5 Solver Strategies That Suck in Real Life

5 Solver Strategies That Suck in Real Life

October 15, 2025 · 12 min · Season 5 · Episode 12

About this episode

The episode discusses five solver strategies that can negatively impact win rates in real-life poker games.

Use coupon code LEVELUP and get $50 off the new Lab 2.0. 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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mike Brady, Gary Blackwood

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Upswing Poker

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Organizations: Upswing Poker

Products: Lab 2.0

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