LiveHands Blog
Strategy guides, hand tracking tips, and insights for serious live poker players.
Shaun Deeb Called the POY Format Broken. It Just Put Him in Position to Make History.
Deeb spent most of the Las Vegas summer trailing. He leaves it leading the Player of the Year race he publicly criticized — and one leg from a title nobody has won.
WSOP Player of the Year: How the Race Works and Who's Leading
The WSOP Player of the Year race now spans three festivals and a full calendar year. How the scoring works, who leads, and what's left to play for.
WSOP Main Event Attendance Is Falling. It's Not Who You Think.
We tracked 60,000 WSOP Main Event attendance records across nine years. The decline isn't who you think — it's a first-timer collapse.
Hand of the Day: How to Learn from Notable Tournament Hands
Learn how to break down tournament poker hands for maximum study value. A step-by-step hand analysis example covering preflop decisions, stack depth, and bet sizing.
What Are You Really Buying Into?
Joe McKeehen argues rising rake is quietly breaking the economics of small buy-in tournaments. The math backs him up — and points to a structural fix that benefits the players it affects most.
WSOP Main Event Structure Analysis: What the Blind Levels Tell You
A detailed breakdown of the WSOP Main Event blind structure — starting stacks, level duration, escalation pace, and what each phase means for your tournament strategy.
Shaun Deeb Thinks the New POY Format Is Broken. He Has a Point — and a Problem.
The WSOP overhauled its Player of the Year scoring for 2026. Shaun Deeb says it overweights big fields. The math says his real complaint is that it stopped underweighting them.
Best Poker Books for Live Tournament Players
Seven poker books that sharpen your live tournament game — from satellite strategy and short stack play to bluffing, mental game, and theory.
Tournament Poker Preparation: How to Use Hand Data from Past Events to Play Better
Learn how to prepare for poker tournaments using hand data from past events. Review by stage, position, and opponent to find your edge.
WSOP 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips
Everything you need for the 2026 World Series of Poker — 100 bracelet events, schedule highlights, Main Event structure breakdown, Las Vegas travel and lodging, dining options, and practical tips from experienced attendees.
Money Movement for Live Poker: BravoLive, LuxonPay, and How to Fund Your Buy-Ins
Poker tournament buy-in payment options explained. BravoLive, LuxonPay, cage procedures, wire transfers, and security tips for funding your live events.
The 7 Most Common Leaks in Live Tournament Poker
Spot the 7 most common leaks in live tournament poker and learn how hand data reveals each one. Fix your biggest weaknesses faster.
Bankroll Management for Live Tournament Players
How many buy-ins do you need for live tournaments? Practical bankroll rules, variance reality, festival budgeting, staking, and when to move up or down.
How to Read Tournament Structures Like a Pro
Learn to evaluate poker tournament structures before you register. Analyze starting stacks, blind levels, escalation pace, and plan your strategy by stage.
The Live Tournament Player's Guide: Everything You Need Before, During, and After the Event
A comprehensive guide covering tournament selection, bankroll management, logistics, and building routines that keep you performing at your best through long tournament days.
How to Improve at Live Poker Tournaments: A Data-Driven Approach
A comprehensive framework for improving at live poker tournaments through hand tracking, structured study, and data-driven leak identification.