Poker Strategy
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Welcome to FTR’s Poker Strategy section! We currently have 508 free Poker Strategy articles in our ever growing archive.
These strategy articles contain as much information as you would find in multiple poker books – for free! Make sure you take advantage of this free poker strategy and poker training, on all of the topics shown below. Whether you’re a beginner, seasoned professional, cash game grinder, or tournament specialist, there is something to help take your game to the next level.
FTR has been featured by many poker websites and magazines over the years. In Bluff Magazine, Lee Jones mentioned that FlopTurnRiver.com has absolute golden information you can use to improve your game. Poker pro Chris “Wallace” Fox also recommended FlopTurnRiver.com as a free poker training site in Poker Pro Magazine. We also have many reader testimonials from our members saying FTR made them a winning poker player.
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Categories in Poker Strategy
Beginner Poker
112 Articles
Basic strategy concepts to teach new players how to play poker.
Cash Games
58 Articles
When the value of your chips actually means something.
Heads Up
6 Articles
Learn how to battle and beat your opponents, mano y mano.
Limit Hold'em
38 Articles
Strategy articles that help you bet, raise, 3-bet, and cap your bets.
Live Poker
38 Articles
Learn how to transition from online play to your local casino.
MTT
35 Articles
We teach you how to make the final table and lock up a big score.
No Limit Hold'em
182 Articles
What are the two most powerful words in poker? I’m all-in.
Omaha
14 Articles
When two cards just aren’t enough.
Open Face Chinese
4 Articles
Learn how to get those Queens up top for Fantasy Land.
Poker Dictionary
1,236 Articles
Learn the lingo and terms used by poker players.
Poker Psychology
67 Articles
The power of the mind in poker: There is no spade.
Poker Rules
14 Articles
The rules of the road. Learn how to play various forms of poker.
Poker Tools
37 Articles
Improve your game by learning how to use the tools of the trade.
Poker Videos
98 Articles
Watch and learn from the best in the world.
SNG
41 Articles
For the players who only have two decisions, shove or fold.
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Featured Poker Strategy Articles
Most Recent Articles in Poker Strategy
Intuition: Semi-Bluffing With Non-Nut Outs
When bluffing with non-nut outs in No Limit Hold’em, you have to be mindful not just of implied odds but reverse implied odds. That is, you may make your hand and still lose the pot. Thus, the situation is more dangerous than if you had outs to the nuts.
Rules for Table Selection
There are many things you can do to increase your poker skill and you should do them. However, it is unlikely that you will do anything between now and your next poker session that will dramatically increase your skill. Reading the right books, studying some articles,...
Win MTT Poker 05 – Rebuys, Strong Leads
Point 15: Thoughts on the Rebuy/Addon Tournaments The two rebuys I regularly play are the 30 dollars rebuy on Paradise at 6:00 PST and the 10 dollar rebuy on Stars at 7:15 PST. My strategy changes, but varies widely with the table make up. Sometimes you sit down on...
Pointers for Micro Stakes No Limit Holdem
(This is a post I wrote a while back which I hope will be useful for newcomers to micro-stakes NL. It should be useful up to 25NL, but it’s specifically aimed at the player of a few weeks’ experience, who understands the basics, but doesn’t know much...
No Deposit – All Returns: How to Build a Bankroll from Nothing Part II
This is part 2 in a 2 part series. Make sure to check out Part I before reading this – No Deposit – All Returns: How to Build a Bankroll from Nothing Part I Freeroll Strategies Whether you are playing the freerolls at FullTilt or PokerStars you have...
Applications and Limitations of the Alpha Value
The alpha value is one of the most important numbers in a discussion of poker because it gives you a lot of information with a simple calculation. However, it’s often applied incorrectly because of a lack of understanding of what it can and should be used for....
Texas Holdem Poker Hands Position (Full Ring)
Depending on your position, your poker hands order will change; this is especially true when the table is full. The later you are to act, the more liberal you can be with the order of the hands you choose to play. The closer you are to being first to act, the more conservative you’ll need to be.
Mac Supported Poker Rooms
Mac users don’t have it easy when it comes to online poker. But before you begin to weep uncontrollably into your ergonomic keyboard, pause for a moment and take stock. We may not be afforded the attention lavished on our Windows-using compatriots, but things aren’t...
Poker Bad Beats And You
You have a pretty looking hand and your opponent has a funny, lopsided looking hand and you’re happy to see that all the money goes in the pot. The end. Everything after that is just an illusion taking your focus away from a truth in poker. You’ve made the...
FTR SNG Strategy: Navigating the bubble Part 3
Bubble play in multi-table SNGs is often fraught with peril. If you play either too loose or too tight, you’re throwing away equity. You need to think carefully to identify who you can exploit and how to avoid being exploited by others.
Personal Attacks and the Check Raise
There’s a weird school of thought that check-raising in live poker is unfriendly or ungentlemanly behavior. But it is merely just another tool in your strategic arsenal. It’s usually not used to make a personal assault against an opponent. Use it to bet for value or bluff as usual.
Building Your Bankroll & Moving Up
So you don’t have $150 to start playing. You’ve already lost money and if you deposit any more money in your poker account your Wife/Girlfriend/Mother is going to kill you. Don’t worry! You can still play for real money. Some sites offer a promotion...
Blind Stealing 101
A few people have been posting stats threads lately and I’ve seen a trend that really needs to be addressed. Most of the people I’ve seen stats on are not stealing blinds nearly enough, and aren’t defending their blinds nearly enough. I’ve...
Betting Poker Tells
Betting patterns are one of the most important factors when reading people at the poker table. Many professionals have even stated that reads can only get you so far, but what really helps putting someone on a hand is how much a player bets, how they bet, and the...
Back to Basics (Part 1): Implied Odds
Implied odds are one of the most important things to learn on a deep level, though it’s usually learned superficially by most players.