Poker Tournament Strategy Tips From LearnWPT

Las-Vegas-Poker-Tournament-Strategy-Tips


Are you in Vegas for the live tournament grind this summer and looking to brush up your skills?

Check out this FREE collection of No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament strategy tips and tools from Team LearnWPT featuring 3x WPT Champion Brian Altman, WSOP bracelet winners Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Nick Binger, Vanessa Selbst and Tony Dunst plus renowned Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler.

Team LearnWPT is here to help keep you focused and make sure you are ready to make your big score 🏆.


Get Mentally Prepared for Poker Tournaments

Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler has been on the rail helping WSOP winners succeed for over a decade! Watch this LearnWPT Strategy Episode from Jared as he provides a game plan for getting your tactical and mental game strategy ready for success and helps you prepare for a demanding poker schedule.

Poker Tournament Preparation Quick Tips:

  • Keep it simple! Don't start introducing new concepts - focus on known issues in your game
  • Develop and work on a poker routine based on good sessions
  • Go through a pregame warm-up before each session
  • Take "no poker" breaks to reset and reserve energy
  • Manage your over excitement


5 Poker Tournament Strategy Keys 🔑

These 5 Key Factors are important for you to think about every time you play a hand and they will guide your decisions on later streets:

  1. Always be aware of Position
  2. Know the Stack Depth and Effective Stack in terms of big blinds
  3. Assign Preflop Ranges (not a specific hand) based on each player’s position and how they entered the pot
  4. Note the Number of Opponents seeing the flop
  5. Understand the Board Texture and how it affects your next move


Brush up on the Key Factors by watching these Strategy Episodes:

The 5 Keys Of Poker Tournament Strategy Quick Tips:

To build mental muscle memory for these concepts in real-time, focus on the 5 Key Factors even when you are NOT in the hand. Notice hands that were shown down, you’ll find an interesting trend...

  • The more players that see the flop, the stronger the average hand will be at showdown
  • The more coordinated a board is, the more likely it is someone has a strong draw or made hand
  • Multiway and Coordinated? You’ll likely see the strongest possible hands in a player’s range at showdown


How the Pros Maintain Championship Focus

Team LearnWPT is no stranger to the bright lights of the final table and big money pressure. Get insight from some of the best in the game!


In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor and poker legend LuckyChewy gives you insights to recognize misapplied poker concepts and how they can cause leaks in your tournament game.

Countering Common Misapplied Poker Concepts:

  • Calling a c-bet is not mandatory after defending preflop
  • Avoid going on auto-pilot on the river after calling flop and turn
  • Raising Ace high on dry & scattered flops is not always preferred


Watch and listen as 3x WPT Champion and LearnWPT Instructor Brian Altman gives you his expert approach to identifying targets to bluff and the specific strategy to help maximize your success rate.

What You Can Do to Find More Bluffs:

  • Pay VERY close attention to opponent betting tendencies and shown cards
  • Seize initiative in the hand through betting and leading flops
  • A balanced bluffing range is crucial to maximizing your success


Watch this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst for key insights on how world-class players think through hands street by street.

Making Moves Quick Tips:

  • Making moves is necessary to becoming a winning player
  • Moves work best against fewer opponents. Rarely bluff in multiway pots
  • You must become comfortable with situational poker


Check out this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Vanessa Selbst as she answers Student submitted questions regarding c-betting in multiway pots and key factors for becoming a dominating professional player.

Overcoming Your Fears Quick Tips:

  • Aggression wins in No-Limit Hold'em poker
  • Practice making moves! Fear prevents us from accumulating lots of chips and becoming a chip leader
  • Enjoy playing the game and you'll have a better chance of success and reaching your goals

Have What It Takes To Win a Tournament?

Think you have what it takes to take down the championship and outwit a world-class Pro? It’s time to challenge the world’s perfect opponent - The WPT GTO Trainer!

Play these 5 hands to test your skills and learn the exact move to make. After playing watch the Strategy Episode for a detailed breakdown of each decision point as LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger analyzes the same hands you just played. Good luck!

MP2 vs Button 1005 - optmzd.gif

With 50 big blind stacks you open raise to 2.5BBs from Middle Position and the Button calls

Do your best to choose the ideal action at every point. Your goal is to keep "EV Loss" in the green and close to 0.

P.S. After playing the hands click the WATCH NOW button to follow along as Nick plays the exact same hands and learn the "why" behind the correct plays.


Tell Us How You Are Doing

We LOVE hearing about the success LearnWPT Students are having, just like these Students crushing the 2023 WSOP and Sue winning her first WSOP Gold Bracelet!

LearnWPT-Members-Lisa-Roberts-Scott-Roberts-WSOP-2023-Success

If you are having success at the tables follow and share it with us on social or email our support team at [email protected]. We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt


Good Luck and Good Playing!

LearnWPT-Instructors-Pros

If you see Team LearnWPT in the field be sure to stop and say Hi 👋

P.S. Played a hand you were unsure of? LearnWPT Members send them in using the Ask a Pro Forums for help from our Pros.


Improve Your Game Today!
Join LearnWPT and Get:

LearnWPT-Multiple-Devices

  • The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
  • On-demand access to our full library of 500+ (and growing) in-depth Strategy Episodes from world-class players
  • All of your poker questions answered with the Ask a Pro Feature
  • Expert analysis from LearnWPT Pros using The Hand Input Tool
  • Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables
  • Learn from a Team of world-class Professional Players and Instructors


To join (just $5 your 1st month) click the button below and start improving your game!


Have Questions about LearnWPT?
Email us at [email protected].


Poker Bankroll Management Top Guide by Team LearnWPT

Bankroll-Management

When it comes to playing poker, there are many poker strategies and practices that can help improve your game. The more attention you pay to every aspect of your poker game that can be improved, the more likely you are to achieve success in cash games and poker tournaments.


What is poker bankroll management?

One of the concepts that is key to playing successful poker is bankroll management. In this blog, we will give you solid guidelines for poker bankroll management, outline its tools and principles, and tell you how to use it as a poker player.

Poker bankroll management is a money management strategy in professional poker based on statistical probability and skill level. It is an essential part of playing poker. With bankroll management, you can practice reducing or eliminating your risk of ruin by minimizing losses against gains.

A bankroll is money set aside exclusively to play poker. Having a bankroll offers a lot of advantages over not having a bankroll. If you're just playing poker out of money that is part of your everyday ordinary life money, that can create a lot of problems. You're only going to go so far with your poker career if you keep playing that way. On the other hand, having a dedicated bankroll offers many advantages.

Savings-bankroll-management-tool-cash

Bankroll money is a little bit different than everyday money. You should think of it as a tool that you're going to use to make more money and work your way up in stakes. When you separate your bankroll completely in this manner, you set it aside from the money you would use to pay a mortgage payment, buy a car, or have dinner with. Treat your bankroll as the money you will use as an investment in your poker career and growth.

When you keep a proper poker bankroll, you don't have to worry about those normal ups and downs and normal swings that just occur naturally because of variance. A proper bankroll can help you survive those inevitable downswings that have to happen during the normal course of playing poker over time.

An excellent way to manage your bankroll is to physically separate it from your everyday money. Most card rooms and casinos offer safety deposit boxes, and those are good places to keep your poker bankroll. This way you will keep it away from your everyday money and feel safer since you don't have to travel to and from the card room or casino with cash on you.

Check out LearnWPT Episode 5 and learn more about bankroll management and its role in poker.


Now, you are probably thinking - How should you decide the size of your bankroll? When playing poker, it's essential to always to know the size of your bankroll. If you don't have a specific amount of money set aside for the game of poker, then how can you decide what games are worth playing?

Knowing which games are worth playing with your available cash will actually depend on whether you are a professional player or not. Professional poker players often have a target amount of income required and will therefore choose the stakes that will allow them to most reliably earn a specific hourly rate. Those who are not professional poker players should use a set percentage of their entertainment budget to invest in playing poker.

Although it may be tempting to try and jump into bigger games right away given the potential reward for success, it’s much more enjoyable and puts much less stress on your game to maintain poker bankroll management rules.

Whether you are a top professional or someone new to the game, keeping track of your cash game sessions and tournament buy-ins and results is important to making good decisions with your poker bankroll.

pro-poker-tournament


After you’ve played several cash games and tournaments and have a good sample size to compare, it seems your game is ready to move up in levels against tough competition. So, how can you make sure you are prepared to go pro?

Many poker players question how long it will take them to become better players and actually just how much time it takes to reach the long-term when evaluating your ability at the poker table. There are several factors that go into playing better poker however, improvement will mostly depend on how frequently you practice and how hard you work. If you are practicing every day, you will surely make faster progress than the person who works on their poker game for only one hour a week. As long as you create a consistent study routine over time, you are on the right path to becoming a better poker player.

It takes time to reach the long-term in poker, and that time period will be different between cash games vs. tournaments. For cash games, around 20,000 hands and 700 hours of live time at the table is around the amount of play you’ll need to know if you are a winning, break-even, or losing player.

For tournament poker variance is more considerable and it will also depend on how big the fields are in the tournaments you play. After 1,000 tournaments you should be able to get a good sense of your skill level and profitability.


Having a proper poker bankroll allows you to focus on decision-making at the table without the pressure of playing above your budget.

If you want to progress as a poker player, you will have to start thinking long-term instead of short-term. Don’t get overly emotional based on a good or bad result of any single hand, focus on improving your decision-making process. In addition to studying LearnWPT Strategy Episodes, taking notes, and discussing strategy with players you trust, bankroll management is one of the most effective ways to help gain consistency in your game. Let's see how.

If you are just starting out in poker, it's important that your bankroll is healthy and sufficient to allow for growth and learning of the game.

While you may see different guidelines for the appropriate amount of buy-ins to keep in your poker bankroll, in order to avoid risk of ruin in cash games you need to budget 50 buy-ins for the level you are playing. For proper tournament bankroll management as a professional you should never risk more than 1% of your bankroll in any given tournament, or in other words have at least 100 buy-ins for the tournament buy-in level you play.

Keep in mind the amounts noted above for the recommended number of buy-ins are for professional poker players who don’t have the ability to replenish their bankroll and need to stay in the game to make a living. As a recreational player you can be a little less strict with the number of buy-ins, however you should still have at least 25 buy-ins for the level of games you are playing.


So, let's look at an example of how bankroll management breaks down for the non-professional.

If you play $1-$2 no-limit cash games, and usually buy-in for $200, you want to make sure that you keep at least 25 buy-ins of $200 in your poker bankroll. So that would mean $5,000 set aside solely to play poker.

Maybe right now you cannot set that amount of money aside for playing poker, but you want to work towards the goal of having an appropriate bankroll. That is why having a bankroll is so important, as it can help your poker career or hobby to be self-sustaining. You won't have to take money out of your paycheck or take cash out from anywhere else to play poker.

The 25 buy-ins bankroll will minimize your risk of ruin, otherwise known as your chance of going broke. The lower number of buy-ins you have in your bankroll than 25, the higher your risk of ruin or the greater probability of you going broke. In the same way, if you go above 25 buy-ins for the given level you're reducing the risk of ruin further.

The best feature of bankroll management is that the number of buy-ins in your bankroll will dictate whether you're moving up or down, which takes the emotion out of that tough but important decision.

While it may seem discouraging to have to do so, it's very typical to have to regularly move up and down in stakes in order to sustain an appropriate bankroll.

This is why you shouldn't simply take money out of your poker bankroll whenever you feel like it. Ideally your poker bankroll should be in the range between 45-60 buy-ins before you even consider taking money out for everyday expenses or treating yourself. A conservative bankroll management strategy is the one that will help you achieve your goals and move up in levels. To adopt a more conservative bankroll strategy you should split your profits and take a percentage of the profit each month for life expenses while also leaving some of the profit to continue to grow your poker bankroll. The typical split would be 50-50, which means that if you have made $2,000 that month you're going to take $1,000 out for yourself and leave $1,000 profit for that to continue to grow your bankroll.

This is one of the key skills that separates amateurs from professionals. A lot of professional poker players who have had poor bankroll management skills are the players that are no longer able to make a living from playing poker. If you want to be successful in the long term, bankroll management is essential.

Another crucial skill that can help (or hurt) our ability to grow a poker bankroll and become a successful player is managing our emotions. When emotions guide us it’s often difficult to make decisions clearly. Tilt problems are a big part of playing poker. They happen when you are running bad, feel injustice, focus on bad luck, and many over-competitive people experience hate-losing tilt. Sometimes you will tilt because you think you made a mistake, are overconfident, feel like you deserve to win, or are motivated by revenge. Tilt occurs in everyone’s game sometimes however if you don’t face these issues they can have a dramatic effect on your ability to manage your bankroll properly.

To learn more check out LearnWPT Episode 146.


What is the connection between tilt and poker bankroll management?

We’ve all likely experienced winners tilt, otherwise known as overconfidence. When you start winning and it feels like it’s almost impossible to lose, you completely discount the possibility of making mistakes. Often this results in less studying and working as hard as before, instead hyper-focusing on winning every next game you play.

When you go through a prolonged period of winning it’s easy to make lousy bankroll management decisions and move up in limits too quickly. You might buy into a tournament above your limits or skill level, or spend a lot more money outside of the game than usual which can lead to future financial pressures. Instead, if you use bankroll management to limit yourself in periods when you could emotionally be at risk and don't let winner’s tilt guide you instead of your long-term goals in poker, your bankroll will grow. In tandem with proper bankroll management and consistent study, your profits will grow and allow you to consistently move up and play bigger buy-in cash games tournaments.

Bankroll management is a critical skill you can learn that will allow you to maintain ultimate focus on executing a game plan instead of worrying about the amount of money at stake in any one given tournament or cash game session.


Bankroll Management Tools

Bankroll tools can be handy in developing a routine and consistent process for poker bankroll management. Luckily, you don’t have to bring your pen and paper and you can manage everything using technology. There are many tools available today that can help with this task, including some mobile apps for Android or iOS devices and web browsers on your computer.

  • Bankroll management tools will help you visualize your progress. Many of the apps available on the market include multiple charts filtered by type of game, location, and blinds. These apps allow for efficient tracking of how much money you are making and investing, allowing you to build greater confidence and adjust quickly to the current status of your game.

  • Another technology that is widely available to track your bankroll is using Google sheets or Microsoft excel sheets. If you are creating your own method of bankroll management tracking spreadsheet, make sure you include the following details.

  1. Date of game or tournament
  2. Total Buy-ins (include any rebuys or add-ons)
  3. Total amount won/lost for the session
  4. Total dealer tips
  5. Any other expenses (meals/travel)

Poker can be one of the most lucrative hobbies you have, but many pitfalls can await your process if you don’t approach the game with a sound strategy for managing your money. Keeping a separate bankroll will allow better decision-making and perspective when playing poker. Proper poker bankroll management allows you to use chips as a utility to invest and make more money and frees you up to learn and grow by making objective decisions at the table.


What is the best growing bankroll plan?

So now that we’ve walked through the different bankroll management strategies for cash games and tournaments, let’s review these 3 tips for using your winnings to both grow your bankroll and reward yourself for disciplined efforts:

  1. Your goal should be to add 50% of all winnings to your bankroll. Whether you are playing poker professionally or as a recreational player, it is vital to invest a healthy percentage of winnings back into a bankroll to help secure your poker future.
  2. Spend 10-15% enjoying it. What else are you working for if you can take some time and celebrate? Use up to 15% of your winnings to have fun and treat yourself!
  3. Invest 15-20%. Take up to 20% of your profits each month and put them towards other hobbies, investments, or just put it in the bank. Investing your profits in projects that you like outside of the game might motivate you and inspire you to become an even better player.

Bankroll management strategies vary from player to player and depend on each person’s specific financial situation. These guidelines are provided to help you enjoy the game of No-Limit Texas Hold’em and hopefully make some money along the way! To learn more and ask about bankroll management and get advice from pro poker players, plus work on every other part of your game and learn strategies to help make you a better poker player, check out the LearnWPT features.


Improve Your Game Today!
Join LearnWPT and Get:

LearnWPT-Multiple-Devices

  • The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
  • On-demand access to our full library of 500+ (and growing) in-depth Strategy Episodes from world-class players
  • All of your poker questions answered with the Ask a Pro Feature
  • Expert analysis from LearnWPT Pros using The Hand Input Tool
  • Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables
  • Learn from a Team of world-class Professional Players and Instructors


To join (just $5 your 1st month) click the button below and start improving your game!


Have Questions about LearnWPT?
Email us at [email protected].


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On Tour: 2022 World Poker Tour Choctaw-Durant

WPT-Choctaw-On-Tour

The WPT's 20th Season Is Headed Back to Choctaw!

Our next stop is at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK this May for the $3,800 World Poker Tour® Choctaw Main Event which features 50K in starting chips plus a massive $2 Million Guaranteed prize pool. The 2021 WPT Choctaw Champion Dapo Ajai took home 560K!

Join the massive field of professional and recreational players who will travel to Choctaw to test their skills and compete for the title of the next WPT Champion - including Team LearnWPT.

The final table of this exciting event will be played at the HyperX Esports Arena on May 26th in Vegas and filmed for television. Ready to see your name in lights and compete for a WPT Title on the big stage?

LearnWPT is here with some expert strategy to help get you there!


LearnWPT Prepares You for the Main Event 🏆

Think you have what it takes to navigate a tough tournament field and have your name etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup?

Choctaw-Champions-Cup-optimzd

LearnWPT is here with some free expert strategy and tips to help get your game in shape and get you ready to crush the competition at WPT Choctaw Main Event.


Get In on the Action ...

The Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK is welcoming players back to their amazing resort and tournament venue with a full festival of poker action starting on April 28th. This exciting festival features several high guaranteed prize pools ranging from 50K to 300K and a ton of satellites into the Main Event!

This action packed series is capped off with Day 1A of the $2Million Guaranteed WPT Main Tour Event on May 13. Re-entry Format - Day 1B on May 14th - Click for more information.

Chotaw-Chips

📅 Main Event Schedule:

Day 1A: Friday, May 13, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. CT
Day 1B: Saturday, May 14, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. CT (Registration will remain open until the start of Level 9)
Day 2: Sunday, May 15, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. CT
Day 3: Monday, May 16, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. CT
Final Table:
Filmed for TV and will take place on May 26, 2022 at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas

The super deep championship structure for this $3,800 event offers plenty of chances to outwit and outplay your opponents. Get ready to battle with the best and play for your share of the massive $2M Guaranteed prize pool.


Train With LuckyChewy & Brian Altman Before the Main Event 🐐

Before the Main Event kicks off LearnWPT will be hosting a 2-Day Live Tournament Strategy Workshop May 9th-11th at Choctaw Casino & Resort with Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger and Brian Altman. The chance to TRAIN LIVE with two of the most successful players in poker is here and you won’t want to miss it!

During this 2-Day Interactive Workshop you’ll be given access to proven techniques to help get you ready to take down the Mike Sexton Champions Cup 🏆.

Once you've learned the right moves, attendees will immediately put their skills into action at the WPT Main Event Freeroll Satellite and play against each other in an exclusive freeroll with a seat into the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Main Event Seat* as first prize.

This Satellite Tournament is exclusive to LearnWPT Live at Choctaw ticket holders giving you a 1 in 20 shot of winning and playing in a World Poker Tour® Main Event!

P.S. An exclusive Welcome Reception for Students on Monday, May 9th will kickoff the event! Meet your Instructors and fellow Students in a relaxed environment. We look forward to seeing you LIVE!

Can't make Choctaw? Join us at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas!


What Are the Keys to Final Table Play?

Brian Altman - Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Final Table (2)

Will you be one of the final 6 players competing for the WPT Choctaw Main Event title at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas on May 26th? To make sure you are prepared to shine for the TV cameras and show off your skills, we’ve got some important strategies to share to help you get ready.

Final Table Strategy can differ dramatically from the early stages of a tournament, especially with huge pay-jumps and the prestige that only comes with winning a World Poker Tour title. Often players are unprepared for the pressure that comes with playing in front of an audience and for potentially life-changing money at stake.

When you are facing the pressure of big pay jumps and the studio lights seem just a little too bright, it’s important to stay focused and make objective decisions.


Watch this LearnWPT Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst for key insights on how the Pros perform on the big stage at the HyperX Esports Arena!

Here are a few tips to help sharpen up your game for showtime!

  • Be aware of stack sizes and pay jumps at all times, even the slightest changes in stack sizes can shift strategy dramatically
  • When short stacks exist, there is extra pressure on the bigger stacks to avoid busting out
  • The chip leaders can use this extra pressure to win many pots while the short stack is in play
  • As a medium stack vs larger stacks be cautious with any bets and raises and try to take marginal hands to showdown passively
  • Preflop ranges shift quite a bit at final tables due to this effect with big stacks playing much wider ranges and medium stacks much narrower ranges
  • Do not be afraid to ramp up your aggression against players that are playing tight in the hopes of laddering up


Your Practice Partner? - The Best Poker Player in the World

Think you have what it takes to take down the championship and outwit a world-class Pro? It’s time to challenge the world’s perfect opponent - The WPT GTO Trainer!

Get ready to make a deep run in the WPT Choctaw Main Event by playing these 5 hands from the WPT GTO Trainer. Practice this spot where you are in the steal position as the chip leader vs a tough Big Blind and prepare for your time to shine LIVE on stream.

Your goal is to get as close to ZERO EV loss with each decision.

1048-113-70BB-CO-Open-Vs-50BB-Big-Blind-Call

At the WPT Choctaw final table you minraise from the Cutoff as the chip leader with a 70BB stack & the Big Blind with 50BBs calls

As you play, remember these tips:

  • The Big Blind will likely call with a fairly wide range in this spot given direct pot odds
  • The Big Blind will flat call with some big hands preflop due to ICM pressure, even as strong as pocket Kings
  • You will be c-betting almost 100% when checked to using a smaller sizing
  • Th BB will lead the flop with a portion of their range to counter your small c-bet strategy - be prepared to continue vs most leads
  • Be cautious building big pots with some stronger hands as the BB’s range narrows significantly on later streets

P.S. After playing the hands get YOUR SCORE and learn the "why" behind the correct plays.


Join Team LearnWPT On Tour at Choctaw

On-Tour-Choctaw-Brian-Chewy-Tony (1)

Are you playing the WPT Choctaw Main Event? Stop and say Hi 👋 to the LearnWPT Team!

LuckyChewy, Brian Altman, Tony Dunst, and Adrian Naggy will be on site and in the action! Be sure to follow Team LearnWPT On Tour as we travel to play WPT Events.

Follow the Main Event action on WPT.com or on Twitter at @WPTlive.


Good Luck and Have FUN!

WPT Choctaw Champion Champion Dapo Ajayi

If you are playing in the WPT Choctaw Main Event or Festival and want to celebrate a victory or deep run with your poker family, email the LearnWPT Team to keep us updated. Also make sure to follow and tag us on Twitter @learnwpt, Facebook, or Instagram to share your success.

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team LearnWPT! Subscribe below for more FREE poker content.

Have Questions about LearnWPT? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.

LearnWPT-Poker-Training

TRAIN - PLAY - THINK
LIKE A PRO!

Train With LuckyChewy & Tony Dunst in Las Vegas This May!

Ever wish you had a Poker Pro looking over your shoulder, helping you to decide whether to call a big raise or fire that third barrel?

What if you had the chance to get personal advice and feedback on YOUR play from world-class crushers like Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, and Eric "Rizen" Lynch?

If you had the ability to get hands on coaching by a team that boasts over $22 Million in live tournament winnings, 2 WPT Championship Titles, 3 WSOP Bracelets and 3 WSOP Circuit rings, would you jump at the chance?

Would you seize the opportunity to be 1 of 30 students who are given intimate access to proven advanced techniques and decision-making processes that help top professionals thrive in today’s competitive games AND have the chance to win your way into a World Poker Tour® Main Event?

Your opportunity is May 27th-30th during the LearnWPT Live at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas Tournament Strategy Experience!

Chewy, Tony, and Rizen will help you:

  • Transform your preflop and postflop play through a deeper understanding of concepts and techniques used by top players
  • Discover the process that the world’s best players use to maintain a cycle of constant improvement and keep their edge
  • Learn the keys to real-time hand analysis directly at the table during Lab Session and give you feedback regarding YOUR play
  • Prepare to play and win a 30 player Satellite Tournament with a $5,000 buy-in WPT Main Event Seat as 1st prize!


Train With Your Instructors During Lab Session

The hallmark of the LearnWPT Live Workshop experience are the interactive hands-on Lab Sessions!

During the Lab sessions you’ll take a seat at the poker table with real chips and cards and play live hands against fellow Students while a LearnWPT Instructor deals the action and provides in-depth, personalized analysis.

LuckyChewy, Tony, and Rizen will observe and correct strategic errors in real-time as you play your game and incorporate new concepts. Lab Sessions are interspersed with lecture throughout the Workshop sessions to create a lively and interactive learning process focused on rapid application of strategy concepts.


Take Your Shot to Win a WPT Main Event Seat!

Commerce 2020 Satellite collage - optmzd

Once you’ve learned the right moves to make, immediately put your skills into action at the WPT Main Event Freeroll Satellite. Attendees of LearnWPT Live at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas will play against each other in an exclusive freeroll with a $5,000 WPT Main Event Seat* as first prize!

This Satellite Tournament is exclusive to LearnWPT Live at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas ticket holders giving you a 1 in 30 shot of winning and playing in a World Poker Tour® Main Event!


Meet LearnWPT at The Welcome Reception!

The LearnWPT Live Experience starts with a fun Welcome Reception on Friday, May 27th (6PM PT - 8PM PT).

During this kickoff event to the Tournament Strategy Workshop you’ll check-in and have the opportunity to meet LuckyChewy, Tony, Rizen, and fellow Students in a relaxed environment while enjoying beverages and hors d'oeuvres!


How Are LearnWPT Live Students Doing?

LearnWPT Live Attendees have won World Series of Poker Bracelets, WSOP Circuit Rings, made deep runs in World Poker Tour® and WPTDeepStacks events and more!

Are you ready to be our next success story?

We look forward to seeing you in Vegas!
-Team LearnWPT


Have a Questions about LearnWPT Live? Contact the Support Team at (888) 600-5593 or [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.

*The $5,000 buy-in WPT Main Event Seat is non-transferable and has no cash value. Winner must play the awarded event seat within the prescribed prize redemption period, before December 31, 2022 or the prize will be voided. See our FAQ section for more information.

Approaching the Bubble With A♠A♣, what do you do here?

Approaching the Bubble With AA

DECISION POINT: You are in a multi-table tournament where blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. There are 13 players left and 9 places paid. The action folds to you in the Cutoff with A♠A♣ and your raise to 15,000, the Button folds and both the Big Blind and Small Blind call. Your opponents check the Q♦J♥T♣ flop and action is on you. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in the mid to late stages of a multi-table tournament. There are 13 players left and 9 places are paid with a fairly standard, top heavy payout structure. The blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. We are dealt AsAc in the Cutoff six handed and preflop the action folds to us.

At this particular table, smaller raises are frequently being called in multiple spots. Even though making it 12,000 is normally a fairly standard raise in this spot, we decide to raise to 15,000 in the moment and get called by both the Small Blind and Big Blind.

The flop is QdJhTc and both players check. This is a very coordinated board that often connects with the Blinds’ calling ranges. The issue we are facing is that we only have 95,000 chips and the Small Blind only 41,000 chips and there is 51,000 in the pot.

With a stack to pot ratio of less than 2, an overpair to the board, and a potential draw to a straight we have a situation where we really aren’t deep enough to ever fold here. However, our hand is also quite vulnerable to many of the types of hands the Blinds would call with and in some cases we are even behind on this flop.

Continued below ...

If we were much deeper stacked there could be a case for playing this hand a little more cautiously, but at this stack depth we really have to go with our hand and we can still extract a lot of value from KQ/KJ/KT/T9s/Q9s/J9s type hands.

The Blinds are also quite likely to have reraised preflop with AK/QQ/JJ/TT so most of the hands where we are really crushed shouldn’t be in their range,aside from 98s and if they call really loose perhaps some K9s. When we are behind it’s often against two-pair hands where we will have 9 outs on the flop and often when we miss the turn we pick up 3 additional outs to improve to higher two-pair.

Normally we would continuation bet a little on the higher side here to protect our hand but with the Small Blind’s shorter stack we can bet 20,500. If the Small Blind were to shove it technically reopens the betting which would allow us to shove over the top should the Big Blind decide to call.

This sizing adjustment may seem minor, however it avoids the awkward situation of us betting 30,000 and the Small Blind shoving that can entice the Big Blind to call. In that case we would have no option other than to call and then face the additional potential complication of an eight, nine, or some other action killing card coming off on the turn that will make our decision even more difficult.

Bet sizing must be a critical area of focus in order to improve your game, and in this spot the precision of your bet sizing will make a huge difference.

Betting half the Small Blind’s stack is the best play.

How would you play it?
Share your answer in the comments below!


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  • The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
  • On-demand access to our full library of 500+ (and growing) in-depth Strategy Episodes from world-class players
  • All of your poker questions answered with the Ask a Pro Feature
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  • Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables
  • Learn from a Team of world-class Professional Players


To join (just $5 your 1st month) click the JOIN NOW button and start improving your game!


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On Tour: 2022 WPTDeepStacks Thunder Valley

Thunder-Valley-Resort-Casino-Lincoln-CA

The World Poker Tour's 20th Season Keeps Rolling!

Our next stop is Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA this April featuring an epic schedule of satellites, huge guaranteed events, and closing with the player favorite Bounty Confidential.

The Thunder Valley festival headliner is the $1,500 buy-in WPTDeepStacks Main Event that features 30K in starting chips plus a massive $1 Million Guaranteed prize pool and is sure to deliver an unparalleled player experience. The friendly and skilled staff at the 😎TV Poker Room are no strangers to hosting prestigious events with the World Poker Tour and you can be assured that the WPTDeepStacks Main Event will be no exception.

Whether it's enjoying the fabulous amenities or relaxing in the spacious and modern rooms, players On Tour rave about this event as a can’t miss stop. Let’s not forget about the main reason to travel to Thunder Valley this April - to score a share of the $1 Million Guaranteed prize pool and experience the first class poker room and staff, and Team LearnWPT will be there in the action.

Let's get you ready to dominate the felt ...


LearnWPT Prepares You for Thunder Valley and the WPTDeepStacks Main Event!

Thunder-Valley-Poker-Room

Team LearnWPT is here with some free expert strategy and tips to help get your game in shape and get you ready to have fun and crush the competition at WPTDeepStacks Thunder Valley Main Event 🏆.


Get In on the Action ...

The Thunder Valley Resort Casino in Lincoln, CA is welcoming players back to their amazing resort and tournament venue with a full festival of poker action starting on April 9th.

Kicking off the festival on the 19th is the $200 Season Opener and a ton of satellites into the Main Event!

Highlights of the festival include the 5-day, $460 buy-in Monolith multi-flight $250K Guaranteed prize pool Tournament starting on April 21st. The action packed series is capped off with the popular (and secure) $1,100 Bounty Confidential event on May 1st.

Day 1A of the headlining $1Million Guaranteed WPTDeepStacks Main Event begins April 28th. Re-entry Format - Day 1B on April 29th - Click for more information.

📅 WPTDeepStacks Main Event Schedule:

Day 1A: Thursday, April 28, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. PT
Day 1B: Friday, April 29, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. PT
Day 1C: Saturday, April 30, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. PT (Registration will remain open until the start of Level 10)
Day 2 Final: Sunday, May 1, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. PT

The championship structure offers plenty of chances to outwit and outplay your opponents. Get ready to battle with the best and play for your share of the life changing $1M Guaranteed prize pool.


FREE 🛰️ Satellite Intro LIVE With LearnWPT at Thunder Valley - April 27th!

Satellite poker tournaments are a great way to play a larger buy-in event at a lower price so you don’t need to have big bucks to be in contention for a game-changing score. Strategies for Satellites can be very different from a normal Tournament.

To help get you ready for the WPTDeepStacks Main Event we're inviting you to join LearnWPT on April 27th for a FREE 1 hour introduction to Satellite Strategy Workshop LIVE in the Thunder Valley Poker Room at noon to kick off Satellite Day!

P.S. After the Workshop jump into the $85 Step Satellite at 1 p.m. to win a seat into the $340 WPTDS Main Event Satellite at 5 p.m. PT

Thunder-Valley-Satellites-v3

Can't make the FREE Introduction to Satellite strategy? Use the strategies below to sharpen your focus and who knows, maybe you’ll turn a few bucks into a huge payday.

Check out these keys to Satellite Play:

  • Everyone gets paid the same prize
  • No incentive to build a large stack once you are likely to win a seat
  • As the probability of winning a win a seat goes up, your ranges in all spots tighten up
  • There are times in a satellite poker tournament when players should never continue against an all-in
  • Satellites are the only form of poker where it can be correct to fold pocket Aces preflop
  • Pay very close attention to stack sizes and level changes!
  • Often in the satellite endgame 10BBs may be a big stack that is guaranteed to win a seat


3 Tips for Bounty Poker Tournament Play

Bounty Poker Tournaments are a fun way to add variety to your poker tournament schedule. The real money bounty awarded for knocking out each player creates extra action plus it gives every poker player a chance to win some cash in most cases without needing to finish inside the bubble.

Thunder-Valley-Bounty-Confidential-Winner-Matt-Ben

The most recent innovation in tournament bounty poker that has caused great excitement among poker players is the Lottery Style Bounty Tournament.

In this type of event (more commonly known as a Mystery Bounty or Bounty Confidential) players who make Day 2 and eliminate a player draw an envelope with the bounty amount hidden inside. Bounty amounts range from slightly less than a buy-in, all the way to 50 times the buy-in based on the total number of tournament entries.

Thunder-Valley-Myster-Bounty (1)

To maximize your chances at grabbing a massive bounty there are specific strategy reminders you should be conscious of during your next Lottery Style bounty event. Check out LearnWPT Instructor and Poker Legend Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger’s 3 key lessons for Lottery Style Bounty Tournaments below:

➧ Lesson #1: Making Day 2 in a Lottery Style Bounty Tournament is very important, but getting there with a big stack is critical to maximizing return on investment. Take thinner edges on Day 1 and focus on spots to accumulate chips before you reach the money so that you can have a better shot at accumulating bounties once you are in the money.

➧ Lesson #2: Bounties usually make up roughly one third of the prize pool. They are of most value when the average bounty amount in dollars is larger than the minimum cash and quite a bit larger than any pay jumps. Keeping track of which larger bounties have been won already is essential to making the highest expected value decisions in these types of events.

➧ Lesson #3: As the average bounty value decreases and you get deeper in the tournament where the prize money and associated pay jumps in the actual prize pool are larger than the average bounty amount, winning a bounty should be much less of an important factor in your decision making. Where previously you might have made a thin call to potentially win a huge bounty, you should instead evaluate this spot in terms of your overall tournament.

For more information and strategy on the different types of Bounty Poker Tournaments visit www.learnwpt.com/bounty


Join Team LearnWPT On Tour at Thunder Valley

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Are you playing the WPTDeepStacks Main Events or Festival Tournaments? Stop and say Hi 👋 to the LearnWPT Team!

LuckyChewy and Adrian Naggy will be on site and in the action for the WPTDeepStacks Main Event!

Follow the Main Event action on WPT.com or on Twitter at @WPTlive.


Good Luck and Have FUN!

WPTDeepStacks-Thunder-Valley-Team

If you are playing in the WPTDeepStacks Main Event and want to celebrate a victory or deep run with your poker family, email the LearnWPT Team to keep us updated. Also make sure to follow and tag us on Twitter @learnwpt, Facebook, or Instagram to share your success.

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team LearnWPT! Subscribe below for more FREE poker content.

Have Questions about LearnWPT? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.

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LIKE A PRO!

Poker Strategy Episode: Check-Raising Instead of C-Betting

In order to maximize fold equity and to utilize a powerful move to adjust for the shallow stacked situations, we recommend adding the check-raise to your overall game-plan in otherwise standard....... C-Betting spots.

Watch this 2-minute preview of a LearnWPT Strategy Episode as LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger provides clear guidelines for using the Check-Raise when standard C-Bets are leaving you vulnerable due to stack sizes.

When the 2-minute preview is done, click the red JOIN NOW button to get immediate access to the full Strategy Episode!

🎉 As an added bonus after joining, you can download the Continuation Betting Field Manual from the Tools Dashboard as a preflop c-betting guide!

Tool-Basic-Continuation-Betting-Manual


Adding the Check-Raise to your overall game-plan will help maximize fold equity and give you a powerful move to adjust for shallow stacked situations.

When you're the preflop aggressor and you frequently follow up with a c-bet, it can be a very strong strategy as you can directly counteract attempts by opponents to exploit you on the flop. However, c-betting can leave you very vulnerable when you are betting out on the flop after being the preflop aggressor with your entire range or with a high frequency.

This strategy may give opponents behind you an opportunity to easily raise you, put you all-in, or simply raise a significant portion of your stack so that you end up being unable to continue against that aggression. So if you are c-betting with a very high frequency in spots where you can't continue because of stack sizes, your opponent can effectively get the last bet in and raise you so you're unable to create any further fold equity in the hand.

In order to prevent this from happening, you can adjust your overall c-betting strategy based on stack size and you can introduce the check-raise as part of your game plan, which can often reclaim fold equity that wouldn't exist on the c-bet. In order not to get exploited, you should utilize this strategy with an overall balanced range.


Consider this example that illustrates why check-raising can be a better play than simply c-betting:

The blinds are 500 and 1,000 with a 100 ante, it's a 9 handed table, it folds around to you in the Cutoff seat, you have 89 and 21,500 chips in your stack. You open to 2,500 chips or 2.5 big blinds, the Button calls, both Blinds fold and the flop comes 10♣73♠ rainbow, no diamond.

Check-Raise-Vs-C-Bet-Poker-Hand-Flop-optimzd

So now you have an open-ended straight draw, there's 7,400 in the pot and you have 19,000 back. Your stack size might leave you vulnerable, so if you bet 3,000 and your opponent puts you all-in for 19,000, there's going to be nearly 30,000 chips in the pot and it would cost you 16,000 to call so you would have about 32% equity calling this all-in.

Check-Raise-Vs-C-Bet-Poker-Hand-Full-optimzd

However, you need more equity than that in order to call, as the real danger in this spot is flopping a hand that has a lot of equity. With this c-bet leaving you incredibly vulnerable, if you use a 100% c-betting strategy with this stack size you're going to be very exploitable.


Consequently, if your c-bet gets raised and if you can't continue even when you're flopping a lot of equity, that might mean that this is a bad spot to be c-betting with a high frequency.

Instead of c-betting, if you check, your opponent can check behind, or even more commonly, they would take a stab at this pot. In that case, if the Button bets out, you can see that you have a very natural stack size now to check-raise all-in.

You are now leveraging your stack size to create fold equity on this check-raise and you can get the last bet in on this flop, giving your opponent ample opportunity to fold a good portion of their range. If they don't fold, you still have 8 outs to improve to a straight.

So, when you're holding a draw on the flop and c-betting leaves you very vulnerable because of the stack size, you can opt to check-raise instead. When stacks start to get smaller in tournaments, having a very high c-betting frequency can often be a counterproductive strategy for you, especially against opponents who are aggressive, floating you or raising your c-bets frequently.

Against opponents who are very passive you should start c-betting these spots if they're playing fit or fold, calling preflop, or not putting pressure on you postflop. However, if you are playing against opponents who are raising your c-bets or floating you, introducing the check-raise into your arsenal will counter their strategy.


C-betting is one of the most common problem areas for both amateurs and Pros.

You will spend most of your time figuring out when you should c-bet or employ tricks such as check-raising. There are a variety of ways that your opponents might try to counter your c-bets.

They can call your c-bet on the flop with the intention of taking the pot away from you on the turn, which is called floating. To counter floating you can respond by betting again on the turn with an appropriate frequency.

Your opponents can also try to counter your c-bets by raising them in position or check-raising when they're out of position, so you should expand the range of hands that you're willing to take to a showdown against them.

You can adjust by calling their raise on the flop, or simply by calling with your top pair hands instead of folding them on the flop, which is going to punish those raises and you can continue to expand your range.

In addition, opponents might try to counter your c-bets by leading into you, so you should float them yourself, call them on the flop in order to take the pot away from them on the turn, or you can raise against this lead.

Implement these winning poker strategies in your own play and learn how to maximize value as the first-in raiser with these key adjustments!


Improve Your Game Today!
Join LearnWPT and Get:

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  • The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
  • On-demand access to our full library of 500+ (and growing) in-depth Strategy Episodes from world-class players
  • All of your poker questions answered with the Ask a Pro Feature
  • Expert analysis from LearnWPT Pros using The Hand Input Tool
  • Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables
  • Learn from a Team of world-class Professional Players and Instructors


To join (just $5 your 1st month) click the button below and start improving your game!


Have Questions about LearnWPT?
Email us at [email protected].


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......................................................................................................................... ..........................TRAIN - PLAY - THINK LIKE A PRO!


Poker Math Shortcuts With LearnWPT- Pot Odds Explained

Poker-Math

✔ Do you know what poker math is and when it should be used at the poker table?

✔ Is it really that important to understand for poker players?

✔ ​​Do you know when a situation becomes profitable based on Pot Odds?

💡Let us show you how poker math works and how you can use it to improve your poker decisions and get confidence for your next poker session.

Many people hate math, but there's no escaping its importance at the poker table.

The truth is that you don't need to be an expert at poker math to beat the games, however, using poker math is definitely something that differentiates the best poker players from the average ones.

So, if you want to upgrade your poker strategy and improve your win rate, make sure your poker math knowledge is up to par!


💡Math is a tool we use to calculate Pot Odds and determine our chances of winning during the decision-making process.

Many people play poker and there are many different strategies for winning. However, players need to remember no matter what strategy you use or how good your luck might be, poker is a game of probabilities.

💡There are a specific number of cards in the deck and a certain probability that outcomes will occur.

When we use poker math, we use it to make the right decision and calculate if the odds are in our favor. This means that poker math can be helpful when determining when our hand is a winning one.

Poker math tells us whether it's worth putting money into the pot to chase after a particular card and how likely you are to hit it.

To understand how poker math actually works you need to become familiar with 2 key elements - Outs and Pot Odds. These two elements are crucial for the decision-making process.

So let's get started!


Outs

💡Outs are cards that need to come on the flop, turn, or river that are likely to improve your hand.

When evaluating a poker hand the first step is to consider how many outs we have and how likely it is that an out will be dealt in the specific scenario.

To understand the basic concept of Outs, you can check LearnWPT Episode 37, which explains how to do basic Outs calculations in shortcuts.

If you haven't already reviewed the Episodes on Outs and Pot Odds, you definitely should check those before diving into the world of poker math.

Pot Odds

💡The Pot Odds are the odds a player gets to continue in hand, or more specifically a ratio comparing the size of the pot to the size of the bet.

To determine pot odds, determine how much is in the pot and then compare that amount to how much it costs to call the bet. Note that any opponent's current bet is considered part of the pot.

Your poker decisions should be fundamentally based on pot odds. The key to profitable poker is understanding pot odds and basic math so that when it comes time for decisions, you will be able to consistently make profitable ones!

Understanding the odds is also key to playing draws effectively. After some practice, basic odds calculations won't take you a lot of time at the table and will help improve your poker strategy by using simple math.

Your goal for learning about odds is to gain a repeatable skill to help evaluate decisions based on facts and data.

💡Think of pot odds in terms of a risk/reward ratio.

Pot Odds are the ratio how much is in the pot to win versus how much we risk to win it. Or more simply how much is in the pot already to how much we have to call to continue in hand.


Poker-Math-Decisions-canva

The Rule of 2

The best way to learn is from an example:

The Rule of 2 is a shortcut to calculating your percentage chance of hitting one of your outs on the next card to come. To use the Rule of 2, multiply the number of outs x 2 and the result gives you the percentage chance of hitting one of your outs on the next card.

In this example, we have 9♣️8♣️. The board is 34♣️Q♣️ so we have a flush draw and we are heads up on the flop. Our single opponent bets $1000 into $1000 pot. Remember that when talking about pot odds, we have to include any bet from our opponent that is already in the pot. So in this situation, there is $1000 in the pot plus our opponent's $1000 bet meaning the total amount that we could potentially win by continuing is now $2000.

The next step is to compare the total amount we could potentially win to the amount it costs us to call. In this case, it costs us $1000 to continue and there is $2000 in the pot. So our pot odds are 2:1. There are two units to win, and it costs us one unit to call.

As a rule of thumb, you can know that any time you are facing a pot-sized bet you're getting 2 to 1 pot odds.

What about The Rule of 4?

The Rule of 4 is applied in mostly the same fashion as the rule of 2 except that it can only be used on the flop when one player is all-in and you are facing the decision to call.

As an example, let's say you have 9♣️8♣️. The board is 34♣️Q♣️ so we have a flush draw and your opponent goes all-in.

In this case, you would determine how many outs you have to make your flush, then multiply by 4 to determine the percentage chance of hitting your flush. There are 13 total cards of each individual suit and we can see 4 of them currently (2 in our hand and 2 on the board), so we can subtract 4 from 13 and get a result of 9 outs.

Then using the rule of 4 we multiply 4 x 9 for a result of 36, so we have a 36 percent chance of hitting our flush draw on the next 2 cards to come. It is important to only use the Rule of 4 for situations where you are in the flop facing an all-in and guaranteed to see the next 2 cards if you call.

To determine whether calling all-in on the flop is profitable or not, you need to figure out your chance of winning by using the Rule of 4.


Here are some tips for practicing:

When practicing your poker strategy, start paying attention to pot odds and how to apply the Rule of 2 or The Rule of 4 to determine your percentage chance of winning.

✔ If you're all-in on the flop and your pot odds are greater than your chance of making your hand, continuing in the hand is profitable.

✔ If your pot odds are worse than your hand odds, then it's not profitable to continue.

✔ If pot odds and the chance of hitting are precisely the same, it's a break-even decision.

Watch LearnWPT Strategy Episodes on this subject to get comfortable with poker math and keep in mind the fundamentals of pot odds at all times.

Check out Episode number 41 and Episode number 39 for more about this topic and others we are discussing in this article.


Implied Odds

Now that you have the basics on determining pot Odds and Outs, we can introduce another key concept of poker math, Implied Odds.

Implied Odds are an important factor when determining profitable preflop calling, including only calling with speculative type hands for less than 5% of the effective stack in a multi-way pot.

We are investing a small amount now with the expectation of being able to win a larger amount later. And that's at the heart of implied odds.

💡Implied odds are basically when we're not getting the correct direct pot odds to call the current bet, however, if we call now we anticipate winning more chips on future streets.

We are hoping to make up for the fact that we're not getting the right direct odds right now in exchange for the possibility of winning more chips think we can win more in the future.

When it comes to using implied odds for decisions on the flop and turn, it's crucial to understand when you are getting them. A few factors can help you determine whether or not you are getting implied odds in a specific situation:

💡Look at chip stacks. You need to ensure that there are additional chips to win on a future street to make up the difference. If your opponents are all-in or nearly all-in, then you may not be able to win enough chips to make up for calling without proper odds on previous streets. As a general rule of thumb, the deeper chip stacks are, the easier it is to win additional chips on a future street and more likely you have implied odds.

💡Look at the position. Because you are last to act, you are going to be winning more on average from in position than out of position. Of course, like in every rule, there are a few exceptions but it's rare to have an advantage from out of position. Once you have a position, it's easier to extract more chips from your opponent on future streets. That means that your implied odds go up when you're in position and go down when you're at a position.

💡Look at the number of opponents. The more opponents that you have in hand, the more likely you are to get paid off. When you have just one opponent, they often just fold if you take aggressive action. So if you hit you're draw on a future street against one opponent, many times they'll just check and fold. In the case of multiple opponents, you're much more likely to get paid off as the likelihood that one of your opponents will have a hand that they will continue with increases. The more opponents you have to postflop, the better your implied odds are with your draw.

💡Estimate your opponent's range of hands. Ask yourself how likely your opponent is to have a good hand or a premium hand. For example, if an opponent had raised in an early position at the table, then you're more likely to extract chips from that opponent post-flop after you hit your draw. That is because their range is comprised more of premium hands and they are much more likely to have a hand to pay you off with. When an opponent raises from an early position or otherwise indicates they have a narrow range of hands or premium hand, then your implied odds go up. It will be much easier on average to win chips from an early position opponent when you hit your draw.

💡Look at how disguised your draws are. It is well known that some draws are more evident than others. The most obvious draws tend to be flush draws, and you can spot flush draws on the flop fairly easily. More disguised would be the straight draws. Your implied odds tend to go up as you get more disguised with your draws. While straight draws have one fewer out than flush draws (eight vs nine outs), they actually have better implied odds because the straight draw is often more hidden.

Now that you’ve learned how to determine the 2 most critical components of poker math (Outs and Pot Odds) it is time to practice!

Stay focused on practicing counting your outs, looking at your pot odds, calculating your hand odds, and analyzing whether you have implied odds. Review episodes multiple times and remember, practice makes it perfect!

Our goal with LearnWPT is to empower players to ask questions, help them stay focused on the key factors that affect play, and provide answers from winning professionals through a solid game plan.

We’ve helped players from around the world from all experience and skill levels, and we can help you fix leaks fast and learn new strategies that can help you have more fun playing poker.


Improve Your Game Today!
Join LearnWPT and Get:

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  • The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
  • On-demand access to our full library of 500+ (and growing) in-depth Strategy Episodes from world-class players
  • All of your poker questions answered with the Ask a Pro Feature
  • Expert analysis from LearnWPT Pros using The Hand Input Tool
  • Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables
  • Strategy from a Team of world-class Professional Players and Instructors


To join (just $5 your 1st month) click the button below and start improving your game!


Have Questions about LearnWPT?
Email us at [email protected].


On Tour: 2022 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown

WPT-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Poker-Showdown-Champions-Cup

The World Poker Tour's 20th Season Is in Full Swing!

Our next stop is Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL this April for the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship. Join this massive field of professional and recreational players sure to flock to Florida to test their skills and compete for the title of the next WPT Champion - including Team LearnWPT.

The huge $3 Million Guaranteed prize pool is destined to attract a record-shattering number of players and a life-changing first prize (ICU Nurse Brek Schutten claimed $1.2 million and a WPT Title in May).


LearnWPT Prepares You for the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown!

Think you have what it takes to navigate a tough tournament field and have your name etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup?

WPT-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Poker-Showdown-S19-Mike-Sexton-Cup

LearnWPT is here with some free expert strategy and tips to help get your game in shape and get you ready to have fun and crush the competition at WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown 🏆.


Get In on the Action ...

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL is welcoming players back to their amazing resort and tournament venue with a full festival of poker action starting on March 24th. Kicking off the festival on the 24th is a $400 multi-flight $500K Guaranteed deepstack tournament and a ton of satellites into the Main Event!

This action packed series is capped off with Day 1A of the $3Million Guaranteed WPT Main Tour Event on April 8th. Re-entry Format - Day 1B on April 9th - Click for more information.

WPT-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Poker-Showdown-Poker-Chips

📅 Main Event Schedule:

Day 1A: Friday, April 8, 2022 starting at 11 a.m. ET
Day 1B: Saturday, April 9, 2022 starting at 11 a.m. ET (Registration will remain open until the start of Level 9)
Day 2: Sunday, April 10, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. ET
Day 3: Monday, April 11, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. ET
Day 4: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
starting at 12 p.m. ET
Final Table:
Filmed for TV and will take place on May 25, 2022 at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas

The super deep championship structure for this $3,500 event offers plenty of chances to outwit and outplay your opponents. Get ready to battle with the best and play for your share of the massive $3M Guaranteed prize pool.


🛰️ Satellite Tips to Help Win Your Way Into the Main Event

Satellite poker tournaments are a great way to play a larger buy-in event at a lower price so you don’t need to have big bucks to be in contention for a game-changing score. The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Festival has plenty of chances for you to win your way in the WPT Championship. See the full Festival Schedule here.

LearnWPT Instructors Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger and Katie Stone have a few key tips to help increase your edge.

Keys 🗝️ to Satellite Play

  • Everyone gets paid the same prize
  • No incentive to build a large stack once you are likely to win a seat
  • As the probability of winning a win a seat goes up, your ranges in all spots tighten up
  • There are times in a satellite poker tournament when players should never continue against an all-in
  • Satellites are the only form of poker where it can be correct to fold pocket Aces preflop
  • Pay very close attention to stack sizes and level changes!
  • Often in the satellite endgame 10BBs may be a big stack that is guaranteed to win a seat


Use the strategies below to sharpen your focus
and who knows, maybe you’ll turn a few bucks into a huge payday.


📽️ Play Better Poker With LearnWPT Live Stream at Seminole Hard Rock

Play-Better-Poker-Darren-Elias

Before the WPT Main Event, LearnWPT Instructor and Host Katie Stone will be talking poker strategy with special guest 2010-2019 World Poker Tour® Player of the Decade, winner of 4 WPT Main Tour Titles (the most in WPT history), and BetMGM Brand Ambassador Darren Elias, LIVE from Seminole Hard Rock on twitch.tv/learnwpt!

Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the recent Play Better Poker with LearnWPT stream with Tony Dunst from the HyperX Arena ...

Watch Katie & Tony's full conversation and previous Play Better Poker with LearnWPT streams on LearnWPT.com by clicking here.

Join us for the next Play Better Poker with LearnWPT Stream LIVE April 7th at 10am ET (7am PT) on twitch.tv/learnwpt!


Train With LuckyChewy Before the Event 🐐

The April 2nd-3rd LearnWPT Live at Hard Rock Tournament Strategy Workshop at Seminole Hard Rock was a HUGE success! During the 2-Day Interactive Workshop students were given access to proven techniques to help get them ready to take down the Mike Sexton Champions Cup 🏆 (and we had some fun too).

During a LearnWPT Live Workshop Instructors take turns being your coach and guide during Interactive Lab Sessions as they play simulated hands in a live tournament setting to practice the concepts just learned and give you direct feedback on your play.

Ready to join us Live? View the current schedule and sign up to get alerts when new events are added.

We look forward to seeing you at our next event!


5️⃣Tips for Deepstack Poker Tournament Play

While On Tour at WPTDeepStacks Championship at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Katie Stone and Tony Dunst took a break from the action to talk about some common mistakes they see players make when playing in deepstacked poker tournaments.

The early stages of a championship poker tournament with super deep structures like you find on the World Poker Tour require a specific strategy shift. It’s not uncommon for the average stack to equal 100 times the current big blind level or more during the first few hours in the tournament and you should focus on some strategic adjustments for these situations.

Anytime you find yourself in a deepstack poker tournament situation remember these 5 Strategies for deepstacked play:

Strategy Tip #1 - Adjust your First-In Ranges
Strategy Tip #2 - Be Cautious with 1-Pair Hands
Strategy Tip #3 - Don’t Call too Loose Preflop
Strategy Tip #4 - Attack Limpers
Strategy Tip #5 - Use Board Texture as Your Guide


Join Team LearnWPT On Tour at Hard Rock

On-Tour-With-LearnWPT-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Poker-Showdown

Are you playing the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown? Stop and say Hi 👋 to the LearnWPT Team!

Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, LuckyChewy, Brian Altman, Katie Stone, Tony Dunst, and Adrian Naggy will be on site and in the action for the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship!

Follow the Main Event action on WPT.com or on Twitter at @WPTlive.

Brian-Altman-Episdoe 508 (1)

Check out this LearnWPT Strategy Episode preview from 3x World Poker Tour Champion, Season XVIII WPT Player of the Year, and LearnWPT Instructor Brian Altman as he breaks down a hand played On Tour recently at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open.

Read more about Brian's accomplishments here.


Good Luck and Have FUN!

WPT-Lucky-Hearts-Poker-Open-Seminole-Winner-S18-Brian-Altman

If you are playing in the WPT Poker Showdown and want to celebrate a victory or deep run with your poker family, email the LearnWPT Team to keep us updated. Also make sure to follow and tag us on Twitter @learnwpt, Facebook, or Instagram to share your success.

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team LearnWPT! Subscribe below for more FREE poker content.

Have Questions about LearnWPT? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.

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TRAIN - PLAY - THINK
LIKE A PRO!

Play Better Poker with LearnWPT LIVE - Welcomes 4X WPT Champion Darren Elias!

Play-Better-Poker-Guest-Darren-Elias


LearnWPT is honored to welcome Darren "The End Boss" Elias LIVE as the next guest for Play Better Poker!📺

Want to start playing better poker?

LearnWPT, the Official Poker Education Platform of the World Poker Tour®, is excited to announce a brand new episode of Play Better Poker with LearnWPT featuring Katie Stone and the all-time record holder for most WPT Main Tour wins Darren Elias starting at 10:00AM ET on April 7th LIVE from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, FL!

Kickstart your poker game with an exclusive inside look into the mind of one of the greatest poker players in the WPT Universe. You'll have unparalleled access to hear directly from top players and power up your game plan with valuable tips and strategies!

Catch all of the action and be sure to RSVP for this amazing live show ↘️

Join the most successful poker players in the game as they share their secrets for Playing Better Poker! 🎙️

Watch this fast-paced online talk show including in-depth interviews with the top poker players in the WPT Universe, and discover how they learn and improve at poker through study tips and unique techniques featuring exclusive LearnWPT training tools and content.

Do you have 30 minutes to start Playing Better Poker? 🂡

With 15 years of experience as a professional poker player, LearnWPT Instructor Katie Stone is your personal guide for building a poker study routine and improving your game. You will not only be able to ask specific questions about your game and how to improve but also to get expert insight from some of the greatest in the game on how they consistently improve at poker, all while having fun!

Joining Katie LIVE from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, FL on the next Play Better Poker with LearnWPT is 2010-2019 World Poker Tour® Player of the Decade, winner of 4 WPT Main Tour Titles (the most in WPT history), and BetMGM Ambassador - Darren Elias!

Sharpen your pencil ✏️ because it's time to take notes and ask questions to get answers from Katie and Darren - email your questions to [email protected].

Tune In to Hear Katie & Darren Talk About:

🡆 How elite players study to separate from the field in tournament poker.

🡆 The challenges of raising a family as a professional poker player.

🡆 What it takes to sustain a consistent level of excellence over time.

We know how difficult it can be to learn poker on your own, so we’re inviting you to study with Team LearnWPT!

Play Better Poker is designed to provide a place for poker players of all skill and experience levels to learn together! We'll teach you easy-to-use strategies to study and improve at Texas Hold’em, while also giving you unprecedented access to the mindset and approach to learning used by pro poker players. But don't worry - LearnWPT is a safe place to start your journey as a poker player, and we know that everyone learns at their own pace.

Submit questions before each show by emailing [email protected] and get the answer live. For more information and updates for the next show make sure you bookmark learnwpt.com/playbetterpoker and check back often.


Meet Katie’s Guest All-Time World Poker Tour® and 4x Champion- Darren Elias!

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To say Darren Elias crushes World Poker Tour® events is an understatement of the decade.

Darren, a New Jersey resident, is the all-time WPT leader in wins, final tables, and cashes. Throughout his 15-year career Darren has demonstrated unbelievable consistency in performance and dominance whenever he is on the felt.

From preliminary events to high rollers, Darren’s incredible track record includes victories all across the globe with over $15M dollars in lifetime cashes between live and online poker. A high-stakes Pro with the ability to make optimal strategic decisions under pressure, Darren is one of the most admired, respected, and feared players in the game today.

In Season XIII, Darren Elias won his first World Poker Tour title at Borgata in what was the fourth-largest WPT field in history at that time, beating a field of 1,226 entries to win $843,744 in 1st prize money with a prize pool of over $3.9 million. Elias defeated Kane Kalas on the final hand of play, etching his name on the Mike Sexton Champion’s Cup for the first time.

Directly following his breakthrough win at Borgata, “The End Boss” as he is known by peers and rivals on the virtual and live felt, became the first player to win 2 WPT Titles back to back in the same season with a victory at WPT Caribbean. World Poker Tour wins 3 and 4 came for Elias at WPT Fallsview in Season XV and the WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic in Season XVI.

While he seems to thrive on the big stage of the WPT Final Table set, Elias is no stranger to success in other venues and tournament series. To date Darren has amassed an impressive $9.5M in career live earnings, with over $4M coming from his success on the World Poker Tour. When he’s not dominating the felt in main event and high rollers tournaments across the globe, Darren can be found playing online where he is a BetMGM Brand Ambassador.

🏆Check Out Darren's Winner's Interview and Witness "The End Boss" Announcement to the Poker World:


Meet Your Host Katie Stone

Katie-Stone

Katie Stone began her gaming career as a child in chess, and later on while in college she pioneered chess camps for kids across the country. She is a professional poker player and a staunch advocate with a focus on growing the game of poker. Katie is also a major proponent of using the decision-making skills and lessons learned in poker as a means to better navigate challenges and improve performance at work and in daily life. Throughout her 15 years long career as a poker professional, Katie has been constantly searching for new methods to master her poker skills and help other players Play Better Poker.

As an Instructor for Team LearnWPT Katie delivers expert strategy and a unique perspective on learning poker to the LearnWPT Membership. Her accolades in poker include being a 2x WSOP Circuit Ring Winner and $1.2 million combined live and online tournament earnings. In addition to her role as a LearnWPT Instructor, Katie is also a Content Producer and Commentator for LearnWPT.

Her front-row seat to the explosion of online poker and the evolution of poker study makes Katie a uniquely qualified resource for cash game and tournament strategies, detailed hand analysis, online vs live strategies, decision making in real-time at the table, adjusting for known opponent tendencies, using your feedback loop for improvement, as well as learning what it takes to succeed as a pro.

Have an Inside Look at Katie’s Quest to Play Better Poker:


Join Katie and Darren for an enlightening discussion about what it takes to sustain a consistent level of excellence over time, find out how elite players study to separate from the field in tournament poker, and discover the challenges of raising a family as a professional poker player.

Play Better Poker is designed to provide a place for poker players of all skill and experience levels to learn together and have fun! We'll teach you easy-to-use strategies to study and improve your poker game, while also giving you unprecedented access to the mindset and approach to learning used by professional players.

Whether you’re a new, returning, or already well-seasoned player – Play Better Poker is here to help and get you started learning valuable poker tips in a fast and fun 30 minute LIVE poker strategy show. Join us!


...

Improve Your Game Today!
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