On Tour With LearnWPT: 2025 WPT® Rolling Thunder Festival

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-Champions-Cup

Team LearnWPT is back On Tour and ready to roll as we return to the incredible Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA (right outside of Sacramento) for the WPT Rolling Thunder Championship!

The excitement is building for a repeat of the 2024 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship which drew 458 runners and the prize pool swelled to over $1.4 Million. After a hard fought final table battle and grueling heads-up match Sacramento local Casey Sandretto captured the $246,600 first prize and added his name to the Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-2024-Champion

The friendly and skilled staff at the TV Poker Room are no strangers to hosting some of the most fun tournaments on the World Poker Tour. This year the Rolling Thunder Festival returns featuring a huge slate of new exciting tournaments, epic schedule of satellites, and huge guarantees leading up to the highly anticipated WPT Main Tour Championship Event.

Join Team LearnWPT for a festival full of exciting flops, turns, and rivers as grinders and shot takers descend on Thunder Valley to find out who will be crowned the next WPT Champion.

LearnWPT Prepares You To Bring the Thunder!

Team LearnWPT is here to give the tools and strategy you need to win your seat to the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.

🌩️ Roll In on the Action
🌩️ Satellite Basics
🌩️ Keys to Satellite Play
🌩️ Get Inspired for Your WPT Final Table Moment
🌩️
Final Table Tips With Tony
🌩️ Tips To Sharpen Up Your Game for Showtime

Get an edge on your competition with poker strategies from proven winners and prepare to bring the Thunder and dominate the felt!

#TheCupAwaits 🏆


Get In on the Rolling ⛈️ Action ...

WPT-Thunder-Valley-Rolling-Thunder-v2

The 2025 Rolling Thunder Festival kicks off with a TON of satellites starting February 24th and on February 27th begins the $500 buy-in LAUNCH $500K GTD tournament with 5 starting flights. The festival is packed with can't miss events including a $1M GTD Deepstack Thunder Valley on the 7th as well as other big guaranteed tournaments in the $300-$500 buy-in range. You can also try out the new structure that has everyone buzzing the popular “Savage Average” event taking place on the 18th.

If you are ready to join the action and want to parlay a small buy-in into a life changing score, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the Championship Event satellites starting as low as $500. There's also a $800 Festival package satellite that awards winners buy-ins worth $5,100 including a seat to the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship!

📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Monday, February 24, 2025
End: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Click here for the full Festival schedule

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-Champions-Table (2)

Day 1 of the Championship Event is Sunday, March 16th and allows for unlimited re-entry until the start of level 11 on Day 2 (March 17th), when registration ends - Click for the tournament structure.

The $3,500 Championship Event features the player favorite WPT tournament structure giving you plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.

📅 WPT Championship Event Schedule:
➧ Day 1: Sunday, March 16, 2025 starting at 11am PST
➧ Day 2: Monday, March 17, 2025 starting at 11am PST
➧ Day 3: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 starting at 11am PST
➧ Final Table: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 starting at 11am PST*
*Final table will be live streamed with 30-min delay

View ⚡ Live Stream on WPT Twitch, WPT YouTube or WPT.com


Satellite Your Way Into the Main - Free Tips!

Satellite poker tournaments are a great way to parlay 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, and you’ll need to make some adjustments that may seem strange compared to standard tournament strategy.

Should You Play a 🛰️ Satellite Differently?

Yes! Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in you busting when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.

Watch this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.

Need Help Closing the Deal?

In this LearnWPT Strategy Episode watch and learn as Nick Binger reviews several key hands from a Satellite to highlight the unique adjustments during the endgame.

These strategy concepts could help you avoid busting on the bubble and secure your seat to the WPT Rolling Thunder Championship!

The Keys 🗝️ to Satellite Play

  • Everyone gets paid the same prize
  • Make sure you know the rules of the Satellite you are playing and how to secure your seat
  • Satellites can be played a number of ways, from traditional freezeout, to milestone, to shootout format
  • No incentive to build a large stack once you are likely to win a seat
  • As the probability of winning 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

Quiz Time! Test Your Satellite Skills

At the Final Table with QJ

You are 4-handed at a winner-take-all Satellite Tournament for a seat to the WPT Rolling Thunder $3,500 Championship with blinds at 100/200. The player in the Cutoff folds and you raise to $600 with Q♦J♣. The Small Blind reraises to $1,110 and you call. Your opponent checks the A♠A♣J♦ flop.

Action is on you, what do you do here?

Poker-Hand-CTA-Check-Bet

Select your answer above to get insight from the LearnWPT Pros!


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 entrants a chance to win cash in most cases without needing to finish inside the bubble.

Thunder-Valley-Bounty-Confidential-Winner-2021

The hottest innovation in bounty poker that is causing great excitement amoung 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 keep top of mind 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


Get Inspired for Your WPT Final Table Moment!

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-2025-Final Table

WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage and WPT Champion and Thunder Valley Poker Room Ambassador Tyler Patterson called the Final table action of the 2024 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship!

Watch as a new WPT Champion is crowned…

Are YOU Final Table Ready?

To make sure you are prepared to shine for the 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 poker players are unprepared for the pressure that comes with playing in front of an audience with 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 breakdown of a high stakes final table from LearnWPT Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst to see how this dynamic plays out in real-time.

Can You Stay Aggressive at the Final Table?

Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Final Table with big money and a WPT title on the line. How do you play your 30 big blind stack from the Button against a call from a tough chip leader with two short stacks in play?

1216-222-30BB-Button-Open-Vs-70BB-Big-Blind-Call

Payouts: 1st = 20%, 2nd = 14%, 3rd = 9%, 4th = 6.7%, 5th = 5%, 6th = 4%

Play hands from a WPT GTO Trainer Final Table Pack to see firsthand how preflop ranges affect your decisions at the final table.

Here are some tips when practicing with the WPT GTO Trainer:

  • Your goal is to select the action for each individual hand that is as close to 0.00 EV as possible
  • EV Loss of 0.00 is the same action a GTO Player would take
  • 0.00 EV Loss means you broke even against a GTO Player
  • EV Loss Color Coding Hint:
    • Green = Near GTO Play
    • Orange = Take Caution
    • Red = Probable Leak in Your Game

Members can practice more hands from this scenario and get expert feedback from the LearnWPT Pros on their play with the 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer pack!

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-Champions-Tony Dunst

Tips To 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

Not a LearnWPT Member? Join for just $5 your first month to get more Final Table strategy.


Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!

Will we see you on the felt during the WPT Rolling Thunder Festival? If you see Team LearnWPT stop and say Hi 👋!

Check the LearnWPT calendar to follow Team LearnWPT On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.

WPTDeepStacks-Thunder-Valley-Team

Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Event or side events on the Festival schedule!

Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team LearnWPT, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.

Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt | X @LearnWPT |

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT

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



LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro

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

Poker Quiz! Early in a Daily Online Tournament With A♦A♠

Early-in-a-Daily-Tournament-With-AA

DECISION POINT: You are in the early stages of a daily online tournament with blinds at 10/20 and no ante. Play has been very active and loose with most stacks at the table near the 2,500 starting stack. The UTG player limps, UTG+1 raises to 90, and action folds around to you on the Button with A♦A♠. You reraise to 320, the Big Blind calls, and both Early Position players call. On the Q♠J♣T♦ flop it checks around to the UTG+1 player who goes all-in for 2,205.

Action is on you, what do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in the early stages of a daily online tournament. The play has been pretty active and loose so far and most players are still near their 2,500 starting stack. The blinds are 10/20 with no ante. Theoretically, with no ante everyone should be playing tighter ranges, however we’ve observed several opponents playing ranges wider than they should given the situation.

We are dealt A♦A♠ on the Button. The UTG player limps for 20, UTG+1 makes it 90 chips, and everyone else folds to us. Our hand definitely prefers to raise and not allow multiple players to see the flop cheaply. A standard reraise is usually 3x the initial raise plus an additional amount to account for previous callers. In this case that would be a total raise of around 290 chips. Given that this table has been playing pretty loose we opt to make it a little larger and raise to 320. Even with the increased raise size we still get calls from the Big Blind, UTG, and UTG+1.

On the Q♠J♣T♦ flop both the Big Blind and UTG check and UTG+1 moves all-in for a huge overbet of 2,205 chips. The first step to deciding how to respond to this shove is to put our opponent on a hand range. Considering the preflop action and the fact that we hold two cards that are ace blockers, it’s very unlikely anyone has AK.

Additionally if the UTG+1 player had AK they would likely want to check and try to induce a bet rather than just move all-in. This makes UTG+1’s range much more likely to include several pair + flush draw hands as well as some two-pair hands. It’s possible they might play some pairs including TT-QQ this way as well, although those hands are strong enough we would expect them to check the flop at least some portion of the time. Taking these factors into account, if our opponent has a hand range of KTs+, QTs+, JTs, QQ-TT we are still over 43% against that range.

Continued below...

Static Ad - Discord

Our hand has a lot of equity and will be the best hand on the flop a fair portion of the time. The times we don’t have the best hand on the flop we still have a lot of equity versus even the hands that are currently ahead. We have solid outs including four kings that can make the nuts plus several other cards that improve our hand against two-pair and we can still make a set of aces. If we believe UTG+1 would ever overbet with a draw such as A9s/T9s or would potentially shove the flop with a pair and big draw such as KK, our equity goes up to nearly 47%.

Since this is early in the tournament and there is very little ICM pressure we should make decisions that are very close to Chip Expected Value. While we do have to factor in the slight chance that UTG or the Big Blind could be slowplaying a big hand, there shouldn’t be many big hands aside from 98s in their ranges considering the preflop action. We have to call 2,205 to win 3,495 meaning we only need 40% equity to continue.

If the table was super soft or we had some specific read that the UTG+1 player would just never make this huge overshove on the flop without 2-pair or better, we could fold. Since the table has been observed to be playing very loose and splashy, we simply have too much equity to fold pocket aces with so much money already in the pot.

We can expect to have the best hand reasonably often, and even when behind on the flop we have plenty of outs to improve.

Calling is the best play.

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


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


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


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


Poker Quiz! In a Daily With 7♦7♥ Facing an Aggressive Player ...

77-Vs-an-Aggressive-Button

DECISION POINT: ​You are in fast structured $200 daily with 300/500 blinds and a 500 big blind ante. You have reads on the Button, who is a known regular in these tournaments and is an aggressive player, and the Small Blind who has been very tight thus far. You are the shortest stack with 25BBs and the majority of the rest of the table is in the 50BB range. Everyone folds to the Button who raises to 1200, the Small Blind folds, and action is on you in the Big Blind with pocket sevens.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in the early stages of a $200 buy-in daily live tournament with blinds at 300/500 blinds and 500 big blind ante. Our table reads are that Button is a known regular in these tournaments who is aggressive and the Small Blind has been very tight thus far. The tournament is fast structured with 20 minute levels and the blinds are going to increase next hand. We are the shortest stack with 25 big blinds and most of the rest of the table is in the 50 big blind range. We are dealt pocket sevens in the Big Blind. Everyone folds to the Button who raises to 1200, the Small Blind folds, and action is on us.

A standard Button player in this spot would be opening somewhere in the neighborhood of 35% of total hands, however in this situation we are not against a standard Button player. We are against an aggressive player and there is a tight player in the Small Blind, which expands the Button’s range even wider.

Pocket sevens is extremely far ahead of our opponent’s range. This means folding is out of the question and makes a passive play like calling, while still +EV, not the best play. The choice is really between raising to a smaller amount, such as 7.5BBs, or just moving all-in.

Continued below...

One potential issue with raising smaller is that our hand plays somewhat poorly out of position, with the potential for overcards on the flop. A very aggressive player also might think they still have preflop fold equity, and move all-in with hands like K9s that have significant equity against us, but would likely fold to an all-in.

Additionally, hands such as 22-66 might call a shove and allow us to get all our money in as a huge favorite, while some of those hands might just call the smaller raise preflop and sometimes fold postflop.

If we use a solver to see how to approach this situation against a GTO player, the conclusion is similar. Calling is +EV but only has a positive expectation of just under 1000 chips. Raising a small size has an expectation of around 1300 chips, and moving all-in of nearly 1500.

These differences may seem small, but they assume that we (and our opponents) will play perfectly both preflop and postflop. They also assume our opponent is opening a GTO range, and we’ve established they are opening much wider than that.

Moving all-in is the best play.

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


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


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


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


Posted on Tags

SAVE $150 On Elite Mental Game Training! [Limited Time]

mental-game-course-sale

During a poker tournament have you ever...

  • Started off red hot, then hid behind your stack hoping to limp into the money when a known Pro gets moved to your direct left
  • Taken a bad beat and immediately started complaining, maybe even slamming your hand on the table
  • Been short stacked late in a tournament and call off with a hand that you likely know is behind, but you’re tired and "ready to gamble"
  • Gone "blank" in a big pot making a costly mistake because your heart was beating so fast you hear it in your head

Sound Familiar?

If you are constantly battling emotions and aren't prepared for long hours and quick turnarounds encountered during a major tournament series, your ability to execute in the moment will suffer. Strategy expertise is essential, but if you don’t have a plan to rise above the distractions and challenging opponents constantly being thrown your way it’s unlikely you’ll be able to consistently play your A-Game.

The good news is, you have a secret weapon to maintain peak poker performance at your fingertips - The Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker course by renowned Mental Game coach and author Jared Tendler.

SAVE $150! Use Promo Code JARED150 at Checkout

mental-game-tune-up-tournament-poker

Jared Tendler created a step-by-step guide to preparing your mental game for sustained success during a tournament series including 8 modules with 34 video lessons, worksheets to personalize your training, review quizzes to reinforce your learning, and a private community forum to ask questions.

Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker also features real 1-on-1 sessions with winning poker pros, including 2023 WSOP Bracelet winner Diego Ventura.

Because we know the Mental Game is so important, we’re extending a special discount of $150 (enter promo code JARED150 at checkout) on Jared’s Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker through November 24, 2025.

A LearnWPT Membership is not required, no hidden fees, and you'll have lifetime access to the course videos and tools.

mental-game-tune-up-tournament-poker-diego-ventura

Take advantage of this opportunity to SAVE $150 and get a real game-plan for maximizing your performance and making the best decisions under pressure. Start strengthening your Mental Game today and learn why the world’s best poker players focus on this unseen edge to make deep runs and consistently dominate long tournament series.

If you have any questions please contact the LearnWPT Support Team at [email protected] and we'll be happy to assist you.

*Discount available through November 24, 2025

Posted on Tags

Poker Quiz! J♠J♣ Facing a Squeeze Play, What Do You Do?

JJ Facing a Squeeze


DECISION POINT: You are playing Day 2 of the WPT World Championship and blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. It's early in the day and there is still approximately 50% of the field remaining. The average stack at your table is around 40BBs except for the Button who has 100BBs. You raise to 12,000 from UTG with J♠J♣. A Middle Position player calls, the Cutoff calls, the Button reraises to 60,000, and action is back on you.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing early on Day 2 of the WPT World Championship event. We still have around 50% of the field remaining and the blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. We have just under 40 big blinds, as does most of the table except the Button who has 100 big blinds. We are dealt pocket jacks Under the Gun and make a standard open for this level to 12,000 chips (2BBs). Two players in Middle Position call the open and action folds to the Button who reraises to 60,000. Everyone else folds and the action is on us.

Much of our decision in this spot comes down to our assessment of the Button and whether they are capable of making a move with a wider range. If we assume that they are a skilled and studied opponent then they definitely should be showing up with some A5s/KTs type of squeeze semi-bluffs in this situation in addition to stronger hands. Based on that assumed range this is a slam dunk shove with pocket jacks. Taking a closer look at this hand using a solver, the result shows it’s a pretty clear +EV move to shove here against a GTO opponent.

During situations at the table like this in real-time it’s useful to ask “Does our opponent ever have a hand here that we dominate?”, such as TT or AJ in this instance.

Continued below...

Static Ad - Discord

If the answer is yes, we have a very compelling reason to continue with all the likely dead money in the pot since the middle position stacks are unlikely to have hands they can continue with here. If the answer is no and we believe the Button is raising a tighter range to include only premium pairs such as AA-JJ plus AK and AQ, then we could consider exploitatively folding.

In the $10K buy-in WPT World Championship event, most of our opponents are likely to be more than capable of including some semi-bluffs in their 3-bet squeezing range here, making our hand a fairly trivial all-in. Using the framework of asking ourselves the question “Does my opponent ever have hands I dominate?” will help us exploitatively adjust in the event that we do run into an opponent who has an extremely narrow range in this situation.

Moving all-in is the best play.

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


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


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


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


Poker Quiz! In Middle Position With J♠T♠, What Do You Do?

JT in Middle Position-optimzd

DECISION POINT: You are dealt J♠T♠ in the middle stages of a large field tournament with blinds at 400/800 and a 800 big blind ante. Action folds to you in the MP2 seat and you raise to 2,000, the Small Blind and Big Blind call. Your opponents check the A♣Q♣5♦ flop, you c-bet 3,000, and only the Small Blind calls. On the 5♣ turn your opponent checks and action is on you.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in the middle stages of a large field poker tournament. The blinds are 400/800 with an 800 big blind ante. The two players who are first to act fold and we are dealt JsTs in MP2.

Our standard opening hand range in Middle Position includes all suited broadway combos so our suited JT is good for a raise here first-in. At this stage in the tournament with the big blind ante in play and most stacks are below 50 big blinds, we can start to decrease the standard opening raise size. In later stages sizing as small a minimum raise can be acceptable, however in this case we raise to 2.5BBs or 2,000 chips. Action folds to the Blinds who both call.

The Big Blind is getting an excellent price to call, so it is reasonable to assume a wide calling range. In the case of the Small Blind, this calling range should be much more narrow. They should be reraising with strong hands and mostly calling with a narrow hand range that includes several medium strength combos including 88-JJ and AJ/AT as well as suited broadway hands, but none of the bigger hands like AQ+/QQ+. A calling range with these characteristics is often referred to as a condensed range.

The flop is AcQc5d and the Blinds check. We did flop some equity with an inside straight draw here, but most importantly we have a huge range advantage. Our opponents should very rarely show up with premium hands like AA/QQ/AQ here, and they can have the occasional 55/A5s. With all the strong combinations in our range this is a great spot for a continuation bet. There are multiple players in the pot and a flop that favors our range. Large c-bet sizing is not required, as our opponents will likely act based on absolute hand strength in this situation and are unlikely to continue with a wide range of hands from out of position. We elect to continuation bet 3,000 into the 6,800 pot and only the Small Blind calls.

Continued Below ...

The Small Blind’s calling range can still contain 55 but also AJo/ATo, plus some smaller suited aces such as A9s/A8s at a lower frequency. Flush draws and several Qx combos as well as KJs/KTs/JTs are also part of this range, although we block some of the KJs/JTs combos. The turn is the 5c and the Small Blind checks.

It would be easy for us to give up in this spot. The Small Blind’s range does contain some flushes, however if we really dig deep into this range it also contains some Ax and Qx combos with weak kickers that are now counterfeited. In addition, since most of their Qx combos are likely to include spades and the Qc is on the board, the remaining possible combos of Qx hands in the Small Blind’s range are less likely to contain a club.

Recognizing this condensed range is very important as the 5c is a good card for us to bluff against all their non-flush hands. Most of the Ax combos in the Small Blind's range are just hoping to chop at this point and the Qx combos are now reduced to bluff catchers. Some of the AJ/AT combos in the SB's range contain the Jc/Tc with some frequency (not in this specific case given our hand) and the ones that don’t will have a harder time calling. While our opponent does sometimes have a flush here and we feel foolish when they jam on us with their big hands, our range has AA/QQ/AQ and flush combos as well. This means this particular card will be just as scary for the Small Blind, if not more so, than it is for our range on the turn.

This is a great spot to fire a second bullet as a bluff. A bet size of half pot puts plenty of pressure on our opponent and creates additional leverage through the threat of an appropriately sized all-in river shove.

Betting half pot (6,400) is the best play.

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


LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro

We created LearnWPT with the goal to provide a place that empowers players to ask questions, help get them focused, and provide a solid game-plan to bring to the table every time they sit down.

Some of the ways we accomplish this is by:

  • Teaching and presenting examples of proven, winning concepts through our Strategy Episodes (short 10-15 min videos)
  • Having Members Practice, Drill, and Play Hands using the WPT GTO Trainer for instant feedback on their decisions
  • Providing a place where Members can send questions to receive answers and guidance with the Ask a Pro Forums
  • Giving Members the ability to record and send hands they've played to receive expert analysis using the Hand Input Tool


Not a Member?
Click below to join (just $5 your first month) and start improving your game today!


WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas With LearnWPT

2023-WPT-World-Championship-Wynn-Las-Vegas-Champions-Cup

Photo credit: Drew Amato

The second ever WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas saw record breaking prize pools, exciting off the felt activities, and set the standard for all future poker festivals. Almost every poker event crushed the guaranteed prize pools and we saw multiple players walk away with over $1,000,000 for their efforts.

The 2023 World Championship Festival awarded more than $110 Million in prize money and the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship saw an incredible conclusion as Dan Sepiol etched his name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup and took home $5,282,954 for a well earned first prize.

WPT-World-Championship-Winner-Dan-Sepiol (1)

The LearnWPT Team capped off the festival with huge results seeing Member Bob Buckenmeyer making the WPT Prime Championship Final Table and Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger Final Tabling the flagship WPT World Championship.

Are you ready to be part of history (again!)?


Your chance to join an exclusive list of Champions and take part in the most talked about poker event of the year is here! Team LearnWPT is ready to dominate the felt and we want to make sure you're ready to rise above as you compete in the Championship Event.

Let's get started...


Be Part of Poker History at Wynn Las Vegas

Returning to Wynn Las Vegas for the third consecutive year, the December 3-23, 2024 WPT World Championship Festival will offer more than 60 tournaments and a first-of-its-kind $5 Million Freeroll Invitational sponsored by ClubWPT Gold.

WPT-Prime-Championship-2024

WPT Prime Championship: $5 Million GTD Prize Pool

Buy-In: $1,100 | December 8th - 14th | Schedule | Structure
Day 1A - Sunday, Dec 8th 11am PT
Day 1B - Monday, Dec 9th 11am PT
Day 1C - Tuesday, Dec 10th 11am PT
Day 1D - Wednesday, Dec 11th 11am PT
Day 2 - Thursday, Dec 12th 12pm PT
Day 3 - Friday, Dec 13th 12pm PT
Livestreamed Final Table - Saturday, Dec 14th 4pm PT
A single (1) re entry is permitted for each starting flight
Live Updates

WPT-World-Championship-2024

WPT World Championship

Buy-In: $10,400 | December 14th - 21st | Schedule | Structure
Day 1A - Saturday, Dec 14th 11am PT
Day 1B - Sunday, Dec 15th 11am PT
Day 1C - Monday, Dec 16th 11am PT
Day 2 - Tuesday, Dec 17th 12pm PT
Day 3 - Wednesday, Dec 18th 12pm PT
Day 4 - Thursday, Dec 19th 12pm PT
Day 5 - Friday, Dec 20th 12pm PT
TV Final Table - Saturday, Dec 21st 4pm PT
One entry per day maximum (freezeout per flight)
Live Updates

ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Invitational: $5M GTD Prize Pool

ClubWPT Gold Freeroll - LearnWPT

Buy-In: Freeroll | December 13th - 15th | Schedule | Structure
Day 1 - Friday, Dec 13th 10am PT
Day 2 - Saturday, Dec 14th 10am PT
TV Final Table - Sunday, Dec 15th 4pm PT
Live Updates

For more ways to win your ClubWPT Golden Passport click here.

WPT-Ladies-Championship-2024

WPT Ladies Championship: $250K GTD Prize Pool

Buy-In: $11,100 | December 6th - 8th | Schedule | Structure
$1,100 discounted ladies buy-in
Day 1 - Saturday, Dec 14th 11am PT
Day 2 - Sunday, Dec 15th 11am PT
Unlimited re-entry is allowed until the close of registration
Live Updates

WPT-World-Championship-Trophies

Photo credit: Drew Amato

With more than 60 events on the calendar, the 2024 Festival is where every poker player needs to be this December. There are plenty of can’t miss events that offer a wide range of buy-ins including over a dozen live Milestone Satellites awarding over 250 seats to the World Championship!

The Festival kicks off with a $1 Million Guaranteed, $800 No-Limit Hold’em multi-flight tournament followed by player favorites including the $250,000 guaranteed WPT® Ladies World Championship, $5 Million Guaranteed WPT® Prime Championship, the ever-popular Mystery Bounty featuring a $1 Million guarantee, multiple Seniors events (50+) and a $10,000 buy-in Seniors High Roller.

Multiple mixed game tournaments are also available throughout the Festival, ranging from the $2,200 HORSE Championship, PLO, Mixed Triple Draw, Big Mix Bet, TORSE, Big O, and more! With Satellites and Tournaments ranging from $200 - $10,580 the WPT World Championship Festival has something for every player!

Click here for the full schedule of events
For results, chip counts, redraws, and more visit: www.wynnlasvegas.com/casino/poker
Follow the Wynn Poker Room Twitter page for nightly updates


📍 The Who, What and Where...

WPT-World-Championship-Wynn-Las-Vegas-Location

Photo credit: Drew Amato

With so much action going on at the Wynn Las Vegas where do you begin? Here are some quick tips:

If parking or arriving by taxi cab or rideshare instruct your driver to drop you off at the main entrance of Encore (not Wynn)
If driving, parking in Encore self-park is the quickest way to the Encore ballroom & registration for main events
Players must have a Wynn Player card - you can get one from the Wynn Rewards counter in the Encore Casino area
You will need a verified WPT.com Player Account to play in any World Poker Tour events. Signing up takes about 30 seconds.

  • Click here to get started
  • Enter your information and click ‘Create Account’
  • Click the link in the Confirmation Email
  • Click ‘Sign Player Release’ - That's it!

Wynn Encore Map

Most events will be played in the Encore Ballroom - you can register in the Debussy Ballroom (next to the Encore Ballroom)
If an event is played in the Poker Room - you can register in the Poker Room located in the Encore Casino area
Registration in the Ballroom opens each day 2 hours prior to the earliest event (typically 9am PT) and closes approximately 10pm PT
Registration is available for any event 24/7 in the poker room

The Encore at Wynn is marked with signage for easy navigation. Click here for the Wynn property map.


LearnWPT Members Are Ready To Dominate 💪

Team LearnWPT hosted 6 Warm-Up 📚 Study Sessions for Members to get their game ready to dominate the 2024 WPT World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas.

For each Session we provided Members with a strategy that focuses on specific concepts essential for tournament success - now let’s get YOUR game ready with FREE strategy videos and tips from Team LearnWPT! Let's get started...

① Warm-Up Session: The Mental Game

WPT Warm-Up - Mental Game

We'll kickstart your poker study by outlining valuable strategies for managing routines, building confidence, and dealing with adversity. We’ll also talk about preparing for long tournament days and using physical fitness and nutrition to optimize your play.

⦿ Tournament Prep With Tony, Chewy, and Johan

Huge Tournament Series like the WPT World Championships at Wynn Las Vegas bring excitement and tons of opportunity. To make the most of these gigantic fields and massive prize pools, it's important to plan ahead for the unique challenges that you may encounter.

In this Strategy Episode hear firsthand from LearnWPT Instructors Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen about how they prepare for peak performance during a long poker tournament series.

Many players ignore Mental Game issues that prevent growth in their game including fear, anger, and frustration. Building Endurance through exercise, rest, and nutrition is key to excelling during a long tournament series.

Click for more tips and videos from the Mental Game Session

② Warm-Up Session: Preflop Strategy

WPT Warm-Up - Preflop Strategy


In this Session we are focusing on the one decision you must make in every hand you play - what to do when action folds to you preflop. We'll also discuss strategies such as 3-Betting that will give you the opportunities to exert skill edge against your opponents.

🛑 Know Your First-In Hand Ranges

During the course of a poker tournament you are likely to face dozens of stressful decisions. Your ability to stay present in the moment and focus on the 5 Key Factors will likely decide whether you make a deep run or bust out on Day 1. Luckily there are some things you can start doing now to take away distractions and help make high quality strategic decisions under pressure.

Spend just a few minutes each day reviewing the Game Theory Optimal (GTO) Preflop Hand Ranges. Over time you will gain a solid grasp of each positional range and your preflop decisions will feel less stressful. You’ll free up mental energy to work on other areas of your game and be able to maintain sharp focus when facing tough spots postflop.

Watch this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger as he gives you a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot.

If you are a tournament player and haven't added these first-in hand ranges to your game plan you are missing opportunities to grow your chip stack and gain a balanced preflop attack. Understanding what hands to act with preflop from Early, Middle, or Late Position is crucial to your success!

Here are a few points from this Episode to remember...

Think in Hand Ranges:

  • A range includes all hands a player may have in a given situation
  • Avoid trying to put your opponent on a specific hand
  • Position, action, and stack depth help determine ranges
  • Analyzing hand ranges is best done away from the table

GTO First-In Hand Ranges - Tournaments


Download a copy of the GTO First-In Hand Ranges

Use these rock solid Game Theory Optimal hand ranges and you'll be well on your way to an award winning performance at the 2024 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas!

These charts will tell you what hands to play when you are the first person to put money into the pot at the poker table. They'll keep you on very solid, profitable ground.

Quick Tips for Using the First-In Charts:

  • Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and reference the appropriate range chart for your seat - Helpful Tip: Always count backwards from the Button to determine your position
  • You should raise with all hands highlighted in PINK. Do not call the minimum bet amount - RAISE!
  • Your raise sizing should be between 2.3 and 3 times the big blind amount depending on stack depth.
  • Stay consistent with your raise sizing. If you raise a larger amount with a specific hand and smaller amounts with others, you will be easier to read at the table (IE don't raise to 600 with AA, but 400 with 99)

You'll develop Muscle Memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and putting them into practice at the table!

Knowing how and when to make moves preflop is one of the keys to getting a hold of chips in a poker tournament. Understanding how to adjust for specific stack sizes and positions will give you opportunities to exert a skill edge.

Click for more tips and videos from the Preflop Strategy Session

③ Warm-Up Session: Defense Strategy

WPT Warm-Up - Defense Strategy - V2


In this Session we'll be talking about the specific strategies you can use when facing aggression in common Defense situations at the poker table. We'll also dive into the factors that you need to consider when deciding to defend in position vs out of position.

⦿ Turn and River Play With Tony Dunst

With more opportunities to Defend your Big Blind, you’ll definitely be in some interesting postflop situations facing a wider range of hands. In many of these spots you’re likely to face a continuation bet so understanding which board textures are favorable and when bluffing may be an option is valuable. Navigating these pots from out of position without the equity advantage translates to more difficult decisions on every street.

To gain a true understanding of how tough these spots can be, it’s essential to analyze postflop decisions in Big Blind Defense situations away from the table.

Join LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst as he explores 3 hands from recent sessions to break down optimal play on the turn and river when defending from the Big Blind. Watch this Strategy Episode as Tony uses PioSolver to demonstrate how ranges interact in this spot and what factors you should be accounting for.

Tips for Defending Your Big Blind Like a Pro:

  • Avoid calling with offsuit hands, suited hands and speculative hands are best
  • This strategy only applies when you are up against 1 opponent and in the Big Blind
  • Make sure you only defend by calling with specific hands. Don’t remove 3-Betting from your game plan!
  • Defend with tighter calling range against larger open raise sizes
  • Default to checking the flop after you call the raise, no matter what cards you hold


Blind and Button Defense Strategy in a poker tournament each have unique considerations and hand range constructions that help you target specific opponents in position and develop criteria for check-raising frequent c-bettors.

Click for more tips and videos from the Defense Strategy Session

④ Warm-Up Session: Postflop Strategy

WPT Warm-Up - Postflop Strategy

This Study Session is all about getting you geared up to attack flops with properly sized c-bets, identify spots to float aggressive opponents, and give you the tools to make huge laydowns and big hero calls when the pressure is on. We’ll discuss how to approach tough opponents and break down exploitative adjustments to max value when you have a skill edge.

⦿ C-Betting Vs Tough Opponents

Whether in a cash game or tournament, continuation betting is a key part of postflop strategy. A strong default c-betting strategy will put most opponents on the defensive and result in winning many uncontested pots.

However, as you face more skilled opponents additional factors must be considered to ensure your c-bets are profitable. When facing tougher opponents, you’ll need to upgrade your approach and adjust how frequently you fire again on the flop after raising first-in.

Watch this Strategy Episode as Nick Binger explains how equity advantage, nut advantage, and your perceived range help you decide when to c-bet against tough opponents. Plus, Nick outlines the common spots vs tough opponents that are the most challenging.

Deeper stacked poker tournaments feature more decision points and create tougher Postflop Considerations. Understanding how board texture and ranges interact will have a big impact in your ability to win uncontested pots.

Click for more tips and videos from the Postflop Strategy Session

⑤ Warm-Up Session: ICM & Satellite Strategy

WPT Warm-Up Session - ICM-Satellite (2)

In this Study Session we focus on the factors you need to consider when facing a tough decision on the Bubble, as well as specific differences between satellites and traditional multi-table tournaments. We’ll discuss how ICM (Independent Chip Model) influences hand ranges and betting, plus outline specific strategy for Milestone Satellites.

🛰️ Satellite Your Way Into a WPT Championship!

Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in you busting when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.

Watch this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.

Tips for Milestone Satellite Play

In a Milestone Satellite a player must accumulate a specific chip stack amount designated by the poker room ("The Milestone") to be awarded the tournament prize. The Milestone amount required to win the seat for each tournament is usually noted in the rules and structure sheet (under Milestone Rules).

As in a traditional satellite format, players may also win a seat by surviving until the number of seats available in the prize pool equals the number of players remaining, however achieving a verified Milestone stack at any point in the Tournament automatically guarantees that player a seat to the target event.

Example: You are playing a $1,100 buy-in Milestone Satellite to the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship with a starting chip stack of 20,000 and the "Milestone" is 220,000 chips. Once a player's chip stack reaches 220,000 chips they are instantly awarded a seat into the event and their chips removed from play.

The satellite will conclude when the number of players remaining is equal to the number of $10,400 prizes generated based on the Tournament Prize formula, less the amount of players who have previously won by reaching The Milestone.

  • Milestone Satellites prioritize a more risky playing style than traditional satellites, similar to bounty tournaments
  • Specific opponent tendencies play a big factor in your approach and dictate whether going for the Milestone is a priority
  • Larger raise sizes may have increased fold equity against opponents close to the Milestone (within 5-10BBs) due to poor risk/reward
  • Don’t lose sight of the Milestone in later stages when effective stacks are shallow - a few preflop steals could be enough to secure your seat
  • The endgame of a Milestone satellite can be chaotic - stay focused on the best strategy for your stack size and specific table conditions
  • Remember that you don’t always have to get to the Milestone to win a seat, you can still use traditional satellite strategy and have a good chance


Take these strategies to the
Wynn Las Vegas poker room and play a $400 Double Play Milestone Satellite to secure your seat into the $1,100 WPT Prime or Ladies Championship, a Milestone Satellite to $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, or other Wynn Festival events.

ClubWPT Golden Passport - Wynn Satellite (1)

During the 2023 Festival Milestone Satellites sent nearly 500 winners to the WPT World Championship field last year. LearnWPT wants to help you win YOUR seat!

Click here for the current schedule of satellites and tournaments

Follow the Wynn Poker Room on social for updates to the satellite schedule and more. X @WynnPoker | Instagram @wynnpoker

Click for tips and videos from the ICM and Satellite Session

⑥ Study Session: Exploits and Intuition

WPT Warm-Up - Intiuition and Exploits v3

This Session is all about using your strategic knowledge to punish bad plays and cultivate your feel for the game. A common trait shared by most successful tournament players is the ability to identify when an opponent is making an obvious mistake and knowing when to shift gears and use Exploits to maximize their edge.

⦿ Extracting Maximum Value With Gags

Opponents may change several times in any given poker tournament, so developing a specific player profile can be difficult, if not impossible. Bet-Sizing errors are often the best indicator of an opponent who is deviating from sound strategy and are most likely to make big mistakes postflop

Exerting your skill edge in these spots means staying alert and avoiding autopilot, especially when you flop a huge hand.

The difference between a small profit and a life changing score could lie in your ability to capitalize on obvious strategic errors. Watch as LearnWPT Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano breaks down hands where he uses exploitative lines to extract maximum value and demonstrates how to weigh the potential risk/reward of bet sizing to determine the best approach.

Poker is a game of incomplete information but if you’re focused and prepared to play, opponents will give off several cues that can be used to your advantage. Whether it’s odd bet-sizing, frequent over-calling, or taking too many hands to showdown, these mistakes must be capitalized on if you want to stay ahead of the field.

Click for tips and videos from the Intuition & Exploits Session

Members can rewatch Study Sessions anytime from the Webinars Dashboard. Not a Member but want to watch the Live Study Sessions? Join for just $5 your first month of Membership!

We’re in the home stretch now! LearnWPT Members - make sure to submit any questions or hands on trouble spots to the Ask a Pro Discord and we’ll get you ready to conquer Vegas!


Team LearnWPT On the Felt and in the Action!

The LearnWPT Family capped off the 2023 Festival with huge results seeing Member Bob Buckenmeyer making the WPT Prime Championship Final Table and taking home $380K and Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger taking 3rd and over $2.7 Million in the flagship WPT World Championship. LearnWPT Students have been putting in the time and effort and are now ready to put their skills into play by winning their way into the WPT Championship.

LET'S KEEP IT GOING …

WPT-Prime-Final-Table-Bob-Buckenmayer


We’ll be keeping an eye on our ClubWPT Golden Passport winners, WPT Prime Championship Satellite winners, Members, and Coaches as they take to the felt for their chance at poker glory.

To kickoff the 2024 WPT Championship at Wynn Las Vegas LearnWPT Instructors and world-class Pros Niall Farrell "Firaldo87", Eric “Rizen” Lynch, and Tony Dunst spent 3 days with 27 students in the LearnWPT Live Poker Lab to get them Championship ready! On December 8th the LearnWPT Live Poker Lab students will take to the felt in an exclusive satellite where we are awarding 3 seats to the WPT Prime Championship.

Video credit: Lee Cummings

During the LearnWPT Launch Digital Workshop, Jerry came out the victor to win his seat to the WPT Prime Championship seat in an exclusive Satellite on ClubWPT.com. Andrew, Matthew, Christopher, and Robert will be playing for the $1M first place prize in the $5M GTD ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Invitational after winning their seats by signing up with the LearnWPT promo code.

The entire LearnWPT Team will be at the Wynn Las Vegas helping cheer on our winners (and coaches) - Help us wish them luck!

LearnWPT Live Lab Satellite winners - Mark, Shen, Punal - optmzd

Live Lab Satellite Winners Mark, Shen, and Punal

LearnWPT Launch WPT Prime Seat Winner: Jerry Drew
LearnWPT Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Mark Swafford
LearnWPT Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Punal Patel
LearnWPT Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Shen Sidana
ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Andrew Stern
ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Matthew Drager
ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Christopher Gilley
ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Robert Koller

Your LearnWPT Instructors Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Adrian Naggy, Brian Altman, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Michael “Gags30” Gagliano, Niall Farrell "Firaldo87", and Tony Dunst will be at the Wynn and in the action.

Stay tuned for updates from our 2024 satellite winners!

LET'S GO TEAM LEARNWPT 🏆


WPT Special Events for Players

The non-stop poker action, massive prize pools, and the chance to go down in history as a WPT World Champion are only part of the excitement happening in Vegas this December! The World Poker Tour and Wynn Las Vegas have created a one of a kind poker experience that is sure to BRING THE FUN during the Championship Festival!

WPT-Prime-Half-Time-Show

Whether you’ve dreamed of playing a few hands vs Phil Ivey, wanted to make a guest cameo in Brad Owen's Vlog, be entertained by amazing halftime shows and performances, or dance the night away with the WPT Family in an epic Player’s Party that could only be held in Vegas, there are plenty of off the felt activities to enjoy.

WPT Gold Booth - Win Your Seat (or a Supercar??)

McLaren-GTS-ClubWPT-Gold-Booth-Prize

Visit the ClubWPT Gold Booth from December 8th - December 17th for more chances to win! Sign up at the booth and pull an envelope for a chance to win big - Prizes include:

A McLaren valued at $250,000
Entry into the Ultimate Cash Booth to win up to $50K
Over 100 Gold Passports into the $5M GTD Freeroll
VIP Experience at Wynn Field Club with Brad Owen
Entry into the Cash Booth to win up to $500
Arsham Chip set valued at $5,000
ClubWPT Gold coins, Wynn gift cards, and more

📍 Located in front of Mozart at Encore (10:30 am - 8pm PT)

ClubWPT Super SATurday Workshop With LearnWPT

LearnWPT has teamed up with ClubWPT to give online qualifiers even more opportunity to make a huge score at the Wynn.

Team LearnWPT will be offering LIVE poker coaching to ClubWPT Super SATurday qualifiers to help enhance their strategies, just in time for Day 1D of the WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

Learn more about the ClubWPT.com Super SATurday Membership and start playing to win your seat to the 2025 WPT World Championship and get free access to the LearnWPT CHAMP Membership!

🥳 WPT Thank You Players Party at AREA15

Players are invited to the Thank You Players Party at AREA15 on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm - 1 am. Complementary shuttle service is available, departing every 30 minutes from the Encore shuttle area, starting at 7:30 pm. Team LearnWPT will see you there!

WPT Players Party - 2024

To join the party, just present your satellite receipt to or tournament receipt from the WPT Ladies Championship, WPT Prime Championship, WPT World Championship, or your Golden Passport.

📍 AREA15 Las Vegas

WPT Premier 💰 Meet Up Game (MUG)

WPT Premier MUG - Tony Dunst

Join the fun at the Premier Meet Up Game December 17th from 9am-12pm in the Wynn Poker Room. PLUS other prizes will be awarded during live-action play. Play some $1/$3 and $2/$5 cash with WPT Ambassadors including Vince Van Patten, Lynn Gilmartin, Tony Dunst, Matt Savage, Brad Owen, Phil Ivey, and special guests.

📍 Wynn Poker Room

2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ ClubWPT Members Take to the Live Felt

Congratulations and good luck to the 200+ players ClubWPT is sending to the 2024 WPT World Championship Events!

WPT ClubWPT Qualifiers - cropped


ClubWPT Members and Qualifiers always receive the royal treatment and will enjoy several fun events including additional ways to win seats into the Championship Events live on-site at Wynn Las Vegas.

WPT-World-Championship-Special-Events

ClubWPT fosters a tight knight community of players who love to compete and share the excitement of competing at the WPT World Championship Festival in Las Vegas each December. We love helping ClubWPT Qualifiers and Stream Team Members prepare to play their best poker and can’t wait to sweat the action as they look to make deep runs and bag big scores.

Good luck and good playing!


Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!

Are you playing any of the WPT Championship Events at Wynn Las Vegas? Stop and say Hi 👋 to Team LearnWPT!

Your LearnWPT Instructors Tony Dunst, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Brian Altman, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Niall Farrell “Firaldo87”, and Adrian Naggy will be at the Wynn and in the action.

WPT Champinship - Chewy FT

Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Championship Events or side events on the Festival schedule! Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team LearnWPT, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.

Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt | X @LearnWPT

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


Train With LearnWPT Champions for Just $5

Meet Team LearnWPT - Combined the LearnWPT Instructors have amassed 5 WPT Championships, 14 WSOP Bracelets, 8 WSOP Circuit Rings, 9 High Roller titles, 2 Poker Masters Championships, over $60 Million in live Tournament winnings, 5 decades of coaching experience, and authored 5 acclaimed poker books.

Ready to train and learn from these Pros? Join them NOW!

LearnWPT Team Instructors 2024

LearnWPT Members have access to over 100 hours of on-demand video Strategy Episodes featuring key poker concepts and real world examples demonstrating specifically how to use them in your game - all for just $5 your first month of Membership!


Whether you are brand new to poker training or you’re an experienced student this is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players in a friendly community using state of the art tools.




LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro

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

Q♠Q♥ In a Milestone Satellite to the WPT World Championship...

In a Satellite to the WPT World Championship with QQ-optmzd

DECISION POINT: You are playing a Milestone Satellite to the WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas with blinds at 50/100 and a 100 big blind ante. You are in the Small Blind with Q♠Q♥ and 4,600 chips (46BBs). An Early Position player limps, a visibly frustrated player in the MP2 seat makes it 300, the Button flat calls, and action is on you.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in the second level of a Milestone Satellite into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The blinds are 50/100 with a 100 big blind ante and we have 4,600 chips in the Small Blind with Q♠Q♥. MP2 has been active and recently frustrated by some tough spots, even tossing his cards aggressively toward the dealer in one instance. The UTG player limps and everyone folds to MP2 who makes it 300. The Hijack and Cutoff fold, the Button flat calls, and action is on us.

Queens are well ahead of MP2’s and Button’s ranges which makes folding out of the question. Calling is likely profitable but we’d be most likely to take a flop 4-ways, which can be quite problematic for a hand that is likely to make one-pair in a multiway pot. So in this instance if we are favoring a raise, what is the best size to use in this spot given our positional disadvantage?

Continued below...

Banner Ads - WPT Warmup Satellite

The standard raise in this situation is 3x the initial raise plus any call amounts. In this scenario that works out to 900 + 300 + 100 or 1300 chips. Given our positional disadvantage, using a slightly larger raise size in the 1400-1500 chip range would be standard. The issue with adjusting to larger sizing to accommodate for the positional disadvantage is that we have committed one third of our stack.

That could remove any illusion of fold equity our opponents have and inadvertently force them to play better versus our hand by not bluffing against us. If we bet a little smaller, for example a sizing of around 1150, we create the illusion of fold equity if MP2 or the other 2 opponents want to shove. The smaller sizing also creates a really good price for a squeeze with some of our bluffs here to ensure balanced range with other hands in this same spot.

If the table was quite soft there is also merit to just moving all-in preflop. This would not be the default play, but if you’re at a soft table where chips are coming easy, moving all-in can sometimes induce some light calls from smaller pairs hoping to be racing against AK. The shoving line, while also a little lower variance, is at the expense of some EV as opponent calling ranges vs the large shove size will be more narrow.

Reraising small to 1,150 is the best play.

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


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


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


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


Introducing An Exciting New Way to Learn Poker in Las Vegas!

LearnWPT Poker Table Mockup

Team LearnWPT is elevating the standard for in-person poker training once again with our brand-new LearnWPT Live Poker Lab concept in Las Vegas which includes a WPT Prime Championship Satellite!

FOR A LIMITED TIME SAVE $1,000

What is a LearnWPT Live Poker Lab?

LearnWPT Live Poker Labs are exclusive Workshops focused on upgrading your poker game in the fastest time possible. The training environment at the LearnWPT Live Lab features real-time analysis of student play via RFID technology plus hands-on Lab Sessions with LearnWPT Instructors and includes a complete post event report with video breakdowns and specific next steps for improvement in YOUR game.

Training sessions at the LearnWPT Live Labs will be a 1-day event and limited to 9 students, allowing for incredibly specific coaching and feedback from our expert team of Instructors. Unlike other LearnWPT Workshops, the LearnWPT Live Lab focuses all of your time on playing poker and training in Live Lab sessions with Instructors, removing the need for group lectures. All play and Lab Sessions are recorded using state-of-the-art production equipment.

Next Live Labs in Vegas This December!

Our next two LearnWPT Live Poker Labs happening in Las Vegas - Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th feature Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Triple Crown Winner Niall "Firaldo" Farrell.

Live Lab - Niall - Eric

A ticket to the December Live Poker Lab in Vegas gives you:

Full day of Live Play and Lab Sessions with Niall and Eric
6 months of Platinum access to LearnWPT.com
Seat into our year ending WPT Prime Championship Satellite**
Personalized report with video analysis and next steps for improvement
Professionally produced video of all event Sessions
Supplementary study materials and a private strategy Discord - all accessible through our online course model

ZERO Lectures - All Poker

Harness the power of active learning with 100% of your time spent playing real poker with a professional dealer during Student Play Sessions. Team LearnWPT will record the entire Session using RFID technology and state-of-the-art production equipment to capture every move. Niall and Eric will be close by watching all the action on a live feed and give expert feedback for every hand. Students are provided with a professionally edited video including Instructor commentary as a follow up to the session.

Direct Poker Coaching

During Instructor Lab Sessions you’ll continue to learn by playing. This time your Instructors will take a seat in the dealer box and guide the table through interactive hands-on Lab Sessions. After each hand played the entire table will reveal their cards face-up as Niall and Eric break down each decision point, focusing on fixes for key strategic errors. As with Play Sessions, we’ll capture all of the analysis and action during Instructor Sessions as part of the final video package.

WPT Prime Championship Satellite

LearnWPT Live Labs aren’t just your chance to train up close with poker champions, they also just might be the first step on your path to a World Poker Tour Title.

Lab-WPT-Prime-Trophy

Every LearnWPT Live Poker Lab Student qualifies for an exclusive WPT Prime Championship Satellite on December 8th at 9AM PT in the Wynn poker room, right before the start Day 1A!

This Satellite is exclusive to LearnWPT Live Poker Labs attendees
Limited to a maximum of 27 entries
For every 9 players in the Satellite, we’ll be awarding one $1,100 seat to the $5M GTD WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

PLUS - Every LearnWPT Live Lab Student receives a Personalized Report with specific plans to improve their biggest leaks observed during the sessions. To top it off, we’ve included 6 months of LearnWPT.com Platinum Access (a $594 value) so you can keep the momentum going long after you leave Las Vegas.

Unleash Your Potential Like These Students!

LearnWPT Live Event attendees aren't just improving their poker game, they are also seeing being results like these Students who won 3 WSOP Bracelets, 2 WSOP Circuit Rings, and Final Tabled the 2023 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

Plus buy your seat now and SAVE $1,000!

Live Workshop Winners Sean and Tammy


LearnWPT Student Sean Jazayeri WON the 2024 WSOP Super Seniors Championship taking home over $368K and outlasting a field of 3,362 players. This was Sean's third 2024 WSOP cash which is also his largest-ever WSOP cash and the 2nd biggest of his career.

LearnWPT Student Tamar Abraham WON the 2023 WSOP Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship outlasting a field of 1,295 players and taking home the $192,167 first prize. Tamar secured her place in the record books as the victor of the largest Ladies Event field in history.

Live Workshop Winners Sue and Bob


LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer Final Tabled the 2023 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas placing 5th out of 10,512 players and took home $380K. Bob navigated a record-breaking field of Pro and recreational players for a massive 6-figure score.

LearnWPT Student Sue Faber won the WSOP Salute to Warriors event defeating the field of 1,723 entries earning $121,161 in the process and was the only woman to win an open No-Limit Hold'em event during the 2019 series. In 2024 Sue won 2 WSOP Circuit Rings in the same week!

This unique poker experience is in high demand, so make sure you act now to secure your seat to the LearnWPT Live Poker Labs in Vegas this December. PLUS buy your ticket now and SAVE $1,000!

If you have any questions or need assistance please reply back to this email or email [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

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


*Discount is taken off list price. Offers can not be combined.
**The WPT Prime Championship Satellite on December 8, 2024 is not open to the general public. One seat to the 2024 WPT Prime Championship in Las Vegas will be awarded for every 9 LearnWPT Live Lab students. This opportunity is exclusive to attendees of LearnWPT Live Lab events held in Las Vegas in 2024. The $1,100 WPT Prime Championship Passports are non-transferable and have no cash value. Travel, food, and lodging are not included. Winner must play the awarded event seat within the prescribed prize redemption period, before December 31, 2024 or the prize will be voided.

2024 WPT World Championship Warm-Up: ICM, Bubble, and Satellite Strategy

WPT Warm-Up Session - ICM-Satellite (2)

Who’s ready for a deep run in December? Team LearnWPT is here to help with a FREE strategy series focused on preflop, postflop, and defense strategy to get you and your game ready to dominate the WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas. Today we are focusing on getting you in the game and finishing strong with ICM, Bubble, and Satellite Strategy.

The 2024 Festival offers a unique opportunity for poker players who normally wouldn’t dream of spending $10K on a poker buy-in. Whether it's online at ClubWPT.com, or by taking advantage of the Wynn Las Vegas live satellite tournaments guaranteeing 250 WPT World Championship seats as well as Golden Passports to the ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll, there are countless satellites where you can turn a small buy-in into a life changing score.

If you do secure a seat and make a deep run, you’ll need to be ready for some tough decisions that could mean the difference between making your buy-in back and tripling your bankroll. Adjusting your strategy for situations near the tournament money bubble, when facing big pay jumps, and approaching the final table, will play a huge part in how many zeros are at the end of your payslip.

Let's get started...


ICM, Bubble, & Satellite Warm-Up Webinar

Tournaments have specific inflection points where the threat of elimination plays a large role in shaping decisions. Bubble, ICM, and Satellite Strategy are critical areas of study to make big scores and win seats to high buy-in events for small investments.

In this Warm-Up Session LearnWPT Instructors Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Adrian Naggy focus on the factors you need to consider when facing a tough decision on the Bubble, as well as specific differences between satellites and traditional multi-table tournaments. We’ll discuss how ICM (Independent Chip Model) influences hand ranges and betting, plus outline specific strategy for Milestone Satellites.


🛰️ Satellite Into a WPT Championship Event!

Satellite 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, and you’ll need to make some adjustments that may seem strange compared to standard tournaments to help increase your edge in a satellite.

Use these strategies to sharpen your focus and maybe you’ll turn a few bucks into a huge payday...

Should You Play a Satellite Differently? YES YOU SHOULD!

Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in you busting when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.

Watch this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.

Tips for Milestone Satellite Play

In a Milestone Satellite a player must accumulate a specific chip stack amount designated by the poker room ("The Milestone") to be awarded the tournament prize. The Milestone amount required to win the seat for each tournament is usually noted in the rules and structure sheet (under Milestone Rules).

As in a traditional satellite format, players may also win a seat by surviving until the number of seats available in the prize pool equals the number of players remaining, however achieving a verified Milestone stack at any point in the Tournament automatically guarantees that player a seat to the target event.

Example: You are playing a $1,100 buy-in Milestone Satellite to the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship with a starting chip stack of 20,000 and the "Milestone" is 220,000 chips. Once a player's chip stack reaches 220,000 chips they are instantly awarded a seat into the event and their chips removed from play.

The satellite will conclude when the number of players remaining is equal to the number of $10,400 prizes generated based on the Tournament Prize formula, less the amount of players who have previously won by reaching The Milestone.

  • Milestone Satellites prioritize a more risky playing style than traditional satellites, similar to bounty tournaments
  • Specific opponent tendencies play a big factor in your approach and dictate whether going for the Milestone is a priority
  • Larger raise sizes may have increased fold equity against opponents close to the Milestone (within 5-10BBs) due to poor risk/reward
  • Don’t lose sight of the Milestone in later stages when effective stacks are shallow - a few preflop steals could be enough to secure your seat
  • The endgame of a Milestone satellite can be chaotic - stay focused on the best strategy for your stack size and specific table conditions
  • Remember that you don’t always have to get to the Milestone to win a seat, you can still use traditional satellite strategy and have a good chance

Take these strategies to the Wynn Las Vegas poker room and play a $400 Double Play Milestone Satellite to secure your seat into the $1,100 WPT Prime or Ladies Championship, a Milestone Satellite to $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, or other Wynn Festival events.

ClubWPT Golden Passport - Wynn Satellite (1)

During the 2023 Festival Milestone Satellites sent nearly 500 winners to the WPT World Championship field last year. LearnWPT wants to help you win YOUR seat!

Click here for the current schedule of satellites and tournaments

Follow the Wynn Poker Room on social for updates to the satellite schedule and more. X @WynnPoker | Instagram @wynnpoker


Have Satellite Strategy questions?
Members can talk directly and get answers from the LearnWPT Pros in our Ask a Pro Discord!

Understanding Bubble Play

Many poker players go into “lockdown” mode when approaching the bubble, hoping to avoid facing tough decisions until they are for sure guaranteed at least the minimum cash. While it’s always great to lock up some profit, most often they are missing huge opportunities to gain chips and set themselves up for a deep run.

EP61-Bubble Play

Watch this LearnWPT Strategy Episode as Instructor Nick Binger introduces Bubble Play and how to use aggression on the bubble in a tournament to help improve your chances of accumulating chips and maximize your ROI (return on investment).

ICM Pressure on Preflop Ranges

Strategy adjustments for various tournament stages must consider the impact of ICM and the specific factors in play at your table. When there are different stack sizes and a huge gap in pay between 1st and 9th place, making the most profitable decisions can seem daunting.

When you are the chip leader at a final table it’s also crucial to understand how dramatic ICM will affect your opponent’s strategy, and when you can use ruthless aggression to punish your foes on the way to victory. In both cases, the key to making better decisions with ICM in play starts with adjusting first-in hand ranges.

EP400-ICM Pressure on Preflop Ranges

Watch this Strategy Episode as Nick breaks down ranges and adjustments across stack sizes and describes how you should be approaching these spots at your next final table.

Not a LearnWPT Member? Join now for just $5 your first month for more Strategy Episodes and downloadable tools.

If you are a member of the LearnWPT Family in Las Vegas for the WPT World Championship Festival we want to cheer you on! Let us know what you are playing or share your success at the table and tag us on social media or email [email protected].

X @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

Good luck and good playing,
Team LearnWPT


Start Playing Better Poker With LearnWPT

Whether you are brand-new to poker training or you’re an experienced student this is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players in a friendly community using state of the art tools.

Site Features - Multiple Devices Mockup

Click the red JOIN NOW button to get started and you'll immediately gain access to LearnWPT Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, 550+ Strategy Videos, Downloadable Tools, Ask a Pro Discord, (and more).

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