DECISION POINT: You’re in a live $2/$5 cash game that recently started. In early position you raise to $15 with Q♣T♣ and only the Button calls. You continuation bet $15 on the K♦J♥2♦ flop and get called. On the 9♣ turn you bet $25 and your opponent calls. The river is 9♦ and action is on you. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in a $2/$5 game at our local casino. The game has recently started, and we don’t have any significant reads on our opponents. We are dealt Q♣T♣ UTG+1 and the UTG player folds. QTs is well within our first-in hand range in early position, so we make a standard open to $15. Everyone folds to the Button who flat calls, and both Blinds fold.

The flop is K♦J♥2♦ and we have an open-ended straight draw. On this flop the early position raiser has a significant range advantage and wants to bet frequently. Since we want to continuation bet our entire range, a smaller size is preferred. We bet $15 and the Button calls.

The turn is the 9♣ and we hit our straight draw. Our opponent called an early position raise preflop from the Button, which should represent a fairly condensed range consisting mostly of middle pairs, some suited broadway hands, and some suited Ax hands. We can assume that hands that continued on the flop connected with the board in some way, so the Button’s likely range on the turn is composed of flush draws, Kx/Jx/TT/T9s and QTs.

One big mistake many players make is becoming fixated on pricing out draws whenever they have a strong hand with draws present on the board. While that is a factor, we also need to be concerned about maximizing value against our opponent’s most likely range. Hands like KTs or QJs are unlikely to call a really big bet but are likely to continue against a half pot sized bet while drawing extremely thin. We elect to bet $25 and the Button calls.

The river is the 9♦. This completes the flush draw that was on the flop, and there are some hands like J9s that made a full house. Often players make the error of instantly going into check and call mode fearing the worst. By taking a check/call line we would still lose to all our opponent’s flushes, however we would also miss out on value from many Kx and 9x hands that would likely call a half-pot bet but will check behind if we check.

Missing value spots, especially out of position on the river, is one of the more common cash game leaks. Attempting to extract $60 more value in this spot by betting rather than checking and calling a similar sized bet, even though we will need to fold to a raise with some frequency, is a big way to increase your hourly rate. There are times where we may have opponent specific information that may make checking to induce bluffs in this situation more profitable, but against an unknown opponent, this is a great spot to go for a thin value bet.

Betting around half the pot ($60) is the best play.

Your first 2026 World Series of Poker event is one month away, and this is the sweet spot for preparation. You still have enough time to sharpen your strategy meaningfully, but the series is quickly approaching. The players who make the most of this window arrive in Vegas confident, focused, and ready to flow. Here's how to join them.

We asked Team Fearless River to give us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game to stay in flow all summer in Las Vegas. We put one question to each of them:

❝ What advice would you give players when preparing for the WSOP based on the time before the start of their first event? ❞

We've assembled their answers along with FREE videos, strategies, and tips plus expert advice from Tony Dunst, Michael Gagliano, Eric Lynch, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen to make sure you are ready to crush starting hand 1. ⤵

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ I think a month out is the ideal time to dial up your study and effort; you should feel ready and prepared approaching the tournament but not burned out on poker. The main three forms of studying are training videos, hand history reviews (while checking strategy in a solver), and playing against GTO trainers. Hand history reviews are great because you’ll be looking at your play during various stages of the tournament and in a variety of spots, but for training videos and trainer study, I think you should focus on the weak spots in your game. For example, I tend to play ICM situations too close to ChipEV out of habit, so when I have major tournaments coming up I focus more on ICM study so it’s fresh in my mind. Also, when working with GTO trainers, I think you should mostly play as the aggressor and not the caller, because the players you’ll encounter in Vegas are much more passive than a trainer and will be under-bluffing. So practice spots where you’re the one 3-betting or check-raising and not the one calling against that kind of aggression because if you call down humans like you should the trainer, you’ll end up punting against people who never bluff in big spots. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ I also recommend studying - whether that means reviewing preflop ranges, discussing strategy with friends, or watching training videos, it all helps. ❞

Simple advice, but consistent study in the final month, even in small doses, compounds quickly heading into Vegas.

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ This is the point where you really shouldn't be learning anything completely new but just refining things you already know and really solidifying them in your mind. If you have access to play in tournaments (either online or live) that mimic the structures you're preparing for, then put the things you're studying into practice. If not, use tools like the Fearless River GTO trainer to mimic play so you can really reinforce concepts. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ It's time to plan your trip. Take a look at the schedules from all the casinos and pick what events you want to play. There is a LOT to play in Las Vegas during the summer, and so many choices in terms of venue, game type, buy-in level, satellites, cash... it can be very overwhelming. Players who do not spend time preparing and making an outline of a schedule for themselves can wind up spending their time in Vegas running around like a chicken with its head cut off and more focused on what event might be next rather than focusing on the cards they're being dealt and their strategy. Taking the time early to do your planning will pay off big time when you can just focus on playing your best. It's ok to give yourself some options in your schedule, like "If I'm doing well, I'll play tourney A, but if my trip is going poorly, I'll play tourney B," but make sure you have some goals in mind and have looked at the schedules beforehand. Also, if you have the time, put in some reps at the table and continue working on your strategies that you've hopefully been studying for the past month. Take note of any weak points in your game and brush up on what you've been working on. ❞

📌 Check out the Summer Poker Calendar from Michael Gagliano to build and save your own schedule. The calendar includes all information including links to structure sheets. Find out more here.

➧ What To Focus On Now:

With 1 month remaining, it's crucial to ensure any critical leaks are plugged and shift focus to execution. These Fearless River GTO Trainer solutions are ideal for developing mental muscle memory and quickly identifying leaks. Alternate your training sessions with the related Strategy Episodes:

Watch Below: Tony's Live Reads & Tells (Free, no membership required). In his installment on player tendencies, Tony Dunst breaks down his most frequently observed live poker tells and gives you key guidelines for how to respond when you encounter them. With one month to go, reading your opponents at the table is just as important as your strategy off it.

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

With time still on your side, use these GTO Trainer hands and episodes to sharpen execution and plug leaks before you arrive in Vegas. Members can log in and watch anytime:

Continuation betting is one of the most critical skill sets in tournament poker, getting reps in now builds the muscle memory you'll need when it counts.

➥ Test Your C-Betting Skills! Play 10 Solved GTO Trainer Hands
➥ Then Watch Episode 294: Advanced Continuation Betting

Tournament chips can change hands fast in 3-bet pots. Practice as the aggressor and try to apply Tony's advice from above.

➥ Test Your 3-Betting Skills! Play 5 Solved GTO Hands
➥ Then Watch Episode 465 as Tony Plays the Same Hands

A full tournament series requires sustained focus across days and events. This episode covers exactly how to maintain peak performance throughout.

➥ Episode 541: Tournament Series Prep With Chewy, Tony, & Johan

➥ Episode 502: Tony's Live Reads and Tells (Watched Above)

Not a member yet? Join now for just $5 your 1st month and get instant access to all these episodes above plus 550+ strategy videos and 45 GTO Trainer spots to practice. No contracts, cancel anytime.

➧ Train & Practice Specific Spots

Practice, drill, and play through solved spots that give you the most problems and become more confident in your decisions on the felt (members only, log in to access).

All scenarios are categorized so you can filter for Game Type, Your Position, Stack Size, and Situation (defense, open raise, 3-betting, and more) based on the packs available at your membership tier.

Platinum Members have access to over 140 spots! Upgrade anytime from your My Account page under Available Plans.

Helpful Training Tip: To improve your Big Blind Defense: Watch the Big Blind Defense Episode 287 → Go to the GTO Trainer → Click the Situation filter box below "What would you like to train today?" and select Big Blind Defense → Select a Pack and Begin!

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

We’ve got the strategies to help you play better poker this summer no matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament. Click below for more FREE tips and strategies:

➥ Prep Time = 60-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 7-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 1-Day Prep Guide
➥ WSOP 2026 Prep: All 4 Guides in One Place

If you are a member of the Fearless River family and will be here in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, we want to cheer you on! Let us know what you are playing or share your success at the table. Tag us on social media or email [email protected] with your photos and updates from the felt.

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

P.S. If you are new to poker or structured study, start with our free poker training focused on the 5 Keys you should be thinking about every time you play a hand.

DECISION POINT: You’re playing in a weekend tournament at your local casino, and the reentry period just ended. The blinds are 400/800 with a 800 big blind ante. You are second in chips at your table with an 80,000 (100BBs) chip stack. From Under the Gun you make the standard open and raise to 2,000 with Q♠Q♦ and only the Button, who has you covered, calls. The flop is 8♥4♥2♣. You continuation bet 2,000 and get called. You bet 7,000 on the 2♥ turn and your opponent raises to 23,000. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in a weekend tournament at our local casino. The reentry period just ended, and the blinds are 400/800 with an 800 big blind ante. We have built up an 80,000 chip stack during the reentry period, which covers the entire table except for the Button, who has 100,000 chips. We are dealt Q♠Q♦ UTG and make a standard raise to 2,000 chips. Everyone folds to the Button who just calls. Both Blinds fold, and we’re off to a flop of 8♥4♥2♣.

Most players will throw out a continuation bet here without a second thought, but it’s important to always be evaluating situations. Range advantage is the primary driver of betting frequency, and we do have a significant range advantage over our opponent in this spot. However, we have an SPR of 13 and an overpair that does not contain a heart. Our opponent will make this call preflop on the Button with a range that is weighted heavily toward suited hands and includes a lot of pocket pairs/suited connectors that connect well with this board.

If we look at this spot in a solver, pocket queens mix between betting and checking, which shows just how tough it can be to play overpairs on boards like this against a skilled Button and with deep stacks. In this situation, we do decide to make a continuation bet of 2,000, and our opponent just calls.

The turn is the 2♥. Now the obvious draw is completed, but given the small bet on the flop, our opponent still has many 8x hands in their range as well as a lot of pocket pairs. If we check and fold to a turn bet against that range, we are giving up our hand with far too much equity. Pocket queens without a heart benefit a fair amount from protection against a lot of our opponent’s range that will have around 11 outs against a vulnerable hand that has strong equity. Based on how these ranges interact on this board, our hand favors going a bit on the larger side with a turn second barrel.

We bet 7,000 and the Button raises to 23,000. Many players struggle with what to do with a big overpair in this situation.

If we step back and evaluate this spot logically, would our opponent ever do this with a worse hand for value? It is unlikely, which means our queens are basically a bluff catcher. Is our opponent bluffing often enough to make calling profitable?

If we consider the Button's actions on each street, there aren’t a lot of hands that make logical bluffs. Our opponent’s range is composed of strong made hands or hands with some showdown value that would likely prefer calling to raising.

Even though we started with the third-best hand in poker preflop, our pocket queens become simply a bluff catcher in a spot where our opponent doesn’t have a lot of bluffs.

Folding is the best play.

Your first 2026 World Series of Poker event is 60 days away and the players who show up ready didn't start preparing with one week to go. Two months of prep time is a gift most players don't take advantage of. Here's exactly how to use it right.

We asked Team Fearless River to give us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game to stay in flow all summer in Las Vegas. We put one question to each of them:

❝ What advice would you give players when preparing for the WSOP based on the time before the start of their first event? ❞

We've assembled their answers along with FREE videos, strategies, and tips plus expert advice from Tony Dunst, Michael Gagliano, Eric Lynch, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen to make sure you are ready to crush starting hand 1. ⤵

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ While it’s never a bad idea to form study habits, I think trying to change too much about your game or approach to poker 60 days before the summer is probably overkill. But if you’re someone who mostly plays and doesn’t study, I think it’s smart to use this time to start gradually building the habit of studying 30-60 minutes a day several times a week. Studying poker is kind of like working out, where nothing dramatic happens in one session but if you build it into your routine, you make consistent progress over a long period of time. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ Two months before playing in larger live events is the perfect time to work on your game and put in some study time. A lot of players wait until the final days before an event to study, but you really want to make sure you give yourself time to digest what you're learning and also take some time to practice your strategies so you're comfortable with them. If you're going to try anything new or make any larger changes to your game, this is the time to do so. ❞

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ If you've identified the event(s) you want to play, then how you prepare will depend somewhat on the event types/structures that you want to play. If you're playing a huge field event that moves fast like the Colossus, you probably want to focus your time studying sub-30BB (or even 10BB-20BB) play, as the structure is fast and most of your critical decisions will be made with a smaller stack size. If you're playing something like a WSOP/WPT Main Event structure, you'd want to focus more on ~50BB play as the structures for those often have the average stack in the 40BB range throughout the tournament. So, identify the types of events you want to play and what sort of decisions will be most critical in that tournament format/structure and develop a study plan that focuses on those items. If you already feel strong at the key stack level of the event(s) you're targeting, move on to the next most important skill you would need for the event. Focus on the things that will come up most often first, (for example, preflop play if you need to work on that, then playing heads-up single raised pots, heads-up three bet pots, and so on), then focus on things that come up less frequently. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ A month or two before the first event starts, I recommend playing a few online sessions to get back into the rhythm of playing. Online poker allows you to play many more hands in a short amount of time compared to live poker. ❞

Simple advice, but getting reps in before arriving in Vegas can make a significant difference in your comfort level at the table!

➧ What To Focus On Now:

If you’ve got at least 2 months to prepare your training should focus on strengthening fundamentals while plugging leaks. These Fearless River Strategy Episodes are a great place to start.

New to structured study? Start with our free poker training to lock in the 5 Keys framework before you build your plan.

Let's start with one of the biggest leaks in poker. Many players approach preflop play without clear guidelines and often become too cautious or over aggressive in the wrong situations. First-In Hand Ranges give you a structured way to decide when to play and what to play, based on your stack size and seat position at the table.

In this Strategy Episode, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot, so you’ll start hands with confidence instead of uncertainty.

Here are a few points from this video to remember...

Think in Hand Ranges:

• A range includes all hands a player may have in a given situation
• Avoid trying to put your opponent on a specific hand
• Position, action, and stack depth help determine ranges
• Analyzing hand ranges is best done away from the table

These charts will tell you what hands to play when you are the first person to put money into the pot at the poker table. They'll keep you on very solid, profitable ground and ensure that you aren't playing bad poker hands.

You'll develop muscle memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and then putting them into practice at the table!

Quick Tips for Using the First-In Hand Range Charts:

• Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and find the appropriate range chart for your seat. Tip: Count backwards from the Button to determine your position.
• Raise with all hands highlighted in PINK. Do not call the minimum bet amount - RAISE!
• Your raise sizing should be between 2.3 and 3 times the big blind amount depending on stack depth.
• Be consistent. If you raise a larger amount with a specific hand and smaller amounts with others, you will be easier to read at the table (IE don't raise to 600 with AA, but 400 with 99)

Remember, these charts are intended for use when you are the first person to put chips in the pot before the flop aside from the blinds (forced bets). If someone else has already voluntarily put chips in the pot before your turn to act, these charts do not apply.

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

With 60 days to work with you have time to go beyond the fundamentals. Members can log in and watch these anytime:

➥ Episode 305: First-In Hand Ranges (Watched Above)

Knowing when and how to defend properly is one of the most exploitable leaks in tournament play, and these two episodes will tighten that up fast.

➥ Episode 463: Big Blind Defense
➥ Episode 405: Button Defense

With 60 days to work with, strengthening your 3-bet strategy is an excellent use of study time. Most players at the WSOP are uncomfortable in 3-bet pots, and these episodes will make you dangerous in them.

➥ Episode 525: 3-Betting Strategy Part 1
➥ Episode 530: 3-Betting Strategy Part 2

Not a member yet? Join now for just $5 your 1st month and get instant access to all these episodes above plus 550+ strategy videos and downloadable tools. No contracts, cancel anytime.

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

We’ve got the strategies to help you play better poker this summer no matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament. More FREE tips and strategies are on the way:

➥ Prep Time = 30-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 7-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 1-Day Prep Guide
➥ WSOP 2026 Prep: All 4 Guides in One Place

If you are a member of the Fearless River family and will be here in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, we want to cheer you on! Let us know what you are playing or share your success at the table. Tag us on social media or email [email protected] with your photos and updates from the felt.

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the CONTACT US button.

DECISION POINT: You’re playing in a two-day regional tournament and have noticed your tablemates are using appropriate ranges based on hands seen at showdown. The blinds are 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante. The UTG player raises to 2,200 and MP1 reraises to 6,500. Action folds to you on the Button with J♠J♣. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in a two-day regional event with a reasonable structure. The blinds are 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante. So far, we’ve seen solid hands at showdown from every player at the table and can assume we are up against competent opponents.

We are dealt J♠J♣ on the Button and the UTG player raises to 2,200 chips. Following a fold from UTG+1, the player in the MP1 seat reraises to 6,500 chips and everyone else folds to us. This is a spot where many players make the mistake of thinking about their hand’s absolute value instead of their hand’s relative value in the specific situation. Pocket jacks is one of the top 5 starting hands in poker, and we are going to want to continue in some fashion preflop in the majority of situations.

In this scenario, however, the initial raise came from an early position player followed by a reraise from MP1 with 40 big blind effective stacks. In this spot, MP1 should be raising fewer than 5% of total hands. To give an idea of what this looks like, MP1’s reraising range should only include hands such as TT+/AKs/AQo+ along with a few bluffs for balance. A true GTO 3-betting range for MP1 versus UTG open would include 88-QQ all mixing with some frequency, where pocket pairs 88-JJ are doing more calling than raising. Combine MP1’s narrow range with the fact that any action preflop will very quickly become pot committing for us, and our hand doesn’t look near as nice.

If we had some sort of information that our opponents were on the more aggressive side with their preflop ranges, we might be able to continue exploitatively. In longer events that are well-structured, players will often be even more passive than optimal ranges would suggest, which would make continuing here with pocket jacks even more problematic.

It can be incredibly frustrating to be dealt a top 5 starting hand in No-Limit Hold’em and have to fold preflop facing multiple raises. When the action suggests that one of your opponents is likely holding something that is stronger, finding folds and preserving your stack for more favorable situations is a huge edge.

Folding is the best play.

DECISION POINT: You're in the early stages of a daily tournament with no significant reads on your tablemates, with the exception that they mostly have been showing down reasonable hands. The blinds are 200/400 with a 400 big blind ante and you have 20,000 chips to start the hand. The action folds to you in the Cutoff with 7♠7♥, you open to 1,000, and only the Big Blind calls. The flop comes K♠5♥2♦. Your opponent checks, you c-bet 900, and they call. On the 3♠ turn the Big Blind leads out for 1,500 and action is on you. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are in the earlier stages of a daily tournament with blinds of 200/400 and a 400 big blind ante. Most of the players have been showing down reasonable hands when we’ve had the opportunity to see them, and we otherwise haven’t developed any significant reads to this point in the session.

With 20,000 chips to start the hand in the Cutoff and holding 7♠7♥ we make a standard raise to 1,000 chips, and everyone folds to the Big Blind who just calls. The flop is K♠5♥2♦ and the Big Blind checks to us. This is a board where the preflop raiser from the Cutoff will have a significant range advantage and we will frequently continuation bet with our entire range. In game we make the preferred choice and bet 900 into the 2,600 pot, and the Big Blind just calls.

The turn is the 3♠ and surprisingly, our opponent leads for 1,500. When an opponent takes a line where they lead into the aggressor on the turn, there is often one of several factors at play.

First, the Big Blind will often lead the turn when picking up additional equity, which in this case would mostly be flush draws but does include some Ax, 6x, and 4x hands.

Second, they could have turned two-pair or better with hands including A4, K3, 33, 53, and 32s, and are trying to build a pot fearing we may not fire again on this board texture. Lastly, this turn lead may be intended to deny equity since we are betting such a wide range on the flop. Many of the 5x combos in the Big Blind’s range benefit greatly from generating folds from some of our random overcards, such QJo, that still have significant equity.

Given these assumptions, the Big Blind’s leading range likely consists of some draws, some bigger hands, and some medium-strength hands looking to clear out equity. Our pocket sevens are doing fairly well against that range. However, there is little reason to raise as our opponent is likely to fold medium-strength hands we dominate, continue with the hands that dominate us, and proceed with draws only if getting the correct price.

Calling is the best play.

DECISION POINT: You have late registered for a daily tournament with a fast structure. The blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante. It folds to you in MP1 with 9♥9♣ and you raise first-in to 1,000. Action folds to the Big Blind who just calls. The flop comes 7♣6♣5♥ and your opponent bets 1,000. Action is on you. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We have just entered a daily tournament with a fast structure and are jumping in a few levels after the start. The blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante. We are dealt 9♥9♣ in MP1 with our 10,000 starting stack. Everyone folds to us, and since pocket nines are a part of our first-in hand range from this position, we open to 1,000 chips. Everyone folds except the Big Blind, who just calls.

The flop is 7♣6♣5♥ and our opponent leads for 1,000 chips. Unlike our recent decision from a cash game session, this is a spot where a good opponent should be doing some leading based on theory. This board does connect well with a Big Blind defense calling range, but they have many hands that benefit from protection, and this is a board we won’t be expected to continuation bet often.

The Big Blind’s range should include a lot of 1-pair hands, especially those that have some sort of straight and/or flush draw to provide some backup equity. They will also lead with some overcard combinations that include flush draws, both backdoor and direct, as well as some 2-pair hands for balance. When we look at this situation closely, the Big Blind should be leading with around 50% of their range on this board.

From our perspective, we have an overpair with an inside straight draw and a stack to pot ratio (SPR) of around 3. This is not a spot we would ever be looking to fold our hand, so the main question we have to ask is if we should just call or raise. When considering the potential leading range for the Big Blind as discussed above, we can assume:

• We are well ahead of most of their 1-pair hands
• We still have significant equity against many of their 2-pair hands
• Many of their overcards have significant equity against us

It is important to consider that if we were to raise now, many of their hands that we are well ahead of will call, while many of the overcard combos that have significant equity against us will fold (with the exception of direct flush draws using both hole cards). When our opponent will continue against aggression with hands such as 74s but folds hands such as JhTh or KcTh, that is a huge win for us.

Raising is the best play.

If you have never played a hand of poker, start here.

No-Limit Texas Hold'em is the most widely played form of poker in the world. You see it on TV, at the World Series of Poker, on the World Poker Tour, and in most cardrooms and home games.

It is also a game you can learn the rules of in about twenty minutes.

That is what this page is for.

Below is a free video that walks you through the basics from start to finish, plus a written reference you can come back to any time. You’ll learn how a hand plays out, what beats what, your options when the action is on you, and a few simple rules to guide your play. No experience required. No account required.

If you already know the basics, unlock The 5 Keys Of Poker here. Free.

Start Here: The Quick Start Video

In this video, Fearless River instructor and 2x WSOP Bracelet winner Nick Binger covers everything you need to sit down and play:

• Poker hand rankings so you always know what beats what
• How the betting works, including proper technique so you do not give away information
• Handling your cards and chips at a live table
• Which cards to play at the start of each hand

Watch it before you play, then use the sections below as a reference.

🤔 What Does That Term Mean?

Run into a word you don't recognize? Poker has a lot of unique vocabulary, and nobody expects you to know every term right away. Click the magnifying glass 🔍 in the menu at the top of any page and type in the term.

You will get the plain-language definition, plus links to Fearless River strategy videos and tools that cover it. Here is what a sample search looks like for Big Blind. Try it with position, button, or any other term as you read on.

How a Hand of No-Limit Hold'em Is Played

Every hand follows the same rhythm. Once you have seen it a few times, it becomes automatic.

1. The blinds are posted. A dealer button marks one player at the table and moves one seat clockwise after every hand. The two players to the direct left of the button are required to put chips in the pot before the cards are dealt; these are called the small blind and big blind. The small blind is normally half the amount of the big blind. The amount is based on the blind level in tournaments or betting limit in cash games. The blinds are used to entice play.
2. You get two cards. Every player is dealt two cards face down. These are your hole cards. Only you see them and you need to protect them from other players' view. Never show your cards unless instructed by the dealer.
3. Preflop betting. Action always starts to the left of the big blind and moves clockwise. Each player folds, calls, or raises.
4. The flop. Three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. All players still in the hand share community cards to make their best five-card hand. Another round of betting follows.
5. The turn. A fourth community card is dealt. Another round of betting follows.
6. The river. A fifth and final community card is dealt. One last round of betting.
7. Showdown: When two or more players are still in the hand after the final round of betting, the winner is determined by shown cards. The best five-card hand, using any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards, takes the pot, and the dealer pushes it to that player. The last player who bet or raised turns their cards over first, then the rest follow in clockwise order.

There are two ways to take down a pot. Either you have the best hand at showdown or you bet and everyone else folds. You do not need the best hand to take the pot if everyone else folds.

Pro Tip: You are never required to show a losing hand. If you know you are beaten, you can muck, which means handing your cards to the dealer face down and giving up your claim to the pot.

Poker Hand Rankings: What Beats What

This is the one thing worth memorizing before you play. Hand rankings apply to every decision you make, and they never change.

A few things that trip up new players:

• Suits do not rank against each other. A flush in spades does not beat a flush in hearts. The highest-ranking card in the flush decides it.
• You make your best five-card hand out of seven. Your two hole cards plus the five community cards give you seven to choose from, and only the best five count. That can mean using both of your cards, one of them, or neither. When your best five-card hand consists solely of the five community cards on the board, you are said to be "playing the board". If no player has a hand that can beat the board, the pot is split among the players involved.
• An Ace can be high or low. A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest straight. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest (known as a wheel).

Your Options When the Action Is on You

Every decision in poker comes down to one of these actions:

• Check: To defer your action to the next player in the hand. Only possible if nobody has bet ahead of you on that street.
• Bet: To voluntarily place money in the pot.
• Call: To match the amount of someone else's bet, rather than choosing to raise or fold.
• Raise: To increase the current bet. The amount of your raise must be at least the size of the last bet or raise. Example: If it is 100 to you, the smallest raise is to 200. If someone has already raised from 100 to 300, the smallest reraise is to 500, not 600. Multiple raises can occur in a given betting round.
• Fold: The action of surrendering your cards. Players who fold at any point before showdown are not eligible to win any portion of the pot and cannot re-enter the hand.
• All-in: A bet that commits your entire chip stack to the pot. This action can take place during any betting round. If you go all-in and no one calls your bet, you win the pot without needing to reveal your hand. However, if someone does call, you must win the hand at showdown to claim the pot. It is important to note that once you declare an all-in bet, you cannot retract it.

Two habits worth building from day one:

➧ Announce your action before you touch your chips. Verbal declarations are binding, so saying "raise" or "call" out loud protects you from misconstrued hand action.

➧ Put your chips out in one clean motion. Reaching back to your stack for a second handful after your chips have crossed the line can be ruled a call instead of a raise. Also known as a string bet.

Where You Sit Changes Everything

This is the first real strategy concept, and it is the one that separates new players from everyone else faster than any other.

Position in poker means where you sit relative to the dealer button. The later you act in a hand, the more information you have when it is your turn. The player on the button acts last on every betting round after the flop, which makes it the best seat at the table.

Quick tips to remember:

• Early Position = play fewer hands
• Middle Position = play more hands
• Late Position = play even more hands

Always count backwards from the button to figure out where you are sitting. Later into your study we'll show you which hands you should enter the pot with depending on your seat position.

What Comes Next: The 5 Keys of Poker

Once you know the rules and basic game flow, poker stops being a memory test and starts being a decision-making game. Most new players get overwhelmed with what to do next because they think every hand feels like a brand-new problem with no obvious answer.

That's not the case. Experienced players are not memorizing thousands of situations. They are filtering every decision through a small set of core factors. We call them the 5 Keys:

1. Position: Why acting last is the single biggest advantage in poker.
2. First-In Hand Ranges: Which hands to raise with from each seat and how to adjust.
3. Board Texture: How different types of flops, turns, and rivers affect your next move.
4. Number of Opponents: Why multiway pots (pots with more than 1 opponent) require completely different thinking.
5. Effective Stack Size: When stack depth calls for aggression and when it calls for control.

Get these five concepts right and you have a repeatable process for almost every decision you will face, from your first hand preflop to a river bet.

The 5 Keys training is free. You get five strategy videos, the First-In Hand Range charts download, poker quizzes, and training hands. No credit card, and you can unsubscribe any time.

Pro Tip: To build mental muscle memory for these concepts in real time, focus on the 5 Keys even when you are not in the hand. Watch what gets shown down, and you will start seeing patterns immediately.

Five Mistakes Almost Every New Player Makes

1. Playing too many hands. Most starting hands are not worth playing. Folding is not passive; it is a decision.
2. Calling first-in instead of raising. If a hand is good enough to put chips in with, it is usually good enough to raise with. Calling gives your opponents cheap chances to outdraw you.
3. Changing bet sizes based on hand strength. Raising to 600 with aces and 400 with nines makes you easy to read. Stay consistent.
4. Chasing every draw. Not every flush or straight draw is worth paying for. The rank of your flush cards, the size of the pot and the size of the bet decide that, not hope.
5. Judging decisions by results. A good decision can lose the pot, and a bad one can take it down. Results in a single hand tell you almost nothing. Focus on the process.

Build a Study Routine from Day One

Improving at poker is not about playing more hands. It is about reviewing the hands you already played. The simplest version costs nothing: when you face a tough decision, write it down. Pen and paper is fine to start. What matters is capturing the same details every time so you can spot patterns later.

Here is a simple checklist of 8 questions for tracking a hand:

1. ☐ What was my seat position at the table?
2. ☐ What were the seat positions of my opponents?
3. ☐ What was my chip stack to start the hand?
4. ☐ What were the chip stacks of my opponents to start the hand?
5. ☐ What were my 2 cards, specific rank and suit?
6. ☐ What were the community cards, specific rank and suit?
7. ☐ What were the specific actions in the hand? Which player opened the betting?
8. ☐ Did my opponents show down their hand, and if so, what were the specific cards?

When you are ready to move past pen and paper, the Fearless River Hand Input Tool (HIT) lets you enter hands from your phone, replay them, and share them with our pros for feedback.

One rule when you review: focus on the range of hands your opponent could have had instead of putting them on a specific hand (like pocket jacks). Use the first-in hand range charts from the 5 Keys to guide you. Trying to put your opponent on a single hand is the fastest way to talk yourself into a bad decision.

Common Questions from New Players

Q: Do I need to memorize hand rankings before I play?
A: Yes, and it takes less time than you think. Hand rankings are the one thing that never change and you need instantly at the table. Download the free chart above and give it ten minutes.

Q: How much money do I need to start?
A: Start at the smallest stakes you can find, or play free games online while the rules sink in. There is no reason to risk money you care about while you are still learning the mechanics. Home games with your friends are also a great way to get started.

Q: Is poker mostly luck?
A: Over a single hand, luck decides a lot. Over the course of hundreds of hands, the quality of your decisions ultimately determines the outcome. That is the entire reason studying works and why you see the best players in the world constantly at the final table.

Q: Is Fearless River for beginners or experienced players?
A: Both. Our content is filterable by skill level: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can train at the level that matches your game and skill level.

Q: Where should I start after this page?
A: The free 5 Keys training. It picks up exactly where this guide ends.

Ready to Keep Going?

We built Fearless River to make improving at poker as simple as possible, on your time and your terms. Small, consistent effort over time is the thing that separates students of the game from everyone else. Not talent.

➧ Start free. The 5 Keys training gives you five strategy videos, First-In Hand Range charts, and poker quizzes to test what you have learned.

➧ Ready for the full library? A Fearless River membership gets you 550+ strategy videos from WSOP Bracelet winners and WPT Champions, the GTO Trainer, live monthly study sessions, and the Ask a Pro Discord where you get your hands reviewed directly from our pros.

Your first month is $5. No contracts. Cancel anytime.

No matter how you choose to use Fearless River, there is a path for you to learn, improve, and have fun on your own time and your own terms.

Good luck and good playing,
– Team Fearless River

Have questions? Email our support team at [email protected] or click the 'Contact Us' button and they will be happy to help.

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DECISION POINT: You’re playing a $1,500 regional tournament main event at a local card room that brings serious recreational players and pros. The play at your table has been aggressive with a lot of players firing multiple streets and few hands going to showdown. Blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante and you have a 20,000 chip stack. The opponent in UTG+1, who is an accomplished player, opens to 1,100 and everyone folds to you on the Button with J♦T♦. You call and the flop comes J♠J♥8♠. The early position opponent c-bets 1,200 and the action is on you. What's your move here?

PRO ANSWER: We're playing in a regional tournament at our local card room. It's a $1,500 main event that tends to draws in a lot of serious recreational players as well as pros from around the region. The action at our table has been a bit on the aggressive side, with lots of players capable of firing multiple barrels and few hands going to showdown.

The blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante, and we have 20,000 chips to start the hand. We are on the Button and are dealt J♦T♦. The UTG player folds and the opponent in UTG+1, who we recognize as an accomplished player and WSOP Bracelet winner, opens to 1,100 chips. Everyone else folds.

This is a great spot to call as part of an overall Button defense strategy. Our hand plays extremely well postflop with positional advantage, giving us a big edge at this stack depth against players who are capable of firing multiple barrels.

Both Blinds fold and the flop is J♠J♥8♠. The UTG+1 player comes out firing 1,200 chips, or just over one third of the pot. This is a flop where the early position raiser has a significant range advantage, and we can expect them to be betting nearly their entire range. We flopped a very strong hand and have a decision to make. Should we slow play our three of a kind or play it faster by raising now?

In this case, we are in position and against a single opponent. They should be continuation betting with a very wide range of hands, including plenty of overcard combinations that might not call a raise on the flop but could easily put more chips in the pot if they hit something like an ace or a king on the turn. UTG+1’s c-bet bluffing range could also easily continue bluffing on a lot of turn cards.

Many players immediately see the flush and straight draw cards on this board and become passive for fear of getting drawn out on. While that is the case, flush draws make up a very small portion of our opponent’s overall range, and we block a key straightening card by holding the Td in our hand. Additionally, if we raise it is difficult to get called by many worse hands. An early position raising range is unlikely to have many worse Jx combos than our JTs, and while UTG+1 does have some AA/KK/QQ hands, even those might proceed with caution when we raise the flop.

When we pause to consider the specific opponent, table tendencies, our position, the stack depth, and how both our ranges interact with this board, our best chance to win a big pot and maximize EV in this spot is to slow play and just call.

Calling is the best play.