Even the best poker players make mistakes. The difference between the best players, however, and merely average players, is why they make mistakes. For average players, emotions often get in the way of good decision-making. It’s easy to be emotionally invested in a game for money, especially one with so much variance. Variance also makes […]
The Top 4 Must-Visit Tournament Destinations in the US
One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of being a professional poker player is the opportunity to travel the world for tournaments. Over the years of my career, I have been fortunate enough to visit a variety of cool places, many of which I never […]
The Top 5 Most Important Traits of Successful Poker Players
“What separates a decent poker player from a great one?” I get asked this question often. There are a ton of valid answers, but I think 5 in particular stand out on the journey to poker success. In this article, I’ll break down the top 5 personality traits that correlate to more success at the […]
5 Lessons I’ve Learned After a Decade of Poker
For the past decade, I’ve been a poker player. I’ve played in my cousin’s basement, illegal underground games, and casinos all over the world. Though some luck is involved, poker is a game of skill; the best players will win over the long run. However, I’ve seen many professionals come and go over the years—even […]
The 4 Dumbest Career-Ending Mistakes Tournament Players Make
Poker is a hard way to make an easy living. This perfectly sums up life as a professional poker player. On paper, though, making a living playing poker shouldn’t be so difficult. Granted, the games are tougher now than they have ever been, but I personally still see […]
Why Tilt Gets A Bad Rep (And How to Combat It)
When speaking with poker players who are trying to improve their mindset at the poker table, the conversation generally revolves around two primary questions: Why do I tilt? How do I stop tilting? However, before we can begin exploring these questions, it’s important to define exactly what the term “tilt” means to us, since players […]
Should I Play Cash Games or Tournaments?
One of the most frequently asked questions you’ll hear from aspiring poker pros is whether to focus on tournament poker strategy or cash game poker strategy. Which one should you choose? Well, both are good and viable in today’s poker world. You can pick either one and be profitable with enough work and commitment. They […]
How to Understand and Combat Tilt in Poker
What Is Tilt? Tilt is an undesirable psychological state in which a player’s emotions interfere with decision making. Shorter version: tilt is poker frustration. If you have ever found yourself making a […]
4 Poker Podcasts to Stay Informed and Entertained
Poker news reporting blew up along with poker itself in 2003, with countless poker news and media outlets entering the sphere. Traditional poker media, like live interviews with players and TV shows showing live action, have been going strong for over a decade. More recently, poker podcasts have been sprouting up to meet the demand for mobile, […]
What Separates Good Poker Players From the Best (Explained by Doug Polk)
Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Doug Polk explains what separates good poker players from the best poker players. In this video Doug shares what he has learned over his career that began at micro stakes and ultimately ended up at the very tip top of the poker world (We are not shy about it here at Upswing, Doug […]
The Must Have Poker Tool
This poker tool is a game changer. Figuring out what hands are strong and what hands are weak is the first strategic concept poker players should learn. As poker players we are constantly assessing how strong our hand is in both an absolute and relative way. Sometimes this is easy to do intuitively. Often times […]
Are You a Poker Hoarder?
Hoarders Syndrome: the need to collect things whether it be books, trash, or emotion. We hoard incidents in our mind which change our perception on the world. Triggers Many poker players suffer some form of Hoarders Syndrome due to the painful emotional trigger of losing money. The memory of the past loss frequently becomes associated […]
Good Bankroll Management is Critical to Poker Success
“The lack of money is the root of all evil.” – Mark Twain I would go as far as to say that the Poker version of this, is that bad bankroll management decision making is the root of a lack of money. Maybe that’s a stretch, but the importance of good bankroll management cannot be […]
How to Listen for Keywords That Reveal Your Opponent’s Leaks
Stereotypes can be effective for guessing a player’s tendencies, but keywords are far more accurate. One thing all players should try to do at the table is listen for “trigger” words that reveal how someone approaches the game. The type of trigger I’ll focus on in this article is absolute statements. Then, I’ll go over […]
Other Strategy Games Make Your Poker Game Stronger
Yes – skill sets and attributes acquired from other strategy games will make you a better poker player. If you are feeling like your No Limit Holdem (NL) game is rusty or stuck in a rut, try playing much lower stakes Pot Limit Omaha (PLO). PLO plays a bit differently than NL – and some […]
