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Your 2023 Poker Resolution Starter Guide

New Year’s Day is a time to make resolutions. Is this the year you move improving at poker to the top of your list for the next 12 months? The team of poker champions and expert teachers at LearnWPT are here to help you achieve these goals.

It's time to turn the page and look ahead. The new year is full of possibilities.

Whether you are a pro or just started your poker journey, progress comes from setting both short-term and long-term goals that are necessary for success.

The journey to becoming a better poker player doesn't have an end, but there are critical milestones in continuously developing your skills. You need knowledge of how poker is played and what make someone a skilled player. You need the guidance of poker professionals who know how to take strategy knowledge and apply it to real-world poker situations.


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How can you learn to play better poker in the new year?

The following list of Poker Resolutions will help jumpstart your poker game and teach you to think like a poker pro. Here are New Year’s Resolutions to play better poker from LearnWPT:

The Basics: Always Start With The 5 Keys 🔑

These 5 Key Factors are important for you to think about EVERY time you play a hand and they will guide your decisions on later streets:

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

Changing your results in poker starts with thinking about hands with the same process used by professional poker players. Start with this process to immediately upgrade your poker play, and become tougher to play against. These foundational poker strategies will help any player get better at poker fast, whether you are experienced or brand new to poker.

Get a jumpstart on your New Year’s Poker Resolutions and watch these Free Strategy Episodes from LearnWPT! Watch and add the 5 Keys to your game plan now.

Now that you've got access to the process poker pros use to make tough decisions and bluff their opponents out of big pots, it’s time to add another resolution to the list - upgrading your Mental Game!


Set Goals and Measure Your Progress

Poker strategy knowledge is just one part of many that make up a poker champion. Stressful situations at the poker table affect every player differently, and in order to avoid going on tilt and making a big mistake you need to work on your mental game.

Setting poker goals allows you to accurately measure your learning process and have proper expectations for your performance. Poker goals create a framework for how you schedule your study and play and give you motivation to focus while at the table.

Think about and set Poker Goals by:

a) Reflecting on past goals and results

Tracking your play and being honest with yourself about your performance is fundamental to success. Poker players must understand their current skill level so they know when to move up to a higher-stakes game.

b) Setting process and results-oriented goals

If you want to be successful at poker, it's important that your mindset is in the right place. Many people make unrealistic goals that lack structure and are non-specific. Instead, try making more concrete, measurable, realistic resolutions that highlight your progress.

Having big goals is a key to staying motivated for many poker players, however developing sub-goals that will allow you to feel and measure progress is essential to being a winner in the long term.

c) Understanding "why" poker is important

What is it about poker that excites and motivates you? What do you like most about it and why do you want to perform as well as possible?

Poker is a challenging strategy game that brings players together from all over the world to sit at the same table and compete. Some play for the prestige of winning a World Poker Tour® Championship, while others want to have more fun in their local home game while getting the best of their friends.

No matter why you play No-Limit Texas Hold’em, understanding your motivation will help you have more fun wherever you play.


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If you are loving these Poker Resolutions and want to make them part of your game, then a Membership with LearnWPT is the easiest and fastest way to start learning poker strategy from poker champions who are also expert teachers.

Even if you are just starting to learn poker as a new player, LearnWPT has an easy-to-use membership system with tools and coaching for players like you who are looking to learn skills directly from poker professionals.

Poker is a competitive game where strategy is constantly evolving and there is always something new to learn. Embracing a cycle of constant improvement means you can beat your competition in the long run. No matter where you are right now in your poker game, there are additional skills and concepts that you can learn and improve. We’ve got you covered at LearnWPT with more than 500 video poker strategy tutorials available.

Keeping track of your results, making notes, and creating your own system of self-analysis can be one of the best things you can do for yourself as a player. If you haven't tracked your results before or you are a beginner, this New Year’s Poker Resolution Starter Guide might be the most important one.


Setup a Feedback Loop

Evaluate play to improve faster by:

a) Creating a journal to keep track of hands

b) Writing down key details for troublesome hands

c) Setting up a feedback loop using the Hand Input Tool to record, save, and share hands that you have played so they can be analyzed by the LearnWPT Pros

Every player needs their own feedback system. Developing a process for your own hand analysis can help you uncover leaks and fix mistakes in your game. Making mistakes is part of poker. Eliminating those mistakes with a trusted community of players who will respond to your questions and offer advice is vital to growth and success in the game of poker.

Paying attention to specific details of each hand (See the 5 Keys) and capturing them for study and analysis later will have very powerful implications for your game. Record these details in shorthand on your smartphone or even bring a small notepad to the table so you can review them when you are not in the heat of battle.

Allow sufficient time to pass between play and study, as you want to remove any emotion from the situation when you analyze poker hands. This process will help you stay more objective in your analysis, especially if you exclude the results of the hand so that you and your trusted community of experts (like the Pros at Team LearnWPT) are not biased by the ultimate outcome. Focus on the decisions that lead up to the outcome instead of whether you won or lost any one specific hand in order to dramatically improve your play at the poker table.


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Will these poker resolutions help you? Want to upgrade your poker game?

Training online with Strategy Episodes, the Ask A Pro Forum, and the WPT GTO Trainer are excellent ways to start improving your game today. That’s not the only way LearnWPT can help your poker game.

If you want to jumpstart your play and become a force at the poker table, the LearnWPT Strategy Workshops are an amazing opportunity to train in person with legends of poker and receive hands-on training from poker champions. Live Training Workshops are the fastest, most comprehensive, and most fun way to radically change the way you play poker. You can even win a seat to live tournaments like the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

Online poker is a great way to play the game wherever you are. You can test the skills you gain from training on LearnWPT and play for real prizes on sites like ClubWPT. Playing online allows for flexibility in scheduling and offers a wide range of events to accommodate many players. When playing online be certain to eliminate distractions such as watching TV or engaging in social media while playing. Your focus should be on the challenge of the game, your opponents, and making the best decision in the moment. When playing and practicing poker, being present in the moment is crucial to your success in learning new concepts and making winning plays.


Now that you’ve read our Poker Resolutions Guide, what are your Poker Resolutions?

Post your answers in the comments below. Writing down your goals is a powerful way to focus your intention, and sharing them with your poker friends can help keep you motivated. You may even inspire and help others to play better poker.

It's been an excellent year for LearnWPT and the game of poker. Are you ready to see what the new one has in store?

Here's to making winning decisions in 2023!


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TRAIN - PLAY - THINK
LIKE A PRO!

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LearnWPT 2019 Year in Review

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Our goal for 2019 was to create new ways to help LearnWPT Members improve their poker game.

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

Here’s a recap of the best from 2019:

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Nick Binger and the Development Team spent most of 2019 creating the The WPT GTO Trainer where Members can now practice and learn Game Theory Optimal Strategies used by the world's greatest players by simply playing hands of poker.

The Community Forums were created in 2019 for Students to join in and discuss all things poker with Nick, Eric, LuckyChewy, and fellow Members.

We've also made it much easier to improve your game with our new Membership Tiers. Now you can choose the Membership to best fit your budget, schedule, and stage in your development

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  • Viewed 99 New Strategy Videos
  • Reviewed 100 New Poker Hands
  • Voted 224,335 times to Fold, Call, Check, or Raise
  • Played 100+ different WPT GTO Training Packs using over 1 Billion Solved Hands
  • Received 1100+ Answers to Ask a Pro Questions
  • Submitted 770+ HIT Hands for Analysis
  • Attended 315 Minutes of Webinars
  • Downloaded 12 New Studying Tools

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LearnWPT Member Sue bested a field of 1,713 to win her 1st WSOP Bracelet (and over $120K).

The World Poker Tour interviewed and featured LearnWPT Students Scott & Lisa in an article highlighting their phenomenal summer.

LearnWPT Instructors Tony Dunst and Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger had huge 2nd place wins in 2019...

Tony added $250K to his bankroll in the Baccarat Crystal World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions and Chewy banked $917K in the WSOP 50K High Roller!

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Most Watched Episodes

Most Voted Poker Hands

Most Memorable Moments

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We hosted Live Workshops in Los Angeles, Vegas, and Atlantic City which included:

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To all of our current, former, and future Members - THANK YOU for a great year 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 2020.

We'll see you online,
- LearnWPT

Creating a Winning Habit

We know, you want it all now….

The calendar has just turned over and 2020 is gonna be your year, no matter what it takes. You’re committed to making the changes that will transform your game and your life.

  • Effortless decision-making
  • A dynamic game-plan that accounts for all the situations you’ll face at the table
  • A calm and unshakable mental game
  • And maybe even to shed a few pounds from the holidays 🍗

But we both know that in order to make a real change it takes small pieces of consistent effort over time.

We see it each January... everyone rushes to join the local gym in attempt to affect change immediately. You can barely find a parking space, let alone an open treadmill or weight machine.

Fast forward to March 1st.... you can pick any machine and park with ease! Everyone who made the big commitment to exercise and make a change is gone.

So how can YOU avoid the January rush and the March drop-off in your game? Simple, commit to a cycle of constant improvement.

It’s a fact that new habits take time to form, a little over 2 months on average (p.s. 2 months of LearnWPT will cost you only $34!).

Not sure how to do that for your poker game? Here are some suggestions to get started today:


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  • Choose one section of your game that you want to improve such as preflop play, and commit to memorizing hand ranges by position. Pick a hand range to try and memorize for 15 min a day then move on to the next range.

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  • Schedule time on your calendar to study by watching Strategy Episodes on LearnWPT.com. Block out 15 mins twice a week with no distractions and watch an Episode to reinforce a strategy or to start learning a new concept.

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  • Practice strategies by playing 25 hands each day using the WPT GTO Trainer. You'll find specific leaks, narrowed down to hand categories and specific actions, by playing solved poker hands. There’s no grey area, simply play, review your Session Data, and see which leak is YOUR biggest.

Winning players train consistently to change bad habits and sharpen decision-making.

Let LearnWPT help you build the same consistency, one day at a time!

That’s what we’re here for.
-LearnWPT


PS
Join LearnWPT.com now for just $5 and you'll also have the ability to Ask a Pro all of your poker questions.

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Let’s talk about poker goals…

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But these won't be just ANY poker goals. Today we are talking about S.M.A.R.T. goals.

What are S.M.A.R.T. goals?

S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific: Instead of saying, "I'm going to start winning at poker", one could say, "I'm going to plug leaks in my cash game spending 30 minutes a week watching LearnWPT Strategy Episodes and reviewing notes I take to make sure I am applying what I learn at the table."

Measurable: Progress must be trackable. Setting concrete milestones for assessing your progress allows you to adjust based on your results. Not sure how you are doing? Ask our LearnWPT Pros along the way for their advice using the Ask a Pro or Hand Input Tool feature.

Attainable: Maybe you want to become a WPT Champion, but you haven't yet won a WPT event. Better to start with something like: "Grow my poker bankroll to $_____ where I can comfortably play in a WPT Tournament" or "Attend a LearnWPT Live Workshop for interactive professional training".

Relevant: This means that the goal fits into your real life situation, skills, and desires. An irrelevant poker goal to set would be to play poker only on days that start with the letter "T". 😉

Time-Bound: This means your goal has a "when" associated with it. That could mean, "I'll play every Saturday for the next 4 weeks", or it could mean, "I'll join LearnWPT and review a strategy video every other day for 30 days". As long as you account for time, your on your way to setting a SMART goal!

So right now... try articulating your SMART poker goal. Say it out loud to yourself, write it down, and keep it somewhere visible!

One post-it note with a SMART goal in it in the right place can work WONDERS for your motivation!!

Much success,
LearnWPT

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What is the Big Blind Ante?

Check out Matt Savage's recent article as he explains the benefits and rules of the new Big Blind Ante structure and why the World Poker Tour is adopting it.

So... what strategic adjustments should you be making because of the new BB Ante format?

The answer might surprise you....

Watch the below preview of LearnWPT Strategy Episode 237 as Nick Binger answers a Member submitted question from our Ask a Pro feature regarding adjustments for the new Big Blind Ante structure:

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Some key take aways from Matt Savages' article regarding the new Big Blind Ante structure all players should know:

  • There will be one single ante posted for the whole table by the player in the Big Blind.
  • The ante is posted first and players from any position will be eligible to win the entire ante regardless of chip stack.
  • Antes never reduce until end of tournament.
  • In regards to payouts, if two players are all-in at same table and one is in the Big Blind, (a) the Big Blind gets credit for ante first, (b) the player out of the big blind gets full credit for ante, and (c) the ante is considered dead in the pot.
  • Dealers, staff, and players alike have universally claimed how much easier and more efficient it is. Dealers do not have to remind distracted players to post their antes every hand.
  • More hands are being dealt, allowing structures to remain deeper for longer portions of tournaments.
  • There are less chips in play and less need to make change.

"The TDA and I share a mantra of consistency and, whether or not you personally agree, you should live with the change to be consistent for the benefit of the players. I know that big blind ante is a great change to no-limit hold’em poker tournaments. The big blind ante is here to stay! The bottom line is that BBA is faster and downright better!"

- Matt Savage

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIG BLIND ANTE?

Members can send us any questions or hands they've played using the BBA and receive expert answers and analysis from the LearnWPT Instructors using the popular Ask a Pro feature and Hand Input Tool.

What do you think of the new Big Blind Ante?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!


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Think Like a Pro

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

Some of the ways we accomplish this is by:

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


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

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Fix Your Game With LearnWPT!


Most poker players have the desire to succeed, but lack the tools and the proper plan to follow through on their desire.

That's where LearnWPT comes in!

We designed LearnWPT.com for poker players who need the right game-plan, playing habits, and complete strategy to become consistent winners.

When you join LearnWPT you'll get:

  • For $5 your First Month Membership gain access to our full on-demand library of Strategy Episodes, the LearnWPT features, and jump start your game-plan for success!

  • On-demand access to review and study over 450+ (and counting!) in-depth Strategy Episodes (easily watch and enjoy in 15 minutes... or less).

  • The ability to capture, save, replay, and share real hands you've played using The Hand Input Tool (HIT). Members can also receive analysis and feedback from the LearnWPT Pros!

  • The chance to ask all of your most pressing poker questions and get in-depth answers from the LearnWPT Team with the Ask a Pro Feature.

  • Sharper decision-making skills with Poker Hand Decision scenarios. Test and practice your decisions against LearnWPT Pros with a library of over 350+ (and counting!) thought provoking scenarios.

  • Downloadable Tools you can use to practice key concepts off the felt or reinforce your game plan during play.

The LearnWPT Team of Poker Coaches have taught thousands of players how to win in today's games and have over a decade of teaching experience with the World Poker Tour.

Join LearnWPT today for a permanent fix to the leaks in your game!

Everyone is improving their game, are YOU?

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Do you Play to Win, Place, or Show?

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Your poker game is at the starting gate but you're not sure how to get to the winner's circle?

To become a winning player you need to train and practice in order to change your habits and decision-making process.

But where do you start?

If You're Right at the Starting Gate:

  • Try LearnWPT for just $5 and receive access to our on-demand library of Strategy Episodes that will get your game on the right track to success.
  • You'll learn key concepts like how and when to call raises preflop, how to succeed with your preflop raises, 3-betting, position, and much more!
  • Sharpen your decision-making process using real poker scenarios. The Poker Hand Decision Area for Members is a crucial practice tool to apply what you've learned and compare your decisions to Professional Players.

If You're on Your Way to the Finish Line:

  • Upgrade to a Monthly or Yearly Membership access to our on-demand in-depth library of over 450+ Episodes (upgrade anytime on your MY ACCOUNT page). Watch and study these Episodes to improve and maintain your game on your own time.
  • Ask written or video questions about your game, hands you've played, or concepts you are unsure of and get in-depth answers with the Ask a Pro feature.
  • Practice! Deliberate application of key concepts at the tables is essential to winning at poker. Remember... amateurs play, Pros practice.

If You're Looking to Get on the Fast Track:

In the end, the champions are the ones who work hard and keep their eye on the finish line!

That's what we're here to help you do.

-LearnWPT

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LearnWPT Tip of the Day - Table Selection

Watch this LearnWPT Tip of the Day on Table Selection!

Are you taking advantage of one of the most overlooked factors that can help you win money in cash games?

All poker games are not created equal. Good poker players know this and use it to their advantage to maximize profits.

Did you know LearnWPT Strategy Episode 13 is all about Table Selection? This Episode is included as part of a LearnWPT membership. LearnWPT Members receive 2 new Episodes per week, plus the ability to ask questions and get answers directly from Pros.

To find out more about how Table Selection can help improve your game, check out LearnWPT.com today!


When you join LearnWPT for just $5 you'll get:

  • On-demand access to in-depth Strategy Episodes
  • All of your poker questions answered with Ask a Pro
  • Sharper decision-making skills with Poker Hand scenarios

Everyone else is improving their game... are you?

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