Cash Games
Poker Straddle Explained: How It Works and When to Use It
A poker straddle is a voluntary blind bet placed before the cards are dealt, typically by the player to the left of the big blind, for twice the big blind. It acts as a third […]
When Limping in Poker Makes Sense (And When It Costs You)
Limping in poker means calling the big blind preflop without raising, and it is almost always the wrong play in a cash game when you are first into the pot. You give up initiative, invite […]
Best Texas Hold’em Starting Hands Ranked (With Win Rates)
The best Texas Hold’em starting hands are, in order: pocket aces (AA), pocket kings (KK), pocket queens (QQ), ace-king (AK), pocket jacks (JJ), ace-queen (AQ), pocket tens (TT), pocket nines (99), ace-jack (AJ), and king-queen […]
How to Survive a Poker Downswing Without Going Broke
A poker downswing is a prolonged period of losing results that stems from variance rather than poor play. Most players experience multiple significant downswings each year regardless of their skill level, and some lasting hundreds […]
How to Master Poker Etiquette and Earn Respect at Any Table
Poker etiquette is the set of unwritten behavioral standards that govern how players are expected to act at a live poker table, from how you handle your chips to how you behave after a bad […]
How to Negotiate Poker Insurance and Always Get Fair Odds
Insurance in poker is an optional agreement, typically in cash games, that allows a player who is all-in and a favorite to win to pay a premium in exchange for a guaranteed payout if they […]
What Is RTA in Poker and How Do Sites Detect It
RTA in poker, short for real-time assistance, refers to any tool or method that helps a player make decisions while a hand is actively in progress. This ranges from static preflop charts consulted during play […]
What Most Players Get Wrong About Bluff Catching in Poker
A bluff catcher in poker is any hand that beats the bluffs in your opponent’s range but loses to all of their value hands. It does not have to be a strong hand in absolute […]
How to Read Poker Tells in Live Poker: 7 Reliable Examples
A poker tell is any involuntary behavior, physical cue, or timing pattern that gives you information about an opponent’s hand strength. In live poker, these signals are everywhere if you know what to look for, […]
Slow Roll in Poker: Famous Examples and How to React
A slow roll in poker occurs when a player who holds the winning hand deliberately delays revealing their cards at showdown to give their opponent false hope. It is not against the official rules, but […]
How to Bluff in Poker: The 8-Factor Bluffing Checklist
Bluffing in poker means betting or raising with a hand unlikely to win at showdown, with the goal of making your opponents fold their better hands. I have spent years reviewing student hand histories, and […]
Value Betting in Poker: 3 Factors That Win You Bigger Pots
A value bet in poker is any bet made with the goal of getting called by an opponent holding a worse hand. I have seen players at every level leave significant money on the table […]
Poker Bet Sizing Strategy: 8 Tips to Win More Pots
Bet sizing in poker is the skill of choosing how much to bet based on your range against your opponent’s range on the board texture in front of you, not on the absolute strength of […]
Nit in Poker: 6 Strategies to Crush Any Tight Player
A nit in poker is a player who voluntarily enters only 10 to 12 percent of hands, preferring premium holdings and folding to almost any pressure in marginal situations. I have reviewed hundreds of hand […]
Cash Game Poker Hand Review: It matters how you get broke
This is a hand I played in a $3/$5 NLHE game that has a mandatory $10 straddle. It had some interesting features that made me bring it to the PokerCoaching Discord group. Preflop Action – […]
3-Bet Poker Strategy: When to 3-Bet and When to Fold
A 3-bet in poker is the second raise made on a betting street, most commonly seen preflop when a player re-raises the initial raiser, representing a strong range that puts maximum pressure on the opener. […]
How to Beat Calling Stations: 5 Expert Adjustments
A calling station is a player who calls bets almost regardless of hand strength, rarely folds, and almost never bluffs, making them one of the most consistently profitable opponent types you will face at poker […]
Floating in Poker: How to Win Pots Without a Hand
Floating in poker means calling a flop bet with a weak hand, little to no showdown value, and the intention of bluffing on a later street after your opponent slows down. In my experience coaching […]
LAG Poker Strategy: Crush Loose Aggressive Players
LAG poker, short for loose-aggressive, describes a playing style where a player enters a wide range of hands preflop and plays them aggressively on every betting street through raises, re-raises, and multi-street barrels. In my […]
Deep Stack Poker Strategy: 10 Tips to Win More Big Pots
Deep stack poker strategy refers to the specific adjustments you need to make when playing with 100 big blinds or more, whether in a cash game or the early stages of a tournament. I have […]
Types of Poker Players: How to Identify and Beat Each One
The types of poker players fall into four core categories defined by two axes: how many hands they play (tight or loose) and how aggressively they play those hands (passive or aggressive). Every player at […]