In His Own Words

"I started playing poker in 2015 with very little knowledge, no understanding and absolutely no strategy.

That year, I finished 2nd in the first live tournament I entered, pocketed $347 and had no more success for the rest of the year.

I entered 2016 with the same arsenal of skills, played 12 tournaments and cashed a grand total of $400. Then I decided, prodded by the WPT commercials with Mike & Vince to join.

The following month I rode my top 6 lessons; Preflop Raise Sizing, Preflop Calling, Multiway Pots [Number of Opponents], Board Texture, C-Bets and Position to a satellite tournament win on a cruise ship.

I won a second cruise valued at $3,800 and a $750 entry into the $100,000 tournament on the new cruise. I was amazed at the difference just a few lessons had made in my understanding of Hold'em. I now had the beginnings of an actual strategy!

Last year, I played 71 tournaments, mostly in Las Vegas. I won 11 of them and added 8 more cashes. My total winnings for 2017: $4,296

Enough Said! Thank You Nick Binger."

The 6 Episodes Rhode Studied

1. Preflop Raise Sizing (Episode 2)
2. Preflop Calling (Episode 3)
3. Number of Opponents (Episode 6)
4. Board Texture (Episode 8)
5. Continuation Betting (Episode 11)
6. Position (Episode 16)

Why This Story Stands Out

Rhode didn’t overhaul his game overnight. He picked six fundamentals, studied them away from the table and applied them when he played. That steady, focused approach is exactly what we see in our most successful students.

Congratulations, Rhode, and thank you for sharing your story!

Thank you for all the feedback about the Poker Hand emails!

Our purpose of these emails is to get students of poker to put your thinking caps on, test your decision-making skills, and understand why our Pros make the moves they make for long-term results.

Here's a collection of our most thought-provoking Poker Hands of the month:

1. Big Draw in a Multiway Pot
2. Flopped Trips with K♦J♦
3. Check-Raise on the Turn
4. Missed the Flop in a Multiway Pot
   

Building a habit of thinking about poker away from the table will improve your game and how you will Learn to Think Like a Pro!

That's why we ask that you read these articles to keep you thinking and learning about poker... be sure to let us know how you would have played it using the comments section below each Pro answer.

We'll see you online,
-Fearless River

PS: a Membership with Fearless River is the easiest and fastest way to add more levels of complexity and nuance to your game.

We've been listening to all the feedback from everyone and love hearing how you're using the "Poker Hands" emails to practice your decision making and improve your game.

We'll keep sending them, but here's a collection of your favorite and most discussed Poker Hands of the month.

1. Q♥Q♣ vs a 3-Bet
2. Big Draw vs a C-Bet
3. A♠Q♠ in the Big Blind
4. Under the Gun with A♠T♥
   

Amateurs play, Pros practice!

​​Deliberate application of key concepts at the table and constant practice of your decision-making skills is essential for success in No-Limit Hold'em.

That's why we ask that you read these articles and keep practicing your decision making skills... even if you don't always agree with our analysis (keep those comments coming)!

-Fearless River

PS: a Membership with Fearless River is the easiest and fastest way to start adding more levels of complexity and nuance to your game.

When we created Fearless River, our goal was to help improve the games of poker players who love the game as much as we do.

We hear from students all the time about their progress at the tables, and some stories stay with us. Tazo and Shirley from Las Vegas wrote to tell us how studying poker together had changed their lives.

In Their Own Words

"My wife, Shirley, and I have more than 150 years combined. I am in my 71st year as a retired entrepreneur and Shirley is in her 81st year as a retired nurse and long-time Vegas resident.

I have dabbled at poker for a number of years. A few years ago Shirley asked me to teach her. I told her that poker takes a lot of work, and like the piano, not many take it up late in life… she took my casual comment as “fighting words” and immediately responded to the challenge! You need to know, Shirley helped her first husband host small family poker games in their basement more than forty years ago…she did the food and snacks…she never played…only the guys…some notable names...

I had books, some old DVDs, poker notes from over the years, but nothing coherent and certainly nothing presented in short digestible lessons. That’s when I tried your training on a weekly then monthly basis and for the last half year, I have subscribed for a year. The bottom line, playing and learning how to actually have a winning tournament poker "game" at our age has changed our lives dramatically!

We play at lower levels in Vegas, buy-ins in $80 to $250 ranges, but both cash consistently, in 30-35% range, and played 300+ tournaments last year. Since we both have some medical constraints…only occasionally do we attempt deeper stack tournaments. We have done quite well early last year at Binion’s when they had their $10,000 guaranteed for $160 buy-in. In the past few months, while Shirley has been recovering from a knee replacement, I have played deeper stack tournaments a few times a month at The Mirage, Aria, and The Venetian…but again in the $150 to $250 buy-in range.

We find that our elderly ailments and old age pains completely disappear when we are at a poker table focusing on Nick Binger's fundamental approach to understanding what is going on and how we can exploit situations.

Poker definitely keeps our mental game engaged and focused, not only do we love it, but clearly it is extremely healthy!

We thought that since most of your members are younger, you should know that there is a need for two old new revitalized poker players!

Thanks, Tazo and Shirley."

Why This Story Stands Out

Tazo and Shirley approached poker the right way: steady, modest study away from the table, consistent play and a lot of fun along the way. Their story is proof that it’s never too late to learn something new or to get better at it.

Congratulations, Tazo and Shirley! Thank you for sharing your story and keep on studying.

When you join Fearless River for just $5 you'll get:

• On-demand access to in-depth Strategy Episodes
• All of your poker questions answered with Ask a Pro
• Sharper decision-making skills with Poker Hand scenarios
• Downloadable Tools you can use at and away from the tables

Everyone else is improving their game... are you?

DECISION POINT: In a Tournament, the UTG player calls, and the MP2 and Hijack call behind. You are in the Cutoff seat and you raise with T♥T♠. The Button and Blinds fold, the UTG player, MP2, and Hijack call. The Flop comes 9♣8♣5♠. Your opponents all check. Action is on you, what do you do here

PRO ANSWER: After several limpers, we raised preflop with pocket tens for both value and to thin the field. We failed to thin the field, since we were called by three opponents. With a highly coordinated flop and multiple opponents, one pair hands such as top pair or even overpairs to the board lose much of their value in deep stacked situations.

In many multiway pots you should be prepared to get away from your one pair hands when you face significant reverse implied odds. Having reverse implied odds essentially means that your hand can win a small pot, but will often lose if the pot gets big.

Hands that rarely improve, such as a pocket pair, can suffer from reverse implied odds fairly easily in multiway pots on coordinated flops with deep stacks.

However, in this hand the remaining effective stack is extremely shallow. We have less than a pot sized bet left in our stack. Despite having multiple opponents and a coordinated board, we are committed to this hand. We should move all-in both for value and to protect our hand.

When analyzing your play on the flop, always remember to pay attention to stack sizes. If stacks were deeper, we could have played this hand differently. Given these stacks, we must move all-in.

Moving all-in is the best play.

We started Fearless River with the goal to make it as easy as possible for anyone to improve their poker game in their spare time. We did that because the key factor that separates most poker players from winning pros or students of the game often comes down to small, consistent amounts of effort.

We use Strategy Episodes to teach key poker concepts, analyze hands, and answer Member questions about previous Episodes, hands they've played, or any other issue that's holding them back maximizing their poker potential.

Strategy Episodes are presented in short, easy to digest segments usually 10-15 minutes.

Every Strategy Episode is tagged and categorized so you can sort between Cash/Tournament, Instructor, Episode Type, Learning Path, and more. Use the sort and filter to refine Episodes to your specific focus or watch in the order they are released.

Helpful Tip: Take the Learning Path quiz after you join to find your learning path then and use the filters to pinpoint content that matches your specific stage of development.

So what kind of Strategy Episodes do Fearless River Members get?

➧ Present a Key Poker Concept
➧ Provide Examples and Context

Concept Episodes demonstrate the fundamentals of No-Limit Hold'em strategy. These Episodes represent key content ALL Members should have as part of their game.

➧ Learn the "Why" Behind GTO Strategy
➧ Play The Same Hands as the Fearless River Pro

Train & Explain Strategy Episodes gives you an exclusive seat behind a Fearless River Pro for 5 select hands from the WPT GTO Trainer to learn the "why" behind each decision.

➧ Learn Game Theory Optimal Poker Strategy
➧ Take Your Game From Zero to GTO

Game Theory Optimal Episodes feature in-depth breakdown of GTO Strategy and key takeaways you can start to implement in your game including examples played by the Fearless River Pros using GTO Strategy.

➧ Offer In-Depth Hand Analysis
➧ Reveal Decision-Making Thought Process

Decision Point Episodes feature real hands played by Fearless River Members that address common leaks and include step by step analysis and feedback by Fearless River Pros.

➧ Answers Member Questions
➧ Includes Episode Follow-Up

Ask a Pro Episodes showcase Member submitted questions on all aspects of playing and learning poker including casino etiquette, bankroll management, live play vs online play, and more.

➧ Hands Played by Fearless River Pros
➧ Advanced Hand Analysis and Situational Adjustments

From the Felt Episodes showcase Fearless River Pros in action as they give their private thought process during recently played hands and high profile spots with big money on the line.

➧ Featuring Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler
➧ Strategies for Optimal Mindset

Fearless River Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler gives you strategies to combat and correct tilt and keeps you playing your A Game more consistently through interactive tools and proven techniques.

➧ Real Hands from WPT Episode
➧ Analysis from Multiple Perspectives

Closer Look Episodes take a deep dive into some of the most interesting and useful hands in poker including detailed analysis of the best hands from your favorite of World Poker Tour Final Tables.

➧ Real Hands Played from Winning Pros
➧ Unique Insights from Proven Winning Players

Filter for specific episodes from some of the most prolific winners in poker including Professional Players - Nick Binger, Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, Michael Gagliano, Brian Altman, and Vanessa Selbst.

No matter how long you've been playing poker or where you are in your development, Fearless River Strategy Episodes will help take to the next level!

• Access our Full Library of Strategy Episodes featuring more than 500+ videos when you join for just $5 your first month
• Sort Episodes by Cash or Tournament, Category to focus on relevant topics to your game, or by Fearless River Instructor
• Use the Refine Search to filter by Learning Path to watch Episodes that best suit where you are in your development
  
  

How are these Poker Hand Scenarios helping improve your game?
Post your answers in the comments below.