Poker Strategy
FTR will turn you into a winning poker player!
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
Bankroll Management 101
Bankroll Management Calculator The above tool will help determine which buy-in level you should be playing at, based on the size of your current bankroll. It will give you 3...
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.
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.
ISF Theorem
Amazingly, when I was high yesterday from some horrible weed, I came to a breakthrough thought in my poker game. I called sauce up and explained to him what I just realized and he had no idea why it was so amazing. It took me awhile, but then I realized that the...
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.
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.
Most Recent Articles in Poker Strategy
The Importance of Bonuses and Rakeback
This month at 100nl on PokerStars I've paid $0.056/hand in rake after a sample of ~50k hands. Since I get about 750 hands/hour, this amounts to about $42/hour. This is also 2.8 ptbb/100. To make sure the peoples of the Beginner's Circle understand this properly: if in...
PokerStars Sit And Gos – 8 Game
Click here to read our PokerStars Review. PokerStars recently introduced a new mixed-game, 8-game, to their games. 8-game combines eight different poker games in a 6max format, testing a player’s ability in a wide variety of games. 8-game can be played in both a...
Bankroll Management 101
Bankroll Management Calculator The above tool will help determine which buy-in level you should be playing at, based on the size of your current bankroll. It will give you 3...
Radashack’s MTT Tournament Advice Part 2
This is a continuation of Radashack's essay on Multi-Table Tournament advice and strategies. Click here to read Radashack's MTT Tournament Advice Part 1. Your Why A large part of success is understanding your motivation to be successful (in anything). So why do you...
Adjusting to Fish in Low-Stakes 6-Max Limit Hold’em
Strange as it may seem, many players who go looking for weak players in poker games end up not knowing what to do once they find them. Quite often they make the wrong adjustments and end up either recycling money or becoming frustrated and thus leaving what are...
An Introduction to Game Theory in Poker
A reader-friendly, easy to understand explanation of game theory and its applications in poker. Explaining the differences between theoretical terms such as strategy, strategic options, domination and exploitation, the article teaches players how to use these principles to maximize their winnings.
Higher Stakes MTT Strategy
There are big differences between low-stakes MTTs and tournaments at higher levels. In larger tourneys, there are fewer loose-passive players and more tight-aggressive opponents. It’s important to be able to mix up your ranges a bit so that you can’t be easily read.
Win MTT Poker 04 – Blinds, Weak Bets
Point 12: Consider the Blinds. A recurring theme of several posts is something like " I am a great player until about 3/4 of the way through then I never seem to make the money" or "I just cant get to the final table." Below is posted a blind structure I lifted from...
chardrian’s Guide to Live Small Stakes Limit Poker (Part 10)
When playing live Limit Texas Hold’em, you’ll need to know how many outs you have when drawing. Sometimes, this is easy, but if your outs are not to the nuts, you’ll need to learn how to estimate and discount them. Don’t forget to include your backdoor draws.
The Math of Poker
I have just read a thread in which people said "poker is not all about maths," "luck is a factor in poker," "it is not always right to take +$EV decisions." I am now going to show that everything in poker can be expressed mathematically, and prove that those people...
PokerStars SnG Tournaments – Types/Definitions/Descriptions
Click here to read our PokerStars Review. Have you ever wondered what Sit & Go tournaments were available on PokerStars in your favorite games? Have you ever wondered what the buyin levels were, so you could plan your moves up? Well, wonder no more. We here at FTR...
Comparing and Evaluating Different Bluffing Lines
Sometimes there are different ways to try to exploit a player who folds a lot in a certain scenario, and you're going to have to decide which way will work out the best for you. We're going to look at the factors that determine how much value we're getting and look at...
Limit vs No Limit Texas Holdem Poker
Limit Texas Holdem vs. No Limit Texas Holdem – the debate goes on. Which game should you master? Well, everyone here at FTR has their own opinion. We have very skilled and profitable players profiting from both forms of the game. I have my opinion too, and No Limit...
Brodie’s Brick and Mortar Guide for Online Players
Brodie discusses games, seats and opposition in the brick and mortar poker setting. DaNutsInYoEye suggested that someone write up a brief guide to playing poker in B&M venues. I do a fair amount of B&M playing, so I thought I'd start it out as sort of a series...
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.