The Blog

The early levels of a poker tournament are not just a warm-up. They are where you build the stack that everything else runs on. Players who treat the early stages as low stakes — playing […]

Bluffing out of position is harder than bluffing in position, because you have to act first on every street and you cannot see what your opponent does before committing chips. That forces you to check […]

The small blind is the worst position at the poker table. You are forced to put money in before the cards are dealt, and then you play every postflop street out of position against everyone […]

A pair with an open-ended straight draw feels like a hand that wants to bet, bet, bet. Out of position against a caller, though, the most profitable line is often more patient and more thoughtful. […]

Most players decide on a bet size by looking at the pot, picking a number that feels right, and moving on. They do the same on the next street. And the next. Then they arrive […]

Suited connectors are some of the most profitable and most misplayed hands in poker. When they hit, they win huge pots, but most of the time they whiff and leave you holding a weak draw […]

When your opponent checks and hands you the betting lead, a weak draw becomes a weapon. Semi-bluffing a gutshot is one of the most reliable ways to win pots you have no business winning at […]

Most players in small-stakes games are afraid to bluff. They check rivers where a bet would win the pot uncontested. They give up on semi-bluffs the moment they miss. And they wonder why their win […]

KK feels like a hand you can never fold, and on most boards that instinct is correct. But an overpair on a paired board is one of the great traps in tournament poker. The moment […]