Team Upswing

When you play Texas Hold'em for any significant number of hands, you'll eventually see a scenario where two players turn over a flush in the same hand. Such a scenario leads to one of the worst feelings in poker for the player with the losing hand in a flush versus flush setup. What are the chances of two players making a flush in...

Pocket Aces are the best possible starting hand in a game of Texas Hold'em. While you're not going to automatically win the pot just because you picked...

Many of the players that frequent high-stakes poker games aren't playing with their own money. Staking agreements allow players to jump into games that go beyond the boundaries of their bankroll. Some of the world's most successful players rapidly rise up the poker ladder thanks to staking agreements. These...

Is there really a way to tell when someone is bluffing in a poker game? You could theoretically make big money at the poker table if you always knew when another player was bluffing. Even for the world's top pros, however, picking up live...

The long-running debate on whether poker is a game of skill has a definitive answer. Poker is a game of a skill, and in the long term skilled poker players will win money from players with less skill. While poker can be definitively called a game of skill, is playing the game still considered a form of gambling? Let's discuss in this article....

Are the world's most successful poker players products of hard work and skill? Or are the highest-earning players in the history of the game simply the luckiest? The debate on whether poker is a game of skill or luck will probably persist for as long as poker exists. Like all gambling games, luck does play a major role in poker,...

Raises occur frequently in a game of poker, as most pots don't get through to the showdown without someone raising along the way. While raising is a common occurrence, re-raising in a poker game happens much less often. Re-raising in a game like Texas Hold'em often signifies a very strong hand. Skilled players...

When you sit down at a poker table for your first game of Texas Hold'em, you might wonder what determines which player goes first. There are a few factors that determine who is first to act in a game of poker. For example, the preflop betting...

Poker is a game of information, and in many cases, players want to reveal as little as possible about the cards they're holding. Sometimes showing your hand comes down to player etiquette, while other situations mandate that one or more players involved in a showdown have to turn over their hands. If you've wondered when you have to show your hand in a...

Not all poker hands end up with heaps of the chips in the middle. In community card games like Texas Hold'em, all postflop betting rounds include the option for players to check when no other player has put out a bet. Checking allows players to pass the...

When you play in a poker game for a while, you'll inevitably hear the term "kicker" and see the kicker concept applied at the table. A kicker is a card used as a tiebreaker when two or more players get to showdown with the same hand strength. If you're wondering how kickers work in poker, this article is for you....

Experienced poker players know that they shouldn't sit in on a poker game if they don't have adequate time to play. The length of a poker game can vary significantly, depending on which format you're trying to play. Let's take a look at a few guidelines on how long it takes to play a game of poker. How Long Does a Game of...

The difference between trips and a set might present one of the biggest points of confusion in poker. The "trips" moniker certainly makes sense when referring to any three of a kind hand, but seasoned players know the distinction between trips and a set. If you've ever wondered what makes these two terms for three of a...

Poker hand rankings determine which hand wins each pot in a game of poker. But what happens when two or more players show up with the same hand? Tiebreaker rules for poker hands vary across the different ranks of hands. Some ties result in a split pot, while some...

When it comes to the standard poker hand rankings, suits of cards generally rank equal to each other. The ace of hearts is just as strong as the ace of spades, for example. There are some situations where the suit of a card determines which hand wins. The hierarchy of suits differs depending on where you play, but in the US all...

Knowing how the standard poker hand rankings work is one of the most important fundamentals in poker. Nobody learns the hand rankings in just one session, however. New players and experienced grinders alike get excited when they pick up a hand like...

Look around any poker room, and there's a decent chance you'll find a few players wearing sunglasses at the table. While wearing sunglasses indoors might strike a certain stigma in most situations, it actually makes sense in some ways at the poker table. If you've seen a poker player wear sunglasses at the table, and wondered why, this...

Have you ever walked out of a poker room without cashing out your poker chips? If so, you might be wondering if you can take casino poker chips home legally. If you're looking for an answer to that question, this article is for you....

You can find many different ways to play poker without ever stepping into a casino. That first trip to a casino poker room can be an intimidating venture, however, no matter how much time you've put into online poker or home games. Casino poker rooms operate with their own sets of standards, and the specifics of certain rules can vary at different...

Poker rooms, both live and online, are in the business to make money. Like any other casino game, the house aims to turn a profit off of a poker room. Unlike other casino games, however, poker pits players against other players. You're not competing against the house, or at least it doesn't seem like it. At any poker room, however,...