Imagine this… You are playing one of the first $10,000 buy-in tournaments post-lockdown, and it’s the biggest tournament of the summer. You build up a huge stack on day 1 — one of, if not the biggest in the field — only to run the best possible full house into a top pro’s quads on […]
When Should You C-Bet with Middle or Bottom Pair in Cash Games?
Many aspects of poker strategy have fluctuated overtime… …including whether or not you should c-bet with middle or bottom pair on the flop. With the help of solvers, we now have a much clearer view of when it’s a good idea to do so. In this article, I am going to explain why you would […]
What is Fold Equity and Why Does it Matter?
If you’ve played poker for a while, you’ve probably heard the term fold equity. In this article, I am going to explain what fold equity is and why it’s important to understand if you want to maximize your winnings at the tables. What is Fold Equity? Fold equity is the probability that a player will […]
What is Two Pair & How Should You Play Two Pair?
Two pair is usually quite a strong hand in a game of poker. To make two pair, you must have two distinct pairs in the same five-card hand. Here is an example of two pair: The hand above is two pair, tens and threes. Other examples of two pair include A♠ A♦ 8♣ 8♦ 2♣ […]
How to Play Ace-King (Big Slick) in Cash Games
Is Ace-King one of ‘‘those hands’’ for you? You know, the ones that make you say “it looks good, but it never wins.” Regardless of your personal feelings towards “Big Slick”, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the strongest hands in the game. Learning how to play properly preflop and after the flop will […]
5 Questions to Ask Yourself in Every Postflop Poker Hand
Want to play your ranges like a pro after the flop? In this article, I am going to cover 5 questions that professional poker players ask themselves every time they make a decision. To assist with this process, I’ll be using a handy new tool called PokerRanger 2, which has a number of powerful features […]
14 Players Away from €300,000 — Should He Hero Call This Hand?
When your opponent either has the nuts or nothing, it can make sense to bluff-catch with a marginal hand. Today’s hand is an example of such a situation. In October 2018, The Battle of Malta boasted a then-record field of 3,816 players. British tournament specialist Andy Hills made it to the final table but, on […]
$2 Million Up for Grabs — Can Dan Smith Get Fedor Holz to Fold?
In 2016, the $111,111 WSOP One Drop brought out a who’s who of poker’s elite. A stacked final table boiled down to two of the greatest players in the game’s history. With $3 million banked, Dan Smith and Fedor Holz took their seats to play for an additional $2 million. Unsurprisingly, some fireworks ensued with […]
How to Play Suited Gappers in Cash Games (Preflop Advice & 6 Postflop Tips)
What’s not to love about suited gappers? You can hit flushes, weird two-pairs, trips, and super disguised straights! A suited gapper is a starting hand with two non-consecutive cards of the same suit that can flop a straight (such as T♠ 8♠, 9♥ 6♥ and J♣ 7♣). In this article, you will learn how to […]
How to Play 4-Straight & 4-Flush Boards Like a Pro (3 Key Tips for Each)
4-straight and 4-flush boards are among the trickiest boards to play. You will find yourself playing these boards in a variety of situations, from single raised pots to 4-bet pots and everything in between. Since the topic is so broad, I will be sharing with you 3 general tips for each one that will guide […]
What is a 3-Bet? Why (And How) You Need to 3-Bet More Often
Great poker players are aggressive. Aggression leads to a lot of big pots. You can’t be afraid of big pots if you want to be a great poker player. In fact, you have to be willing to create big pots by 3-betting; odds are, you don’t 3-bet often enough. What is a 3-bet in poker? […]
Should David Lappin Fold a Full House on a Devilish Board? (Analysis)
In November 2018, the Unibet Open took place in my hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Home advantage meant I was familiar with more of my table mates than I normally am on the live circuit. Late on Day 1, I was moved to the TV table, where I got into a very non-standard hand with Richie […]
[QUIZ] Do You Know When to Hold’em/Fold’em at Micro Stakes?
The dreaded micro stakes are where most poker dreams are born, but it can be surprisingly tricky to move past them. Beating the micro stakes is simple, but not easy. It’s simple because you are playing against less technically endowed players. It’s not easy because you are regularly forced to fight against your own biases […]
4 Tournament Mindset Tips for Poker Success (ft. ALLinPAV)
Upswing Poker coach Hristivoje “ALLinPav” Pavlovic has proven that the poker dream is still alive. About five years ago he was grinding micro stakes with a small bankroll. Fast forward to today, and he’s a mid/high stakes tournament pro that is one of the most popular Twitch poker streamers. There’s no doubt about it: rising […]
[QUIZ] Do You Have the Skills to Smash Live $2/$5 Games?
There’s some serious money to be made in live poker, especially as players rush back to card rooms after a year of mandatory off-time. The following 10 hand scenarios will test how prepared you are to profit from the live poker gold rush of 2021 and beyond. Each question covers typical spots that you may […]
How to Play Pocket Kings Like a Pro in Cash Games (Even When an Ace Flops)
Let’s talk about Pocket Kings. Playing the cowboys is relatively easy most of the time, but every once in a while a dreaded Ace rolls off on the flop, which reminds me of this meme: In this article, we will help you increase your win-rate with Pocket Kings by covering: How to play Kings in […]
