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_outlineWhat separates a great poker player from a good poker player is often bet sizing. Knowing how to size your bets like a studied pro allows you to make more money with your strong hands and run more effective bluffs.
This episode of Upswing Poker Level-Up will help you improve your bet sizing skills with 3 example situations posed as quiz questions. In all of these spots, you will play as the in position player who 3-bet before the flop.
Upgrade your poker game by practicing against a “perfect” opponent who gives you instant feedback with the Lucid GTO Trainer. Get it now at: https://upswingpoker.com/lucid-gto-trainer/
Written Version of this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Overview
02:53 Strategies for Betting in Position vs. Out of Position
06:52 Hypothetical Hand #2: Playing Ace-Queen Offsuit on an Ace-King-Three Board
09:44 Optimal Bet Sizes on Dynamic Flops
12:22 Dealing with Overpairs and Top Pairs on Draw-Heavy Boards
13:42 Adjusting Strategy for Different Textures and Opponents
15:25 Use of Tools for Board Analysis
In this episode of our poker strategy podcast, hosts Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood present a unique bet-sizing quiz designed to test your decision-making skills in various cash game scenarios. This interactive episode features three hypothetical hands, each set in three-bet pots where you are in position, allowing listeners to explore different strategies and refine their approach to post-flop play
The podcast begins with an analysis of the first hypothetical hand: playing pocket queens on a 7-2-2 board. Gary explains why betting big with strong hands like overpairs is crucial in these spots, especially in position, and highlights the common mistakes players make when choosing their bet sizes. Listeners will learn the importance of adjusting bet sizes based on their opponent’s range and the board's texture, ensuring they maximize value and control the pot
The discussion then moves to the second hypothetical hand, where the hosts break down playing Ace-Queen offsuit on an Ace-King-Three board. This scenario illustrates when to bet small to maintain a balanced strategy and capitalize on opponents' frequent folds. Gary provides insights into how bet sizing should change when you're out of position and why it’s critical to consider the effectiveness of your bets when your opponent's range is wide or narrow.
In the final hand, the hosts tackle a ten-seven-four board with pocket queens, emphasizing the need to balance checkbacks and betting ranges effectively. This poker strategy podcast covers why overpairs should not always be bet, explaining how to protect your checking range and keep opponents from exploiting your weaknesses.
Throughout the episode, Mike and Gary utilize tools like the Lucid GTO Trainer to provide a deeper understanding of board textures, bet sizing, and positional dynamics. This poker strategy podcast is perfect for players looking to elevate their cash game skills by learning how to optimize bet sizing and improve their decision-making process in various post-flop situations.
Tune in, participate in the quiz, and see if you can match wits with the pros while enhancing your overall poker strategy.