Ready for your championship run? LearnWPT is here to help with a free, six-part tournament preparation series designed to sharpen your skills and boost your confidence before the cards are in the air.

In this blog, we focus on ICM, Bubble, and Satellite Strategy, key concepts for getting in the game and finishing strong.

The December WPT World Championship festival offers poker players a chance to turn a small buy-in into a life-changing score through one of the 25+ live satellites at Wynn Las Vegas. If you secure a seat and make a deep run, you’ll face critical decisions near the money bubble, around big pay jumps, and approaching the final table.

How well you adjust in these situations will play a huge part in how many zeros are at the end of your pay slip. Let's get you ready...

ICM, Bubble, & Satellite Warm-Up Session

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

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

💡Member tip: Watch all previous study sessions anytime from the Webinar Dashboard.

🛰️ Satellite Into a Championship Event!

Satellite tournaments are a great way to play a larger buy-in event at a lower price so you don’t need to have big bucks to be in contention for a game-changing score. Strategies for Satellites can be very different from a normal Tournament, and you’ll need to make some adjustments that may seem strange compared to standard tournaments to help increase your edge in a satellite.

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

Should You Play Satellites Differently? YES YOU SHOULD!

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

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

Tips for Milestone Satellite Play

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

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

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

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

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

Take these strategies to the Wynn poker room and play a Milestone Satellite to secure your seat into a festival event. Check out the full schedule here for a list of Milestone Satellites for various events.

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

Understanding Bubble Play

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

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

ICM Pressure on Preflop Ranges

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

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

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

💡Note: Members must be logged in to view the Strategy Episode.

Not a LearnWPT Member? Join now for just $5 your first month to watch the Strategy Episodes and gain full access.

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.

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

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

Ready for your championship run? LearnWPT is here to help with a free, six-part tournament preparation series built to sharpen your skills and build your confidence before you ever sit at the table.

In this post, we dive into Preflop Strategy, one of the few elements in poker you can control absolutely, and arguably the most important.

Your preflop decisions set the stage for your entire stack. Knowing which hands to raise first-in with and how to adjust based on stack depth and position is the bedrock of winning tournament poker.

Let's get started building a winning preflop game plan ...

Preflop Strategy Warm-Up Session

Knowing how and when to make moves preflop is essential to building a chip stack in tournament poker. Relying on “feel” alone when deciding to bet, raise, or call is not a reliable path to long-term success. Your decisions need to be grounded in proven strategy.

In this session, LearnWPT Instructors Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Michael "Gags30" Gagliano focus on the one decision you must make in every hand you play - what to do when the action is on you preflop. They’ll also break down how to apply pressure with 3-betting and give you tools to gain a skill edge on your opponents.

💡Member tip: Watch all previous study sessions anytime from the Webinar Dashboard.

Have preflop strategy questions? LearnWPT Members can talk directly to the LearnWPT Pros in our Ask a Pro Discord!

Know The Basics: Start With The 5 Keys 🔑

Strong preflop play isn’t just about memorizing hands, it’s about mastering the why behind your decisions. To play optimally, you should think about these 5 Key Factors every time you act and they will guide your decisions on later streets:

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

Get these 5 Key basics down pat by watching these four episodes:

The 5 Keys Of Poker Tournament Strategy Quick Tips:

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

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

🛑 Know Your First-In Hand Ranges

Tournaments force you into dozens of stressful decisions, and staying present while focusing on the 5 Key Factors can be the difference between a deep run and an early exit. Remove distractions by reviewing GTO-based first-in hand ranges daily. As you build muscle memory and quickly know which hands to raise with from different positions, your preflop decisions become easier, reducing decision fatigue and keeping your mind sharp for tough postflop spots.

Watch this Episode from 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. Knowing 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

➧ Download a copy of the GTO First-In Hand Ranges

Use these rock-solid GTO hand ranges and you'll be well on your way to a deep championship run. 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 Hand Range Charts:

• Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and reference the appropriate range chart for your seat. Tip: Count backwards from the Button to determine your position.
• 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.
• Be consistent. 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!

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

Improve Your Game With Team LearnWPT

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

Become a LearnWPT Member today (for just $5 your 1st month) and join our monthly LIVE Study Sessions, gain access to over 550 Strategy Episodes, drill hands with the WPT GTO Trainer, and more!

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

Whether you’re about to board the flight for Las Vegas or still staring at the spot on your calendar a few months out marked Poker Summer Camp, there’s no doubt that at this exact moment part of you is thinking, ❝Will 2025 be my breakout year at the WSOP?❞.

The answer to that question depends a lot on your preparation, and there are specific protocols you should follow based on exactly how far away you are from starting your 1st event. While the exact process will vary somewhat based on each player, there are some tried-and-true techniques Pros use to make sure they hit the felt ready to dominate.

Click below for FREE tips and strategies that will have you ready to crush from hand 1 in Vegas, no matter how much time you have to prepare, direct from Team LearnWPT ...

• Tony Dunst: WPT Champion and 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
• Michael "Gags30" Gagliano: 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
• Eric “Rizen” Lynch: 5x WSOP Final Tables & acclaimed author
• Johan Schultz-Pedersen: WSOP Bracelet Winner

We asked Tony, Gags, Rizen, and Johan to tell us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game so that you can get and stay in the zone all summer in Las Vegas:

No matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament we’ve got a plan to get your poker game ready to execute and stay in the zone all summer long!

➥ Prep Time = 30-60 Days Click Here
➥ Prep Time = 30 Days Click Here
➥ Prep Time = 7 Days Click Here
➥ Prep Time = 1 Day Click Here

Have WSOP strategy questions? LearnWPT.com Members can talk directly and get answers from the Pros in our Ask a Pro Discord.

Just $5 your 1st month! No contracts, cancel anytime.

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 ...

Big Blind Defense: noun
big blind de·fense \ ˈbig ˈblīnd di-ˈfen(t)s \

1) A strategy for continuing against an opponent who open raises preflop when you are in the Big Blind, usually by calling.

Example of Big Blind Defense in a sentence
Tony raises to 500 from the Cutoff seat and action folds to LuckyChewy who defends his Big Blind and calls and we’re off to a flop.

Defend Yourself!

Learn the basics of Big Blind Defense calling and get downloadable charts you can use during your next poker tournament.

Watch and learn as LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger breaks this must have strategy and upgrade your Big Blind play right now:

🛡️ 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

Tony Defends on the Ultimate Stage

Big Blind Defense plays a crucial role in the outcome of almost every Final Table from your local daily poker tournament to a World Poker Tour Championship Event.

In this Strategy Episode from WPT® Commentator and LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst we get a behind the scenes look into how these strategies are used when the World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions title and the Mike Sexton Champions Cup is at stake!

And Off To The Flop We Go...

Think you have what it takes to defend your Big Blind and outwit a world-class poker Pro? It’s time to challenge the world’s perfect opponent - The WPT GTO Trainer!

Play these 5 hands to test your skills and learn the exact move to make. Remember, the goal is to get as close to ZERO EV loss with each decision you make. Good luck...

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

See how close you get to 0 EV Loss and high percentage plays, then reread the advice above from the LearnWPT Pros.

Not sure how to optimize your BIG BLIND DEFENSE? Why not ASK A PRO for insight into this critical skill and get expert feedback!

Find out what it's like to have a professional poker coach help you improve your game by trying out your 1st month of Membership for just $5 and gain access to the LearnWPT Ask a Pro feature.

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).

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.

With a massive library including 550+ 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.

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

During your next tournament or session give these big blind defense 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

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 …

3-Bet: verb
three·bet \ ˈthrē ˈbet \

1) The act of raising after another player has raised the initial bet amount first-in. For example, in a tournament where blinds are 25-50, Player A opens the pot to 150 preflop and Player B raises to 450. In this instance Player B is 3-Betting the pot.

Example of 3-Bet in a Sentence
Tony raises preflop to 150 and LuckyChewy 3-Bets to 450 with A♠5♠.

So, What Hands Should You 3-Bet With 🤔?

Fighting back vs aggression from your opponents can be stressful and it’s hard to know exactly when you should reraise and which hands to do it with. Watch this in-depth Strategy Episode with LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger as he breaks down the key factors you should look for when deciding to 3-bet:

5 Key 🗝️ Reminders for 3-Betting:

➧ In order to win tournaments you can’t simply wait for good cards
➧ 3-Betting is key to winning pots without showing down your hand
➧ Avoid 3-Betting with bad cards in cash games
➧ Target players with medium sized (30 to 50 big blind) stacks to pressure with 3-bets
➧ Players opening the pot from late position are likely to have wider hand ranges

3-Betting Ace King With The Champ 🥊

Staying aggressive with Ace King is essential for making deep runs and bringing home tournament titles. Many players struggle with how to effectively apply aggression with Ace King, especially vs sticky opponents.

Check out this Strategy Episode with 3x WPT Champion and LearnWPT Instructor Brian Altman from a $2,200 buy-in event at Wynn Las Vegas and learn his strategy for playing AK in a 3-bet pot.

The Cup 🏆 Awaits!

You are in a World Poker Tour main event with the Mike Sexton Champions Cup on the line! A late position player raises first-in and you 3-Bet from the Button with a 50BB stack. Your opponent calls and you are off to the flop...

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

Your goal is to keep "EV Loss" in the green and close to 0, good luck!

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

🖥️ Watch 3-Betting In Action

3-Betting is a powerful move that experts use to pressure opponents and force even the toughest players to retreat.

Check out this hand from WPT Season XIII for an in-depth look at a 3-bet pot with big money on the line and watch as Nick demonstrates how this Pro perfectly puts theory into practice.

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.

With a massive library including 550+ on-demand video Strategy Episodes (from top Pros including Tony Dunst, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Michael “Gags30” Gagliano, 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 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).

During your next tournament or session give these 3-betting strategies 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.

That's a wrap!

The final week of the 2024 WSOP and Summer Tournament Season concluded with more fun and cashes from Team LearnWPT.

During the exciting 7 week stretch we got to sweat 13 final tables, see two LearnWPT Students each take down their 1st Gold Bracelet, and two Instructors add hardware to their already accomplished trophy chest. We also took home nearly $2.1 Million dollars in well deserved earnings.

This summer Team LearnWPT achieved:
➧ WSOP Gold Bracelet: 4 (YES 4!)
➧ Around Town Win: 1
➧ WSOP Final Tables: 4
➧ Around Town Final Tables: 9
➧ Cashed For: $2,099,701 (nearly double our cashes from 2023)

What's up next for Team LearnWPT? The WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas this December! We'll be busy getting LearnWPT Students prepared to play better poker and win big at Wynn Las Vegas.

The second ever WPT World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas set the standard for all future poker festivals with almost every event crushing the guaranteed prize pools and multiple players walked away with over $1,000,000 for their efforts.

During the 2023 Festival Team LearnWPT saw huge results including LearnWPT Member Bob Buckenmeyer who made the WPT Prime Championship Final Table and Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger who final tabled the flagship $40M GTD WPT World Championship.

The 2024 schedule will be finalized and announced soon so you still have plenty of time to make your plans to join us in Vegas.

Whether it’s realizing the goal of playing your first live poker tournament, grabbing your first cash, or taking home some hardware, we’ve really enjoyed hearing about everyone's successes on the felt this summer. Let's keep it going!

Not a Member? Join Now (just $5 your first month) and start getting ahead of the competition to get your poker game Championship ready.

LearnWPT Finds Big Success During the WSOP!

THANK YOU to all of our LearnWPT Students who helped make this summer season of poker exciting. We are proud of your progress and are grateful to have you in the LearnWPT Family!

Stay tuned for announcements on new Webinars, WPT GTO Trainer features, and exclusive Live Workshops to keep the momentum going into the WPT World Championship festival.

Thousands of poker players have descended on the Las Vegas Strip for 7 weeks of summer poker action during the 2024 World Series of Poker looking to win a prestigious WSOP Bracelet (and some cash too) including LearnWPT Students and Instructors.

During the 2023 WSOP summer action we got to sweat 10 final tables, see another LearnWPT Student take down their 1st Gold Bracelet, and celebrate the over $1Million in cashes.

So how did Team LearnWPT do? Hint it's 4 WSOP Gold Bracelets!

🎉 WSOP Week 7 Successes
🎉 WSOP Week 6 Successes
🎉 WSOP Week 5 Successes
🎉 WSOP Week 4 Successes
🎉 WSOP Week 3 Successes
🎉 WSOP Weeks 1-2 Successes
👏 Success Around Town
📌️️ FREE Tournament Prep Episode & Tips
👀 Our Ones To Look Out For

Read more about Team LearnWPT's successes...

WSOP Week 7 Achievements

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst made another deep run in the record-breaking WSOP Main Event!

• WSOP 2024 Event 81: $10,000 Main Event Championship
• Placed: 144th out of 10,112
• Won: $70,000
• Tournament results

For the 2nd year in a row Tony went deep in the Main Event 👏

➧ LearnWPT Student Joe Bergh cashed in the WSOP Lucky 7s No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #93 $777 Lucky 7s Event
• Placed: 244th out of 6,292
• Won: $2,520
• Tournament Results

🌡️ This is Joe's 4th cash of the summer!

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP Mid-Stakes No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event 89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Event
• Placed: 106th out of 3,177
• Won: $8,989
• Tournament results

WSOP Week 6 Achievements

LearnWPT Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen took to the online felt last weekend to win his FIRST career WSOP Bracelet!

Johan captured WSOP Bracelet #1 and the $149,745 1st place prize after outlasting the 3,379 entry field in the $400 No-Limit World Series of Poker Colossus Online Event #20. As a testament to Johan’s focus and determination, he won his first bracelet while on an off day before the start of Day 2 of the $10K WSOP Main Event!

This incredible victory is the highlight of an already epic summer, including 🔥 12 WSOP cashes and a Final Table in the super stacked WPT Alpha8 Trifecta $25K buy-in event at Wynn Las Vegas.

🏆 LearnWPT Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen WON the WSOP Colossus No-Limit Hold'em Tournament!

• WSOP 2024 Online Event 20: $400 Colossus Event
• Placed: 🥇 1st out of 3,379
• Won: $149,745
• Tournament results

Congratulations Johan on Winning Your 1st WSOP Bracelet 🥂

➧ Instructor Adrian Naggy cashed in the WSOP Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #84: $600 Ultra Stack Event
• Placed: 614th out of 6,628
• Won: $1,260
• Tournament Results

🌡️ Adrian cashed 4 times so far!

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event 19: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Event
• Placed: 28th out of 1,963
• Won: $3,927
• Tournament results

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst cashed in the WSOP Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event 19: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Event
• Placed: 122rd out of 1,963
• Won: $1,900
• Tournament results

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano cashed in the WSOP Lucky 7's No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #16: $777 Lucky 7's Event
• Placed: 22nd out of 1,694
• Won: $4,862
• Tournament Results

🔥 Gags cashed 5 times so far!

➧ LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst cashed in the WSOP High Roller 8-Max No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event 14: $5,300 High Roller 8-Max Event
• Placed: 12th out of 267
• Won: $16,363
• Tournament results

WSOP Week 5 Achievements

He's done it again!

LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst took to the online felt last weekend to win his third career WSOP Bracelet!

Tony captured WSOP Bracelet #3 and the $134,888 1st place prize after outlasting the 2,435 entry field in the $500 No-Limit World Series of Poker Deepstack Online Event #15. After a hard fought 13 hour battle of online play through a massive field stacked with Pros and online grinders the remaining 8 players reached the final table.

Just as the sun was rising over the Las Vegas Valley, the last hand of heads up play with his opponent “vevere” was dealt, and the marathon session ended with Tony securing WSOP Bracelet #3.

🏆 LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst WON the WSOP Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament!

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #15: $500 Deepstack Event
• Placed: 🥇 1st out of 2,435
• Won: $134,888
• Tournament results

Congratulations Tony on Winning Your 3rd WSOP Bracelet 🥂

➧ LearnWPT Student Cathy Schenone cashed in the WSOP Mini Main No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #78 $1,000 Mini Main Event
• Placed: 203rd out of 6,076
• Won: $4,168
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Lisa Roberts cashed in the WSOP Mini Main No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #78 $1,000 Mini Main Event
• Placed: 264th out of 6,076
• Won: $3,280
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Scott Roberts cashed in the WSOP Colossus No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #70 $400 Colossus Event
• Placed: 895th out of 2,845
• Won: $1,140
• Tournament Results

🔥 This is Scott's 3rd cash of the Series!

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #68 $2,500 Event
• Placed: 76th out of 2,229
• Won: $9,291
• Tournament Results

💥 This is Bob's 6th cash of the Series!

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #65 $5,000 Seniors Hight Roller
• Placed: 20th out of 680
• Won: $22,022
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Tony Dunst cashed in the WSOP $1K Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #13: $1,000 Freezeout Event
• Placed: 74th out of 824
• Won: $2,002
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano cashed in the WSOP Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #11: $500 Mystery Bounty Event
• Placed: 347th out of 3,462
• Won: $846
• Tournament Results

WSOP Week 4 Achievements

Week 4 of the WSOP brought our 2nd WSOP Bracelet of the Series!

The 4th week of the WSOP in Vegas drew to an exciting conclusion with LearnWPT Student Sean Jazayeri winning his 1st Gold Bracelet, battling a field of 3,362 opponents, and taking home $368,025!

Sean started Day 4 of the $1,000 buy-in WSOP Super Seniors event third in chips, showed patience and played fearlessly in the endgame to emerge as the victor in an exciting heads up duel. This is Sean's third 2024 WSOP cash which is also his largest-ever WSOP cash and the 2nd biggest of his poker career.

Sean recently attended the LearnWPT Launch Workshop with Tony Dunst, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, and Adrian Naggy to prepare for the WSOP and we're incredibly proud of his success.

🏆 LearnWPT Student Sean Jazayeri WON the WSOP Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament!

• WSOP 2024 Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors Event
• Placed: 🥇 1st out of 3,362
• Won: $368,025
• Read about Sean's Final Table performance

Congratulations Sean on Winning Your 1st WSOP Bracelet 🥂

➧ LearnWPT Student Joe Bergh cashed in the WSOP PokerNews Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #62: $600 PokerNews Deepstack Event
• Placed: 492nd out of 5,110
• Won: $1,261
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors Event
• Placed: 223rd out of 3,362
• Won: $2,355
• Tournament Results

➧ Student John Goodell cashed in the WSOP Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors Event
• Placed: 245th out of 3,362
• Won: $2,355
• Tournament Results

🔥 John cashed 4 times during the Series!

➧ LearnWPT Student Scott Roberts cashed in the WSOP Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors Event
• Placed: 452nd out of 3,362
• Won: $2,001
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Adrian Naggy cashed in the WSOP Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Event
• Placed: 1,079th out of 10,939
• Won: $3,150
• Tournament

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP $3K No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #49: $3,000 Freezeout
• Placed: 149th out of 1,252
• Won: $6,024
• Tournament Results

💥 Johan has 11 total cashes including 7 WSOP!!

➧ LearnWPT Student Bryant Morrison cashed in the WSOP Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #46: $1,000 Seniors Event
• Placed: 297th out of 7,954
• Won: $3,783
• Tournament Results

🌡️ This is Bryant's 2nd cash of the Series!

➧ LearnWPT Student Scott Roberts cashed in the WSOP Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #46: $1,000 Seniors Event
• Placed: 423rd out of 7,954
• Won: $3,010
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Joe Bergh cashed in the WSOP Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #46: $1,000 Seniors Event
• Placed: 445th out of 7,954
• Won: $3,010
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Sean Jazayeri cashed in the WSOP Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #46: $1,000 Seniors Event
• Placed: 872nd out of 7,954
• Won: $2,000
• Tournament Results

WSOP Week 3 Achievements

➧ Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger cashed in the WSOP $100K High Roller No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #47: $100,000 High Roller
• Placed: 12th out of 112
• Won: $209,346
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP $2K No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #44: $2,000 No-Limit
• Placed: 121st out of 1,561
• Won: $4,462
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Tony Dunst cashed in the WSOP $1K 6-Max Online No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #8: $1,000 6-Max
• Placed: 144th out of 1,233
• Won: $1,886
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP Online 6-Max No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #8: $1,000 6-Max
• Placed: 234th out of 1,233
• Won: $1,665
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Adrian Naggy cashed in the WSOP Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack
• Placed: 60th out of 8,703
• Won: $21,025
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano cashed in the WSOP Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack
• Placed: 417th out of 8,703
• Won: $4,880
• Tournament Results

➧ Studen Ian Shirreffs cashed in the WSOP Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack
• Placed: 950th out of 8,703
• Won: $3,001
• Tournament Results

➧ Student Jed Dyrek cashed in the WSOP $800 Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #36: $800 Deepstack 8-Handed
• Placed: 557th out of 4,248
• Won: $1,601
• Tournament Results

🌡️ Jed also took 3rd in a $250 WSOP daily - Let's keep it going!

➧ Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano cashed in the WSOP $1,500 Limit H.O.R.S.E. Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #35: $1,500 Limit H.O.R.S.E.
• Placed: 71st out of 8,703
• Won: $3,417
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP Online Ultra Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #6: $400 Ultra Deepstack
• Placed: 138rd out of 2,238
• Won: $1,128
• Tournament Results

WSOP Week 2 Achievements

Week 2 of the WSOP brought our 1st WSOP Bracelet of the Series!

Long-time LearnWPT Student Timothy "T.J." Murphy took home his first WSOP Bracelet outlasting a huge field of 4,732 runners and banked an impressive $368,977 for the win.

T.J. roared into the Final Table as the chip leader and showed zero fear while using his huge stack to eliminate 6 of the 8 remaining players on his way to victory. Entering heads up play with a big chip advantage, it only took a few hands for T.J. to finish it out.

T.J. puts in the work everyday on LearnWPT.com and we are so happy to see it paying off! He’s submitted hundreds of hands to our Ask A Pro forum for analysis and trains constantly on the WPT GTO Trainer. Most people don't get to see all of the work and study a Student puts in behind the scenes, they just see the result. T.J. worked hard for this and his dominating performance showed it 👏.

🏆 LearnWPT Student T.J. Murphy WON the WSOP Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament!

• WSOP 2024 Event #17: $800 Deepstack Event
• Placed: 🥇 1st out of 4,732
• Won: $368,977
• Tournament Results
• Read about T.J.'s dominating Final Table performance

Congratulations T.J. on Winning Your 1st WSOP Bracelet 🥂

➧ Instructor Brian Altman cashed in the WSOP $3K No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #31: $3,000 6-Handed Event
• Placed: 177th out of 1230
• Won: $6,015
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP $3KNo-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #31: $3,000 6-Handed Event
• Placed: 165th out of 1230
• Won: $6,015
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger cashed in the WSOP $25K High Roller No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #21: $25,000 High Roller 6-Handed
• Placed: 22nd out of 272
• Won: $64,249
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #20: $300 Gladiators of Poker Event
• Placed: 2,178th out of 20,647
• Won: $600
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Brian Altman cashed in the WSOP Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #17: $800 Deepstack Event
• Placed: 184th out of 4,732
• Won: $2,895
• Tournament Results

WSOP Week 1 Achievements

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP $5K Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #16: $5,000 Freezeout 8-Handed
• Placed: 43rd out of 660
• Won: $15,430
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano cashed in the WSOP $5K Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #16: $5,000 Freezeout 8-Handed
• Placed: 80th out of 660
• Won: $9,964
• Tournament Results

➧ Student Sean Jazayeri cashed in the WSOP Online PKO No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Online Event #2: $400 PKO
• Placed: 97th out of 1,962
• Won: $600
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WSOP Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #15: $1,000 Mystery Millions
• Placed: 1,855th out of 18,409
• Won: $1,320
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions
• Placed: 1,090th out of 18,409
• Won: $2,637
• Tournament Results

➧ LearnWPT Student Bob Buckenmayer cashed in the WSOP Kickoff Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• WSOP 2024 Event #3: $500 Kickoff -Freezeout Event
• Placed: 309th out of 3,485
• Won: $1,051
• Tournament Results

Team LearnWPT Success Around Town

➧ Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger cashed in the WPT Alpha8 Trifecta No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $25,000 WPT Alpha8 Trifecta Event #3
• Placed: 4th out of 117
• Won: $265,000
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Brian Altman cashed in the Wynn Summer Classic Championship No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $10,400 $10MGTD Championship
• Placed: 67th out of 1,440
• Won: $35,139
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the WPT Alpha8 Trifecta No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $25,000 WPT Alpha8 Trifecta Event #1
• Placed: 10th out of 78
• Won: $57,100
• Tournament Results

🏆 Student Tamar Abraham WON a Golden Nugget Championship Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• 2024 Grand Poker Series: Golden Nugget
• 🥇 1st Place
• Won: $10,200

Tammy is our reigning 2023 WSOP Bracelet winner!

🥉 LearnWPT Student Joe Bergh took 3rd in the Venetian Ultimate Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• Venetian DeepStack Event #56: $1,100 Ultimate Stack
• Placed: 3rd out of 214
• Won: $22,526
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Adrian Naggy Final Tabled the MGM Grand Grand Stack No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• MGM Grand Las Vegas: $400 Summer Series Grand Stack
• Placed: 9th out of 506
• Won: $3,255
• Tournament Results

➧ Student John Goodell cashed in the Golden Nugget Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• 2024 Grand Poker Series: $400 Golden Nugget Super Seniors
• 7th out of 366
• Won: $3,992

🥈 Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen took 2nd in the Wynn $1,100 Turbo No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $1,100 Turbo
• Placed: 2nd out of 184
• Won: $35,257
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Brian Altman cashed in the Wynn $4M GTD No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $3,500 $4M GTD Event
• Placed: 104th out of 1,907
• Won: $9,505
• Tournament Results

➧ Student John Goodell cashed in the $600 Golden Nugget Championship No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• 2024 Grand Poker Series: $600 Golden Nugget Championship
• 173rd out of 1,900
• Won: $2,055

➧ Student Sandy Tabin took 4th in the MSPT $1,600 Venetian No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• Mid-States Poker Tour Main Event: Venetian Las Vegas
• Placed: 4th out of 696
• Won: $66,270
• Tournament Results

Sandy is straight off his WPT Montreal $600 buy-in 1st place win for $19,941 - Let's keep it going!

➧ Student John Goodell took 44th in the Wynn Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $1,600 Seniors
• Placed: 44th out of 459
• Won: $3,778
• Tournament Results

🥈 Student Bryant Morrison took 2nd in the Venetian Ultimate Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• Venetian DeepStack Event #19: $1,100 Ultimate Bounty
• Placed: 2nd out of 129
• Won: $19,247
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the Wynn $3K 6-Max No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $3,000 6-Max
• Placed: 30th out of 284
• Won: $6,785
• Tournament Results

➧ Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen cashed in the Wynn Century PKO No-Limit Hold'em Tournament

• The Wynn Summer Classic: $1,600 Century PKO
• Placed: 102nd out of 2,034
• Won: $3,215
• Tournament Results

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

➧ 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!

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?

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.

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).

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.

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 ...

Check-Raise: verb
check·raise \ ˈchek ˈrāz \

1) The act of checking and then raising an opponent's bet during the same betting round.

Example of Check-Raise in a Sentence
Gags30 checks from the Big Blind and LuckyChewy bets 2,000 into a 10,000 chip pot. Gags30 Check-Raises to 6,000 and LuckyChewy folds.

How Do You Add Check-Raising To Your Game?

A Check-Raise is one of the most powerful moves in poker, however if you don’t know what to look for you could be setting yourself up to lose a big pot. Watch this Strategy Episode with Nick Binger as he outlines the process Pros use to pick the perfect spots to check-raise from the WPT Montreal Final Table!

✏️ Tips for Timing Your Check-Raises:

• Focus on wider range opponents who c-bet frequently
• Look to apply pressure to shorter stacked opponents you have outchipped
• Small bet sizing by an opponent often provides great risk/reward for your check-raise
• Flops with 1 broadway card, 2 low cards, and a flush draw are ideal spots
• Avoid check-raising when stacks are deep (100BB or more)
  

Protect Your Continuation Bets!

A winning first-in strategy requires careful hand selection, consistent raise sizing to avoid betting tells, and a solid default for continuation betting so you can keep the pressure on sticky opponents and take down your fair share of uncontested pots.

What happens when your opponent is tricky and is prepared to battle back vs your c-bet strategy?

Check out this Strategy Episode from LearnWPT Instructor Nick Binger on how adding the check-raise to your postflop plan can yield big dividends vs tough opponents.

The Theory Behind the Move

Identifying the best spots for check-raising may not always be obvious, unless you’ve got the skills of a poker legend!

In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger provides an in-depth look at the key factors you should be looking for when deciding to check-raise in cash games and tournaments.

What Happens When They Call?

Check-raising is a powerful poker move that puts the pressure on your opponents and mitigates the power of position. A well timed check-raise will often lead to an agonizing fold from your opponent as you pad your chip stack.

However, you’ll often encounter sticky players who won’t give up that easily and knowing how to navigate these big pots from out of position can be a challenge.

Fortunately, WPT Commentator and online poker master Tony Dunst did the heavy lifting by breaking down these 4 spots where his check-raise was called using PioSolver. Check out this Strategy Episode to help you play better postflop in check-raised pots.

Check-Raised with Top Pair, How Do You Play It

You are in a Tournament with blinds at 800/1600 and a 1600 big blind ante. The action folds to a Middle Position player who limps. You raise from the Cutoff to 6000 with A♠Q♦, the SB calls as does the MP2 player. The flop is A♣T♦6♥. Your opponents check, you bet 7800, the Small Blind check-raises to 20600, and MP2 folds.

Action is on you, what do you do here?

🖥️ A Check-Raise Bluff In Action!

In this hand from the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic we see one of the all-time greats, Justin Bonomo, execute an expert check-raise bluff and force a fold near the final table bubble.

Check out Nick Binger’s analysis from this legendary hand as captured by the WPT Live Updates team.

Not sure how to optimize your check-raising? Why not ASK A PRO for insight into this critical skill and get expert feedback!

Find out what it's like to have a professional poker coach help you improve your game by trying out your 1st month of Membership for just $5 and gain access to the LearnWPT Ask a Pro feature.

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.

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).

During your next tournament or session give these check-raising 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.

All of the big prizes and money in a poker tournament are at the Final Table. Whether it is your local daily or a World Poker Tour Main Event, understanding the unique strategy adjustments for Final Table play is vital to finishing strong.

Often players are unprepared for the pressure that comes with playing in front of an audience, when their goal is in reach, or having potentially life-changing money at stake. When facing the pressure of big pay jumps and the studio lights seem a little too bright, it’s important to stay focused and make objective decisions.

To show you how the Pros think while on the big stage we are giving you EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to a Member-only video for a limited time!

To make sure you are prepared to shine for the TV cameras and show off your poker skills, watch and take notes as LearnWPT Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst goes through his thought process and decision-making from his World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions final table appearance.

BONUS: Join for just $5 your first month and gain access to our library of over 500 videos including parts 1, 3, and 4 of Tony's final table review. Click the above button to get started!

Tony's Final Table Tips ✏️

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 poker players that are playing tight in the hopes of laddering up
  

📓 LearnWPT Tour Term: ICM

You've probably heard the term ICM. But what exactly does it mean?

Independent Chip Model: noun
\in-də-ˈpen-dənt ˈchip ˈmä-dᵊl\

1) A mathematical model for calculating the real money value of chips in a poker tournament at a given stage. ICM is used most often at final tables during deal making to calculate a fair distribution of the remaining prize pool in relation to the number of poker chips each player holds. Abbreviated as ICM.

Example of ICM in a Sentence
Johan and LuckyChewy decided to make a deal based on ICM and then played heads-up for the trophy.

Want More Tour Terms?

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.

On Tour With Tony Dunst!

This video is part of the LearnWPT Exclusive On Tour with Tony Dunst Strategy Episode series. Join Tony for a behind the scenes look into the most thought provoking hands he plays from real WPT events and teaches poker strategies and concepts you can use in your game.

Creating and structuring a study routine is an important part of your growth in poker. Check out some tips from Tony to avoid burnout and stay sharp on the felt.

Click to learn more about Tony's extensive poker accomplishments and more importantly, how he can help improve your poker game.

Ready for more? Join LearnWPT for just $5 your first month of Membership and get full access to more poker content from Tony Dunst and Team LearnWPT.

We'll see you online,
-LearnWPT

Poker legend and LearnWPT Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger used his steady and mindful poker approach to become a $100,000 buy-in WPT Alpha 8 Champion, WSOP Bracelet winner, and secure more than $11 Million in live poker tournament earnings.

He doesn't compare himself or his progress to anyone else's, but rather works on strengthening his own poker skills. Due to his dedication to learning and improvement LuckyChewy has been an innovative catalyst for new poker strategies throughout his entire career. By adopting a meditative attitude he is able to execute optimal strategies under tremendous pressure, providing a key balance for his analytical and collaborative approach to learning and playing poker.

LuckyChewy's opponent in this hand was another legend, Daniel Negreanu, one of the most influential and successful poker players worldwide as well as a favorite of poker fans with his distinctive and fun personality. Having played poker since he was a teenager, testing his skills and moving up in levels while plugging leaks and studying the game, he eventually became the youngest player to win a WSOP Bracelet at 23 years old, eventually winning 6 WSOP Bracelets. Daniel is no stranger to success on the World Poker Tour® as a 2 time WPT champion and WPT Season III Player of the Year, which helped him amass over $45 Million in tournament earnings.

As the subject of a LearnWPT Strategy Episode, LuckyChewy reviewed a hand he played against Daniel Negreanu in the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl and explored some strategic ideas as a result of how this hand played out. LuckyChewy describes exactly what he was thinking after flopping a huge hand with millions of dollars at stake.

This video is part of our High Stakes with LuckyChewy Strategy Episode series where Chewy takes a deep dive into his most interesting and useful hands from real WPT and WSOP Final tables and teaches strategies and concepts you can use in your game.

In this ultra-high stakes tournament, LuckyChewy opened 2.5x the big blind, effectively risking what's in the pot with the blinds and antes. Daniel elected to 3-bet to 27,000, or 9 big blinds total. LuckyChewy had a fairly straightforward call with pocket fours and flopped a bottom set with a backdoor flush draw on the A♣9♣4♥ flop. With the in-position player having the range advantage, LuckyChewy checks and Daniel bets around one-quarter of the pot.

LuckyChewy decided to raise slightly more than 3 times his bet, knowing that Daniel is not likely to reraise him with anything because he already had the range advantage. With this stack depth, it's not recommended to play aggressively against LuckyChewy’s range, as he's quite polarized. There's not any reason for Daniel to raise, because if he has a strong value hand he prefers the opponent to keep bluffing or betting his weaker value hands. Daniel does call and the turn is a texture-changing card, the 2♣.

Based on the solver study, LuckyChewy initially thought this was a card that would encourage Daniel to slow down on, use smaller bet sizes to not bloat the pot. The solver actually recommends a larger bet of around 2/3 of the pot as you should push an equity advantage on a card that's better for you than it is for your opponent. However, if you bet a larger size, you would get way more folds than the solver prefers and your opponent is expected to fold hands as strong as AK.

The deeper you get into the game tree, the more assumptions you have to make about how your opponent would respond in order to determine the appropriate action based on the recommended strategy. The key in understanding the equilibrium approach to poker is to employ proven strategies, based on the program algorithm, to minimize the chance to lose.

LuckyChewy elected to use the smaller bet sizing and Daniel continued with a call. On the 8♠ river card Daniel shoved all-in. A shove from a hand such as A4s would be very perplexing and you're not likely to benefit from shoving with a hand like this as part of a balanced poker strategy. However this is one of those nuanced scenarios where the raise is mandatory, so you can reach equilibrium as the in-position player.

These are interesting conceptual ideas that do exist in a theoretical sense and familiarizing yourself with why these abstractions may occur through solver study is fascinating. If your opponent got here with pocket eights they would likely shove all-in. There may be some bluffing with pocket tens and jacks, so you would assume it would be more advantageous to bluff with stronger club blockers.

The simulation LuckyChewy used to analyze this hand would argue against that, as it's shoving all its flushes as the in-position player. Hands such as pocket tens and pocket kings where one of the cards is a club, as well as hands with AK with the K♣ or AQ with the Q♣, are considered bluff shoves from Daniel because it doesn't seem likely that LuckyChewy is bluffing. Considering the odds he was getting and the strength of his hand, LuckyChewy made the decision to call it off. Much to his dismay, Daniel did have K♣J♣ for the nut flush.

Although it was a painful hand to lose, LuckyChewy says through analyzing this hand with a solver post-game he realized how much better that turn was for him than it was for Daniel, regardless of the fact that they had a relatively equal distribution of suited hands that could make a club flush.

We hope that observing LuckyChewy's poker insights, strategies and concepts will be beneficial to you and boost your own game!

Click here to learn more about LuckyChewy, his accomplishments, and more importantly... how he can help improve your game.

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