Posts Tagged ‘Live Poker’
Phil Hellmuth Loses It Over Liv Boeree’s Very Standard Play (Analysis)
Few things in poker are more entertaining than a Phil Hellmuth rant. The ‘Poker Brat’ is an old school legend of the game. He has over $23,000,000 in live tournament winnings and leads all-time with 15 WSOP bracelets. But despite his success on the felt, many people know him better for his tirades after losing…
Read More[QUIZ] Poker 101 Quiz for Beginners
Ready to test yourself on some of the most fundamental skills in poker? Today’s quiz will take you through 10 questions that cover some basic poker concepts, including pot odds, ranges, c-betting, and bet sizing. Good luck! (Note: If you are unfamiliar with the 9 positions at a poker table, click here to review them.…
Read More5 Tips to Stop Bleeding Chips from the Small Blind
The small blind is arguably the most difficult position to master in No Limit Hold’em. This position is particularly challenging for two main reasons: You are forced to pay half of a big blind without looking at your cards You play every single postflop situation with a positional disadvantage If you take this 5-step professional…
Read More[QUIZ] Can You Play Famous Poker Hands Like a Top Pro?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play as one of the world’s most famous poker players? Today you get that chance. This quiz will take you through 8 real spots that were played by world-class players at some of the world’s highest stakes. Your goal is to choose the best possible…
Read More10 Poker Mindset Mistakes to Avoid
Are mental game mistakes costing you money? In this article I’m going to discuss the most common poker mindset mistakes I see being made by online and live poker players. Whether you’re a high stakes, mid stakes, or low stakes player, you will surely recognize some of these mistakes. 1. Neglecting Your Game When Running…
Read MoreSet Over Set for $561,800 (Tom Dwan vs Patrik Antonius Analysis)
Coolers (like set over set) are inevitable in poker. It doesn’t matter if you are playing micro-stakes or the nosebleeds; every once in awhile, a cold deck will slap you in the face. The following “old school” hand between Tom Dwan and Patrik Antonius is an example of that, and unfortunately for one of them,…
Read MoreHow to Maximize Your Profit on Paired Flops In Position
Improving your fundamentals in common spots is one of the easiest ways to improve your win-rate. Here’s the common spot that will be the focus of this article: you raise, the big blind calls, and a paired flop falls. What will be covered? Why You Shouldn’t Play All Paired Boards The Same Way How to…
Read MoreAmir Vahedi’s 3 Bluffing Tips from 2009 Stand the Test of Time
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…
Read MoreBluff-Raising to $302,000 vs Patrik Antonius (Analysis)
Let’s take a look at what is perhaps the most interesting TV poker hand Doug Polk ever played. It’s an ultra-high stakes cash game with the blinds at $1,000/$2,000 and $2,000 in total antes. Both Doug and his opponent, the famous Patrik Antonius, are very deep, with an effective stack depth of $470,000 (235 big…
Read More[QUIZ] Can You Exploit This Hypothetical Poker Table?
Time to test your exploit skills! The following quiz will challenge you with 10 hand scenarios at a live $2/$5 table. Before diving into the hands, click “See Player Reads” below to get valuable information about each of the other players at the table. Your goal is to figure out the best play given the…
Read MoreWhy Coffee is Hurting Your Poker Results
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…
Read MoreWhy Teddy KGB is Actually Bad at Poker
Teddy KGB is a feared character in Rounders, the most iconic poker movie of all time. Teddy’s scary traits include his status as a Russian mob boss and deep ties into the New York City underworld. Those traits do not necessarily include his skill at the poker table, which (spoiler alert) lead to Mike McDermott…
Read MoreRiver Probing: How to Play Rivers When Your Foe C-Bets, Then Checks Back
Your river probing strategy in 2021 is more important than ever before. Most players c-bet over 60% of the time on the flop these days. This means you will frequently find yourself calling a flop bet, then having to decide whether to bet or check on the river after the action checked through on the…
Read MoreYour $1/$2 Hands Analyzed By A Live Cash Crusher
Featured Photo: Joe Giron & PokerNews (Edited from Original) You posted the hands. Now, we break ‘em down. With the help of live poker specialist (and crusher) Mike Finstein, I am going to analyze two $1/$2 live hands that were played by members of the Upswing Lab. Each member posted their hand in the private…
Read MoreSet vs Set vs Flush for (At Least) a $224,000 Pot (Analysis)
After playing for hours, it finally happens: you flop a set. But as you are busy counting all of the money you are about to win, the turn brings a possible flush and multiple opponents start to pile money into the pot. Naturally, the scary board and heavy action make you start to question whether…
Read MoreWhat is Rake in Poker? And Should Rake Impact Your Poker Strategy?
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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