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.
To discuss any of the poker strategy articles you find on our site, make sure to sign up for a free account in our poker forum. Let us help you become a winning player!
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.
Play Online Poker
$88: No Deposit Required
All new players can claim up to $88 absolutely free.
Mobile Poker
Play from any device – PC, Mac, Mobile, or Tablet.
$600 Exclusive Deposit Bonus
FTR players can claim up to $600 on their first deposit.
Easy Deposits, Fast Cashouts
Many payment methods available for instant deposits.
Claim Your $600 New Player Bonus at 888
Get $88 free, no deposit required, just to try poker at 888! When you’re ready to make your first deposit, FTR members will receive up to $600 free. Don’t hesitate, sign up today!
Featured Poker Strategy Articles
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.
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.
Most Recent Articles in Poker Strategy
Picking Up Poker Tells With Your Eyes Closed
Picking up on how players breathe can be a very big tell. For example, if you notice a sudden change in how they are breathing, maybe by their chest or if you can hear it, they probably made their hand. If they suddenly start heaving and their chest is expanding more...
Avoiding Tilt
{Discuss here: https://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerforum/beginners-circle/discussion-taking-breaks-and-avoiding-tilt-a-117347.html} HOW TO PROFITABLY NOT PLAY POKER Well I haven’t written a useful strategy post in a while, so what better time to write one than now! Now...
Be Vito, not Cyclone Hart
I've been reading about the psychology of winning lately, and I came across this interesting anecdote from a New York Times article: --- Cyclone Hart was a powerful puncher who fought as a middleweight out of Philadelphia about 25 years ago. He was as dangerous a...
Independent Chip Model/ICM Calculations
I'm not going to cover the theory underlying ICM as this has been covered much more comprehensively elsewhere (Link here), so these posts are intended to be a step-by-step guide to the following situations that cannot be calculated using SNGPT (note that SNG Wiz...
Microstakes Grinding
Most players who are new to online poker will start at the lowest stakes possible, commonly known as “Microstakes”. In general, microstakes are considered to be any poker stakes up to $0.10/$0.25 blinds in NL and $0.50/$1.00 in Limit games. The concept of...
Jared Tendler AMA: Spotting & Preventing Tilt
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZKe1xbZm8[/youtube] Jared Tendler, author of the Mental Game of Poker, came to FTR recently to...
FTR SNG Strategy: Maximizing value in HU situations Part 3
Heads-up play in a Sit and Go tournament is different from normal play at a larger table. Your ranges will need to be very wide. By winning more than your fair share of HU duels, you’ll be able to increase your ROI and profits in any SNG especially multi-table SNGs.
Finding the Motivation to Improve at Poker
Poker motivation can be difficult to find to say the least, and having a strong support system is one of the best ways to keep pushing forward.
Win MTT Poker 15 – Winning, Tough Calls
Point 45: What to do When You Win? Winning a large tournament can be quite a high, your bank roll gets a tremendous boost and you feel like the best player in the world. Very likely there are quite a few people who are happy with you, spouses, parents, etc. All of...
Poker Tells – Top/Most Common Poker Tells!
Poker tells are one of the most important aspects of poker, however they are often deemed less important than the math involved. While playing, it is crucial to observe your opponents in order to get clues as to the cards they are holding or the actions they may take....
OFC Beginners Guide: Introduction
An introduction to Open Face Chinese Poker for beginner’s looking to play. This is the start of a multi-part guide which will (hopefully) take you from a completely new player, to understanding the basics and get you on your way to becoming a winning player.
Poker Hands Odds
Have you ever wondered what the percentage and odds are of certain poker hands? How much of a favorite are you with Aces against Kings? How often will the flush draw hit and crack your Queens? Is the best hand on the flop ever an underdog? We answer all of these...
Poker Ploys – Poker Tells & Poker Ploys
Basically, a poker ploy is a maneuver or strategy that a player utilizes to gain the advantage, and/or to win the pot. These poker ploys are techniques that you yourself can use to obtain information, and others may use against you to try and trick you. For example,...
Moving from $.25/.50 to $.50/1.00
After making 300 BB at $.25/.5 (or you have $300, both will work), then you should move to $.5/1. You need to play the $.5/1 at document.write(FullTiltA);document.write(FullTiltB); until you have reached $500 in your account, essentially 200 BB over the minimum. If...
3 Extremely Useful Methods to Recognizing a Read
Goal: to know the cards of your opponent. If you can obtain that information (through legal and accepted means!), you are on your way to making a lot of money. The study of reading your opponent is a never ending endeavor, because making your reads is going to be...