Category: Free Content

On Tour With LearnWPT: 2024 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 2023 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship which drew some of the best rounders on the planet and the prize pool swelled to over $1.8 Million. After a hard fought final table battle, featuring our own Tony Dunst, Scott Eskenazi captured the $361,600 first prize and added his name to the Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

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.

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-2023-Winner-Scott-Eskenazi

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.

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 onsite on March 22nd!) and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.

🌩️ Get In on the Action
🌩️ FREE Satellite Intro Workshop
🌩️ 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 Action ...

WPT-Rolling-Thunder-2024-schedule

The 2024 Rolling Thunder Festival kicked off on March 7th with the $300 Opening Night $50K GTD tournament and includes some can't miss events including a $1M GTD Deepstack Thunder Valley on the 14th and the inaugural $570 “Savage Average” event on the 17th

If you are looking 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 $165 plus a $700 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: Thursday, March 7, 2024
End: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Click here for the full Festival schedule

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

Day 1 of the Championship Event is Saturday, March 23rd and allows for unlimited re-entry until the start of level 11 on Day 2 (March 24th), 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: Saturday, March 23, 2024 starting at 11 am PT
➧ Day 2: Sunday, March 24, 2024 starting at 11 am PT
➧ Day 3: Monday, March 25, 2024 starting at 11am PT
➧ Final Table: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 starting at 11am PT*
*Final table will be live streamed with 30-min delay


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


FREE Intro to Satellite Strategy - LIVE With Team LearnWPT March 22nd!

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.

To help get you ready for the Rolling Thunder Championship Event we're inviting you to join Team LearnWPT Instructors Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Adrian Naggy for a FREE 30 minute introduction to Satellite Strategy Workshop LIVE at 10 AM PDT on March 22nd prior to the start of the Championship Event Satellites.

learnwpt-instructors-rizen-adrian

You’ll get specific examples of how to change up your play to take advantage of the unique factors in a satellite, including how to adjust for each stage of the tournament, surviving as the shortstack, monitoring stacks and other tables, and navigating the bubble.

The Workshop is free to all and will be held in the poker room tournament area (near the large screen) on March 22nd at 10 AM PDT - look for the LearnWPT banners!

Thunder-Valley-Satellite-Day

P.S. After the Workshop jump into the $550 Shootout Satellites at 1pm and 6pm or the $100 Step Satellite at 3 pm to win a seat into the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Event.

Can't make the FREE Introduction to Satellite Workshop? Use the poker strategies below to sharpen your focus and who knows, 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.

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!


Get Inspired for Your WPT Final Table Moment!

WPT-Thunder-Valley-Tony-Fina-Table

WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage and WPT Champion Tyler Patterson called the Final table action of the 2023 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Event as LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst went for his 2nd WPT Title!

Watch a WPT Championship in Action…

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.

LearnWPT Tour Terms: Floating

Tour-Terms-Floating

Hey Poker Fans!

Welcome to Tour Terms, where we break down key terms that poker pros use to talk strategy and give you helpful tips to use in your next poker tournament. Today's Tour Term is …

Floating: verb
float·​ing \ ˈflō-tiŋ \

1) To call a bet as the In Position player with the intention of taking away the pot on a later street using aggressive action. This is often done with a hand that has not connected with the board in any way.

Example of Floating in a Sentence:
Brian raises preflop to 1500 in Middle Position with A♥K♦ and Johan calls on the Button with J♣T♦. On the flop of 9♥7♥4♦ Brian c-bets 2200. Johan chooses to Float with two overcards that also have a backdoor flush draw plus gutshot straight draw and calls 2200.


Fold Less, Float More!

Tired of competing against THAT poker player who always seems to be dragging pots with preflop raises and constant continuation bets? Take away their equity advantage and turn aggression on its heels with the Float.

Tune in to this LearnWPT Strategy Episode as Instructor Nick Binger gives you step-by-step guidelines to identify the best situations to Float vs a frequent c-bettor and how to apply this move effectively.

Floating is an effective strategy to counter c-bet bluffs as a fair percentage of flops will not connect with the range of the preflop raiser. These weak hands are usually forced to give up and check on many turn cards, giving the Floater a prime opportunity to bluff.

Utilize the power of position to turn aggression around on your opponents and add Floating to your poker move-making toolkit.

Additional Episodes to review that Nick discusses:

Episode 91: Protecting C-Bets (countering a Floater)
Episode 72: Basic Linear Preflop Play
Download The Linear Preflop Decision Tree
Episode 3: Speculative Preflop Calling
Episode 150: Linear Vs Polarized 3-Betting

🖥️ Floating In Action at a WPT Final Table

Take a Closer Look at this pivotal hand from the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star featuring a common situation where a player Floats on the flop with backdoor equity vs an opponent holding a 1-pair hand and watch as Nick demonstrates how this poker Pro puts theory into practice.

✍️ Tips for Pulling Off a Float in Poker:

Floating is essentially calling on the flop without a real hand with a plan to take away the pot on the turn using aggression
Float specific situations only, calling too often will result in profit loss
Limit Floating to spots where you are In Position (when you are last to act and someone has bet into you)
Float against a single opponent - avoid Floating in multiway pots

Floating Criteria


Target situations where you have a hand with good equity and can potentially create fold equity through aggressive action
Choose hands that can turn additional equity (backdoor draws, over cards on the flop)
Choose boards where the next card could be a scare card (draw on the flop that you can represent)
We often will be Floating with Speculative Hands


Put Your Floating Skills to the Test!

1005-45-Button-Call-Vs-MP2-Open-MTT

Decision Point: In a Tournament with 50 big blind stacks a Middle Position player open raises to 2.5BBs and you call from the Button. Play Game Theory Optimal solved hands In Position.

Now it’s time to test your skills from this spot and play a FREE sample of 5 tournament hands in the WPT GTO Trainer.

LearnWPT Members can play more poker hands from this common MTT spot with the Button Call Vs MP2 Open WPT GTO Trainer pack.

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

Regular play on the WPT GTO Trainer will help you adjust your poker decisions closer and closer to GTO strategy.

Not a Member? Join for just $5 your first month to play more WPT GTO Trainer scenarios like this.


Solver Study With Tony Dunst: Making Calls

It can be an uncomfortable feeling to continue against aggression in a poker hand with marginal holdings. If you aren’t careful in selecting when to peel off another card with bottom pair or a backdoor draw, you can easily bleed off chips and sabotage deep runs.


In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst dissects lessons learned from solver study to show you spots where calling more often with a wider range of hands against standard aggression is preferred.


From the Felt: Floating and Turn Play

After learning clear guidelines for the ideal spots to Float the flop and take advantage of your position more skillfully, it’s time to examine how this strategy transitions to playing the turn in actual real-world game scenarios.

Tune into and watch this deep dive into two hands from a high stakes online event featuring Nick Binger including a flop Float with AQo and a tough spot with QQ vs a squeeze play from the Small Blind.


Poker Quiz Time! Would You Float the Turn?

QT-Vs-a-Loose-Aggressive-Player

DECISION POINT: In a Tournament where blinds are 100/200 a Middle Position player (who you’ve observed as being loose aggressive) raises to 600. You call from the Button with Q♣T♣. Heads-up on a J♥5♥7♣ flop Villain bets out 600 and action is on you. What would do you do?

Click here to get detailed analysis of this hand from Team LearnWPT and learn more strategy behind the correct plays.


Want More Tour Terms From LearnWPT?

LearnWPT Members have instant access to a comprehensive poker training database. Search for any poker term and get the correct definition plus complete results for all related video, written, and playable poker education content on LearnWPT.com.

Tour-Terms-Floating


With a massive library including 500+ on-demand video Strategy Episodes (from successful Pros including Tony Dunst, NIck Binger, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Michael “Gags30” Gagliano, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, and Brian Altman!), dozens of downloadable charts and tools, direct access to the LearnWPT Pros, and the state of the art WPT GTO Trainer, you’re certain to find the answers to your most pressing poker questions.

Improve your No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker skills by joining LearnWPT for just $5 your 1st month. After your first month, choose the LearnWPT Membership Tier that best fits your budget, schedule, and stage in your development (upgrade or cancel at any time).



LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train - Play - Think Like A Pro!

During your next tournament or session give these poker strategies for Floating In Position a try and you'll become tougher to play against while keeping your opponents on their heels more often.

Good Luck and Good Playing,
- Team LearnWPT

Have Questions? Email our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red Contact Us button and we'll be happy to help.

LearnWPT On Tour: The 2023 WPT®️ World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

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

Photo credit: Drew Amato

The inaugural edition of the WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas saw record breaking prize pools, exciting off the felt activities, and set the standard for all future poker festivals.

The $10,400 Championship event crushed its ambitious $15M Guaranteed prize pool and saw an incredible conclusion as Eliot Hudon emerged to etch his name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup and take home $4,146,400 for a well earned first prize.

WPT-World-Championship-Winner-Eliot-Hudon

The 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas is even more ambitious and aims to take poker to new heights with the first $40,000,000 guaranteed prize pool in an open Championship event - the largest single live tournament guarantee in the history of poker.

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.

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


The 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Festival runs November 29-December 23, 2023. The marquee event of the multi-tournament festival will be the $10,400 buy-in Championship event including a televised final table. The festival features more than a dozen tournaments including three primary events!

Let's get started...


Be Part of Poker History at Wynn Las Vegas

Schedule-WPT-Prime-Championship-2023

WPT Prime Championship: $5 Million GTD Prize Pool

Buy-In: $1,100 | December 7th - 19th | Schedule | Structure
Day 1A - Thursday, Dec 7th 11am PT
Day 1B - Friday, Dec 8th 11am PT
Day 1C - Saturday, Dec 9th 11am PT
Day 1D - Sunday, Dec 10th 11am PT
Day 2 - Monday, Dec 11th 12pm PT
Day 3 - Tuesday, Dec 12th 12pm PT
TV Final Table - Tuesday, Dec 19th 4pm PT
A single (1) re entry is permitted for each starting flight
Live Updates

Schedule-WPT-World-Championship-2023

WPT World Championship: $40 Million GTD Prize Pool

Buy-In: $10,400 | December 12th - 20th | Schedule | Structure
Day 1A - Tuesday, Dec 12th 11am PT
Day 1B - Wednesday, Dec 13th 11am PT
Day 1C - Thursday, Dec 14th 11am PT
Day 1D - Friday, Dec 15th 11am PT
Day 2 - Saturday, Dec 16th 12pm PT
Day 3 - Sunday, Dec 17th 12pm PT
Day 4 - Monday, Dec 18th 12pm PT
Day 5 - Tuesday, Dec 19th 12pm PT
Day 6 - Wednesday, Dec 20th 12pm PT
TV Final Table - Thursday, Dec 21st 4pm PT
One entry per day maximum (freezeout per flight)
Live Updates

WPT-Ladies-Champion-2022

WPT Ladies Championship: $250K GTD Prize Pool

Buy-In: $11,100 | December 6th - 8th | Schedule | Structure
$1,100 discounted ladies buy-in
Day 1 - Wednesday, Dec 6th 11am PT
Day 2 - Thursday, Dec 7th 11am PT
Final Table - Friday, Dec 8th 11am PT
Unlimited re-entry is allowed until the close of registration
Live Updates

Wynn-Las-Vegas-Trophy

Photo credit: Enrique Malfavon

With more than 30 events on the calendar, the 2023 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 more than 10 live satellites into the World Championship!

The festival kicks off with a $1 Million Guaranteed, $600 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 $2 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 $1,100 HORSE Championship to a brand-new addition to the schedule, a $3,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship.

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? Click here for the WPT Players Guide

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

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 💪

Over the last 2 months Team LearnWPT hosted 6 Poker 📚 Study Sessions for Members to get their game ready to dominate the 2023 WPT World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas.

For each Study Session we provided Members with a curriculum 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...

Study Session: Mental Game & Endurance

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Mental-Game-Endurance

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.

For more tips and videos from the Mental Game Session…
Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Mental Game Curriculum

② Study Session: Preflop Strategy

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Preflop


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 2023 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 chart for your seat. 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.

For more tips and videos from the Preflop Strategy Session...
Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Preflop Strategy Curriculum

③ Study Session: Defense Strategy

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Defense


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 all have unique considerations and hand range constructions that help you target specific opponents in position and develop criteria for check-raising frequent c-bettors.

For more tips and videos from the Defense Strategy Session…
Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Defense Strategy Curriculum

④ Study Session: Postflop Considerations

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Postflop

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.

For more tips and videos from the Postflop Strategy Session…
Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Postflop Strategy Curriculum

⑤ Study Session: ICM & Satellite Strategy

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Satellite-ICM

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 is usually noted in the rules and structure sheet (see pages 66-74).

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 $40M GTD WPT World Championship with a starting chip stack of 20,000 and the "Milestone" is 230,000 chips. Once a player's chip stack reaches 230,000 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 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 site 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 $40M GTD WPT Championship, or other Wynn Festival events.

Wynn-Las-Vegas-Milestone-Satellite

Click here for the full schedule of satellites and tournaments

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.

For more tips and videos from the ICM & Satellite Session...

Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Satellite, ICM, and Bubble Curriculum

⑥ Study Session: Exploits and Intuition

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session-Exploits-Intuition

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.

For more tips and videos from the Exploitative Play Session…
Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Strategy Study Curriculum

A huge THANK YOU to every Student who’s joined us for the WPT World Championship Study Sessions. Members can rewatch the 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 LearnWPT Membership!.

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

LearnWPT Students Train With 🌎 Champions

Video credit: Gino Payne

To kickoff the 2023 WPT Championship at Wynn Las Vegas LearnWPT Instructors and world-class Pros Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, and Tony Dunst are spending 2 days with 30 students of the game to get them Championship ready!

Video credit: Lee Cummings

After class students will take to the felt in an exclusive satellite where we are awarding 2 seats to the WPT Prime Championship.

Stay tuned for updates from our 2023 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 Brand and Andrew’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.

Join The WPT 💰 Meet Up Games (MUG)

During the Premier Meet Up Game you'll have the chance to play with WPT Ambassadors and Icons including Phil Ivey, Vince Van Patten, Lynn Gilmartin, Tony Dunst, Matt Savage, Brad Owen, and Andrew Neeme (and special guests!).

Join the action December 1st at 9am PT in the Wynn Poker Room

On December 8th, ahead of the WPT Ladies Championship final-table finale, Jamie Kerstetter will once again be bringing the fun (and Mimosas) to the Wynn Poker Room for the Ladies Meet Up Game! This year, 19 splash pot prizes will be awarded during live-action play, ranging from gift bags to $1,100 WPT Prime Championship seats.

MUG-Ladies-2023-WPT-World-Championship-Wynn-Las-Vegas

Join Jamie and special guests for a cash game and connect with women from all different poker backgrounds including weekend warriors, professional players, women’s poker community leaders, your favorite influencers and even brand-new players trying out the game for the first time. Players of all experience levels are welcome!

Join the action Dec 8th at 9am - 12pm in the Wynn Poker Room

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ ClubWPT Members Take to the Live Felt

Congratulations and good luck to the 100+ players ClubWPT is sending to the 2023 WPT World Championship Events!

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

The ClubWPT WPT® Ambassador Tag Team Challenge - Watch WPT Ambassadors Andrew Neeme, Brad Owen, Lynn Gilmartin, Matt Savage, Vince Van Patten, and Tony Dunst, play LIVE with ClubWPT™ qualifiers for a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat.
December 9th at 12pm - 2pm in the Encore Ballroom

The ClubWPT Phil Ivey WPT® Duel - Watch Phil Ivey play heads up simultaneously with two ClubWPT™ qualifiers as they play for a chance to win a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat.
December 10th at 12 pm - 2 pm in the Encore Ballroom

🥳 WPT Thank You Players Party at AREA15

Players are invited to the Thank You Players Party at AREA15 on Sunday, December 11th at 8 pm - 1am!

To join the party, just present your tournament receipt from the WPT Ladies Championship, WPT Prime Championship, WPT World Championship, and satellite events. WPT will provide a free shuttle every 30 minutes from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm to AREA15 to help keep the party going. Team LearnWPT will see you there!


WPT 🏆 Final Table Play With Tony Dunst

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.

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


Not 1, Not 2, But 3 📺 Final Tables

The WPT Big One for One Drop, WPT Prime Championship and WPT World Championship Final Tables will be filmed for Television in the Latour Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas! Reserve a seat for free in the audience by contacting [email protected].

WPT-World-Championship-Vince-Van-Patten

Photo credit: Miguel Cortes

WPT Prime Championship: TV Final Table - Dec 19th at 4pm PT
Doors open at 3:30 pm and seating is first come, first serve

WPT Big One for One Drop: TV Final Table - Dec 20th at 4pm PT
Doors open at 3:30 pm and seating is first come, first serve

WPT World Championship: TV Final Table - Dec 21st at 4pm PT
Doors open at 3:30 pm and seating is first come, first serve

Not in Vegas? The 2023 WPT World Championship Festival includes a full livestreaming schedule spanning 14 days for poker fans around the globe to follow the action live from Wynn Las Vegas.

WPT-World-Championship-Final-Table-Stream

Photo credit: Miguel Cortes

The livestream schedule, from December 7th through December 21st, includes multiple final tables, high-stakes cash games, and five-day coverage of the $40 Million 2023 WPT World Championship.

Streaming on:
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/worldpokertour
📺 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/worldpokertour


Join Team LearnWPT at Wynn Las Vegas

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

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

LearnWPT-On-Tour-2023-WPT-World-Championship-Wynn-Las-Vegas

Follow and tag us on social media to let us know you are in the action, to show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

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, 12 WSOP Bracelets, 6 WSOP Circuit Rings, 9 High Roller titles, 2 Poker Masters Championships, over $55 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-border

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.

On Tour: 2023 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open

Hard-Rock-Hollywood-Hotel (1)

Team LearnWPT is back On Tour and returning to our home on the east coast at the incredible Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL for the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship featuring a massive $3 Million Guaranteed prize pool.

The excitement is building as the WPT hopes for a repeat of the 2022 series where the Main Event prize pool soared to almost $5 Million and Andrew Wilson claimed $785,500 and the WPT Title!

Join your poker family for a bountiful feast of flops, turns, and rivers as grinders and shot takers descend on Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood to find out who will be crowned the next WPT Champion!

WPT-Seminile-RNR-Champion-Andrew-Wilson

WPT Main Tour stops at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood are legendary for smashing guarantees and awarding massive 1st place prizes and this year’s Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open should be no exception.

This is your chance to join what is sure to be a massive field of poker fans and pros chasing the Mike Sexton Champions Cup! If you are ready to jump in 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 $150!


Championship Strategy From Team LearnWPT

Team LearnWPT is no stranger to success at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, with 2 of Brian Altman’s WPT Titles coming at the venue.

We are here to serve up a healthy portion of poker tournament tactics and tools to keep you focused and playing your best poker during the $3,500 WPT Championship Event. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.

🎸 Get In on the Action
🎸 Blind Battle With Brian Altman
🎸 Tony Dunst on Broadway
🎸 Get Final Table Inspired
🎸 Train With Champions LIVE
🎸 Show Us Your Stack

Get an edge on your competition with expert poker strategies from proven winners who know how to succeed when the pressure is on!

#TheCupAwaits 🏆


Get In on the Action …

WPT-Seminile-Hard-Rock-Roll-Poker-Open-2023-Schedule

The 2023 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Festival kicked off on November 15h with the $400 Deep Stack $2,000,000 Guaranteed opener.

There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Championship Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun including a $200 buy-in event on Thanksgiving Day with a $3,500 seat to the WPT Championship Event added to 1st place!

📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, November 15, 2023
End: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule

WPT-Seminole-Rock-Roll-Poker-Open-Table-Chips

Day 1A of the $3 Million Guaranteed WPT Championship Event starts on Friday November 24th and offers 2 full starting days plus re-entry format, Day 1B on November 25th - click for more information.

The $3,500 event features a super deep championship structure giving you plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.

🗓️ WPT Championship Event Schedule:
➧ Day 1A Friday, November 24th starting at 11AM ET
➧ Day 1B Saturday, November 25th starting at 11AM ET
Day 2 Sunday, November 26th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Day 3 Monday, November 27th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Day 4 Tuesday, November 28th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Final Table Wednesday, November 29th starting at 2PM ET
Final table will be live streamed with 30-min delay

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

Jump into the action and compete for your share of this massive $3,000,000 Guaranteed prize pool.


Tips From Tony & Adrian

LearnWPT’s Tony Dunst and Adrian Naggy are huge fans of the poker action at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood and are excited to head back to this amazing venue.

Check out this chat from last year's festival to hear about Tony’s run in the Championship event and get some tips on structuring your study routine to avoid burnout and stay sharp for the $3M Guaranteed WPT Rock N’ Roll Poker Open.

P.S. if you see the guys on site be sure to say hi!


Battling From the Blinds With Brian Altman

Brian-Altman-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Roll-Final-Table

Practicing from the Blinds will have a dramatic impact on your tournament results, particularly in higher buy-in tournaments with tougher competition. Facing aggressive late position opponents with marginal hands, especially hands containing an ace with a weak kicker, often result in making huge mistakes.

3x World Poker Tour Champion and WPT Player of the Year Brian Altman is no stranger to tough battles playing from the blinds against the world’s best poker players.

Watch this LearnWPT Strategy Episode as Brian details his strategy from this spot from a $5,300 event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood to demonstrate championship play from the Big Blind facing an aggressive and tricky player on the Button.


Tony Dunst on Broadway

WPT-Seminole-Rock-Roll-Tony Dunst

Broadway hands (any 2 card combo that can make an A-K-Q-J-T straight) are often preferred combos for taking aggressive actions like raising first-in to the pot and 3-betting. While sometimes the approach to play these hands can seem straightforward, there are often very close decisions with hands even as strong as top pair particularly when stacks are shallow.

LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst played 3 key hands during a WPT Main Event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, and he took some time to break down the unique lessons from each spot.

Check out this Strategy Episode to learn the importance of position and SPR (Stack to Pot Ratio) when it comes to playing broadway hands as both the initial raiser and when defending the blinds. Tony shows you how the strategy shifts based on the situation and how a WPT Champion breaks down these spots to improve their play.

Not a Member? Join for just $5 your first month to gain access to LearnWPT Training featuring 500+ Strategy Videos (and more!)


Get Final Table Inspired

WPT-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Roll-Final-Table

LearnWPT Member Adrian Naggy and WPT Champions Club Member, Matthew Waxman called the Final table action of the 2022 Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open Championship Event as LearnWPT Instructor Brian Altman chased history & went for his 4th WPT Title!

Watch a WPT Championship in Action…

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.

Brian-Altman-Seminole-Hard-Rock-2022-FT

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.

Can You Stay Aggressive at the Final Table?

Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the $3M Guaranteed WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Championship Final Table with big money and a 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 by playing the 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer pack!

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 play more WPT GTO Trainer scenarios like this.


Train With Poker Champions LIVE in Vegas!

Join LearnWPT Instructors Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, and Eric "Rizen" Lynch this December 4th-5th for an immersive LearnWPT Live at Wynn Las Vegas Tournament Strategy Workshop which includes Lab Sessions and a freeroll satellite into the $5 Million Guaranteed WPT Prime Championship.

LearnWPT-Live-Wynn-Workshop-Dec-2023


Learn Championship Strategy for 2 days then test your skills against fellow classmates in an exclusive freeroll satellite with two (2) seats to $5M GTD WPT Prime Championship Main Event awarded to the 1st & 2nd place finishers.

Seating is limited to this Workshop... don't miss out!

Have questions about this Event? Contact us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.


Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!

Are you playing? 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.

WPT-Choctaw-LuckyChewy-Vince-Van-Patten (1)

Let us know if you are on the felt and in the action during the WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Championship Event or any 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.

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

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 logo black-transparent-cropped-resized

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.

Prepare for The WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas with LearnWPT!

WPT Championship at Wynn Las Vegas 2023

Photo credit: Drew Amato

📚 Poker Study Sessions With Team LearnWPT!

Over the last 2 months Team LearnWPT hosted Study Sessions for Members to get their game ready to dominate the 2023 WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas this December.

For each poker Study Session we provide Members with a curated curriculum that features Strategy Episodes, WPT GTO Trainer packs, and downloadable tools that are focused on specific concepts and habits essential for tournament success. Team LearnWPT also conducted LIVE Member-only sessions to focus on key strategy concepts for each topic and answer questions.

A huge THANK YOU to every Student who’s joined us for the WPT World Championship Study Sessions. Members can rewatch the sessions anytime from the Webinars Dashboard.

Not a Member but want to watch all 6 Live Study Sessions? Join for just $5 your first month of LearnWPT Membership!

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

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


Review Previous Poker Study Sessions!

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session6-Exploits-optimzd

➧ Study Session 6: Exploits and Intuition - 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. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Tuesday, November 28th 6PM ET | 3PM PT

Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Intuition & Exploits Strategy Curriculum

WPT-World-Championship-Study-Session5-Satellite-Strategy

➧ Study Session 5: ICM, Bubble and Satellite Strategy - 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. Live with Eric "Rizen" Lynch: and Adrian Naggy: Wednesday, November 15th 6PM ET | 3PM PT

Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Satellite, ICM, and Bubble Strategy Curriculum

Webinar-WPTWC-Postflop

➧ Study Session 4: Postflop Considerations - 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. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Wednesday, November 1st 6PM ET | 3PM PT

Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Postflop Strategy Study Curriculum

Webinar-WPTWC-Defense

Study Session 3: Defense Strategy - Blind and Button Defense Strategy in a poker tournament all have unique considerations and hand range constructions that help target specific opponents in position and develop criteria for check-raising frequent c-bettors. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Thursday, October 19th 6PM ET | 3PM PT

Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
Click to Review the Defense Strategy Study Curriculum

Webinar-WPTWC-Preflop-(2)-optmzd

Study Session 2: Preflop Strategy - 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. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Wednesday, October 11th 6PM ET

• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Preflop Strategy Study Session Curriculum

Live-Study-Session1-Mental-Game-Endurance-Jared-Tendler


Study Session 1: Mental Game and Endurance - 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.
Live Session with Jared Tendler: Tuesday, Sept 26th 7PM ET

• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Mental Game Study Session Curriculum


2023 WPT 🌎 Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Guarantees Record $40 Million Prize Pool!

The 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas is taking poker to new heights with poker’s first $40,000,000 guaranteed prize pool – the largest single live tournament guarantee in the history of poker.

The WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas runs November 29 - December 23, 2023. The marquee event of the multi-tournament festival will be the $10,400 buy-in Championship Event.

Are you ready to be part of history?

The festival kicks off with a $1 million guaranteed, $600 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 $2 Million guarantee, a Seniors Championship (50+) and a $10,000 buy-in Seniors High Roller.

Multiple mixed game tournaments are also available throughout the festival, ranging from the $1,100 HORSE Championship to a brand-new addition to the schedule, a $3,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship.

Click here to view the complete 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Festival schedule or visit wynnlasvegas.com and WPT.com for more details.


Improve Your Game With Team LearnWPT

The time is NOW to start getting your poker game ready!

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 and teachers in a friendly community using state-of-the-art tools.

LearnWPT-Team-Instructors-dark (2)

You must be a LearnWPT Member to access and join the WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Study Sessions and becoming a Member is easy! Click the red JOIN NOW button to get started.

As a Member you'll immediately gain access to LearnWPT Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, featuring an on-demand library of 500+ Strategy Videos, Downloadable Tools (and more).

You'll also get alerts and links to the Study Session curriculum, Live Webinar dates, and upcoming Sessions.

We'll see you online,
-Team LearnWPT



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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.

Tour Terms With LearnWPT - Continuation Bet

LearnWPT-Tour-Terms-Continuation-Bet

Hey Poker Fans!

Welcome to Tour Terms, where we break down key terms that poker pros use to talk strategy and give you helpful tips to use in your next poker tournament. Today's Tour Term is …

Continuation Bet: noun
con·​tin·​u·​a·​tion bet \kən-ˌtin-yə-ˈwā-shən ˈbet\

1) To bet on the flop after being the initial aggressor in the preflop round of betting. This bet must be the first bet of the flop round by the initial aggressor in the preflop round in order to be considered a continuation bet. Abbreviated as C-Bet.

Example of Continuation Bet in a Sentence
Brian raises to 1,000 from the Hijack and Tony calls from the Button. On the flop of A♣J♦4♥ Brian continuation bets 1,500 and Tony folds.


🤔 Should You Always C-Bet After Raising?

Aggression is a key to winning play in No-Limit Hold’em, however if you always just bet, bet, bet without a plan, you’re bound to run into a tricky opponent who will push back when the situation isn’t right for a continuation bet.

A fundamental strategy for c-betting is essential for keeping opponents guessing on the flop and taking down your share of pots.


Watch this Strategy Episode as LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger outlines an easy to use strategy for c-betting, complete with a field guide you can download and use in your next tournament!

▼ Download the Basic Continuation Betting Manual ▼

LearnWPT-Continuation-Bet-Manual


How Do You Adjust for Tough Opponents?

A strong default c-betting strategy will put most opponents on the defensive and result in winning many uncontested pots.

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. Here Nick outlines the most common spots vs tough opponents that are the most challenging when deciding to c-bet.


Rules for Different Textures With LuckyChewy

Subtle differences in flop textures can have a big impact on the profitability of your continuation bets. Building out a balanced strategy for each texture is required if your goal is to maximize expected value across your c-betting opportunities.

In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor Andrew “LuckyChewy'' Lichtenberger takes a deep dive into the most common flop textures and tells you the proper c-betting frequency and recommended bet sizing for each type.


Want More Tour Terms From LearnWPT?

LearnWPT Members have instant access to a comprehensive poker training database. Search for any poker term and get the correct definition plus complete results for all related video, written, and playable poker education content on LearnWPT.com.

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With a massive library including 500+ on-demand video Strategy Episodes (from top Pros including Tony Dunst, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, and Michael “Gags30” Gagliano!), dozens of downloadable charts and tools, direct access to the LearnWPT Pros, and the state of the art WPT GTO Trainer, you’re certain to find the answers to your most pressing poker questions.

Improve your No-Limit Texas Hold'em game by joining LearnWPT for just $5 your first month. After your first month choose the LearnWPT Membership Tier that best fits your budget, schedule, and stage in your development as a player (upgrade or cancel at any time).


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Train - Play - Think Like A Pro!

During your next tournament or session give these continuation betting techniques a try and you'll become tougher to play against and keep your opponents on their heels more often.

Good Luck and Good Playing,
- Team LearnWPT

Have Questions? Email our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red Contact Us button and we'll be happy to help.

On Tour With LearnWPT: 2023 WPT® Choctaw-Durant

WPT-Choctaw-Durant-Chips

The WPT Main Tour kicks into high gear as players head back to the incredible Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK for the televised $3,800 World Poker Tour® Choctaw Championship Event featuring 50K in starting chips plus a massive $2 Million Guaranteed prize pool.

The 2022 WPT Choctaw Championship Event drew some of the best rounders on the planet and the prize pool swelled to over $2.7 Million. After a long final table battle, world-class poker player Chance Kornuth captured the $486,600 first prize.

WPT-Choctaw-Champion-Chance-Kornuth

This is your chance to join what is sure to be a massive field of poker fans and pros chasing the Mike Sexton Champions Cup! If you are looking 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 $130!

Team LearnWPT is here to give the tools and strategy you need to win your seat to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog (and on site on May 4th!) and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.


Get In on the Action ...

Choctaw-Chips

The 2023 Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant festival kicked off on April 19th with the $300 Monster Stack $500K GTD opener. There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Main Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun!

📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
End: Monday, May 8, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule

WPT-Choctaw-Durant

The Televised Championship event begins Friday, May 5th with two starting flights and unlimited reentry through the start of level 9 - Click for the tournament structure.

📅 WPT Main Event Schedule:
Day 1A: Friday, May 5, 2023 starting at 11 am CDT
Day 1B: Saturday, May 6, 2023 starting at 11 am CDT
Day 2: Sunday, May 7, 2023 starting at 11am CDT
Day 3: Monday, May 8, 2023 starting at 11am CDT*
*The final table of 6 will be played and filmed for television by the World Poker Tour at the HyperX Las Vegas at Luxor on May 26, 2023.

Starting May 25th Get 3 Days of WPT Final Table Live Streams!
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table Live Stream - May 25th at 4:30 PM PT
WPT Choctaw Final Table - Live Stream May 26th at 4:30 PM PT
WPT Gardens Poker Championship Final Table - Live Stream May 27th at 4:30 PM PT
All live stream final tables are on a 30-minute delay

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


FREE Intro to Satellite Strategy - LIVE With Team LearnWPT - May 4th!

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.

To help get you ready for the Choctaw Championship Event we're inviting you to join Team LearnWPT Member Adrian Naggy for a FREE 30 minute introduction to Satellite Strategy Workshop LIVE at 8 am and 3 pm CDT prior to the start of the Mega Satellites.

Adrian-Naggy-Team-LearnWPT

You’ll get specific examples of how to change up your play to take advantage of the unique factors in a satellite, including how to adjust for each stage of the tournament, surviving as the shortstack, monitoring stacks and other tables, and navigating the bubble.

The Workshop is free to all and will be held in the Oak Room (in the Conference area next to the Tournament registration).

WPT-Choctaw-Satellite

P.S. After the Workshop jump into the $500 Mega Satellite at 11 am and 4pm or the $250 Super Satellite at 9 pm to win a seat into the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship Event.

Can't make the FREE Introduction to Satellite Workshop? Use the poker strategies below to sharpen your focus and who knows, 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.

Need Help Closing The Deal?

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

The 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 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


Time To Test Your Skills!

At the Final Table with QJ

You are 4-handed at a winner-take-all Satellite Tournament 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 and 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!

Are You GTO Ready?

Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the Final Table of a Satellite to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship event. How do you protect your 30 Big Blind stack against an open from a tough chip leader with two short stacks in play and lock up your seat?

1056-130 FT Big Blind Call Vs Button Open

Play a free Final Table Sample pack from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how decisions change at the final table.

As you train remember to:

  • Play in a way to avoid busting out to the chip leader
  • You will check and call more often than bet or raise
  • You still need some bluffs in your range to prevent the chip leader from exploiting you
  • Almost never lead out from the Big Blind after calling preflop
  • Don’t be afraid to fold marginal hands against big bets that could set up an all-in situation on a future street
  • When facing an aggressive chip leader, you should often trap by check-calling with your big made hands

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.


Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!

Are you playing? 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.

WPT-Choctaw-LuckyChewy-Vince-Van-Patten (1)

Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Choctaw 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.

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


Train With LearnWPT Champions for Just $5

In 2022 alone LearnWPT Instructors won a 2 WSOP Bracelets and WSOP Circuit Ring, a 25K buy-in WPT High Roller, a 25K PokerGo Masters title, a 50K buy-in WPT High Roller, and a combined $5.2 Million in tournament winnings plus made appearances at several high profile final tables.

In 2023 we’ve already got 1 WSOP Circuit Main Event win and a 5th Place Finish in the EPT London Main Event to add to the totals!

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

LearnWPT-Instructors-Pros

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.

Gain access to LearnWPT Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, featuring Downloadable Tools, 500+ Strategy Videos (and more) for just $5 your first month of Membership!


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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.

On Tour With LearnWPT: 2023 WPT® Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown

Hard-Rock-Hollywood-Hotel (1)

The World Poker Tour is heading back to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL for the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event. Join the massive field of poker players sure to flock to Florida to test their skills and be crowned the next WPT Champion!

The festival features an epic schedule of satellites, huge guaranteed events, and is highlighted by the massive $3 Million Guaranteed prize pool Championship event. There is no doubt this event will attract a record-shattering number of poker players and generate life-changing first place prize money.


Want the Cup? Get Aggression!

Brian-Altman-Seminole-Hard-Rock-2022

A common trait shared by almost every player whose name is etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup, is a willingness to stay aggressive and put their opponents to tough decisions. They are masters of knowing when to shift gears and exploit weaknesses and they don't need to have good cards to push the action.

WPT-Seminole-Rock-Roll-Tony Dunst

Team LearnWPT is here to show you specific poker plays that will add aggression to your game and build a fierce presence at the table. The strategies we're sharing here will help you identify more spots to make aggressive moves that won't break your game, have you pulling the trigger more often in close spots, and put you on the path toward the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship!


Get In on the Action ...

WPT-SHRPSD

The 2023 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown festival kicks off on April 13th with the $400 Deepstack $500K GTD opener. There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Main Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun!

📅 Poker Showdown Festival Dates:
Start: Thursday, April 13, 2023
End: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule
Follow the live updates for action from all the events

WPT-Seminole-Rock-Roll-Poker-Open-Table-chips

The headlining WPT Poker Showdown Championship event begins Friday, April 28th with two starting flights and unlimited reentry through the start of level 9) - Click for the tournament structure.

📅 WPT Main Event Schedule:
Day 1A: Friday, April 28, 2023
starting at 11 a.m. ET
Day 1B: Saturday, April 29, 2023 starting at 11 a.m. ET
Day 2: Sunday, April 30, 2023 starting at 12 p.m. ET
Day 3: Monday, May 1, 2023 starting at 12 p.m. ET
Day 4: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
starting at 12 p.m. ET*
*The final table of 6 will be played and filmed for television by the World Poker Tour at the HyperX Las Vegas at Luxor on May 25, 2023.

Starting May 25th Get 3 Days of WPT Final Table Live Streams!
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table Live Stream - May 25th at 4:30 PM PT
WPT Choctaw Final Table - Live Stream May 26th at 4:30 PM PT
WPT Gardens Poker Championship Final Table - Live Stream May 27th at 4:30 PM PT
All live stream final tables are on a 30-minute delay

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


Meet Up With Brad and Andrew!

WPT-MUG-Seminole-Hard-Rock

Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen bring the fun and excitement of the Meet Up Game (MUG) to the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa - and you're invited!

Beginning at 12 PM Eastern Time the pioneers of poker Vlogging and creators of the MUG will kick off the $2/$5 cash game action in the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker Room.

WPT- MUG-Andrew-Brad-Collage

If you’ve been following the action from the MUG’s on social media and you’ve been feeling the FOMO, this is your chance to jump into the fun! Join us for a unique poker experience with the WPT Family, and you might even show up in Brad or Andrew’s next VLOG 🎥


AJo at the $10K WPT Final Table - Your Move?

Maintaining aggression in the face of big pay jumps under the bright lights of the World Poker Tour Final table can be a daunting task. Every decision is magnified and one wrong move could end your dream run.

In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger breaks down a pivotal hand from the $10K WPT Seminole Hard Rock finale. Learn how calculated aggression can frustrate a skilled opponent and create fold equity in a tough ICM spot vs the chip leader.


Fold Less, Float More!

Tired of playing vs THAT player who always seems to be dragging pots with preflop raises and constant continuation bets? Take away their equity advantage and turn aggression on its heels with the Float.

Tune in to this Strategy Episode as Nick Binger gives you step by step guidelines to identify the best situations to float vs a frequent c-bettor. Utilize the power of position to turn aggression around on your opponents and add floating to your game plan.


Bluffing With LuckyChewy

To build a big stack in a WPT event and be in contention for the title, you will almost certainly need to pull off a few bluffs along the way. You simply won't get enough good cards to keep up the pace, and when you do flop a big hand it won't always hold up.

In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor and poker legend Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger walks through his thought process when overbet bluffing the river in a $1,600 live tournament.


Be Ready for the Final Table

WPT-Final-Table-SHR

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.

Brian-Altman-Seminole-Hard-Rock-2022-FT

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.

Can You Stay Aggressive at The Final Table?

1053-118 30BB Button Open Vs 50BB Big Blind Call-optimzd


You are at the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table. You min-raise 2BBs on the Button with a 30BB stack and the Big Blind with 50BBs calls. Click below to play a free Final Table sample pack of this spot from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how decisions change at the final table.


See how close you get to 0 EV Loss and high percentage plays. After playing, get YOUR score and read the strategy and theory behind the correct plays from the LearnWPT Pros.

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


Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!

Are you playing? 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.

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

Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Poker Showdown 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.

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


Train With LearnWPT Champions for Just $5

In 2022 alone LearnWPT Instructors won a 2 WSOP Bracelets and WSOP Circuit Ring, a 25K buy-in WPT High Roller, a 25K PokerGo Masters title, a 50K buy-in WPT High Roller, and a combined $5.2 Million in tournament winnings plus made appearances at several high profile final tables.

In 2023 we’ve already got 1 WSOP Circuit Main Event win and a 5th Place Finish in the EPT London Main Event to add to the totals!

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

LearnWPT-Instructors-Pros

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.

Gain access to LearnWPT Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, featuring Downloadable Tools, 500+ Strategy Videos (and more) for just $5 your first month of Membership!


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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! A♥K♥ Preflop Vs a Limp & Raise, What Do You Do?

AK Preflop Vs a Limp and Raise-optimzd

DECISION POINT: You are in a large field online tournament with blinds at 100/200 and a 25 ante. An Early Position player limps, it folds around to the Cutoff who raises to 600, and the Button calls. Action is on you in the Small Blind with A♥K♥.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in a large field online tournament with blinds of 100/200 and a 25 ante and are dealt AhKh in the Small Blind. The Under the Gun player open limps for 200 and everyone folds to the Cutoff who raises to 600. The Button calls 600 and action is on us.

Our hand is likely way ahead of our opponents’ ranges here. The UTG limp is potentially a wide range and the Cutoff could easily be trying to isolate and get heads up in position with a wide range of their own. By limping behind the Button is encouraging more calls so it’s unlikely, but not impossible, that they have a premium hand and therefore have a capped range. The main question here isn’t if we raise, but what amount should we raise to.

Default in this spot would be three times the raise amount plus the call amount, or 2,400 chips. The issue is that two of the players involved have 5,000-6,000 chips.

Continued below ...

It’s important to be aware of when you are reaching the pot commitment threshold, a point at which you have enough chips in the pot that you are committed to continuing with your hand no matter what. For most players this threshold range is 25-40% of your remaining stack, with ⅓ stack as a standard amount.

With just under 9,000 chips to start the hand we are dangerously close to that amount and a raise amount of 2,400 chips would be in excess of the commitment threshold for two of our opponents remaining in the hand.

The amount already in the middle is also over 1,900 chips, an approximately 20% increase to our stack. Taking the pot down right here, right now without a showdown is a very good outcome.

Even if we don’t manage to take down an uncontested pot with our shove, getting heads up against a single opponent with lots of dead money in the pot and a top 5 starting hand is still a great result.

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:

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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


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


Have Questions about LearnWPT?
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On Tour: 2023 World Poker Tour® Rolling Thunder Festival

WPT-Rolling-thunder-hotel-image

The WPT Main Tour is Rolling Into Thunder Valley!

This year, the beautiful Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California will kick off the 2023 Main Tour Season, as WPT Rolling Thunder returns featuring a huge slate of exciting tournaments leading up to the highly anticipated $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event.

The festival features an epic schedule of satellites, huge guaranteed events, and closing with the player favorite Bounty Confidential.

wpt-rolling-thunder-ca

The Thunder Valley festival headliner is the $3,500 buy-in WPT Main Event that features 50K in starting chips 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.

Whether enjoying the fabulous amenities or relaxing in the spacious and modern rooms, players On Tour rave about Thunder Valley as a can’t miss stop and Team LearnWPT will be there in the action.


LearnWPT Prepares You To Bring the Thunder

WPT Rolling Thunder

Get ready for your shot at a WPT Title with FREE expert poker strategy from the Championship roster of Team LearnWPT!


🥇 Main Event Seat Winner!

ClubWPT and LearnWPT recently teamed up to give players a chance to win a seat to the WPT® Rolling Thunder Main Event.

The exciting bounty tournament was live streamed by WPT anchor and LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst and LearnWPT Team Member Adrian Naggy.

With a lead, raise, and reraise all-in on the J♥Q♣2♦ flop, the 1,729 player tournament came to an exciting conclusion and the winner crowned. Watch the winning hand...

ClubWPT Stream Team Member Ray (aka kingofmordor) secured the victory after over 5 hours of play when his top pair with J♦6♣ held over joemessina's K♣9♦ straight draw and now he is on his way to Thunder Valley! Click here to watch the full stream.

Along with the seat, Ray also received private coaching from Team LearnWPT to get ready for Rolling Thunder. He’ll be welcomed by Tony and Adrian who will be onsite for the Main Event to cheer Ray on.

Check the WPT live updates to follow the action and cheer on Ray!


Get In on the Rolling ⛈️ Action ...

The 2023 WPT Rolling Thunder Festival kicked off on March 22nd with the $300 Anniversary Opener. There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Main Event, so you don’t have to stretch your bankroll to join the fun!

📅 Rolling Thunder Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
End: Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule

Highlights of the festival include the DEEPSTACK THUNDER VALLEY $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool tournament starting on March 23rd and the $500 buy-in ACTION8 $100K guaranteed prize pool tournament starting March 27th.

The action packed series is capped off with the popular (and secure 😎) $1,100 BOUNTY CONFIDENTIAL on April 2nd.

The headlining WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event begins Saturday, April 1st and features unlimited reentry through level 11 (the first two levels of Day 2) - Click for more information.

📅 WPT Main Event Schedule:
Day 1: Saturday, April 1, 2023
starting at 12 p.m. PT
Day 2: Sunday, April 2, 2022 starting at 12 p.m. PT
Day 3: Monday, April 3, 2023 starting at 12 p.m. PT
Day 4: Tuesday, April 4, 2023
starting at 12 p.m. PT - Final table will be live streamed with 30-min delay

Final table streaming on:
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/worldpokertour
📺 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/worldpokertour

The $3,500 event gives players 50K in starting chips and the player's favorite WPT structure giving you plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.


Satellite Your Way Into the Main - Free Tips!

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. LearnWPT is here to help increase your edge with key adjustments for satellite play.

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 strategic adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.

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


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


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-Matt-Ben

The hottest innovation in bounty poker that is causing great excitement amount 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


Ready for the Final Table? Test Your Skills!

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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 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.

Can You Stay Aggressive at a Final Table?

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You are at the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Final Table. You min-raise 2BBs on the Button with a 30BB stack and the Big Blind with 50BBs calls. Click below to play a free Final Table sample pack of this spot from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how decisions change at the final table.


See how close you get to 0 EV Loss and high percentage plays. After playing, get YOUR score and read the strategy and theory behind the correct plays from the LearnWPT Pros.

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


Have FUN and Good Luck at Thunder Valley

Are you playing the Rolling Thunder Festival? Team LearnWPT will be on site and in the action. Stop and say Hi 👋 to Tony and Adrian!

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

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Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Rolling Thunder Main 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.

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Good luck and good playing,
-Team LearnWPT


Train With LearnWPT Champions for Just $5

In 2022 alone LearnWPT Instructors won a 2 WSOP Bracelets and WSOP Circuit Ring, a 25K buy-in WPT High Roller, a 25K PokerGo Masters title, a 50K buy-in WPT High Roller, and a combined $5.2 Million in tournament winnings plus made appearances at several high profile final tables.

In 2023 we’ve already got 1 WSOP Circuit Main Event win and a 5th Place Finish in the EPT London Main Event to add to the totals!

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

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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.

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