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.
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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
Betting to Protect Your Hand in Poker
There are times when it can be profitable to bet purely for the sake of protecting your hand even when it doesn’t work out as profitable as a value bet or bluff by itself.
Dealing With Bad Beats
Recently I have seen a number of posts by newer players complaining about bad beats and suckouts and perhaps even suggesting that certain sites deliver a greater proportion of bad beats than others. There is already a sticky in the bad beat forum about this but I...
About Pot Odds and Implied Odds When Playing Draws
Surprisingly I couldn't find any posts detailing this, so I'm going to do my thing. A Common Scenario With 100bb effective stacks, EP opens for 4x preflop, there are 2 callers, and we call on the button with 9 8 . Both of the blinds call. The flop pot is now 24bb. The...
Bluff or Check? Missing the Flop in NLHE (Part 1): Introduction
There are several factors that you have to learn about when deciding whether or not to bluff when you’ve missed the flop, and we’ll cover them in detail.
Should I Fire a Second Barrel?
Written by Carl Sampson, aka The Dean, 2009. Years ago the continuation bet was a very little known poker concept. This was knowledge that only regular strong players tended to have. This is not the case anymore and continuation betting is so basic that it basically...
Chardrian’s Guide to Small Stakes Live Limit Poker (Part 9)
In live, low-stakes Limit Hold’em games, you’ll want to pay careful attention to the size of the pot. Postflop, you’ll need to know what pot odds you’re facing whenever you’re considering making a call. Be sure to know how much equity you need to call a given bet size.
Texas Holdem Expected Value Hand Charts – 7 Players
Working on preflop ranges can be difficult because you’ll almost never have a valid sample size. Check out these results from millions of 7-handed Texas Hold’em tables to see what hands are profitable for other players and what hands lose money.
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.
Online Poker Multi-Tabling Strategy
When is a good time to start Multi-Tabling? Playing multiple tables has pretty much become the norm for online poker players. Actually, it's a necessity for serious players looking to build up a bankroll or wanting to earn some regular extra spending cash. This is...
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...
Omaha Rules
Pot Limit Omaha is becoming increasingly popular especially among jaded Hold’em players. While both games contain the same flop, turn and river game-play dynamics, there are important differences, not least of which is that Omaha features four hole cards.
Hand of the Week 4B (6 Max, AQ in SB)
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Pre-flop Strategy – Starting Hand Rankings: Group 5
Ok, now here's where the play gets a bit more tricky. These hands are pretty delicate, yet still playable. Group 5: 66 55 44 33 22 KJ QTs A9s A8s QJ Now, by this point, we've drastically departed from Sklansky and the Carnegie Mellon group's hand groupings. Both...
5 Card Draw Rules
5 Card Draw is a game that’s familiar to many poker players through fondly remembered games around the kitchen table. With only two betting rounds and the possibility of replacing cards you don’t like, the game is completely different from Texas Hold’em.
Bluff or Check? Missing the Flop in NLHE (Part 4): Anticipating the Second Barrel
This week, we’re going to cover the types of things you should be considering when you’re deciding if you should fire the second barrel or not.