5 Poker Tips for Playing Preflop
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Every hand begins with preflop play, so making correct decisions is critically important. Upswing Poker VP Mike Brady and Scottish poker pro Gary Blackwood share five actionable tips that you can use to elevate your game and take advantage of your opponent's mistakes! and check out the Low Stakes Launch Pad course. Make sure to use promo code LEVELUP when you sign up and you'll receive $50 off! 00:00 Tip 1: Tighten Your Big Blind Defense 01:57 Tip 2: Big Blind Three-Bet Strategy 06:30 Tip 3: Adjusting Ranges Based on Opponents 10:35 Tip 4: Tighten Up in High Rake Environments 12:43 Tip 5:...
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How to Calculate Pot Odds
Upswing Poker Level-Up
We've extended our biggest sale of the year to run all the way through Cyber Week! The math behind poker might not seem glamorous, but few skills will affect your bottom line more than a correct understanding of pot odds! Upswing Poker VP Mike Brady previews the new Low Stakes Launch Pad course by sharing everything you need to build a solid foundation for understand this critical topic. You can join the Upswing Lab to access that course: https://upswingpoker.com/the-poker-lab-coaching Audio version available on all major podcast platforms. 00:00 Definition and Importance of Pot Odds 02:04...
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When to Slow-Play Your Strong Hands
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Get 25% off elite poker courses & tools during the biggest sale of the year right now! You might be tempted to slow play the next time you have a monster hand, but that could be a huge mistake! Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood discuss how carefully choosing when to take your foot off the gas is the best strategy to ensure maximum profitability. Don't play another hand until you've listened to this episode! Audio version available on all major podcast platforms. 00:00 Welcome to the Upswing Poker Level-Up 01:04 Preflop Slow Playing Strategies 03:59 Distinguishing Slow Playing from Pot...
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How to Play POCKET ACES Like a Pro
Upswing Poker Level-Up
You look down at your cards and see pocket aces. It's the best starting hand in poker, but how do you extract maximum value from your opponents? On this episode, Mike Brady talks with poker pro Gary Blackwood about the best practices for navigating pocket aces across a wide range of scenarios. If you like winning more money at the poker table, then you need to listen now! Want to dominate every situation at the poker table? Take advantage of 's upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal! Everything site-wide is 25% off starting on November 25th and running through the end of the month! If you...
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What Poker Coaches Get Wrong
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Winning poker, made simple. Pre-register for the Poker Blueprint here: https://upswingpoker.com/poker-blueprint-pre-registration/ Uri Peleg has spent thousands of hours studying poker. He’s done more digging through solvers and tested more strategies than most players ever will. He’s put his findings into practice and come out on top in high stakes games – and he’s coached numerous players (through his Guerrilla Poker stable) to do the same. Uri has distilled his strategic approach into a simplified blueprint built on five core principles. Once you understand these principles,...
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DON’T DO THIS IN POKER (Mariano vs Doug Polk)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Winning poker, made simple. Pre-register for the Poker Blueprint here: https://upswingpoker.com/poker-blueprint-pre-registration/ It’s a high stakes cash game at The Lodge studio featuring two players who are no strangers to playing $50,000+ pots, Doug Polk and Mariano. Poker coach Uri Peleg breaks down the hand using the strategic framework taught in his new course the Poker Blueprint. One of the players makes a big mistake on the river in this one. Uri Peleg has spent thousands of hours studying poker. He’s done more digging through solvers and tested more strategies than most players...
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POCKET KINGS vs ACES in the Main Event (WSOP Hand Breakdown)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
HAND RECAP (7 handed, 14 players left, 600K/1.2M blinds - 1.2M BB ante)Coelho (13.3M chips) raises to 2.4M with A♦ A♣. Kristen Foxen (49M chips) calls in the Big Blind with K♦ K♣.Flop A♠ T♥ 5♠. Foxen checks. Coelho bets 1.2M. Foxen calls.Turn 8♥. Foxen checks. Coelho bets 3M. Foxen calls.River 3♣. Foxen checks. Coelho bets 6.7M all-in. Foxen folds.There’s $10 million on the line with just 2 tables left in the World Series of Poker Main Event. Kristen Foxen is one of, if not the most tale
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RUNNER RUNNER at $250K Final Table (WSOP Hand Breakdown)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
HAND RECAP (6 handed, final table, 300K/600K blinds - 600K BB ante)Ben Tollerene (55M chips) raises to 1.2M from UTG with J♣ T♦. Taylor von Kriegenbergh (22M chips) calls from the Button with K♠ K♥.(Stack size notes: This is a battle between the top two stacks. There are two short stacked players with around 10 big blinds each.)Flop K♣ 6♦ 3♥. Tollerene bets 900K. TVK calls.Turn 9♥. Tollerene bets 1.7M. TVK calls.River Q♦. Tollerene 2.8M. TVK raises to 8.8M. Tollerene moves all-in. TVK call
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Legendary Player at $50,000 Final Table (WSOP Hand Breakdown)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
HAND RECAP (5 handed, final table, 100K/200K blinds - 200K BB ante)Viktor “Isildur1” Blom (14M chips) raises to 700K from the Small Blind with K♦ 4♠. Jesse Lonis (9.5M chips) calls from the Big Blind with A♠ 3♠.(Stack size notes: Blom and Lonis are in 2nd and 3rd chip position. The chip leader has 20M. There are two relatively short stacks.)The flop is 4♣ 4♥ 3♣. Blom bets 400K. Lonis calls.Turn 6♠. Blom bets 1.45M. Lonis calls.River Q♠. Blom bets 3.25M. Lonis folds.Get 33% off Aaron Ba
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$2,500 Freezeout (WSOP Hand Breakdown)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
HAND RECAP (6 handed, final table, 125K/250K blinds - 250K BB ante)Ausmus (4.5M chips) raises to 500K from the Cutoff with A♥ Q♥. Only Reichard (3.2M chips) calls from the Big Blind with J♥ 8♣.(Stack size notes: Reichard is the shortest stack. Ausmus is one of the shorter stacks, but everyone besides the chip leader has fewer than 30 big blinds. The chip leader has around 18M.)Flop T♣ 3♣ 2♣. Reichard checks. Ausmus bets 300K. Reichard calls.Turn 7♠. Both players check.River 2♠. Reichard be
info_outlineThis podcast reveals the truth about blockers in poker. Upgrade your tournament skills and save up to 51% during the World Series of Tournaments sale at Upswing Poker https://upswingpoker.com/wsot-sale/
Blockers are a fundamental part of poker strategy, but they’re also one of the most misunderstood parts of poker strategy. Many players disregard blockers and leave money on the table. Other players over-value blockers in certain situations and flush money down the toilet as a result.
***CORRECTION 11:36***
Gary meant to say "where your opponent's FOLDING range is Jacks and Tens" (he mistakenly said calling)
Article Version of this Episode
00:00 Introduction to Rake Strategy
02:14 Rake Structures Around the World
03:55 Adjusting Strategies for High Rake Games
05:14 Tightening Big Blind Defense in High Rake
08:31 Adjusting for Multi-Way Pots and Rake
13:14 Additional Tips for Playing in Raked Games
16:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
20:29 Importance of Chopping the Blinds
In this episode of our poker strategy podcast, hosts Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood discuss the impact of rake on your game and how to adjust your strategy to beat it. Rake, the fee taken by the house from each pot, can significantly affect your profitability, especially in low-stakes games where the percentage of the pot taken can be quite high. Understanding how to adjust your play based on the rake structure is crucial for any serious poker player, whether you’re playing live or online.
The episode begins with an overview of different rake structures, from high-rake environments, where more than four big blinds are taken out of the pot, to low-rake games and even no-rake games, like home games or those with time-based seat fees. Mike and Gary explain how these different environments impact your pot odds and strategic incentives, emphasizing the need to adjust your strategy accordingly to avoid leaving money on the table.
Listeners will learn how to tighten their ranges and adopt a more aggressive approach in high-rake games. Gary shares his tips for three-betting more frequently and trimming marginal hands from your defending range to counteract the impact of rake. The hosts also explore how to adjust when playing in low or no-rake games, allowing for a looser style and taking advantage of the extra equity available in these more favorable settings.
This poker strategy podcast also covers the importance of understanding your opponents' tendencies and using this information to make more profitable decisions. Mike and Gary highlight the benefits of playing tighter in multi-way pots and discuss when to fold or adjust your strategies based on the rake and your opponents' actions.
Finally, the hosts provide insights into additional adjustments you should make in different rake environments, such as chopping the blinds in high-rake games to minimize the money lost to the house. Whether you’re grinding micro stakes online or playing in a home game with no rake, this episode provides practical advice to help you navigate any poker environment.
Tune in to this poker strategy podcast to learn how to beat the rake and maximize your win rate with expert guidance from Mike and Gary.