Always Bet in These 5 Situations
Upswing Poker Level-Up
GIVEAWAY: Want to win a $3,000 trip to Las Vegas to play the WPT Prime Championship? Sign up for Lucid Poker and play just 1 hand on any leaderboard to give yourself a chance to win. If you start your free trial and climb into the top 10 of a leaderboard, you can unlock even more entries in the giveaway. Good luck! Mike Brady and poker pro Gary Blackwood reveal five key flop scenarios where you should always bet to maximize profits and simplify decision-making. From disconnected King-high boards to big-pair flops, they explain when aggressive range betting works best—and 00:00...
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7 Cash Game Tips that Print Money
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Learn seven essential strategies to dominate live and online cash games with host Mike Brady and poker pro Gary Blackwood. From value betting thinly to attacking capped ranges, this episode breaks down the habits that separate winners from everyone else at the table. 00:00 Tip 1 03:52 Tip 2 07:42 Tip 3 12:30 Tip 4 15:08 Tip 5 18:50 Tip 6 22:55 Tip 7 In this episode of the Upswing Poker Level-Up, host Mike Brady and poker pro Gary Blackwood share seven actionable tips designed to help players maximize their profits in live and online cash games. Tip 1: Value Bet Relentlessly, emphasizing...
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Top 5 Spots to Bluff in Poker
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood reveal the five most profitable bluffing spots in poker that every serious player should master. Learn how to identify and exploit bluffing opportunities—like paired boards, delayed c-bets, and favorable runouts—to outthink your opponents and win more pots. 00:00 Tip 1 05:06 Tip 2 09:15 Tip 3 12:28 Tip 4 16:03 Tip 5 In this episode of the Upswing Poker Level-Up, hosts Mike Brady and Scottish pro Gary Blackwood break down the five most effective bluffing spots that every player can add to their arsenal to win more pots and play with greater confidence. The...
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5 Solver Strategies That Suck in Real Life
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood reveal five popular solver strategies that actually hurt your win rate against real-life opponents. From misguided three-bets to weak river plays, they break down when and why “playing like a computer” can cost you money—and how to exploit human tendencies instead. 00:00 Tip 1 03:05 Tip 2 05:30 Tip 3 08:38 Tip 4 10:19 Tip 5 In this episode of Upswing Poker Level Up, hosts Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood break down five solver-approved strategies that often backfire in real-world poker games. While solvers have revolutionized modern strategy, they remind...
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10 Quick Poker Tips That Will Help Your Game
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Learn ten essential poker tips that will instantly make you a stronger and more profitable player — from preflop strategy and semi-bluffing to mental game mastery. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your fundamentals, these quick lessons will help you win more and play smarter every session. 00:00 Tip 1 00:55 Tip 2 02:50 Tip 3 04:38 Tip 4 06:18 Tip 5 07:54 Tip 6 12:05 Tip 7 13:46 Tip 8 14:39 Tip 9 16:21 Tip 10 In this episode of Level Up, listeners get ten powerful poker fundamentals that can transform the way they approach No Limit Hold’em. These are not complex...
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3 Mistakes That Cost You Money in Poker
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Avoiding just a few critical mistakes could be the key to unlocking your win rate at the poker table. In this episode of the Upswing Poker Level-Up podcast, Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood break down the three biggest leaks that crush players at low stakes—and how to fix them. 00:00 Mistake #1 – Playing Too Passively 02:03 Mistake #2 – Missing Thin Value Bets 08:06 Mistake #3 – Calling with Bluff Catchers 12:52 Bonus Mistake – Playing While Tilted In this episode, host Mike Brady and Scottish poker professional Gary Blackwood dive into the three biggest mistakes players make at the...
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When Poker Hands Don't Go as Planned (w/ Uri Peleg)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Learn how to stay calm and make smarter decisions when your poker hands take unexpected turns. The world’s best poker coach, Uri Peleg, gives you practical strategies and mindset shifts to quickly reevaluate, adapt, and protect your bankroll in tough situations. 00:00 Hand Example Breakdown 01:47 Range vs. Hand Thinking 03:21 Betting Structures and Exploits 04:28 Adapting When Plans Change 05:58 Reassessing Hand Strength in Action In this poker strategy podcast, Mike Brady and elite coach Uri Peleg explore one of the most important but overlooked skills...
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Should You Be a Nit? (w/ Uri Peleg)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Discover when playing tight is profitable and when it actually costs you money with elite coach Uri Peleg. You’ll gain practical strategies, mindset shifts, and real-world examples that will help you balance your ranges, stay unpredictable, and maximize long-term profits at the poker table. 00:00 Expected Value of Strong vs. Marginal Hands 03:42 Why Play Weaker Hands 05:56 Reasons Not to Play Like a Nit 06:53 Importance of Balance and Unpredictability 08:40 Lab 2.0 Overview 11:12 When to Tighten Up Strategically 13:21 Real-World...
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7 Ways to Exploit Poker Players (REVEALED)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Discount starts September 8th and expires September 12th. The world's best poker coach, Uri Peleg, is here to help you destroy the players in your games. He's collected 7 real hands, each of which demonstrates a key hole in the opponent's game at showdown. First, he'll talk about how to identify and note such mistakes. Then, he'll give you the specific tactic you can use to counter this player every time you're up against them. Live coaching webinars like this will be a weekly feature inside of Lab 2.0.
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5 Sharp Tips for Crushing Soft Games (ft. Uri Peleg)
Upswing Poker Level-Up
Want a sneak peek at the Lab 2.0, coming to Upswing Poker on September 8th? The world's best poker coach, Uri Peleg, shares his five best strategies for dominating soft games. Alongside co-host Mike Brady, he breaks down how to exploit common mistakes without falling into the same traps. Whether you play live or low-stakes online, these tips will help you maximize value and boost your win rate. 00:00 Tip #1: Categorize Players 08:46 Tip #2: Adjust for Multiway Pots 15:20 Tip #3: Check Your Ego 19:55 Tip #4: Bad Play Doesn’t Always Benefit You 23:04 Tip #5: Overplay the Top of Your Range...
info_outlineEvery 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!
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View the episode transcription
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: Aggression Over Passivity
15:11 Announcement: Low Stakes Launch Pad
Ready to take your poker game to the next level? In this week’s poker strategy podcast, Upswing Poker VP Mike Brady teams up with Scottish poker pro Gary Blackwood to deliver five essential tips for mastering preflop play. Whether you're an aspiring pro or a recreational player, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to plug leaks in your game and exploit your opponent's weaknesses.
The duo begins by addressing one of the most common leaks in poker: over-defending the big blind. With practical advice on hand selection and leveraging position, they help you save valuable big blinds in the long run.
Next, they dive into the art of the big blind three-bet, showcasing how an aggressive and calculated approach can dominate opponents in both theory-based and exploitative scenarios.
As the podcast progresses, you’ll learn the importance of adjusting your ranges based on the players at your table. Whether you're up against loose-passive recreational players or aggressive pros, adaptability is key to staying ahead of the competition.
Gary and Mike also explore the impact of high rake environments, emphasizing tighter ranges and smarter calls to maximize profitability.
Closing out the episode, the hosts discuss the benefits of aggressive play and how erring on the side of aggression can turn the tide in your favor, especially in low stakes games. As they say, the best players are the ones who keep their opponents uncomfortable, and this poker strategy podcast teaches you exactly how to do that.
They also announce the Low Stakes Launch Pad course, designed to provide foundational strategies for beating low stakes games. Available now in the Upswing Poker Lab, this course is a must-have for serious players.