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Backdoor draws play a significant role in the range construction process. If you don’t regularly consider backdoor draws when making decisions at the table, this short list of tips is for you. As you’re about to learn, backdoor draws aren’t valuable just because of their additional equity to hit a strong hand. Backdoor draws are…
Read More 5 Tips for Playing Backdoor Flush & Straight Draws
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Perhaps the most infamous young poker player of the modern era, Tom Dwan blew away casual poker fans with his loose-aggressive strategy on televised high stakes cash games from 2008-2011. Then he went from hero to villain in the eyes of many as he has neglected to finish his 50,000 hand “durrrr challenge” — which…
Read More Tom Dwan’s Aces Up vs a Chinese Billionaire (Analysis)
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It’s fish frying time! You are about to learn how absolutely crush a recreational player who frequently limps. This article covers both preflop and postflop play versus a single limper, focusing mainly on flop strategy. Preflop Strategy Every player approaches limping differently — limping a wider or narrower ranges of hands. Shifting your strategy to counter…
Read More Win More Money vs a Single Limper NOW!
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If you frequent live poker games with a $2, $3, or $5 big blind, this quiz is for you. Your goal is to choose the most profitable play based on the situation and reads provided. At the end of the quiz, you’ll get assigned with a live poker player based on your score. Good luck!…
Read More (QUIZ) Can You Dominate Live Poker Games?
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If you’ve ever wanted to pick the brain of an experienced high stakes poker player, keep reading. In a recently added learning module in the Upswing Poker Lab, Doug Polk and Ryan Fee analyzed cash game hand samples that were submitted by Lab members. These hands have a micro-small stakes theme, with stakes ranging from…
Read More 3 Small Stakes Hands Analyzed by High Stakes Veterans
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Today we’re going to discuss expected value — what it means, why it’s important, and how to apply it. Expected value is one of the most fundamental concepts in poker, and one of the most important to understand. Table of Contents: What is Expected Value (EV)? Real World Example: The Steph Curry Bet How to…
Read More What is Expected Value (EV) in Poker? This Basketball Analogy Will Make it Clear
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Last time we talked about blind vs blind battles, the focus was on playing as the big blind versus a raise. This time, we’ll be talking about how to approach playing as the big blind versus an open-limp by the small blind. Considering how often a player in the small blind should limp (in theory)…
Read More How to Win Your Blind vs Blind Wars (When Facing a Limp)
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(Photo: PartyPoker) In part 1 of this article series, I told you about the Honesty Principle. The Honesty Principle: As a whole, the poker community bluffs much less than it should. In part 2, you read about the poker artificial intelligence Libratus and its uncanny ability to bluff at balanced frequencies. It should be fairly…
Read More Why Are Most Poker Players Wimpy Bluffers?
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Ready to quiz your delayed c-betting skills? (Delayed c-betting is when you bet on the turn after checking back on the flop as the preflop aggressor. You can read up on this tactic before taking the quiz here.) Good luck, and don’t forget to share your score at the end! Pre-Quiz Notes For each question,…
Read More (Quiz) Do You Actually Know When to Delay C-Bet?
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In part 1 of this article series, we talked about the fact that the vast majority of poker players do not bluff often enough. As a result, their betting actions generally represent “honesty” (value hands) rather than “dishonesty” (bluffs). This led me to introduce what I call the Honesty Principle. The Honesty Principle: As a…
Read More When a Poker A.I. Went Crazy with Five-Three Suited (Analysis)