July has been a very successful month for LearnWPT Pros!

We had TWO Instructors each take home their 2nd illustrious Gold Bracelet and a 3rd place finish in the WSOP Main Event! 🏆🙌

Take a look at how Nick, Tony, and LuckyChewy fared….

Lead Instructor for LearnWPT and the World Poker Tour Nick Binger outlasted a massive 2,408 entry field to win his 2nd WSOP bracelet and took home an impressive $133K first prize at the World Series of Poker Event# 24 8-Hand No-Limit Hold'em Tournament.

If you’ve ever watched one of his Strategy Episodes, attended a Live Workshop and heard his lecture, or had the pleasure of sitting at one of his Lab Day tables, you know how dedicated LearnWPT Lead Instructor Nick Binger is to teaching his students.

Nick has dedicated over 12 years perfecting his poker instruction skills with the WPT and enjoys teaching as much as he enjoys playing.

Nick has helped many students reach their goals and achieve success in the game they love. Click below to learn more about Nick...

LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst took home his 2nd bracelet when he outlasted a massive 1,361 entry field and scored a huge $168K 1st prize during the World Series of Poker Event#21 $777 buy-in 6-Hand No-Limit Hold'em Tournament.

As a high-stakes pro and co-commentator for the World Poker Tour, Tony who has spent over eight seasons analyzing some of the most pivotal hands from World Poker Tour events.

Away from the bright lights of the WPT set, Tony is a force to be reckoned with both at the live and online felt. Tony has been putting in the work and getting great results.

Tony's experience grinding the Tournament and Cash Game scene make him a huge resource and asset for LearnWPT Members and Students. Click below to learn more about Tony...

LearnWPT Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger took 3rd place and scored $140K in the huge 2,126 entry field World Series of Poker Event#31 $1,000 buy-in Championship Main Event!

LuckyChewy is one of the best all-around players in the game today and had 8 cashes in major live tournaments in 2019 alone.

Chewy has been tearing up the virtual felt and continues to evolve and improve his game dominating both online tournament and cash games.

LuckyChewy's experience, positive mentality, and success make him a powerful resource and asset for LearnWPT Members and Students. Click below to learn more about Chewy...

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.

Johan adds this win to his impressive list of live and online career accomplishments including:

➧ WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ More Than $1 Million in Combined Online and Live Earnings
➧ PartyPoker $150K GTD Tournament Champion
➧ Final Table $5K Buy-in EPT London Main Event
➧ Multiple Cashes in $25K Events Including WPT and PokerGO Tour

Johan’s knowledge of Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker strategy has been a valuable asset in developing many of the training solutions currently available for the WPT GTO Trainer.

We are very proud to have Johan on Team LearnWPT and know that this is just the beginning of his championship success.

Congratulations Johan!
- Team LearnWPT

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.

Tony adds this win to his impressive list of live and online career accomplishments including:

➧ World Poker Tour Champion
➧ 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ 3x WSOP Circuit Ring Winner
➧ More than $5 Million combined live and online cashes
➧ World Poker Tour Lead Commentator
➧ 10+ Years as Professional Player and Respected Coach

Since the beginning of LearnWPT in 2016 Tony has been an incredible asset to LearnWPT Members providing unique insights and expert strategy advice. His experience in the booth and on the felt combine for a one of a kind perspective on the game and we are proud to have him on Team LearnWPT.

Congratulations Tony!
- Team LearnWPT

It’s easy to perform badly for a long time. Anyone can do that. Your A-game, however, is taxing. You’re utilizing recently learned skills and that requires more effort.

Even though performing at an A-game level feels, at times, natural and easy, I can assure you that experience doesn’t reflect the fact that your A-game uses a lot of mental energy and requires endurance to sustain.

While improving your mental endurance can be helpful in a variety of ways, with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) coming up, I want the poker players out there to pay special attention to this blog. Poker tournaments are intense and you need a reservoir of energy to be able to access the knowledge and skills you’ve worked on more recently, including progress in your mental game. This is especially true in the late stages of a tournament where the big money is on the line. The last thing you want is to falter down the stretch because you’re tired.

Of course, mental endurance is key in other fields. For many traders, endurance is a concept that isn’t discussed much but is still significant. This is especially true for newer traders who have yet to condition themselves to the intensity of the live market, which is very different from a typical 9-5 job. More experienced traders tend to underestimate the impact of burnout and don’t realize that strengthening endurance is key to minimizing or avoiding burnout altogether.

Mental endurance is also relevant for golfers, including me, who are trying to improve their games. But the WSOP only comes once a year and I’m going to focus my examples and advice here on tournament poker.

One of the reasons mental endurance is key is because, for all of us, the only thing guaranteed every day is the C-game.

C-game relies mainly on your unconscious. Decisions come automatically and there is no deep thinking involved. Thinking is your mind working and if it’s working, it’s burning energy. If you have to think a lot and think deeply to perform well, it’s an indication of the lack of mastery or automation of knowledge and skills. I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m simply outlining the facts.

Your A-game, on the other hand, requires effort, preparation, and the right conditions. A-game is earned, not expected. Understanding the demands of what is actually required to be able to sustain your A-game for longer periods of time can help you unlock that performance more often.

To be at your best more often, you want to expand the amount of time where you are operating in that optimal state. You need endurance. You want to be capable of making high-level decisions when you need to or, at a minimum, solid ones that are part of your B-game and don’t fall into C-game.

Decisions that require thinking burn more energy than standard decisions made automatically. Training knowledge to a deep level, on the other hand, not only builds capacity but preserves energy.

Habits and routines are energy-efficient. With a limit to how much you can think about at any one point in time, the more of your skills that are automated, or mastered to the level of Unconscious Competence, the better able you are to make quick, and accurate, decisions while burning less mental energy.

When your knowledge is part of your Unconscious Competence, performance becomes more instinctual. To be clear, I’m not saying to automate your decisions, I’m saying that by automating more of the knowledge that feeds into your decisions you preserve mental energy.

With that in mind, when preparing for the WSOP it’s important to know when to stop learning new things. There is often a tendency to want to do everything and check all the boxes, but you have to work/study with an eye towards the big moments. If you cram too much information in your head right before the series starts, you risk not having access to that knowledge readily available because of pressure, and you’ll burn more energy trying to get to it.

Cramming puts you in a compromised position from both an execution and endurance standpoint. While it can be hard to selectively choose to not try to improve areas of your game that you “theoretically” could, your ability to access that information is not guaranteed. So figure out when you’re going to stop actively learning new things, and hold yourself to it.

Of course, after that point and during the series, you can make small adjustments, because they can be easily integrated into your game. But you will play far better going in with a knowledge base that you know is solid and reliable vs. cramming for the WSOP like it’s a test in school. And let’s get real, you never took a test in school where the exam lasted 12 hours a day, and sometimes for several days in a row! So why would you approach the biggest tournament series of the year that way?

Now is the perfect opportunity to build mental endurance for the WSOP and the process is similar to the process of increasing physical endurance. As an example, if you want to run a marathon, you are not going to just show up to the race without having built a capacity to run long distances. And you likely aren’t going to start your first training run at 20 miles and build from there.

While the analogy isn’t perfect, we can use the general framework of steadily ramping up your endurance to give us ideas on how to do it in poker. Here are a few ideas that have helped clients:

• Make a realistic assessment of where you are today. For example, look at your average volume in a series like the WSOP or in years past, the prevalence and severity of mental game problems, and what your ideal WSOP schedule looks like.
• Between now and a week or two before your WSOP starts, create a training plan where you look to steadily increase your volume or duration of play, either online or live. The idea is to understand where your limit is and then push it a little more.
• To help you build endurance while playing well, use injecting logic statements and strategic reminders to help ensure you retain emotional stability and quality decision making as you push.
• Increase steadily over time. While it’s hard to be exact about how much to increase your play, I think a reasonable goal is 10% at a time. Be wary of pushing too hard and burning out instead of increasing capacity.
• We still have some time before WSOP and it’s a good opportunity to treat smaller poker events in the lead-up as a good tune-up for what’s been working tactically and an opportunity to build some mental endurance.

At the end of the day, if you want to perform at a high level, you have to fight for it. If it was easy, everyone would do it and there would be no reward.

I hope you final table a big event and that when you get there you have more energy than normal, and you can see how your opponents are tired and more vulnerable to tilt and mistakes from fatigue. This, of course, doesn’t mean you’re going to take down the title, but in a game like poker, you’ll take every advantage you can find.

If you want more content like this to help you prepare for the WSOP, including improving focus, reducing tilt, and getting in the zone more often, check out The Mental Game of Poker 2 and my video series The Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker.

-Jared Tendler

For more insight and stories from Jared visit his blog at https://jaredtendler.com/blog/

Analysis of Mental Game strategy is as important as any poker technique you can master which is why top poker players trust Jared Tendler to help maintain focus & bring their A-game to the table.

Jared's Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker video series is a step-by-step guide to prepare your mental game for sustained success and get you ready for the WSOP, WPT® World Championships, or a series at your local card room.

This step-by-step guide to preparing your mental game for sustained success during a tournament series includes:

• 8 specific training modules with 34 video lessons
• Downloadable worksheets to personalize your training
• A private community forum
• Review quizzes to reinforce your learning!

Find out why the world’s best poker players trust Jared to help them maintain focus and bring their A-Game to the table more consistently. Unlock a hidden edge in your poker game, and start working towards unshakable confidence at the table today.

Our goal for 2023 was to create new ways to help LearnWPT Members improve their poker game, learn, and have fun!

We accomplished that goal by adding new game-elevating features, advanced content, additional ways to interact with our Pros, and more. All with the help of feedback from YOU.

Here’s a Recap of the Best From 2023:

We changed the way LearnWPT Members learn, study, and analyze their stats... all from YOUR Personalized Training Dashboard!

Your LearnWPT Dashboard is designed to put you on a specific learning path and deliver content tailored to your current poker knowledge, track your recent poker training activity for quick reference, plus display your complete statistical history as a Member. Everything you need to review for efficient poker study is in 1 spot.

We added a new COURSES section! Jared Tendler's Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker course is a step-by-step guide to prepare your mental game for sustained success and is ready for purchase. We are excited to announce new courses shortly including a MTT course from Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger!

We’ve loved seeing all the effort you put into becoming a better poker player in 2023. The LearnWPT Community is made up of poker players all across the world that share a love of this great game and we couldn’t be more proud of your dedication.

Here’s a look at some of the impressive training statistics for Members that you’ve contributed to this year. WAY TO GO!

• Viewed Over 750,000 Minutes of Strategy Videos
• Tested Your Skills With 50 New Poker Hand Quizzes
• Voted 85,000+ Times to Fold, Call, Check, or Raise
• Played Over Half a Million Solved WPT GTO Trainer Hands
• Received Over 330 Answers to Ask a Pro Questions
• Submitted 190+ HIT Hands for Analysis
• Attended Over 850 Minutes of Study Sessions & Webinars

Not a Member but ready to put in the work to improve your game? Just today for just $5 your first month of Membership!

In 2023 we made it a mission to streamline your training and make learning more fun with live streams and structured Study Session Webinars exclusively for Members. Study Sessions are one of our favorite ways to help you prepare to play your best poker and get your A-Game ready for long series events.

Study Sessions & Live Streams

Our team of Instructors conducted Member exclusive live Webinars focused on the essential strategies to crush the WSOP and dominate the record breaking WPT Prime Championship and WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. In addition to teaching, several Instructors showed their poker knowledge and love for the game during live stream final table coverage of World Poker Tour Events.

It was truly an international year for Team LearnWPT and we love looking back to these exciting Streams & Sessions:

• LearnWPT On Tour Series Open on ClubWPT Live Stream With Tony Dunst & Adrian Naggy
• Live Study Session With LuckyChewy & Adrian Naggy
• Live Mental Game Session With Jared Tendler & Adrian Naggy
• WSOP Prep Live Webinar With Eric Lynch & Michael Gagliano
• WPT® Prime Vietnam High Roller Final Table Live Stream With Adrian Naggy & Johan Shultz-Pedersen
• WPT® Prime Vietnam Main Event Final Table Live Stream With Adrian Naggy & AJ Rudolph
• 6 Live Study Sessions to Prepare for The WPT® World Championship With Team LearnWPT
• WPT® Seminole Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open Championship Final Table Live Stream With Adrian Naggy & Matt Savage

Team LearnWPT On Tour With WPT

The action was truly record-breaking this year On Tour with the World Poker Tour once again creating incredible poker experiences at unparalleled destinations on the Main Tour schedule.

From coast to coast Team LearnWPT was on the scene to take part in the poker action and share good times with everyone who joined us on and off the felt. We love every minute we get to spend at these award winning destinations and the amazing staff members who helped create memorable moments in 2023.

Be sure to keep up with where Team LearnWPT will be next by checking the LearnWPT Events page!

The achievements and accolades earned by LearnWPT Students and Instructors on the felt were on full display in 2023 🏆

Whether it's outlasting over 10,000 players in the WPT Prime Championship, huge multi-million dollar scores, WSOP Bracelet wins, deep runs on the EPT, and multiple WPT Final tables, the LearnWPT Family has a lot to celebrate.

During the summer 7 week stretch in Vegas alone LearnWPT Students cashed for over $650,000 and we got to watch another LearnWPT Student take down their 1st Gold Bracelet and.

Here are some 2023 memorable moments for LearnWPT Students:

• 🥇 Tammy Abraham Won Her 1st WSOP Bracelet!
• Sergio Braga Took 5th in The WSOP Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Tournament
• Loren Cloninger Final Tabled The WSOP Seniors Tournament
• Tommy Reeves Final Tabled The WSOP Gladiators Event - the 2nd Largest Live Tournament Field in Poker History
• 👏 Bob Buckenmayer Made the Televised WPT Prime Championship Final Table

It’s no coincidence that the Instructors from Team LearnWPT have had a stellar 2023. Their love for poker and commitment to staying on top of the game shows in every Strategy Episode, Live Workshop, and response on the Ask A Pro Forum.

Some of the incredible accolades they achieved in 2023 include:

• WPT World Championship Final Table
• 1 EPT Championship Final Table
• WPT Rolling Thunder Championship Final Table
• WSOP Main Event Deep Run
• 1 WSOP Bracelet
• 2 WSOP Circuit Rings
• 1 PGT Poker Masters Title
• 2nd in a PGT Super High Roller Bowl $300K Buy-in Event
• 3rd in a WPT High Roller $25K Buy-in Event
• 25+ Major Tournament Final Tables
• Over $7M in combined tournament winnings

CONGRATULATIONS and continued success to everyone in 2024!

Most Watched Strategy Episodes:

1. EP537: Johan Schultz - Train and Explain BTN Vs BB
2. EP541: Tournament Series Prep with Johan, Tony, and Chewy
3. EP538: Tony Dunst - Poker Priorities and Motivations
4. EP305: Nick Binger - First-In Hand Ranges: Tournaments
5. EP442: GTO Train & Explain - Middle Position Vs Button Call
   

Most Voted Poker Quiz Hands:

1. A♥K♥ Preflop Vs a Limp & Raise
2. Pocket Eights Facing an All-In
3. J♠T♠ in Middle Position
4. J♦J♠ Preflop Facing a 3-Bet
5. Q♦Q♠ Facing a Flop Check-Raise

Most Played WPT GTO Trainer Packs:

1. Big Blind Call Vs Button Open - Tournament
2. Big Blind 4x 3-Bet Vs MP2 Open - Tournament
3. 3-Bet Defense OOP Vs Button 3x - Dynamic MTT
4. 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call - Final Table
5. Big Blind 3x 3-Bet Vs Small Blind Open - Cash Game

Not a Member but ready to put in the work to improve your game? Just today for just $5 your first month of Membership!

Once again Team LearnWPT was out in full force providing in-person poker education and training to Students of all skill levels!

The LearnWPT Instructors traveled the country to conduct several Workshop events from free satellite strategy seminars to interactive multi-day training events with lab sessions to kick off the WPT World Championships at Wynn Poker.

We learn so much from interacting with Students and look forward to training with everyone in person in the new year.

We’ve been truly fortunate to have your support and look forward to sharing another year full of passion for poker with you.

To all of our current, former, and future Members - THANK YOU for a great 2023 and for being a part of LearnWPT!

The LearnWPT Development Team is hard at work on several Enhanced Features and we look forward to helping your game grow in 2024.

We'll see you online,
- Team LearnWPT

During a poker tournament have you ever...

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

Sound Familiar?

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

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

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

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

Because we know the Mental Game is so important, we’re extending a special discount of $150 (enter promo code JARED150 at checkout) on Jared’s Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker through November 1, 2023.

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

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

P.S. Recommended completion time for Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker is 6 weeks so it’s the perfect time to help you gear up for the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas!

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

*Discount available through November 1, 2023

The first half of the WPT Main Tour season reaches its exciting conclusion as the best poker players on the planet head back to the incredible Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens, CA right outside of Los Angeles for the televised $5,250 World Poker Tour® Gardens Poker Championship.

The 2020 WPT Gardens Championship Event featured a who’s who of tournament poker stars and elite cash game pros, all vying for their place in poker history. The prize pool swelled to just shy of $2.5 Million with Markus Gonsalves capturing the $554,495 first prize.

If you’ve always dreamed of seeing your name in lights and having your name etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup, this May is the time to find your way to L.A.! There are plenty of ways to win your way into the $5,250 Championship Event through one of the many satellites running throughout the festival, starting at just $150.

Team LearnWPT is here to give the tools and insights you need to make a deep run in the $5,250 WPT Gardens Poker Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.

➧ Get In on the Action
➧ Meet Up with Brad & Andrew
➧ Upgrade Your First-In Strategy
➧ Prepare Your A-game
➧ Table Reads with Tony Dunst
➧ Test Your News Skills!
➧ Train With Champions

Lights, 🎥 Camera, … All-in!

The Gardens Poker Championship festival kicked off on May 15th with the $600 Mixed H.E.R.O.S Tournament. 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: Monday, May 15, 2023
End: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule

The Televised Championship event begins Sunday, May 21st with two starting flights and unlimited reentry through the start of level 9 - Click for the tournament structure.

📅 WPT Main Event Schedule:
Day 1A: Sunday, May 20, 2023 starting at 11am PT
Day 1B: Monday, May 21, 2023 starting at 11am PT
Day 2: Tuesday, May 22, 2023 starting at 12pm PT
Day 3: Wednesday, May 23, 2023 starting at 12pm PT
Day 4: Thursday May 24, 2023 starting at 12pm PT*
*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 27, 2023

Starting Thursday, 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

🎭 Take the Stage With Brad and Andrew

The Scene: Gardens Casino in Los Angeles
The Cast: Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen
The Star: YOU!

Your chance to be a part of the fun and nonstop action is here as the World Poker Tour brings the famous Meet Up Game (MUG) to the Gardens Casino - and you're invited. Beginning at 11AM Pacific Time the pioneers of poker Vlogging and creators of the MUG will kick off the $5/$5 cash game action in the Gardens Casino Poker Room.

The Los Angeles poker scene is synonymous with wild cash game action so be ready to play your share of Bomb Pots and practice your Stand Up Game Strategy.

Join us for a unique poker experience with the WPT Family, and you might even show up in Brad or Andrew’s next VLOG.

It All Starts with A Good Script 📖

Championship poker strategy and award winning movies have one key thing in common - without a solid fundamental backbone (or script) the results often are lackluster and can lead to disappointment. In poker, solid GTO based first-in hand ranges serve as the script for your entire poker story.

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.

Don't forget your copy of the Advanced 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 in your next WPT Event!

Need Help Getting Into Character?

Actors use proven techniques to get into character, often spending several months studying subtle mannerisms and perfecting accents.

If you expect to show up on the big stage at the WPT Gardens Championship final table and receive a standing ovation, you need to prepare with the same effort and intensity.

In this section from his course Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker LearnWPT Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler tells you why it’s critical to have a process for preparing to play your A-game aside from studying strategy.

“Table Reads” With Tony Dunst

In Hollywood the "Table Read" is a key for developing chemistry between co-stars and sets a tone for collaboration during production. In poker, a table read is critical for the opposite reason - to create uncertainty and exploit your opponents.

In this Strategy Episode LearnWPT Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst describes the Top 8 Tells he’s observed in live poker and gives you tips on making Table Reads that will add profit to your bottom line.

Time To Test Your Skills!

You are dealt J♦J♣ in the Big Blind at the final table of the WPT Gardens Poker Championship with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and only 3 players remain. The Button folds, the Small Blind raises to 33,750 and you reraise to 100,000.

The Small Blind goes all-in and action is back on you.

What do you do here?

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.

Are you on the way to L.A.? If you are planning to be in the action during the WPT Gardens poker festival we want to hear from you!

Share your success, show off your pictures of Brand and Andrew from the MUG, or just let us know you were there to be a part of the World Poker Tour. Follow and tag us on social media - we can’t wait to hear all about it!

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

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!

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!

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

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.

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
➧ FREE Satellite Intro Workshop
➧ Satellite Basics
➧ Satellite End Game
➧ Keys to Satellite Play
➧ Test Your News Skills!
➧ Train With Champions

Get In on the Action ...

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

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.

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).

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!

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?

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?

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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

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

⛈️ Main Event Seat Giveaway
⛈️ Get In on the Action
⛈️ Satellite Strategy
⛈️ Bounty Tournament Strategy
⛈️ Get Ready for Final Table
⛈️ The Most Important Tip
⛈️ Train With Champions

Prepare to bring the Thunder and dominate the felt!

🥇 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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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!

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!

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

Johan Schultz-Pedersen is a rising force in the poker world, powered by his dedicated study and passion for poker hand analysis.

While still very young in life at the age of 23, Johan is a seasoned veteran of online poker having racked up over $1M in cashes during his short career. Playing in the hyper competitive international online poker scene, he has amassed an impressive tally of winnings including a victory in the $1,050 buy-in $100k GTD on PartyPoker for $43,428.

While online poker has been the focus early in his career, Johan has recently taken to the live felt and secured his 1st WSOP cash with a deep run in the traditionally stacked field of the $5K 6-Max No-Limit event with a 24th place finish.

An extremely talented poker strategist, Johan is widely recognized by his peers and study partners (including LearnWPT Instructor Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger) as the go-to resource for poker strategy tools and solver technology.

Some of Johan's Accomplishments:

• More than $1 Million in online poker tournament earnings
• PartyPoker $1050 Buy-In $150K GTD Tournament Champion
• Consistent winner in high stakes $500-$1K buy-in events

Johan is a true student of the game and is constantly immersing himself in the newest tools and technologies. His love of the game, strategic mindset, and in-depth knowledge of Game Theory Optimal tools makes him an invaluable asset to LearnWPT Students.

We are excited to have a front row seat to watch Johan's path to success and to bring his contagious thirst for knowledge to our Students through upcoming Strategy Episodes and new WPT GTO Trainer scenarios.

Help us welcome Johan to the team!
-LearnWPT