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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.

View the written version of this episode here.

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 discussion opens with an emphasis on fundamentals—identifying bluff spots rooted in sound theory rather than intuition or live reads.

The first bluffing spot focuses on check-raising paired flops after defending from the big blind. Gary and Mike explain how solvers recommend surprisingly wide check-raises on boards like Ten-Ten-Deuce or Queen-Deuce-Deuce, creating highly profitable situations since opponents rarely defend correctly. They highlight how these bluffs succeed because most players don't realize how often they should be calling with weaker holdings or backdoor draws.

Next, they explore delayed continuation betting—a powerful bluff when your opponent checks twice. By analyzing real game scenarios, they demonstrate that when a flop and turn go check-check, the opponent's range is "capped," meaning it contains few strong hands. This opens a prime opportunity to apply pressure through wide and aggressive turn bets.

The third major bluff spot covers probe betting on the turn after your opponent checks back on a dynamic flop. Here, they challenge conventional solver logic by showing that most human players fail to check strong hands as often as theory dictates. As a result, when they check back, they're often weak, making probe bets—especially with draws and backdoor equity—highly effective.

Bluff spot number four focuses on attacking when the board texture shifts dramatically in your favor. When a turn or river card favors your range—for instance, completing potential straights or two-pair combinations—you can lead aggressively, even out of position. The hosts emphasize how understanding range advantage allows you to "donk bet" profitably in these scenarios.

The final bluff spot centers on barreling when draws complete and you hold key blockers. Using the Ten-Six-Deuce-Three-Queen board as an example, they show how triple-barrel bluffs with hands like Ace-Five with the Ace of diamonds can be extremely powerful because they block potential flushes while representing strong hands.

Throughout the episode, Mike and Gary balance GTO theory with real-world exploitation, giving listeners the strategic insight to recognize and act on bluffing opportunities that most players miss. By mastering these five spots, you'll sharpen your aggression, punish capped ranges, and level up your overall poker strategy.

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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.

View the written version of this episode here.

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 listeners that most human opponents don’t play like perfectly balanced computers. The episode’s focus is on identifying when to abandon solver logic and play exploitatively to maximize profits against typical players.

The first tip targets the solver’s polarized three-bet range from the big blind. While strong in theory, it fails against opponents who rarely fold, meaning speculative bluffs like Jack-Eight suited or King-Five suited simply bloat the pot unnecessarily. Tip two examines the “three-bet or fold” preflop strategy. Solvers favor aggression, but when weak players are in the blinds, calling instead of re-raising can increase expected value and keep those soft opponents in the pot.

In tip three, the hosts challenge the solver’s preference for checking back Aces and Kings on low boards. While this protects one’s checking range in theory, it often leads to missed value when opponents are too passive to bet later streets. Tip four addresses bluffing the river with key blockers—an advanced concept that loses effectiveness against calling stations who refuse to fold top pair or better. Instead, players should simplify and focus on extracting value.

Finally, tip five discusses block betting the river with nutted hands. Although solvers use small bets to induce raises, human opponents rarely raise thinly enough, turning what should be a value opportunity into a missed one. The takeaway: when you have the nuts, bet big.

Throughout the episode, Mike and Gary emphasize the importance of adapting to opponents and conditions rather than following solvers blindly. Their message is clear—real profit comes from understanding why a strategy works and adjusting to human tendencies at the table.

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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.

View the written version of this episode here.

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 solver-based concepts, but timeless strategies that separate disciplined players from those who bleed chips. The first key lesson is to play fewer hands and play them aggressively — overplaying weak or marginal hands is the fastest path to losing money. From there, Mike dives into developing a solid preflop strategy, encouraging players to study and stick to proven opening ranges rather than guessing at the table.

Next, Mike emphasizes why you should never be the first to limp preflop, since it limits your ways to win and invites too many opponents into the pot. Instead, raising builds fold equity and defines your range. Semi-bluffing aggressively with draws is introduced as a way to blend offense and safety — giving players both fold equity and potential outs to strong hands. The fifth tip, fast playing strong hands, teaches that betting your big hands early often earns more value and protects against bad runouts, with slow playing reserved for specific board textures.

From there, the focus shifts to defending your big blind correctly, explaining how position, raise size, and stack depth influence which hands to call. Tip six reminds players that when unsure, it's better to fold — curiosity is expensive, and learning to let go of marginal hands saves countless buy-ins. The seventh principle, attack when opponents show weakness, encourages calculated aggression when players check or hesitate, especially in heads-up pots.

As the episode nears its conclusion, the advice turns mental and situational. Tip eight urges tournament players to play solid early and not worry about survival, while tip nine stresses that you should only play when you feel emotionally ready — fatigue or tilt destroys good decision-making. Finally, tip ten drives home that success starts with choosing the right games; your edge is only as good as the opponents you face. Altogether, these ten tips form a simple but effective blueprint for becoming a confident, profitable poker player.