Posts Tagged ‘Live Poker’
3 Poker Concepts Every Aspiring Pro Needs to Know
Poker used to be easy. It almost makes me sick to think about how much money was up for grabs in the years following the ’03 poker boom. All it took to be a poker pro was a little know-how, and a lot of patience. But the poker landscape has changed with time. Nowadays, aspiring…
Read MoreAnswered: Your 5 Most Burning Post-Flop Questions
Post-flop play is what makes poker interesting and complex. There are virtually infinite possible post-flop situations, which can lead to a lot of uncertainty in one’s decision making. In this article, I’ll be reviewing Doug Polk’s answers to 5 post-flop questions sent in by you, the Upswing readers. The questions cover these topics: How to…
Read MoreDon’t Let Cheaters Get the Best of You at the Live Poker Table
According to Wikipedia, Hanlon’s razor is “an aphorism expressed in various ways including ‘“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity,’” or ‘“Don’t assume bad intentions over neglect and misunderstanding.’” In other words, people are more often dumb than nefarious, so we ought to keep that in mind when judging their actions. Many…
Read More12 Preflop Mistakes You Must Avoid to Move Up in Stakes [2nd Edition]
Poker is easy to learn but difficult to master, which I love! Players with well-thought-out and in-depth strategies are rewarded with easier decisions and a better bottom line. However, the complexity of poker also leads to many opportunities for potential mistakes. Preflop is the most played and important street in poker, so today we are going to…
Read MoreMake More Money in Big Blind vs Small Blind Battles
Modern Short-Stack Play (Part 4) This is the fourth and final part of this article series about modern shallow-stack play from the blinds. This time we’re focusing on playing blind vs blind situations in the big blind with a stack of 20 big blinds or less. I strongly recommend you to read the previous article…
Read MoreHow to Master Short-Stacked Small Blind Play in Blind vs Blind Battles
Modern Short-Stack Play (Part 3) I used to be pretty bad at shallow blind vs. blind play. I didn’t really know how to approach it – according to simulation tools, you could just open shove a ton of hands from the small blind, even with 20 big blinds, and make a profit. But then I’d […]
Read MoreThese 5 Common Mistakes Are Costing You Money
Poker is a complex game. There’s more than one way to win, and the depth and variety of available strategies are what make the game so interesting. But with the variety comes the increased opportunity for potential mistakes. Let’s take a look at 5 of the most common mistakes made by poker players. If you…
Read MoreHow To Combat Steals with a Tiny Stack
Modern Short-Stack Play (Part 2) For years, poker books, articles and training videos taught us that we can’t flat a whole lot with shallow stacks because we don’t get to realize our equity that often. We still miss the flop around two thirds of the time, and when we don’t hit, we can’t really do…
Read More5 Goals You Must Set to Succeed in Poker
Goal setting works. On the endless road to strengthen your poker game, giving yourself targets will help you become a better player. However, to benefit as much as possible, it is important to set goals which are both useful and achievable. To give you an idea of some effective poker goals, here’s the top five…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Guide to Big Blind Defense
Modern Short Stack Play (Part 1) Over a decade of playing MTTs for a living, I’ve seen the game change in many ways. For example, back in 2010, open-raising to three times the big blind was considered standard. You could sometimes make it just 2.5x on the button, but 3x was the norm. Defending the…
Read MoreHow To Extract Max Value in Limit Hold’em
A few months ago I shared a list of 7 tips to help NLHE players win at limit: Play quickly. Focus on the pot size, not your opponent’s stack sizes. Play a lot of weak hands in the big blind. Big cards are king. Limit your coldcalling. Don’t bluff too often. Plan how to best…
Read More6 Reasons Why Live Poker is Easier Than Online Poker (That Might Be Holding You Back)
Live poker is a lot easier than online poker. Unless you’ve never stepped foot in a casino or played a hand of online poker, you probably already knew that. But do you know why? There are a handful of reasons that online games and players end up tougher than their live counterparts. Some of these…
Read MoreThe Ugly Truth About Staking in Poker
You’ve heard of staking. Or at least you probably have if you’ve spent any time with poker players. Over the last decade or so, poker staking has blown up, mostly in tournaments, but cash games as well. Done right, a poker staking deal can be beneficial for both parties, yet staking deals gone wrong have…
Read MoreDaniel Negreanu is Stunned by Insanely Tiny Bet From Doug Polk (Hand Analysis)
“Who does this guy think he is!?” “Why do you get to criticize the great [INSERT OLD SCHOOL PLAYER HERE]?! You’re just some Youtuber!’’ This was an early sentiment in the early days of Doug Polk’s YouTube channel. It was tough for casual poker fans to trust Doug’s opinion because he was unknown to them.…
Read MoreWhy You Should Play More Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)
When Multi Table Tournaments Brought the Fun Back Having recently given up poker as my full-time profession to focus on writing, coaching and growing my own poker strategy site, I have felt my love for MTTs – which had faded over the years due to the extreme time-commitment required – return in a way I…
Read MoreStop Bleeding Money in Re Entry & Rebuy Tournaments
Not Your Grandma’s Freezeout Re entry and rebuy tournaments, also occasionally referred to as WEEEE!buy and WEEEE!Entry tournaments, are two poker tournament variants that have grown immensely in popularity as of late (especially Re Entrys). They occasionally garner the WEEEE! tags in homage to the lovely sound you make on a roller coaster ride thanks…
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