Featured Poker Strategy Articles
This is our hand curated section of exceptional strategy articles across all topics. Our Featured Strategy section is a treasure trove of killer poker strategies and insights ranging from managing your bankroll as a new online poker player to advanced strategies late in a MTT. With regular updates and contributions from seasoned poker players, every article aims to enhance your strategic understanding of the game. You’ll find poker strategy articles covering both live and online poker play, Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha, cash game and tournament strategies, and everything in between. Learn from some of the top poker talents at FTR and step up your game!
ISF – Forming Ranges
delves into the concept of forming hand ranges in poker, explaining that understanding the rationale behind your hand choices can help you self-repair leaks in your game
PLO Survival Guide
There's a lot of money to be made in Pot Limit Omaha, but if you're a No Limit Hold'em player, then you're likely making big mistakes. Read on to find out how to properly evaluate starting hands, estimate the value of drawing hands and control the size of the pot.
Calculating Hand Combinations
understanding hand combinations in poker, discussing the probability of specific hand occurrences, the impact of blockers on potential hand combinations, and how to quickly calculate the likelihood of certain hands based on visible cards and known blockers
Tactics vs. Strategy (Part 1): The Study of Tactics in Poker
The study of tactical play in poker is about figuring out which plays are likely to work well against certain player types and against the field as a whole.
Pot-Limit Omaha Fundamentals
Pot Limit Omaha is an exciting, action-filled game that anyone can play. But you need to be mindful of the differences between PLO and Texas Hold'em. For starters, you must use exactly two cards from your hand and exactly three from the board.
Running it Twice: The Ultimate Guide
Looking for information on running it twice in poker? In our ultimate guide we explain what it is, show examples, and give our advice on when you should and shouldn't run it twice, and more.
Using Game Theory in SNG Tournaments (Part 1): Heads Up Basics
Basic heads-up SNG scenarios are often much more complicated than they seem, and game theory helps us to understand why.
Playing No Limit Hold’em Games with an Ante
the dynamics of playing No Limit Hold'em games with an ante, explaining how the ante increases pot sizes and influences player strategies, and offers advice on how both loose and tight players can adapt to this format
Low Buy-in SNG Do’s & Dont’s
Many people are contemplating getting started in low-stakes SNGs. By following a few tips for what to do at the tables and what to avoid, you'll be well on your way to success. While you'll want to consider each decision separately, these guidelines will serve you well as you get started.
How to Decide Which Hands to 3-Bet for Value Pre-Flop
If you want to learn about how to 3-bet for value before you see the flop, you’ve found the right article. This will teach you how to 3-bet and when it’s appropriate to do so. You’ll also learn about your 3-betting range, calling range, folding range and why they are critical to your success.
Texas Holdem Starting Hands – 19 Hand Strategy
introduces a foundational strategy for new poker players, emphasizing the importance of playing a limited set of 19 strong starting hands to cultivate discipline, avoid common pitfalls, and build a solid understanding of the game before exploring more advanced tactics
Spenda’s 5 Biggest Leaks of a Losing NL Player – Leak 1
If you're a losing No Limit Hold'em player, then you probably have big leaks in your game. Always remember to consider the value of position at all times. Another thing that losing players have a problem with is controlling the size of the pot.
Bluffing In Omaha Poker
While value-betting is important in PLO, it's also important to have bluffs in your ranges. Semi-bluffs have incredible value because many drawing hands are tied with or even ahead of decent made hands. Holding blockers to the nuts can really help your bluffs succeed.
Limit Omaha High-Low Guide
Omaha High-Low is one of those rare poker games that appeals to people that like to gamble it up as well as to nits who don't like to play many hands. Good players have a substantial advantage over either category of opponents as long they remember to draw to the nuts.
Chardrian’s Guide to Live Small Stakes Limit Poker (Part 1)
first part of a guide to playing live small stakes limit poker, sharing the author's personal journey from law school to becoming a full-time poker player
Poker Hands
Find out the Ranking of Texas Holdem Poker Hands & the Order of each, from Royal Flush down to High Card, then take our hand ranking quiz!
Bankroll Management 101
Our bankroll management calculator will tell you what buy-in level for cash games, SNGs, & MTTs you should play with your current bankroll!
soupie’s Win MTT Poker Chapter 1
insights on winning multi-table tournaments (MTTs) in poker, emphasizing the importance of patience, pacing, and various strategies like tight play in the early stages, emotional control, and playing within one's financial and emotional means
Andy Holt’s Guide to Satellite Poker Tournaments
Satellite poker tournaments can be very profitable, but they require strategic adjustments from normal tournament play. You don't want to risk your stack early on because survival is more important than chip accumulation. This changes later on in the tournament.
The Psychology of Losing
You can't win every hand or tournament when playing poker. But an extended losing streak can often have severe emotional repercussions that may compound over time, causing you to lose even more. Learn how to break out of the cycle and start winning again.
Michael1123’s Multi-Table Tournament Strategy
Michael1123's multi-table tournament strategy, emphasizing the importance of position, hand selection, and adjusting to various stages of a poker tournament
Applying Sauce123 Cash Game Poker Strategy $400 NL 6 Max
discusses applying the Sauce123 strategy in $2/$4 NL 6 Max cash games of Texas Hold'em poker, focusing on maximizing content and action, even in fairly marginal spots
chardrian’s Beginner’s List of Poker Leaks
Poker is a complex, difficult game, so it's only natural for beginners to make a lot of errors. The problem is in identifying these errors -- if you knew what they were, you wouldn't be making them! Take a look at these common leaks to see if any of them are present in your game.
SnG Key Strategies
There are a lot of strategic concepts involved in proper Sit and Go play. By learning how to wield your stack as a weapon, playing appropriately tight and developing proper preflop ranges, you'll be well on your way to beating the games. You'll also need to consider what other players are doing.
Blind Stealing 101
highlights the underutilization of blind stealing and defense strategies by many poker players
Fnord’s Brick and Mortar/Live Poker Guide for Online Players
There are a few important principles to remember when transitioning to live poker play from the online tables. In live poker, you should try to maintain a fun, friendly image. You don't want the rest of the table to realize that you're playing serious poker. Beware of relying overmuch on tells.
ISF Theorem
the importance of understanding and comparing the range of hands you and your opponent might have in poker, emphasizing that if your range is ahead of your opponent's, you should bluff more, and if it's behind, you should play tighter
How, Why and When to Double Barrel in No-Limit Hold’em
In this week's column, we look at tons of different ideas that govern how, when and why to double barrel on the turn in no-limit hold'em games.
How to Determine Whether or Not to Call an All-in Bet
A tricky spot in poker tournaments is deciding whether to call when your opponent has gone all-in. You need to carefully consider the pot odds to determine how much equity you need to proceed. Then compare your hand against his range to find out if you have the needed equity.
soupie’s Win MTT Poker Chapter 16 – Building Your Stack
strategies for effectively building and maintaining a chip stack during the middle stages of a poker tournament
Continuation Betting in NL Hold’em
An easily digestible explanation of continuation betting in No Limit Texam Hold’em. This article demonstrates which hands are ideal for c-bets, which aren’t and how, when and against whom a c-bet should be used to maximize winnings. It also explains how much you should bet in certain situations.
ISF’s Heads Up Cash Game Strategies
When playing heads-up No Limit Hold'em poker, you need to modify the strategies that you would use at larger tables. Remember to focus on every hand and adjust to the specific player you're up against, because every hand you play will be against him or her.
Beating 6 Max No Limit Holdem by Sauce123
Six-max poker tables offer excitement but require a different style of play than full-ring games. You will want to remain reasonable with your opening ranges, but three-bet liberally. You should c-bet a lot, but be more cautious on future streets.
Sauce123 Common Mistakes & Strategy (6-Max $200 NLHE)
My first video. I tried to explain my thought process when going through every decision point in a hand and play in a non-standard way meant to exploit my opponents. I also tried to do some hand reading and point out some common mistakes of SSNL and MSNL players. Let me know what you think.
Taking the Next Step
In poker, it's important to keep improving your game so that you can move up in stakes. By carefully considering bankroll management, studying the player pool at your new level and approaching the bigger game with the right mindset, you can increase your chances for success.