Crush Your Opponent After One Hand

Upswing Poker
10 Jun 2025
Intermediate
This material is for medium-skilled players
Strategy

Poker pros Mike Brady and Gary Blackwood demonstrate how a single showdown can reveal crucial information about opponents. They analyze five common player types and provide specific counter-strategies including sizing tells, wide range exploitation, donk betting patterns, over-aggressive bluffing, and passive value betting mistakes.

One showdown reveals player tendencies. Exploit sizing tells, wide ranges, donk patterns, over-aggression, and passive play for maximum profit.

Exploiting Common Player Types:

  • Sizing tells reveal hand strength - Players who raise bigger with premium hands can be exploited by tightening against large sizes and 3-betting their standard raises more aggressively
  • Wide range defenders are profitable targets - Against players calling with hands like K7o and J9o, increase c-bet frequency and raise sizing preflop while cutting speculative hands
  • Donk bettors show range imbalances - When players lead with pairs on inappropriate boards, attack their checking range more aggressively with bluffs and barrels
  • Over-aggressive bluffers need controlled aggression - Check-raise nutted hands for value in small pots, but trap with strong pairs on wet boards to let them barrel
  • Passive players telegraph monster hands - Respect their rare aggression by folding more and avoid thin value bets since they often accidentally slow-play strong holdings
  • Multiple showdowns confirm patterns - Don't rely on single hands but look for consistent tendencies across multiple situations to build reliable exploitative strategies
  • Position matters for exploitation - Adjust strategies based on whether you're in or out of position, with different approaches for trapping versus building pots
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