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.

LearnWPT Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano took to the online felt this weekend to win in second career WSOP Bracelet!

Gags captured his 2nd gold bracelet and the $62,755 1st place prize after outlasting the 344-entry field in the $1,000 No-Limit World Series of Poker Turbo Deepstack Online Event #18.

In just under 6 hours of online play Gags started heads up play with an almost 2:1 chip lead and quickly got it all-in with QJs. The flop showed a Q and the rest is history.

Gags adds this win to his long list of live and online career accomplishments including:

➧ WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ More than $6 Million combined live and online cashes
➧ BGM Poker Ambassador
➧ 10+ Years as Professional Player and Respected Coach

Michael's prowess on the live and online felt and his ability to breakdown concepts and strategies for Students makes him a huge asset for LearnWPT Members.

A fierce advocate for the player, we are proud to have Gags represent Team LearnWPT

Congrats Gags! 🎉
- Team LearnWPT

Let's celebrate your success at the table - share with us on social social or email our support team at [email protected]. We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

LearnWPT Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger battled some of the most dominating players in the game today to win his 1st PokerGO Major title!

Chewy took home the title, trophy, and the $465,750 1st place prize in the $25K buy-in No-Limit Hold'em Poker Masters Event #7.

Coming into the final table second in chips, Chewy maintained his aggression, composure, and focus to emerge as the victor.

This is Chewy's first PokerGO title and second high roller victory in 2022 pushing his career earnings over $13 Million.

With a few more events on the schedule, Chewy is also in the hunt for the Poker Masters purple jacket.

Chewy adds this PokerGo win to his incredible list of career accomplishments including:

➧ WPT Alpha 8 Champion
➧ WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ High Roller Tournament winner
➧ Over $13 Million in Tournament Cashes
➧ Ranked #32 US All Time Money List

Chewy's positive mentality and mindset focused on lifelong learning and respect for the game make him a powerful asset for LearnWPT Members and Students.

We are proud to have him represent Team LearnWPT.

Congrats Chewy! 🎉
- Team LearnWPT

Let's celebrate your success at the table - share with us on social social or email our support team at [email protected]. We love to hear how LearnWPT Students are doing!

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

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

LearnWPT Instructor Brian "Alty" Altman battled some of the best poker players in the game to win his maiden World Series of Poker Bracelet this past weekend (and on his first day in Vegas!).

Brian took home the gold bracelet and $110K after outlasting 1,641 players in the $400 No-Limit Hold'em Ultra Deepstack Online Event #3. He came into the final table with an impressive 35 percent of the chips in play and was able to maintain his aggression and focus and eventually come out the victor.

Brian can now add WSOP bracelet winner to his very long list of accolades including:

➧ 3x World Poker Tour Champion
➧ 3x WSOP Circuit Ring winner
➧ High Roller Tournament winner
➧ World Poker Tour Player of the Year
➧ $6.5 Million in Tournament Cashes
➧ Ranked #7 worldwide by Global Poker Index

Brian's mindset focused on self-improvement, lifelong learning, and respect for the game make him a powerful asset for LearnWPT Members and Students.

We are proud to have him as part of Team LearnWPT.

Congrats Alty! 🎉
- Team LearnWPT

Let Brian help get you on the path to becoming a Champion with a LearnWPT Membership. Click here to learn more

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

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

To say Team LearnWPT's On Tour stop at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL this past week was successful would be a HUGE understatement!

First we were grateful to meet, teach, and collaborate with students during the LearnWPT Live at Hard Rock Tournament Workshop.

Then, two of Team LearnWPT's Instructors took down BOTH of the High Roller Events for a combined $1.3 Million in winnings 🏆🙌.

What a week! Take a look at how Brian & Chewy crushed the felt ...

High Roller Win# 1

LearnWPT Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger outlasted an elite field of Top Pros to win the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock $50K buy-in Super High Roller and took home an impressive $638K 1st prize in the No-Limit Poker Showdown Event #31.

After a memorable four hour heads-up battle LuckyChewy cracked pocket jacks with seven-six offsuit to defeat former GPI World #1 Alex Foxen for the title, the trophy, and $638,223.

This was the third largest Super High Roller in Seminole Hard Rock history, generating a prizepool worth more than $1.8 million.

LuckyChewy's experience, positive mentality, and success make him a powerful resource and asset for LearnWPT Members and Students.

Want to train and learn from the best? Join LuckyChewy at one of the upcoming LearnWPT Live Interactive Tournament Strategy Workshops in Choctaw-Durant and The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas PLUS get the chance to win a seat into a WPT Main Event!

High Roller Win# 2

LearnWPT Instructor Brian "Alty" Altman outlasted some of the best in the game to win the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock $25,500 buy-in High Roller and took home an impressive $692K 1st prize in the No-Limit Poker Showdown Event #44.

Brian came into the final table as the chip lead and was able to maintain his aggression and focus to defeat Jerry Wong and former GPI World #1 Chance Kornuth for the title, the trophy, and $692,661.

This was the second largest Super High Roller in Seminole Hard Rock history, generating a prizepool worth more than $3.2 million — more than triple the guarantee.

Brian's mindset focused on self-improvement, lifelong learning, and respect of the game make him a powerful asset for LearnWPT Members and Students.

Learn The Championship Mindset! Train with Brian at the May 9-11, 2022 LearnWPT Live at Choctaw-Durant Tournament Strategy Workshop with Interactive Lab Session PLUS you'll also have the chance to win a seat into a $3,800 WPT Main Event!

Congrats to Chewy & Alty!
-Team LearnWPT

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

Twitter @LearnWPT | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt

Have a question about LearnWPT? Contact the Support Team at [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

Making a commitment to study poker seems silly to some people.

In fact, I am sure you’ve often heard it from friends, co-workers, and family members: “Poker is gambling and at the end of the day, you need to be lucky to win at gambling”.

The next time you hear this all too familiar refrain, show them to this tweet from LearnWPT Instructor Tony Dunst...

However, shaping yourself into an elite and skilled poker player requires you to be open to learning, to be eager to improve, and to be dedicated to staying on the top of your game.

Tony Dunst, LearnWPT Instructor, WPT commentator, WPT Champion, 2x WSOP Bracelet Winner, and WSOP Circuit Ring winner, with more than $4 Million in live poker tournament winnings, is here to provide you with exclusive access to winning cash game and poker tournament strategies, detailed poker hand analysis and how to think through every street, GTO play, adjusting for known opponent tendencies, and what it takes to play On Tour.

There's no denying Tony’s resume as a world-class player, and he’s dedicated to improvement through his own study and collaboration with close friend and fellow LearnWPT Instructor Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger.

So, you should take this world-class player’s example and start your study plan today with a $5 first month membership to LearnWPT.com.

In his video Strategy Episodes, Tony focuses on:

➧ Key aspects of playing better poker including betting decisions under ICM pressure

➧ Advanced strategies that professional poker players use to adjust when big money is on the line

➧ Maintaining focus to be ready to play your A-game in crucial times

➧ How to target common leaks in your opponents

➧ Key study techniques Pros use to keep at the top of the game

➧ Optimal strategies for playing postflop after 3-betting preflop

➧ Answering questions from LearnWPT members

Get unfettered access to hear Tony review hands and outline his approach to staying mentally and physically fit for poker, reveal his top 10 player notes he takes during sessions, compare the mindset of a professional poker player vs a recreational player and provide key adjustments for transitioning from making deep runs to winning tournaments.

To give you some extra motivation and show you how dedication to study helped Tony have one of his best years ever as a Pro, you'll get exclusive access to Tony’s Strategy Episodes (48 videos!) as part of your $5 First Month Membership to LearnWPT.com.

Join today and get started on proving all the doubters wrong and get on a path to constant improvement (like Tony did!).

As part of your $5 First month membership, you’ll get access to a Strategy Episode where Tony discusses 4 recent hands he played from a $1000 buy-in online final table.

Watch this Episode To Learn Critical Strategies For:
➧ 3-betting with pocket jacks when ICM Is in play
➧ Continuation bet sizing to target specific stacks
➧ Knowing when to get away from your hand vs a turn lead
➧ How to react when your opponent leads on the river

In another episode, Tony focuses on physical fitness and how it can affect your poker performance, providing you with tips on how to use a healthy lifestyle to increase performance and stamina.

Being attentive to the energy consumed vs. energy expended, employing daily caloric calculators, and learning how to play your best depending on your diet are just some of the things that Tony touches upon in this episode. As physical fitness is essential for prolonged focus during sessions full of long hours, it is important to use increased focus to your advantage and to stay present and avoid auto piloting. You should also choose a key phrase to help you stay mindful and reset your state after losing a big pot, and use mental fitness to equip you with better mistake recognition strategies.

Follow Tony’s example and start your study plan today with a $5 first Month Membership to LearnWPT.com. You'll get exclusive access to Tony’s library of Strategy Episodes (48 videos) as part of your $5 First Month Membership to LearnWPT.com.

It'll be the best $5 investment you can make to get on the road to poker success!

Study hard and play well,
-LearnWPT

Brian Altman or "Alty" as he is known by fellow rounders on the virtual and live poker felt, has been playing poker professionally for almost 15 years and is universally considered to be one of the greatest tournament players in the world.

His career successes include $5.7 million in worldwide tournament earnings in live poker alone. Brian's record on the WPT Main Tour is nothing short of stellar, including 3 World Poker Tour titles, 7 final table appearances, and honors as Season XVIII Player of the Year.

Brian has demonstrated a level of consistency and execution in the most high pressure spots that is seldom matched by his peers. In 2015 Brian won his first WPT Title at the Season XIII Lucky Hearts Poker Open in a $3500 buy-in event. "Alty" proved triumphant by outlasting an entire field of 1,027 players, earning $723,008.

Alty followed up his Season XIII win by outlasting the competition and came out the victor at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open in Season XVIII giving him the distinction of being the only poker player to win the same WPT Event in back to back seasons.

During the recent Play Better Poker with LearnWPT Live Stream, Brian sat down with fellow LearnWPT Instructor Katie Stone to talk about his success in playing poker tournaments and the importance of maintaining a mindset for growth and learning. Check out the interview with Brian and Katie here.

Some of Brian Altman's Accomplishments:

• 3x World Poker Tour Champion
• 3x WSOP Circuit Ring Winner
• WPT Season XVIII Player of the Year
• More than $5.7 million in live tournament earnings alone
• Multiple Final Table Appearances in High Profile Tournaments including WPT, WSOP, and PokerStars

Brian's success is born from a mindset focused on self-improvement and lifelong learning. His respect for and dedication to the game make him the ideal ambassador to represent LearnWPT and the game of poker.

We are excited to bring Brian's winning style and championship mindset to our Students through upcoming Strategy Episodes, Live Webinars, and Workshops.

Help us welcome Alty to the team!
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These Top 10 Online Poker Tells will help you identify opponents' tendencies at the table, learn how to adjust to certain poker player types, become more skilled at reading poker opponents, and exploit population tendencies in your poker game.

This list is created by Tony Dunst, WPT Commentator, LearnWPT Instructor, professional poker player, WPT Champion, 2x WSOP Bracelet, and WSOP Circuit Ring winner. Tony recently did an in-depth hand history review of a tournament where he made a deep run featuring the Top 10 Online Poker Tells.

Check out his most common notes on opponents below:

► #1 Poker Tell: Opens Too Wide

► #2 Poker Tell: Straightforward in Big Spots

► #3 Poker Tell: Flat Calls Too Wide Preflop

► #4 Poker Tell: Passive Postflop with No Showdown Value

► #5 Poker Tell: Open Shoves Too Wide

► #6 Poker Tell: Flat Call or Small Reraise Instead of Shoving

► #7 Poker Tell: Reshoves Too Wide Preflop

► #8 Poker Tell: Calls Down Too Wide Postflop

► #9 Poker Tell: Bluffs Too Wide Postflop

► #10 Poker Tell: Not ICM Conscious

#1 Poker Tell: Opens Too Wide

This is a note that Tony takes most often, and it refers to catching your opponent's opening with too many hands, which is pretty common in MTTs and poker in general, but especially in poker tournaments since people have a stronger incentive to open wide.

With a solid grasp of what your own opening ranges are supposed to be, you can have a better understanding of what people should be opening. When you are in the early stages of a deep-stacked tournament, Tony suggests 3-Betting wider ranges for value when deep.

Opening too wide from an early position makes defending your range almost impossible!

The benefit of using a fairly linear range (i.e. mostly good hands with strong playability post-flop) allows you to systematically broaden your range and take advantage of a poker player opening too wide.

If you see an opponent opening too wide, which is often accompanied by them calling 3-Bets too wide, the hands in your linear range for that position become automatic 3-Bets.

With a player who opens too wide, you need to take all of the hands that mix calling and shoving and turn them into really profitable shoves.

For example, if the Cutoff opens and you have 25 big blinds in the small blind, Tony suggests to start mixing suited combinations of A9, K9,J9, T8, 98, and KJ offsuit as 3-Bets, and flatting A2 and A3 suited against those who open too wide. This is a very simple and profitable adjustment to make against opponents with the tendency to open wider preflop.

#2 Poker Tell: Straightforward in Big Spots

The second most common note Tony takes on his opponents is particularly true at the low to mid-stakes online, and in live poker. This note means that in general, your opponent is going to be under bluffing, particularly when 3-Betting, 4-Betting, check-raising you on the flop, raising you on the turn, raising over your river bet, or other big spots where they have to put in a large percentage of their stack.

This type of player can also be identified through how they talk about poker and hands at the table and are often observed as hesitant and skeptical with regard to both wasting chips and bluffing their stack away.

These opponents are simply way too straightforward in big spots, which provides you with a cheat code and an opportunity to fold everything unless you've got the goods. The counter adjustment is achieved by opening with a tighter range of hands against a player who is straightforward in big spots and folds all of your marginal opens to their 3-bets.

Tony suggests that in heads-up pots vs these kinds of players you can make an exploitative adjustment.

Against this specific player it is acceptable to flat call with pocket aces and allow them to take the lead postflop as they will likely be betting strong with hands they enter the pot with.

#3 Poker Tell: Flat Calls Too Wide Preflop

Tony sees this frequently with the low to medium midstakes players who tend to flat call with too many of the offsuit Ace and offsuit Broadway combinations.

Sometimes players flat pairs in spots where they are too short stacked to do so, so against this type of opponent you can bet wider against them as a bluff, because they often flat too many hands preflop that don't connect.

Consider this example: you're out of position, your opponent flats, you get a scattered flop and you're supposed to mix between betting and checking.

Against a player who's flatting too much wide preflop, you can start to make money by using a much more frequent small C-bet sizing.

Another strategy against opponents who flat too wide preflop is to barrel down (bet out on the flop, turn, and river) wider against them because it is tougher for them to get to turns and rivers with strong hands when their ranges broaden preflop to include many more random second pair or third pair combinations.

You can put a great deal of pressure on these kinds of players on the later streets because they get there with weaker ranges.

#4 Poker Tell: Passive Postflop with No Showdown Value

This is a tendency you see from players who are passive and don't realize that they are supposed to be bluffing fairly often when they have no showdown value.

This kind of player calls out of the big blind when you open in late position, and will continue vs a c-bet fairly often while holding a capped wide range when something favorable hits your range on the board, such as King-High or Ace-High.

When the river misses your hand and most of the plausible draws and your opponent has not shown aggression, you might start contemplating bluffing them off it.

Against these players, Tony suggests taking more showdowns with high card hands instead of trying to bluff them.

Here is an example to illustrate this concept further: You open a 87 Suited, you see that the flop is bad for your range, the turn and river is a brick, but you don't beat the draws and your opponent checks to you. Since now it's clear that this player is very passive with no showdown hands, they have gotten to this river and checked to you with more hands that don't really have showdown value. In this spot you should turn more of these types of hands into bluffs against the passive player type.

In addition, you should focus on being more passive with any hand that can showdown and win vs a player who takes a passive line postflop with hands that have no showdown value, and at the same time become more aggressive with the hands that you can absolutely never showdown.

#5 Poker Tell: Open Shoves Too Wide

This is a pretty common mistake amongst MTT players and many still have outdated ideas about shoving ranges.

For instance, if someone has 10 big blinds in the middle position, many players would assume any Ace is acceptable to shove all-in with preflop, and that's not actually the case.

With 10 big blinds in Middle Position 2 (MP2) you should mostly be folding A2 through A6, as well as hands including JT, QT and KT. If you spot players open shoving too wide in the 10-15 blind zone, it may fold to you in the Small or Big Blind, and you now have a significant advantage especially if you can identify the types of hands that they open or shove too wide with.

As another example, if you do see a wide opponent shove from an early position with 10 big blinds and it folds you in the big blind with A6, now you have a clear call. Against players who are shoving too tight, who jam 10 big blinds from an early position and you're in the Big Blind with a hand as weak as A6, there are a lot of players you should go ahead and make that fold against.

Having players at your table who open shove too wide is actually beneficial, as you will be able to make more money off of those players as they present you with opportunity to call getting good odds.

#6 Poker Tell: Flat Call or Small Reraise Instead of Shoving

Tony says he takes this note in tournaments 'all day long'.

Most players who make this mistake don't even realize that they are playing face up when they do it, and you will see this happen all the time in tournaments.

Here is a common scenario to help illustrate the concept: The player on the button has 18 to 22 big blinds and a stack that is mostly flatting or jamming, without any hands that 3-bet with a small sizing in their range. You're supposed to jam a lot of the pairs, the suited broadways, both strong offsuit aces and suited low aces including A5 suited, as well as a mix of the A4, A3 and A7 suited combinations.

As observed by Tony, many players jam a lot of these medium-strong hands and3-bet small with only aces and kings, and they never balance that by 3-betting small with a hand like A9 offsuit for instance.

Another common example to illustrate this concept is a scenario where you open raise, and an opponent calls. You get the flop with top pair and continuation bet, they call, you barrel the turn intending to barrel down for value, and instead of calling, your opponent hits you with a min-raise on the turn.

Once you identify a player using these small raises when they should be shoving, it's safe to assume that they will not find the bluffs until proven otherwise and that you should overfold these spots. This opponent is doing you a favor, just turning their hand face up, and you must be observant to this and make some very snug folds as an adjustment.

#7 Poker Tell: Reshoves Too Wide Preflop

While this tell is not quite as common as some of the others Tony has listed, this tendency is definitely something you want to keep an eye on.

Consider a scenario with 20 big blinds deep in the Small Blind facing an open raise vs the Cutoff. In this scenario, you're jamming all the pairs, all of the suited broadways, mostly except KJs and including A9, A8o, K9s, Q9s, K8s, plus some suited connectors such as 98s.

You will definitely catch players who reshove this spot way too wide, jamming, reshoving too many off-suit ace combos anytime they have a broadway combo. While these hands may seem like attractive and profitable reshoves in this spot, these hands actually don't fare really well with low to medium offsuit Aces as reshoves, because they have bad equity against the calling ranges of the opener.

When you spot somebody reshoving with a high frequency using offsuit Aces, all of the pairs that you were borderline become calls, and all of the medium aces become automatic calls.

Widen your calling ranges and be careful with broadway combos like KQ in your range if your opponent is observed reshoving offsuit aces too much, assuming it's not a suited broadway that retains a lot of equity.

#8 Poker Tell: Calls Down Too Wide Postflop

Not everybody who calls down too wide postflop is just a flat-out fishy calling station, however, a lot of players have a tendency to get a bit too sticky to top-pair hands, when their relative hand strength has been negated from the runout on the board.

Against this kind of player, Tony suggests doing more of the value betting yourself and less balancing through checking when you're the out-of-position player.

This recommendation is because there are a lot of situations where we open in the middle position, a player calls us on the button, and we mix betting and checking.

Be cautious in this spot not to bet the hands that may be a mix of combos in this player’s bluffing range, as well as to bet and barrel the hands that are top pair more frequently. In a spot where for example you open AJ and flop top pair, and get flat called on the flop and turn, you just need to bet the river for value.

As this type of player enters with more second-best hands and gets married to those second-best hands postflop, you should look to bet in order to maximize the value of your strong or medium-strong hands, as well as to bluff them a lot less frequently. When facing an opponent who loves to call down, it’s critical to not try and bluff them.

#9 Poker Tell: Bluffs Too Wide Postflop

While this is a far less common tell than most, there is a specific player type that will favor bluffing postflop with a too high frequency.

Against this type of player, we want to mix between betting and checking.

Tony suggests checking many more of our strong hands and sometimes hands with moderate showdown value, often having to take many more hands to showdown vs larger bet sizing on average.

Once you identify somebody who loves bluffing too much postflop, it might be beneficial to let them have the lead as often as possible. With our strongest hands against these opponents, we can start playing more lines where we check/call flops, call turn, and raise the river.

When you're in doubt whether this player is going to do enough betting for you to get max value on a big hand, Tony suggests checking to them frequently, given that you have a hand that's happy to call down.

When you find yourself on a turn or a river and you're facing a tough decision to call and you have a hand with showdown value, these spots start to become automatic calls.

Against frequent bluffers with wide ranges you can set up opponents by just checking to them over and over again, letting them spew right on into you.

#10 Poker Tell: Not ICM Conscious

With the Independent Chip Model or ICM Poker being crucial when it comes to improving your game and forming valuable strategies, this is an approach Tony says he pays a lot of attention to.

For both on bubble situations and at final tables, ICM has a very strong influence on decision making and the way stack sizes can be played. If for example, we're the big chip leader in a tournament field where everyone is very ICM conscious, we get to pummel opponents because they know they're supposed to fold.

However, if you are a big chip leader and everyone around you is not concerned with making money, and it's just players calling off preflop shoving way too wide, then you end up being more constricted and you should tighten it up.

Against players who are not ICM conscious, if you keep playing aggressive opponents will push back on you and you end up being the one who's responsible for those ICM mistakes.

Consequently, it is critical to remember that if you're a big stack and the players around you are not ICM conscious, you won't be able to exploit that situation as much as you'd like.

Simply by sitting back and waiting for other players to get involved, you'll be able to make progress at the final table as players will bust earlier than they should and ultimately help you ladder up the pay scale.

ICM is an area of poker study that most MTT players should focus on more, as these strategies will be one of the best ways to increase your profit against these fields.

Using these winning strategies and Tony Dunst’s Top 10 Online Poker Tells to your best advantage during your next poker tournament, you’ll continue to minimize mistakes and maximize your opportunity to accumulate chips and ultimately win tournaments!

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