Staying in Flow: Your WSOP 2026 Prep Guide

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Whether you're already in Vegas or counting down the weeks, part of you is thinking the same thing:

Will 2026 be my breakout year at the WSOP?

The answer depends a lot on your preparation, and there are specific protocols you should follow based on exactly how far away you are from starting your 1st event. While the exact process will vary somewhat based on each player, there are some proven techniques the pros use to make sure they hit the felt ready to dominate.

Click below for FREE tips and strategies that will have you ready to crush from hand 1 in Vegas, no matter how much time you have to prepare, direct from Team Fearless River ...

  • Tony Dunst: WPT Champion and 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
  • Michael "Gags30" Gagliano: 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
  • Eric “Rizen” Lynch: 5x WSOP Final Tablist & Acclaimed Author
  • Johan Schultz-Pedersen: WSOP Bracelet Winner

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We asked Team Fearless River to give us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game for the WSOP based on exactly how much time you have before your first event. We put one question to each of them, and built a free prep guide around their answers:

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 strategy videos and tips that will get your poker game ready to execute and stay in flow no matter how much prep time you have before your first World Series of Poker tournament.

Prep Time = 60-Day Prep Guide
Prep Time = 30-Day Prep Guide
Prep Time = 7-Day Prep Guide
Prep Time = 1-Day Prep Guide

Have WSOP strategy questions? Fearless River.com members can talk directly and get answers from the Pros in our Ask a Pro Discord.

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WSOP Helpful Links and Info:

2026 World Series of Poker Full Series Information
WSOP Tournament Schedule
Follow @KevMath and @WSOP on X for Daily Information
PokerNews WSOP Hub
Michael Gagliano's Summer Poker Calendar to build and save your own schedule. Get more info from Gags on the app.

How to Register in Person or Online

All players must provide valid photo identification and a Caesars Rewards Loyalty card to register and a WSOP+ app account.

WSOP Registration Information
Download the WSOP+ App to pre-register for events and skip cage lines, make payments and get all the information about the Series.

📍 Getting Around the WSOP

Kevin Mathers is one of the most trusted resources in the poker world for WSOP information. He posted a detailed floor plan breakdown covering tournament start locations, daily deepstack and satellite venues, registration, payouts, safe deposit boxes, and other key services across Horseshoe and Paris (also available on the WSOP+ app). View on X

Watching from Home? Follow the Action Live

New this year, the WSOP will be host a free livestream each day on their YouTube channel for fans around the world.


Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

Playing this summer? Tag us on social with your results and we'll highlight your achievements. We want to cheer you on!

Let us know what you are playing or share your success. Tag or email ua with your photos and updates from the felt.

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The 2026 WSOP is weeks away and the players who arrive with a structured system are the ones who make deep runs. For a limited time, we're offering 50% off three of our most powerful tournament training products, each designed to jumpstart the critical aspects of your poker game before you sit down at the table.

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Good luck and good playing,
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Team Fearless River

*This offer cannot be combined with other discounts.

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You're Facing a Preflop All-In Late in a Daily With K♣Q♣ ...

Facing-Preflop-All-In-Late-Tournament-KQs

DECISION POINT: You're in a daily tournament that you frequently play at a local casino. There are 16 players remaining with 10 getting paid. In this tournament, it's common for players to do an even chop between the final 6 or 7 players. Blinds are 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 big blind ante. You are second in chips with 126,000, with most other stacks around 60,000. The UTG player moves all-in for 23,000 and action folds to you in the Hijack seat with K♣Q♣. What's your move?

Vote and see how your answer compares to other players 👇

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in a daily tournament at our local casino. There are 16 players left and 10 places get paid. We play in this tournament regularly. It's very common for an even chop to happen with 6-7 players left, where the remaining players evenly split the remaining prize money without regard for the chip stacks in play. We are currently second in chips with 126,000 and blinds are 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 big blind ante. There are a few short stacks at the other table, but most players have around 60,000 chips, or 30 big blinds.

We are dealt K♣Q♣ in the Hijack seat and the Under the Gun player moves all-in for their remaining 23,000 chips. Action folds to us, and we have a decision to make. Under normal circumstances with a standard payout structure that is top-heavy, KQs would be right on the cusp of being able to call an all-in from a UTG player at an 8-handed table.

This situation, however, presents several unique variables. Given this tournament normally chops 6-7 ways evenly, the payout structure is very flat and rewards staying in the tournament far more than accumulating chips. If the UTG player is adjusting appropriately, they should be shoving much narrower than they would in a more typical tournament situation with 11.5 big blinds. Additionally, being second in chips means that we will likely get the maximum payout in a chop scenario simply by staying alive in the tournament. There is very little benefit to taking on risk to attempt to grow our stack beyond what is likely to make it into the final 6 or 7 players.

With these ICM factors at play, we should be continuing with a very narrow range, particularly with so many players behind us still to act. Chopping is very common in a lot of daily tournaments, particularly in a live casino environment. Making the correct strategic adjustments deep in a tournament when an even chop is likely is key to maximizing your value in these spots.

Folding is the best play.

How would you play it?
Share your answer in the comments below!


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Poker Quiz! A♦A♥ Facing a Flop Check-Raise, What's Your Move?

AA-Facing-Flop-Check-Raise

DECISION POINT: You’re in a regional tournament series with deep stacks that attract both pros and recreational players. The blinds are 300/600 with a 600 big blind ante. UTG+1, who is a known and well-studied player capable of making aggressive plays, opens to 1,500. You reraise to 4,500 in MP2 with A♦A♥. Action folds back around to the UTG+1 player, and they call. The flop comes K♦3♦2♦. Your opponent checks, you bet 2,500, and they raise to 5,700. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing a regional series event with deep stacks that tend to attract a variety of both pros and recreational players from around the area. The blinds are 300/600 with a 600 big blind ante. The UTG+1 player is a known player with over $500k live earnings who is well studied and capable of making aggressive plays.

We are dealt A♦A♥ in MP2 and following a 1,500 chip open from UTG+1 and a fold by MP1, we make a standard reraise to 4,500 chips. Everyone else folds back to the UTG+1 player who just calls. The flop is K♦3♦2♦ and the UTG+1 player checks.

As the preflop aggressor we retain a significant range advantage, meaning we can often bet these monotone boards with 100% frequency. Our opponent in UTG+1 also has a lot of hands that completely miss these types of boards that will fold to any size bet. Given these factors, choosing a small c-bet size will allow for a great price on our bluffs while still being able to get value out of bigger hands and draws on future streets by sizing up. We bet 2,500 chips into a pot of slightly over 10,000, and our opponent makes a very small check-raise to 5,700.

With an overpair and the A♦ in our hand, folding isn’t a consideration. At this point, we have to decide if it is better to just call or if raising is preferred. This specific check-raise size isn’t something we would normally expect to see, in theory. Since this appears to be a deviation, we need to think about what type of hands this specific opponent might check-raise this size with and put them on a range.

It’s unlikely UTG+1 expects much fold equity when we’re getting 6:1 pot odds on our call. What is more likely is that they have a range consisting of some made hands of varying strengths, or semi-bluffs that prefer to wait until the turn (often for a “safe” card) to start bloating the pot more aggressively. This range includes hands like Kx with a diamond, as well as hands including AK, 33, 22, and some made flushes. If we didn’t hold the A♦, that range might include some combos with just the Ace of diamonds, as well as suited Ax of diamonds for some nut flushes, but since we do they can be excluded.

If we consider how the hands in UTG+1’s check-raising range might react if we were to reraise, most of the hands that we dominate are likely fold and only the hands ahead of our Aces currently such as made flushes and sets are likely to continue. This is a classic “way ahead, way behind” scenario where it benefits us to keep our opponent’s range wide so that hands like Kx can continue to shovel money into the pot on future streets drawing extremely thin.

Even when our opponent does have a hand like a set or flush we are getting a very compelling price to draw to the nut flush and potential one of the two remaining Aces for top set.

Calling is the best play.

How would you play it?
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Poker Quiz! Flopped a Straight on a Monotone Board ...

Flopped Straight Monotone Board-optimzd

DECISION POINT: In a daily deep stack tournament with blinds at 250/500 and a 500 big blind ante, you’ve observed the table as being mostly passive with a lot of checking, calling, and very little 3-betting preflop. First to act in the UTG seat, you open to 1,200 with K♥J♥ and action folds to the Big Blind who calls. Your opponent checks the Q♠T♠9♠ flop, you c-bet 800, and they call. The turn is 4♥ and the Big Blind checks. Action is on you, what do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing a daily deep stacked tournament. The blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante. Most of the table has been fairly passive with a lot of checking and calling, as well as very little 3-betting preflop. We have 25,000 chips and the rest of the table has between 15,000-30,000 chips.

We are dealt K♥J♥ Under the Gun. While opening a tight range in early position is preferrable, KJs is easily strong enough to open, particularly at a passive table where we are unlikely to get 3-bet frequently. We open to 1,200 chips and everyone folds to the Big Blind who just calls.

The flop is Q♠T♠9♠ and we have flopped a straight on a monotone board. Our opponent in the Big Blind checks and action is on us. Monotone boards are very unique in No-Limit Hold’em. As the preflop aggressor in a heads up pot we often retain a significant range advantage, which means we should be continuation betting frequently. In fact, in many situations it will be strategically correct to continuation bet on monotone boards with 100% of our range.

The Big Blind’s defending range has a lot of hands that have completely missed with no pair and no draw that will automatically fold to any size bet. We need to choose a size that gives a good price on our bluffs while still allowing flexibility to size up on various turns and rivers against the part of our opponent’s range that has connected in some way, both for value and as a bluff.

Continued Below ...

Study-Session-Sticky-Opponents-June-ad

We bet 800 chips (around 25% of the pot) and the Big Blind calls. The turn is the 4♥ and our opponent checks to us. Given our small flop bet size, the Big Blind will still have a fairly wide range on the turn including a lot of one pair hands as well as some Jx and combos containing a single spade. The Big Blind would have also preferred to check-raise some of the more vulnerable made hands on the flop such as small flushes.

These combined factors make this an excellent opportunity for us to fire a second barrel on the turn and extract value, as well as apply pressure against most of the Big Blind’s range. Many players are tempted to either check behind or bet small in this spot, fearing that they may be up against a flush. Since many of our opponent’s bigger hands would have raised the flop, it is quite likely (although never certain) we have the best hand, and we should bet bigger for value.

Betting 2/3 to 3/4 of the pot (3,000-3,500 chips) is the best play.

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In fact, in just the past few years alone during the summer in Vegas Fearless River Students have achieved:

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Poker Quiz! K♣Q♠ Facing a Big Blind Donk Bet, What Do You Do?

KQ Facing a Big Blind Donk Bet-optmzed

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DECISION POINT: You’re playing in a live $1/$2 cash game. The table includes mostly loose/passive recreational players with many hands going to showdown, a lot of calling, and very little aggressive action. The UTG player limps, you raise to $10 from MP with K♣Q♠, the Big Blind calls, and the limper folds. The flop comes A♣T♣9♣. The Big Blind bets $14 and action is on you. What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We’re playing a loose/passive live $1/$2 cash game. The table is full of recreational players with many hands going to showdown and lots of calling with very little aggressive action. We are dealt K♣Q♠ in MP1. The UTG player limps and the next player folds with action on us.

As a basic default rule against limpers, we will raise with any of the hands that we cannot call with according to the calling criteria that are included in the first-in raising range for the seat position of the limper.

The first step is to determine whether we can call profitably per the calling criteria, and in this case KQo is not a true speculative hand and does not play well multiway. Looking at the first-in range from the initial limper in UTG we see that KQo is included, so isolating the limper is our preferred default play. We make it $10, everyone folds to the Big Blind who calls, and the initial limper UTG folds.

The flop is A♣T♣9♣ and the Big Blind leads for $14 into the $23 pot. In a typical game where there are some amount of skilled opponents, when the Big Blind calls preflop in this situation they likely have a very condensed and capped range. In a loose/passive game filled with recreational players, the Big Blind’s range a bit wider than it should including many of the sort of hands players want to “see a flop” with such as offsuit broadway cards, suited connectors, and pocket pairs.

When a player leads into the preflop raiser (often called “donk” betting) on flops that favor the preflop raiser, it’s often either an attempt to “see where they are at”, or because they are worried about not getting action on a big hand when they check. On a board like this monotone flop with an Ace and broadway draw which many recreational players find quite “scary”, this donk lead is typically because the Big Blind is worried we won’t bet and another club or straightening card will fall on the turn.

Holding the Kc and an inside straight draw, we still have a lot of equity in this pot, but it is unlikely we have the best hand at the moment. If the board texture was scattered or all low cards and more likely that our opponent was lead/donk betting a medium strength hand to “see where they were at”, there would be a lot of merit to making a semi-bluff raise.

On this particular board, many of the hands the Big Blind is leading with are actually happy to see a raise. Hands such as Ax/T9s combos or even small flushes prefer to get chips in on the flop before a scary card comes on the turn or river. Our hand has significant equity with the Kc and inside straight draw, and we have a lot of potential opportunities to float and take the pot away on the turn if another scary card hits. Given these factors, calling makes a lot more sense than semi-bluffing on this coordinated monotone flop.

Calling is the best play. 

P.S. Check out our December live study session where we focused on Dealing with Limpers. Watch a preview →

How would you play it?
Share your answer in the comments!


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Poker Is...

Today more than ever before, drama and conflict gets more attention than quiet consistency and determination. If you pay attention to social media and what is pushed the most, you know this is the case. Instead of being focused on substance and specificity, it's become a contest to see who can yell the loudest and the longest.

Poker Is... not immune to the pressures of sensationalism in media and marketing and lately seems to be getting attention for all the wrong reasons. Whether it's multi-accounting online, cheating in live stream games, or new apps that may help players solve for the best move in real time, Poker certainly has had its share of bad press. Some find that drama entertaining and are drawn to poker, albeit for the wrong reasons.

It's just not the reality of what Poker Is.

LearnWPT-Borgata-Students

Look closer. Wade through the initial barrage of the latest "news" and the trash talk that seems to permeate coverage of the game.

What do you find?

The next time you sit down at your home game, local casino, or WPT event, take a good look at the fellow competitors at the table and you will certainly notice something different. Players there to have fun and compete - they are construction workers, school teachers, entrepreneurs, business professionals, parents, and retirees.

People just like you.

LearnWPT-Students

There's no team to be on or beef to carry. Just 52 cards, 5 community cards, and the best hand at showdown.

The real truth is, Poker is... a strategic game with rules and sportsmanship. A game that is here for everyone, regardless of where you're from, what you look like, your experience, or your skill. On any given day, anyone can win.

Don't get distracted by all of the noise designed to make you think what Poker Is... to them. Choose a poker community that is dedicated to helping EVERYONE learn to play, have fun, and be a part of it on their own terms.

For just $5 your first month of Fearless River Membership join a group of experienced poker educators and players who are WPT Champions and WSOP Bracelet winners ready and willing to help you learn and grow at your pace.

Get expert step-by-step instruction based specifically on your current experience and knowledge level. Train with state of the art tools and track learning progress on your personalized dashboard.

Your journey in Poker Is shaped by your choices.

Will you spend time focused on the latest challenges or dramas? Or will you choose to focus on what matters most for your game?

Poker Is... Community
Poker Is... Comradery
Poker Is... Fun
Poker Is... Competition
Poker Is... Love of the Game
Poker Is... Fearless River

Choose to join the Fearless River community for just $5 your first month of Membership to see what we believe Poker Is.

We'll see you online,
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Bounty Poker Tournament Basics and Strategy Tips

Thunder-Valley-Bounty-Confidential-Winner


Bounty Poker Tournaments are a fun way to add variety to your poker tournament schedule. The real money bounty awarded for knocking out each player creates extra action plus it gives every poker player a chance to win some cash in most cases without needing to finish inside the bubble.

If you are wondering how you should adjust your strategy for playing bounty poker tournaments...

Your friends at Fearless River Poker Training are here with expert tips to help you adjust poker strategy for each of the 3 types of bounty poker tournaments:


Traditional Bounty Poker Tournaments

Take a deep dive into the traditional bounty poker tournament format and learn how professional poker players adjust their play to account for the bounties when making decisions at the table.


Binger’s Bounty Equity Shortcut for Calling All-Ins:

  • Convert the bounty to tournament chips based on percentage of buy-in
    • $1,000 buy-in tournament, $250 of each buy-in is the bounty (bounty is 25% of buy-in)
    • 10,000 in starting chips x 25% = 2500 in tournament chips
    • Therefore 1 bounty = 2500 in tournament chips
  • Add the value of the bounty in terms of chips to the total pot
    • Ex: Pot size 17,500 + 2,500 = 20,000 bounty adjusted pot size
  • Calculate your equity based on the bounty adjusted pot size
  • Your calling range will naturally be wider based on the increased pot size


Progressive Knockout (PKO) Tournaments

Progressive Knockouts, or PKO’s have become very popular in online poker because of the escalating values for each player’s bounty as they eliminate others from the tournament. While this style of tournament is not common in live poker, it’s incredibly popular online and you need to be aware of the strategic adjustments involved.


The buy-in structure for a Progressive Knockout splits the buy-in in half and assigns half to the prize pool and half to the player’s individual bounty. As the tournament progresses you knock players out, half of their bounty is yours to keep, while the other half is added to your bounty.

Remembers these tips when playing in a PKO Tournament:

  • Because bounty values change based on each player's number of knockouts, some players are worth much more than others to knock out
  • Players are incentivized to widen their ranges and go after opponents when they have a high bounty value
  • Start PKO Tournaments on time and avoiding late registration is critical to maximize your chances of winning the most bounties
  • It's often profitable to call with any 2 cards in PKO Tournaments when your opponent's bounty value is high
  • This style of tournament has become extremely popular over the last year because it encourages so much action!

Make sure you download your free PKO Equity Reduction Quick Refeference Guide after you watch the Strategy Episode!

Progressive Knock Out Tournament Equity Guide


The PKO Equity Reduction Reference Guide is an easy and quick way to determine your equity in PKO Tournaments


Lottery Style Bounty Poker Tournaments

The most recent innovation in tournament bounty poker that has caused great excitement among poker players is the Lottery Style Bounty Tournament.

In this type of event (more commonly known as a Mystery Bounty or Bounty Confidential) players who make Day 2 and eliminate a player draw an envelope with the bounty amount hidden inside. Bounty amounts range from slightly less than a buy-in, all the way to 50 times the buy-in based on the total number of tournament entries.

WPT-Bounty-Tournament

Bounty Confidential Tournament at Thunder Valley Casino Resort

To maximize your chances at grabbing a massive bounty there are specific strategy reminders you should be conscious of during your next Lottery Style bounty event. Check out Fearless River Instructor and Poker Legend Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger’s key lessons for Lottery Style Bounty Tournaments below:

Andrew-Lichtenberger-WPT-One-Drop

3 Lessons from LuckyChewy on Lottery Style Bounty Tournaments:

Lesson #1: Making Day 2 in a Lottery Style Bounty Tournament is very important, but getting there with a big stack is critical to maximizing return on investment. Take thinner edges on Day 1 and focus on spots to accumulate chips before you reach the money so that you can have a better shot at accumulating bounties once you are in the money.

Lesson #2: Bounties usually make up roughly one third of the prize pool. They are of most value when the average bounty amount in dollars is larger than the minimum cash and quite a bit larger than any pay jumps. Keeping track of which larger bounties have been won already is essential to making the highest expected value decisions in these types of events.

Lesson #3: As the average bounty value decreases and you get deeper in the tournament where the prize money and associated pay jumps in the actual prize pool are larger than the average bounty amount, winning a bounty should be much less of an important factor in your decision making. Where previously you might have made a thin call to potentially win a huge bounty, you should instead evaluate this spot in terms of your overall tournament.


Good Luck and Good Playing!

We hope you enjoyed these free educational strategies for playing better in the 3 main types of Bounty Poker Tournaments from Team Fearless River. Be sure to follow us or subscribe below for more FREE poker content.

Please share your success and let us know how these strategies changed your game. We love to hear from Fearless River Students!

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

We'll see you on the felt,
-Team Fearless River


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Tour Terms With Fearless River Poker Training - Big Blind Defense

Tour-Terms-LearnWPT-Big-Blind-Defense


Hey Poker Fans!

Welcome to Tour Terms, where we break down key terms that poker Pros use to talk strategy and give you helpful tips to use in your next poker tournament. Today's Tour Term is ...

Big Blind Defense: noun
big blind de·fense \ ˈbig ˈblīnd di-ˈfen(t)s \

1) A strategy for continuing against an opponent who open raises preflop when you are in the Big Blind, usually by calling.

Example of Big Blind Defense in a sentence
Tony raises to 500 from the Cutoff seat and action folds to LuckyChewy who defends his Big Blind and calls and we’re off to a flop.


Defend Yourself!

Learn the basics of Big Blind Defense calling and get downloadable charts you can use during your next poker tournament.

Watch and learn as Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger breaks this must have strategy and upgrade your Big Blind play right now:

▼ Download the Big Blind Defense Calling Charts ▼

Big Blind Defense - Calling

🛡️ Tips for Defending Your Big Blind Like A Pro:

  • Avoid calling with offsuit hands - suited hands and speculative hands are best
  • This strategy only applies when you are up against 1 opponent and in the Big Blind
  • Make sure you only defend by calling with specific hands. Don’t remove 3-Betting from your game plan!
  • Defend with tighter calling range against larger open raise sizes
  • Default to checking the flop after you call the raise, no matter what cards you hold


Tony Defends on the Ultimate Stage

Big Blind Defense plays a crucial role in the outcome of almost every Final Table from your local daily poker tournament to a World Poker Tour Championship Event.


In this Strategy Episode from WPT® Commentator and Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst we get a behind the scenes look into how these strategies are used when the World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions title and the Mike Sexton Champions Cup is at stake!


And Off To The Flop We Go...

Think you have what it takes to defend your Big Blind and outwit a world-class poker Pro? It’s time to challenge the world’s perfect opponent - The WPT GTO Trainer!

Play these 5 hands to test your skills and learn the exact move to make. Remember, the goal is to get as close to ZERO EV loss with each decision you make. Good luck...

1009-55-Big-Blind-Call-Vs-Cutoff-Open-MTT

In a Tournament with 50 big blind stacks the Cutoff seat open raises to 2.5BBs and you call from the Big Blind

Here are some tips when practicing with the WPT GTO Trainer:

  • Your goal is to select the action for each individual hand that is as close to 0.00 EV as possible
  • EV Loss of 0.00 is the same action a GTO Player would take
  • 0.00 EV Loss means you broke even against a GTO Player
  • EV Loss Color Coding Hint:
    • Green = Near GTO Play
    • Orange = Take Caution
    • Red = Probable Leak in Your Game

See how close you get to 0 EV Loss and high percentage plays, then reread the advice above from the Fearless River Pros.

Not sure how to optimize your BIG BLIND DEFENSE? Why not ASK A PRO for insight into this critical skill and get expert feedback!

Find out what it's like to have a professional poker coach help you improve your game by trying out your 1st month of Membership for just $5 and gain access to the Fearless River Ask a Pro feature.

Improve your No-Limit Texas Hold'em game by joining Fearless River for just $5 your first month. After your first month choose the Fearless River Membership Tier that best fits your budget, schedule, and stage in your development as a player (upgrade or cancel at any time).


Want More Tour Terms From Fearless River?

Fearless River Members have instant access to a comprehensive poker training database. Search for any poker term and get the correct definition plus complete results for all related video, written, and playable poker education content on Fearless River.com.

Big-Blind-Defense-LearnWPT-Search


With a massive library including 550+ on-demand video Strategy Episodes (from top Pros including Tony Dunst, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, and Michael “Gags30” Gagliano!), dozens of downloadable charts and tools, direct access to the Fearless River Pros, and the state of the art WPT GTO Trainer, you’re certain to find the answers to your most pressing poker questions.

Have Questions? Email our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red Contact Us button and we'll be happy to help.



LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train - Play - Think Like A Pro!

During your next tournament or session give these big blind defense techniques a try and you'll become tougher to play against and keep your opponents on their heels more often.

Good Luck and Good Playing,
- Team Fearless River

Fearless River Poker Training Tour Terms: 3-Betting

LearnWPT-Tour-Terms-3-Bet

Hey Poker Fans!

Welcome to Tour Terms, where we break down key terms that poker pros use to talk strategy and give you helpful tips to use in your next poker tournament. Today's Tour Term is …

3-Bet: verb
three·bet \ ˈthrē ˈbet \

1) The act of raising after another player has raised the initial bet amount first-in. For example, in a tournament where blinds are 25-50, Player A opens the pot to 150 preflop and Player B raises to 450. In this instance Player B is 3-Betting the pot.

Example of 3-Bet in a Sentence
Tony raises preflop to 150 and LuckyChewy 3-Bets to 450 with A♠5♠.


So, What Hands Should You 3-Bet With 🤔?

Fighting back vs aggression from your opponents can be stressful and it’s hard to know exactly when you should reraise and which hands to do it with. Watch this in-depth Strategy Episode with Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he breaks down the key factors you should look for when deciding to 3-bet:

5 Key 🗝️ Reminders for 3-Betting:

In order to win tournaments you can’t simply wait for good cards
3-Betting is key to winning pots without showing down your hand
Avoid 3-Betting with bad cards in cash games
Target players with medium sized (30 to 50 big blind) stacks to pressure with 3-bets
Players opening the pot from late position are likely to have wider hand ranges


3-Betting Ace King With The Champ 🥊

Staying aggressive with Ace King is essential for making deep runs and bringing home tournament titles. Many players struggle with how to effectively apply aggression with Ace King, especially vs sticky opponents.

Check out this Strategy Episode with 3x WPT Champion and Fearless River Instructor Brian Altman from a $2,200 buy-in event at Wynn Las Vegas and learn his strategy for playing AK in a 3-bet pot.


The Cup 🏆 Awaits!

You are in a World Poker Tour main event with the Mike Sexton Champions Cup on the line! A late position player raises first-in and you 3-Bet from the Button with a 50BB stack. Your opponent calls and you are off to the flop...

1020-23-Button-3x-3-Bet-Vs-Cutoff-Open-MTT

Now it’s time to test your skills from this spot and play a FREE Tournament sample of 5 hands in the WPT GTO Trainer.

Your goal is to keep "EV Loss" in the green and close to 0, good luck!

Here are some tips when practicing with the WPT GTO Trainer:

  • Your goal is to select the action for each individual hand that is as close to 0.00 EV as possible
  • EV Loss of 0.00 is the same action a GTO Player would take
  • 0.00 EV Loss means you broke even against a GTO Player
  • EV Loss Color Coding Hint:
    • Green = Near GTO Play
    • Orange = Take Caution
    • Red = Probable Leak in Your Game


🖥️ Watch 3-Betting In Action

3-Betting is a powerful move that experts use to pressure opponents and force even the toughest players to retreat.


Check out this hand from WPT Season XIII for an in-depth look at a 3-bet pot with big money on the line and watch as Nick demonstrates how this Pro perfectly puts theory into practice.


Want More Tour Terms From Fearless River?

Fearless River Members have instant access to a comprehensive poker training database. Search for any poker term and get the correct definition plus complete results for all related video, written, and playable poker education content on Fearless River.com.

Tour-Terms-3-Bet


With a massive library including 550+ on-demand video Strategy Episodes (from top Pros including Tony Dunst, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Michael “Gags30” Gagliano, and Brian Altman!), dozens of downloadable charts and tools, direct access to the Fearless River Pros, and the state of the art WPT GTO Trainer, you’re certain to find the answers to your most pressing poker questions.

Improve your No-Limit Texas Hold'em game by joining Fearless River for just $5 your first month. After your first month choose the Fearless River Membership Tier that best fits your budget, schedule, and stage in your development as a player (upgrade or cancel at any time).



LearnWPT-Poker-Training

Train - Play - Think Like A Pro!

During your next tournament or session give these 3-betting strategies a try and you'll become tougher to play against and keep your opponents on their heels more often.

Good Luck and Good Playing,
- Team Fearless River

Have Questions? Email our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red Contact Us button and we'll be happy to help.