? If you are not familiar with implied odds, I recommend checking out How to Use Implied Odds Like a Veteran Pro before reading on. Reverse implied odds can be a tricky concept to wrap your head around, but today’s article will make it […]
How to Play Open-Ended Straight Draws in Cash Games
I get a rush of positive energy whenever I flop an open-ended straight draw. It’s just so amazing to hit one of those 8 sneaky outs and win a huge pot. I’d be willing to bet that most of you feel similarly. But playing straight draws correctly isn’t necessarily easy. This article will help you […]
What is Geometric Bet Sizing & How Do You Use It?
Geometric bet sizing — sounds pretty math-y and complicated, doesn’t it? It’s actually not that complicated at all. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ve basically applied this concept at the table before, even if you didn’t know it by name. When used in the proper situations, geometric bet sizing will help you win your […]
How a Top Live Poker Crusher Deals with Six-Figure Losses
Unless you’re an absolute sicko, you probably hate losing money. But if you play poker regularly, it’s impossible to never have stretches during which you lose a significant amount of money. Learning how to emotionally handle losing is one of the many factors that separate the elite players from the rest. And one of those […]
How to Play King-Queen Suited in Cash Games (Preflop and Postflop)
King-Queen suited is a pretty premium hand, but that doesn’t stop your average poker player from playing it poorly. It’s hard to mess up too much with super-premiums like pocket Aces or even Ace-King. But I see players overplay and underplay King-Queen suited (KQs) on a near-daily basis. In this article, I’ll lay out some […]
