Poker Quiz! 3-Betting From the Small Blind With J♠J♣ ...
DECISION POINT: You’re playing a daily tournament and late registration is still open. The blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante. A player in Middle Position raises first-in to 1,100 and it folds to you in the Small Blind with J♠J♣. You 3-bet to 4,000, the Big Blind folds, and the original raiser calls. The flop comes 9♥6♠6♣ and action is on you. What do you do here?
PRO ANSWER: We're playing in a daily tournament. Late registration is still open and the blinds are 250/500 with a 500 big blind ante. We are dealt J♠J♣ in the Small Blind and the action folds to MP2 who opens to 1,100 chips. Everyone else folds and action is on us.
Out of the Small Blind we prefer to reraise with a linear range, meaning that we will be reraising for value with hands that are ahead of our opponent’s range. Our opponent in Middle Position should be opening with around 25% of total hands as the first-in raiser.
Our jacks are well ahead of that range, so they would be a part of a linear 3-betting range. Typical 3-bet sizing will be around 3x the opening raise size, but since we will be out of position the remainder of the hand, we want to reraise a bit larger to make up for the positional disadvantage. We elect to make it 4,000 chips and our opponent calls.
The flop is 9♥6♠6♣ and action is on us. As the preflop 3-bettor we have a large range advantage on this flop and have all the big overpairs in our range. MP2’s range consists mostly of bigger suited cards and middle pairs, most of which don’t connect very well with this board. Since we have such a tremendous range advantage, it is ideal to c-bet with our entire range.
Typically, we utilize a smaller bet size when c-betting our entire range. However, this situation is unique. The stack to pot ratio (SPR) is just under two. With so much money in the pot in relation to our stack, some hands in our range start to really benefit from protection.
In this case, our really strong hands like AA/KK and semi-bluffs, such as AKo/AQo type hands, prefer to bet around 25% of the pot. Our more vulnerable hands, like TT/JJ and A9s, want to bet a larger sizing of around 50% of the pot in order to protect against many of the potential overcards that connect with MP2’s range.
Betting half of the pot is the best play.
How would you play it?
Share your answer in the comments section below!
Start Playing Better Poker With Fearless River
Whether you’re brand-new to poker training or are an experienced student, a Membership to Fearless River.com is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players in a friendly community using state-of-the-art tools.
Join now to get started, and you'll immediately gain access to the Fearless River training features, including WPT GTO Trainer packs, 550+ strategy videos, downloadable tools, Ask a Pro Discord, and more!
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
On Tour With Team Fearless River: 2025 WPT® Choctaw-Durant
If you’re a fan of nonstop poker action in an award winning hotel casino where you can split time between fine dining, line dancing, and some time at the pool, then you need to get to Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK right now. Join Team Fearless River as we head back On Tour for the televised $3,800 World Poker Tour® Choctaw Championship Event featuring 50K in starting chips plus a massive $2 Million Guaranteed prize pool.
The 2024 WPT Choctaw Championship Event drew some of the best rounders on the planet and the prize pool swelled to over $2.1 Million. After a long final table battle, world-class player James Mackey captured the $361,600 first prize and his 2nd WPT Main Tour Title in the same event!
This year the Choctaw Festival returns featuring a huge new slate of exciting tournaments, epic schedule of satellites, and huge guarantees leading up to the highly anticipated WPT Main Tour Championship Event.
Do you have dreams of making the televised final table and sharing the stage with Vince, Lynn, and Tony but don’t quite have the bankroll? Good news - there are plenty of chances to parlay a small buy-in into a life changing score, and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the Championship Event satellites starting as low as $130!
Get Championship Ready With Fearless River
Team Fearless River is here to give the tools and strategy you need to win your seat to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.
➧ Get In on the Action
➧ Satellite Keys and Basics
➧ Test Your Satellite Skills
➧ Understanding ICM at the Final Table
➧ Play Solved GTO Final Table Hands
➧ Launch Your Poker Game and Save 50%
Get an edge on your competition with poker strategies from proven winners and prepare to dominate the felt!
#TheCupAwaits 🏆
Get In on the Action at Choctaw ...
The 2025 Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant festival begins April 16th with the $250 buy-in $100K GTD "Kick-Off" and features some can't miss events including the $300K GTD $500 buy-in “Gargantuan“ on the 24th and the $600 buy-in $150K GTD “Choctaw Classic” on the 19th.
In addition to the satellites to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship even starting as low as $130, you can also potentially parlay a low buy-in of $250 into a WPT package through Super Satellites that awards winners a seat to the $10,400 WPT World Championship in Vegas. There are also plenty of lower buy-in events scheduled nightly so you don’t have to stretch your bankroll to get to experience the fun and excitement of playing in a World Poker Tour event!
📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
End: Monday, May 5, 2025
Click here for the full Festival schedule
Day 1 of the Televised Championship Event begins Thursday, May 1st with three starting flights and allows for unlimited re-entry until the start of level 9 on Day 1A-Day 1C - Click here for the structure.
📅 WPT Championship Event Schedule:
➧ Day 1A: Thursday, May 1, 2025 starting at 11 am CDT
➧ Day 1B: Friday, May 2, 2025 starting at 11 am CDT
➧ Day 1C: Saturday, May 3, 2025 starting at 11 am CDT
➧ Day 2: Sunday, May 4, 2025 starting at 11am CDT
➧ Day 3: Monday, May 5, 2025 starting at 11am CDT
➧ Final Table: Friday, May 30, 2025*
The $3,800 Championship event offers 50K in starting chips and the player's favorite WPT structure providing plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.
*The final table of 6 will be played and filmed for television by the World Poker Tour at the HyperX Las Vegas at Luxor on May 30, 2025.
Should You Play a 🛰️ Satellite Differently?
Satellite poker tournaments are a great way to parlay a larger buy-in event at a lower price so you don’t need to have big bucks to be in contention for a game-changing score.
Strategies for Satellites can be very different from a normal Tournament, and yes, you’ll need to make some adjustments that may seem strange compared to standard tournament strategy.
Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in busting out when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.
Watch this Strategy Episode from Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.
Need Help Closing The Deal?
In this Fearless River Strategy Episode get invaluable perspective from a Pro as Nick Binger reviews several key hands from a Satellite to highlight the unique adjustments during the endgame.
These strategy concepts could help you avoid busting on the bubble and secure your seat to the WPT Choctaw Championship!
The Keys 🗝️ to Satellite Play
- Everyone gets paid the same prize
- Make sure you know the rules of the Satellite you are playing and how to secure your seat
- Satellites can be played a number of ways, from traditional freezeout, to milestone, to shootout format
- No incentive to build a large stack once you are likely to win a seat
- As the probability of winning a seat goes up, your ranges in all spots tighten up
- There are times in a satellite poker tournament when players should never continue against an all-in
- Satellites are the only form of poker where it can be correct to fold pocket Aces preflop
- Pay very close attention to stack sizes and level changes!
- Often in the satellite endgame 10BBs may be a big stack that is guaranteed to win a seat
Test Your Satellite Skills!
You are playing a Mega Satellite to the $2 Million guaranteed WPT Choctaw Championship with blinds at 50/100 and a 100 big blind ante. You are in the Small Blind with Q♠Q♥ and 4,600 chips (46BBs). An Early Position player limps, a visibly frustrated player in the MP2 seat makes it 300, and the Button flat calls.
Action is on you, what do you do here?
Click here to get a detailed analysis of this hand from Team Fearless River and learn more strategy behind the correct plays.
How Should You Adjust at a Final Table?
Strategy adjustments for various tournament stages must consider the impact of ICM (Independent Chip Model) and the specific factors in play at your table. When there are different stack sizes and a huge gap in pay between 1st and 9th place, making the most profitable decisions can seem daunting.
When you are the chip leader at a Final Table it’s also crucial to understand how dramatic ICM will affect your opponent’s strategy, and when you can use ruthless aggression to punish your foes on the way to victory. In both cases, the key to making better decisions with ICM in play starts with adjusting first-in hand ranges.
Watch this Fearless River.com Strategy Episode as Nick breaks down ranges and adjustments across stack sizes and describes how you should be approaching these spots at your next Final Table.
Playing Medium Pairs at A Final Table
Medium strength pocket pairs are a common source of frustration at the poker table for many players. Often with this hand category we are faced with difficult decisions to continue on many board textures, and can be challenged to make the right play when facing aggressive action.
At a Final Table when pay jumps are a big factor, it’s even more crucial to understand the correct strategy with medium pairs in order to avoid massive ICM blunders.
Here’s a breakdown from Fearless River Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen featuring pocket 8s at a Final Table to illustrate just how much ICM should affect your decisions in these spots.
Are You GTO Final Table Ready?
Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the Final Table of the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship event. How do you play your 30 Big Blind stack against a call from a tough chip leader with two short stacks in play and the Mike Sexton Champions Cup on the line?
Payouts: 1st = 20%, 2nd = 14%, 3rd = 9%, 4th = 6.7%, 5th = 5%, 6th = 4%
Play FREE solved hands from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how preflop ranges affect your decisions at the Final Table.
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
Members can practice more hands from this scenario anytime by playing the 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer Final Table pack! Not a Member? Join for just $5 your first month to play more WPT GTO Trainer scenarios like this.
At the Final Table Remember To...
- Play to avoid busting out to the chip leader
- You will check and call more often than bet or raise
- You still need some bluffs in your range to prevent the chip leader from exploiting you
- Almost never lead out from the Big Blind after calling preflop
- Don’t be afraid to fold marginal hands against big bets that could set up an all-in situation on a future street
- When facing an aggressive chip leader, you should often trap by check-calling with your big made hands
Launch Your Poker Game and SAVE 50%
Get your poker game ready for success with The Fearless River Launch No-Limit Hold'em Tournament Course and get 50% off with promotion code VEGAS50 at checkout. This course is the PERFECT way to level up your tournament skills with the WPT Champions and WSOP Bracelet winners on Team Fearless River.
Why are we so confident that Launch will help your game?
In 2024 not only did we see epic success from 2 Instructors who taught the Fearless River Launch Course, we also saw 2 students grab a WSOP Bracelet and 2 WSOP Circuit Rings (in 1 week!) after attending.
In short - We’ve got the results to prove it!
With Fearless River Launch you’ll get a highly structured upgrade to your tournament poker strategy from proven winners who are also expert teachers. The four sessions include more than 10 hours of lecture and in-depth hand examples to help align your game fast.
➧ Early Stage Play with Johan Schultz-Pedersen
➧ Responding to Aggression with Eric Lynch
➧ Turn and River Play with Michael Gagliano
➧ ICM and Bubble Play with Tony Dunst
In addition to the in-depth lecture sessions Fearless River Launch includes 30 strategy videos from our expansive library to supplement your training, downloadable range charts, poker hand quizzes after each section, and 20 WPT GTO Trainer packs for you to play, train, and drill hands based on the strategies you are learning. You’ll also have direct access to a private strategy Discord channel to ask questions to your coaches.
➧ Lifetime Access to the Course Videos and Tools
➧ No hidden fees, Fearless River.com Membership not required
Start the course NOW to prepare for the WSOP, WPT Championship, or any tournament that you are planning on playing!
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Will we see you on the felt during the WPT Choctaw Festival? If you see Team Fearless River stop and say Hi 👋!
Check the Fearless River calendar to follow Team Fearless River On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.
Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Choctaw Championship Event or side events on the Festival schedule!
Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team Fearless River, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.
X @Fearless River | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt
We love to hear how Fearless River Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team Fearless River! Subscribe for more FREE poker content.
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
On Tour With Fearless River: 2025 WPT® Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Festival
Who's up for a Showdown in Hollywood? The poker world is ready to gather together once again at everyone’s favorite East Coast poker destination - the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL for the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event. There's no better combo than South Florida weather and the chance to make the TV Final Table and be crowned the next WPT Champion!
This action packed poker festival boasts an epic schedule of huge guaranteed events featuring a wide range of buy-in levels and game types. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned grinder, there's a chance for everyone to become a Champion.
There are also tons of ways to win your seat directly into the massive $3 Million Guaranteed prize pool Championship event, with daily satellites to the $3,500 buy-in event starting on March 24th. The Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood consistently produces massive prize pools and incredible life-changing final table payouts, and there's no doubt that this year's edition will once again break records.
The 2024 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship Event drew some of the best rounders on the planet and the prize pool swelled to nearly $6 Million! After maintaining his impressive chip lead that began on Day 2 and coming into the Final Table 2nd in chips, Josh Reichard captured the $839,300 first prize and had his name engraved onto the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup alongside a prestigious list of World Poker Tour Champions.
Want the Cup? Get Aggression!
What single trait is shared by almost every player whose name is etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup?
3x WPT Champion Brian Altman
If you guessed that they are willing to stay aggressive and put their opponents to tough decisions, you’d be right. These masters of the game know when to shift gears and exploit weaknesses and they don't need to have good cards to push the action.
WPT Champion Tony Dunst
Team Fearless River is here to show you specific plays that will add aggression to your game and build a fierce presence at the table. Watch these free videos from proven crushers and you’ll learn to identify more spots to make aggressive moves that won't break your game. Get the insight on how these pros pull the trigger more often in close spots, and get on the path toward the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship!
Get In on the Showdown ...
The 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Festival kicks off on Wednesday, March 19th with the $400 Deepstack $1,000,000 guaranteed opener. There are plenty of lower buy-in events including a $600 Deepstack $2M GTD event on March 26th, and a ton of satellites into the Championship Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun!
📅 Poker Showdown Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
End: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Click here for the full Festival schedule
Follow the live updates for action from all the events
The headlining WPT Poker Showdown Championship event begins Friday, April 4th with two starting flights and unlimited reentry through the start of level 9 - Click for the tournament structure.
📅 WPT Championship Event Schedule:
Day 1A: Friday, April 4, 2025 starting at 11 a.m. EDT
Day 1B: Saturday, April 5, 2025 starting at 11 a.m. EDT
Day 2: Sunday, April 6, 2025 starting at 12 p.m. EDT
Day 3: Monday, April 7, 2025 starting at 12 p.m. EDT
Day 4: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 starting at 12 p.m. EDT
Day 5: The Final Table of 6 will be played and filmed for television at the HyperX Las Vegas at Luxor in May
AJo at the $10K WPT Final Table - Your Move?
Maintaining aggression in the face of big pay jumps under the bright lights of the World Poker Tour Final Table can be a daunting task. It feels like every decision is magnified and one wrong move could end your dream run...
In this Fearless River Strategy Episode Nick Binger breaks down a pivotal hand from the $10K buy-in WPT Seminole Hard Rock Finale. Learn how calculated aggression can frustrate a skilled opponent and create fold equity in a tough ICM spot vs the chip leader.
Fold Less, Float More!
Tired of playing against THAT player who always seems to be dragging pots with preflop raises and constant continuation bets? Take away their equity advantage and turn aggression on its heels with the Float.
Tune in to this Strategy Episode as Nick gives you step-by-step guidelines to identify the best situations to Float vs a frequent c-bettor. Utilize the power of position to turn aggression around on your opponents and add Floating to your game plan.
Bluffing With LuckyChewy
To build huge stacks and be in contention for a World Poker Tour Title, you will almost certainly need to pull off a few bluffs along the way.
You simply won't get enough good cards to keep up the pace with the rising blinds and antes, and when you do flop a big hand it won't always hold up. In this Strategy Episode Fearless River Instructor and poker legend Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger walks through his thought process when overbet bluffing the river.
Get Your Game Final Table Ready 🏆
To make sure you are prepared to shine for the cameras and show off your skills, we’ve got some essential strategy adjustments to help you get ready. Final Table strategy can differ dramatically from the early stages of a tournament, especially with huge pay-jumps and the prestige that only comes with winning a World Poker Tour title.
Most poker players aren’t prepared for the sudden increase in intensity caused by playing in front of an audience with life-changing money at stake. When you are facing the pressure of big pay jumps and the studio lights seem just a little too bright, it’s important to stay focused and make objective decisions.
Tips To Sharpen Up Your Game for Showtime
- Be aware of stack sizes and pay jumps at all times, even the slightest changes in stack sizes can shift strategy dramatically
- When short stacks exist, there is extra pressure on the bigger stacks to avoid busting out
- The chip leaders can use this extra pressure to win many pots while the short stack is in play
- As a medium stack vs larger stacks be cautious with any bets and raises and try to take marginal hands to showdown passively
- Preflop ranges shift quite a bit at final tables due to this effect with big stacks playing much wider ranges and medium stacks much narrower ranges
- Do not be afraid to ramp up your aggression against players that are playing tight in the hopes of laddering up
Not a Fearless River Member? Join for just $5 your first month to get more Final Table strategy.
Can You Stay Aggressive at The Final Table?
Payouts: 1st = 20%, 2nd = 14%, 3rd = 9%, 4th = 6.7%, 5th = 5%, 6th = 4%
You are at the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table. You min-raise 2BBs on the Button with a 30BB stack and the Big Blind with 50BBs calls. Click below to play a free Final Table sample pack of this spot from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how decisions change at the final table.
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
Members can practice more hands from this scenario and get expert feedback from the Fearless River Pros on their play with the 30BB Button Open Vs 50BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer pack!
Not a Fearless River Member? Join for just $5 your first month to play more hands using the WPT GTO Trainer.
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Will we see you on the felt during the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Festival? If you see Team Fearless River stop and say Hi 👋!
Check the Fearless River calendar to follow Team Fearless River On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.
Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Poker Showdown Championship Event or side events on the Festival schedule!
Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team Fearless River, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.
Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt | X @Fearless River
We love to hear how Fearless River Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team Fearless River! Subscribe for more FREE poker content.
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas With Fearless River
Photo credit: Drew Amato
The second ever WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas saw record breaking prize pools, exciting off the felt activities, and set the standard for all future poker festivals. Almost every poker event crushed the guaranteed prize pools and we saw multiple players walk away with over $1,000,000 for their efforts.
The 2023 World Championship Festival awarded more than $110 Million in prize money and the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship saw an incredible conclusion as Dan Sepiol etched his name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup and took home $5,282,954 for a well earned first prize.
The Fearless River Team capped off the festival with huge results seeing Member Bob Buckenmeyer making the WPT Prime Championship Final Table and Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger Final Tabling the flagship WPT World Championship.
Are you ready to be part of history (again!)?
Your chance to join an exclusive list of Champions and take part in the most talked about poker event of the year is here! Team Fearless River is ready to dominate the felt and we want to make sure you're ready to rise above as you compete in the Championship Event.
Let's get started...
Be Part of Poker History at Wynn Las Vegas
Returning to Wynn Las Vegas for the third consecutive year, the December 3-23, 2024 WPT World Championship Festival will offer more than 60 tournaments and a first-of-its-kind $5 Million Freeroll Invitational sponsored by ClubWPT Gold.
WPT Prime Championship: $5 Million GTD Prize Pool
Buy-In: $1,100 | December 8th - 14th | Schedule | Structure
➧ Day 1A - Sunday, Dec 8th 11am PT
➧ Day 1B - Monday, Dec 9th 11am PT
➧ Day 1C - Tuesday, Dec 10th 11am PT
➧ Day 1D - Wednesday, Dec 11th 11am PT
➧ Day 2 - Thursday, Dec 12th 12pm PT
➧ Day 3 - Friday, Dec 13th 12pm PT
➧ Livestreamed Final Table - Saturday, Dec 14th 4pm PT
A single (1) re entry is permitted for each starting flight
⚡ Live Updates
WPT World Championship
Buy-In: $10,400 | December 14th - 21st | Schedule | Structure
➧ Day 1A - Saturday, Dec 14th 11am PT
➧ Day 1B - Sunday, Dec 15th 11am PT
➧ Day 1C - Monday, Dec 16th 11am PT
➧ Day 2 - Tuesday, Dec 17th 12pm PT
➧ Day 3 - Wednesday, Dec 18th 12pm PT
➧ Day 4 - Thursday, Dec 19th 12pm PT
➧ Day 5 - Friday, Dec 20th 12pm PT
➧ TV Final Table - Saturday, Dec 21st 4pm PT
One entry per day maximum (freezeout per flight)
⚡ Live Updates
ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Invitational: $5M GTD Prize Pool
Buy-In: Freeroll | December 13th - 15th | Schedule | Structure
➧ Day 1 - Friday, Dec 13th 10am PT
➧ Day 2 - Saturday, Dec 14th 10am PT
➧ TV Final Table - Sunday, Dec 15th 4pm PT
⚡ Live Updates
For more ways to win your ClubWPT Golden Passport click here.
WPT Ladies Championship: $250K GTD Prize Pool
Buy-In: $11,100 | December 6th - 8th | Schedule | Structure
$1,100 discounted ladies buy-in
➧ Day 1 - Saturday, Dec 14th 11am PT
➧ Day 2 - Sunday, Dec 15th 11am PT
Unlimited re-entry is allowed until the close of registration
⚡ Live Updates
Photo credit: Drew Amato
With more than 60 events on the calendar, the 2024 Festival is where every poker player needs to be this December. There are plenty of can’t miss events that offer a wide range of buy-ins including over a dozen live Milestone Satellites awarding over 250 seats to the World Championship!
The Festival kicks off with a $1 Million Guaranteed, $800 No-Limit Hold’em multi-flight tournament followed by player favorites including the $250,000 guaranteed WPT® Ladies World Championship, $5 Million Guaranteed WPT® Prime Championship, the ever-popular Mystery Bounty featuring a $1 Million guarantee, multiple Seniors events (50+) and a $10,000 buy-in Seniors High Roller.
Multiple mixed game tournaments are also available throughout the Festival, ranging from the $2,200 HORSE Championship, PLO, Mixed Triple Draw, Big Mix Bet, TORSE, Big O, and more! With Satellites and Tournaments ranging from $200 - $10,580 the WPT World Championship Festival has something for every player!
➧ Click here for the full schedule of events
➧ For results, chip counts, redraws, and more visit: www.wynnlasvegas.com/casino/poker
➧ Follow the Wynn Poker Room Twitter page for nightly updates
📍 The Who, What and Where...
Photo credit: Drew Amato
With so much action going on at the Wynn Las Vegas where do you begin? Here are some quick tips:
➧ If parking or arriving by taxi cab or rideshare instruct your driver to drop you off at the main entrance of Encore (not Wynn)
➧ If driving, parking in Encore self-park is the quickest way to the Encore ballroom & registration for main events
➧ Players must have a Wynn Player card - you can get one from the Wynn Rewards counter in the Encore Casino area
➧ You will need a verified WPT.com Player Account to play in any World Poker Tour events. Signing up takes about 30 seconds.
- Click here to get started
- Enter your information and click ‘Create Account’
- Click the link in the Confirmation Email
- Click ‘Sign Player Release’ - That's it!
➧ Most events will be played in the Encore Ballroom - you can register in the Debussy Ballroom (next to the Encore Ballroom)
➧ If an event is played in the Poker Room - you can register in the Poker Room located in the Encore Casino area
➧ Registration in the Ballroom opens each day 2 hours prior to the earliest event (typically 9am PT) and closes approximately 10pm PT
➧ Registration is available for any event 24/7 in the poker room
The Encore at Wynn is marked with signage for easy navigation. Click here for the Wynn property map.
Fearless River Members Are Ready To Dominate 💪
Team Fearless River hosted 6 Warm-Up 📚 Study Sessions for Members to get their game ready to dominate the 2024 WPT World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas.
For each Session we provided Members with a strategy that focuses on specific concepts essential for tournament success - now let’s get YOUR game ready with FREE strategy videos and tips from Team Fearless River! Let's get started...
① Warm-Up Session: The Mental Game
We'll kickstart your poker study by outlining valuable strategies for managing routines, building confidence, and dealing with adversity. We’ll also talk about preparing for long tournament days and using physical fitness and nutrition to optimize your play.
⦿ Tournament Prep With Tony, Chewy, and Johan
Huge Tournament Series like the WPT World Championships at Wynn Las Vegas bring excitement and tons of opportunity. To make the most of these gigantic fields and massive prize pools, it's important to plan ahead for the unique challenges that you may encounter.
In this Strategy Episode hear firsthand from Fearless River Instructors Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen about how they prepare for peak performance during a long poker tournament series.
Many players ignore Mental Game issues that prevent growth in their game including fear, anger, and frustration. Building Endurance through exercise, rest, and nutrition is key to excelling during a long tournament series.
➧ Click for more tips and videos from the Mental Game Session
② Warm-Up Session: Preflop Strategy
In this Session we are focusing on the one decision you must make in every hand you play - what to do when action folds to you preflop. We'll also discuss strategies such as 3-Betting that will give you the opportunities to exert skill edge against your opponents.
🛑 Know Your First-In Hand Ranges
During the course of a poker tournament you are likely to face dozens of stressful decisions. Your ability to stay present in the moment and focus on the 5 Key Factors will likely decide whether you make a deep run or bust out on Day 1. Luckily there are some things you can start doing now to take away distractions and help make high quality strategic decisions under pressure.
Spend just a few minutes each day reviewing the Game Theory Optimal (GTO) Preflop Hand Ranges. Over time you will gain a solid grasp of each positional range and your preflop decisions will feel less stressful. You’ll free up mental energy to work on other areas of your game and be able to maintain sharp focus when facing tough spots postflop.
Watch this Strategy Episode from Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he gives you a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot.
If you are a tournament player and haven't added these first-in hand ranges to your game plan you are missing opportunities to grow your chip stack and gain a balanced preflop attack. Understanding what hands to act with preflop from Early, Middle, or Late Position is crucial to your success!
Here are a few points from this Episode 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
➧ Download a copy of the GTO First-In Hand Ranges
Use these rock solid Game Theory Optimal hand ranges and you'll be well on your way to an award winning performance at the 2024 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas!
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.
Quick Tips for Using the First-In Charts:
- Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and reference the appropriate range chart for your seat - Helpful Tip: Always count backwards from the Button to determine your position
- You should 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.
- Stay consistent with your raise sizing. 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)
You'll develop Muscle Memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and putting them into practice at the table!
Knowing how and when to make moves preflop is one of the keys to getting a hold of chips in a poker tournament. Understanding how to adjust for specific stack sizes and positions will give you opportunities to exert a skill edge.
➧ Click for more tips and videos from the Preflop Strategy Session
③ Warm-Up Session: Defense Strategy
In this Session we'll be talking about the specific strategies you can use when facing aggression in common Defense situations at the poker table. We'll also dive into the factors that you need to consider when deciding to defend in position vs out of position.
⦿ Turn and River Play With Tony Dunst
With more opportunities to Defend your Big Blind, you’ll definitely be in some interesting postflop situations facing a wider range of hands. In many of these spots you’re likely to face a continuation bet so understanding which board textures are favorable and when bluffing may be an option is valuable. Navigating these pots from out of position without the equity advantage translates to more difficult decisions on every street.
To gain a true understanding of how tough these spots can be, it’s essential to analyze postflop decisions in Big Blind Defense situations away from the table.
Join Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst as he explores 3 hands from recent sessions to break down optimal play on the turn and river when defending from the Big Blind. Watch this Strategy Episode as Tony uses PioSolver to demonstrate how ranges interact in this spot and what factors you should be accounting for.
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
Blind and Button Defense Strategy in a poker tournament each have unique considerations and hand range constructions that help you target specific opponents in position and develop criteria for check-raising frequent c-bettors.
➧ Click for more tips and videos from the Defense Strategy Session
④ Warm-Up Session: Postflop Strategy
This Study Session is all about getting you geared up to attack flops with properly sized c-bets, identify spots to float aggressive opponents, and give you the tools to make huge laydowns and big hero calls when the pressure is on. We’ll discuss how to approach tough opponents and break down exploitative adjustments to max value when you have a skill edge.
⦿ C-Betting Vs Tough Opponents
Whether in a cash game or tournament, continuation betting is a key part of postflop strategy. A strong default c-betting strategy will put most opponents on the defensive and result in winning many uncontested pots.
However, as you face more skilled opponents additional factors must be considered to ensure your c-bets are profitable. When facing tougher opponents, you’ll need to upgrade your approach and adjust how frequently you fire again on the flop after raising first-in.
Watch this Strategy Episode as Nick Binger explains how equity advantage, nut advantage, and your perceived range help you decide when to c-bet against tough opponents. Plus, Nick outlines the common spots vs tough opponents that are the most challenging.
Deeper stacked poker tournaments feature more decision points and create tougher Postflop Considerations. Understanding how board texture and ranges interact will have a big impact in your ability to win uncontested pots.
➧ Click for more tips and videos from the Postflop Strategy Session
⑤ Warm-Up Session: ICM & Satellite Strategy
In this Study Session we focus on the factors you need to consider when facing a tough decision on the Bubble, as well as specific differences between satellites and traditional multi-table tournaments. We’ll discuss how ICM (Independent Chip Model) influences hand ranges and betting, plus outline specific strategy for Milestone Satellites.
🛰️ Satellite Your Way Into a WPT Championship!
Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in you busting when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.
Watch this Strategy Episode from Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.
Tips for Milestone Satellite Play
In a Milestone Satellite a player must accumulate a specific chip stack amount designated by the poker room ("The Milestone") to be awarded the tournament prize. The Milestone amount required to win the seat for each tournament is usually noted in the rules and structure sheet (under Milestone Rules).
As in a traditional satellite format, players may also win a seat by surviving until the number of seats available in the prize pool equals the number of players remaining, however achieving a verified Milestone stack at any point in the Tournament automatically guarantees that player a seat to the target event.
Example: You are playing a $1,100 buy-in Milestone Satellite to the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship with a starting chip stack of 20,000 and the "Milestone" is 220,000 chips. Once a player's chip stack reaches 220,000 chips they are instantly awarded a seat into the event and their chips removed from play.
The satellite will conclude when the number of players remaining is equal to the number of $10,400 prizes generated based on the Tournament Prize formula, less the amount of players who have previously won by reaching The Milestone.
- Milestone Satellites prioritize a more risky playing style than traditional satellites, similar to bounty tournaments
- Specific opponent tendencies play a big factor in your approach and dictate whether going for the Milestone is a priority
- Larger raise sizes may have increased fold equity against opponents close to the Milestone (within 5-10BBs) due to poor risk/reward
- Don’t lose sight of the Milestone in later stages when effective stacks are shallow - a few preflop steals could be enough to secure your seat
- The endgame of a Milestone satellite can be chaotic - stay focused on the best strategy for your stack size and specific table conditions
- Remember that you don’t always have to get to the Milestone to win a seat, you can still use traditional satellite strategy and have a good chance
Take these strategies to the Wynn Las Vegas poker room and play a $400 Double Play Milestone Satellite to secure your seat into the $1,100 WPT Prime or Ladies Championship, a Milestone Satellite to $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, or other Wynn Festival events.
During the 2023 Festival Milestone Satellites sent nearly 500 winners to the WPT World Championship field last year. Fearless River wants to help you win YOUR seat!
Click here for the current schedule of satellites and tournaments
Follow the Wynn Poker Room on social for updates to the satellite schedule and more. X @WynnPoker | Instagram @wynnpoker
➧ Click for tips and videos from the ICM and Satellite Session
⑥ Study Session: Exploits and Intuition
This Session is all about using your strategic knowledge to punish bad plays and cultivate your feel for the game. A common trait shared by most successful tournament players is the ability to identify when an opponent is making an obvious mistake and knowing when to shift gears and use Exploits to maximize their edge.
⦿ Extracting Maximum Value With Gags
Opponents may change several times in any given poker tournament, so developing a specific player profile can be difficult, if not impossible. Bet-Sizing errors are often the best indicator of an opponent who is deviating from sound strategy and are most likely to make big mistakes postflop
Exerting your skill edge in these spots means staying alert and avoiding autopilot, especially when you flop a huge hand.
The difference between a small profit and a life changing score could lie in your ability to capitalize on obvious strategic errors. Watch as Fearless River Instructor Michael "Gags30" Gagliano breaks down hands where he uses exploitative lines to extract maximum value and demonstrates how to weigh the potential risk/reward of bet sizing to determine the best approach.
Poker is a game of incomplete information but if you’re focused and prepared to play, opponents will give off several cues that can be used to your advantage. Whether it’s odd bet-sizing, frequent over-calling, or taking too many hands to showdown, these mistakes must be capitalized on if you want to stay ahead of the field.
➧ Click for tips and videos from the Intuition & Exploits Session
Members can rewatch Study Sessions anytime from the Webinars Dashboard. Not a Member but want to watch the Live Study Sessions? Join for just $5 your first month of Membership!
We’re in the home stretch now! Fearless River Members - make sure to submit any questions or hands on trouble spots to the Ask a Pro Discord and we’ll get you ready to conquer Vegas!
Team Fearless River On the Felt and in the Action!
The Fearless River Family capped off the 2023 Festival with huge results seeing Member Bob Buckenmeyer making the WPT Prime Championship Final Table and taking home $380K and Instructor Andrew Lichtenberger taking 3rd and over $2.7 Million in the flagship WPT World Championship. Fearless River Students have been putting in the time and effort and are now ready to put their skills into play by winning their way into the WPT Championship.
LET'S KEEP IT GOING …
We’ll be keeping an eye on our ClubWPT Golden Passport winners, WPT Prime Championship Satellite winners, Members, and Coaches as they take to the felt for their chance at poker glory.
To kickoff the 2024 WPT Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Fearless River Instructors and world-class Pros Niall Farrell "Firaldo87", Eric “Rizen” Lynch, and Tony Dunst spent 3 days with 27 students in the Fearless River Live Poker Lab to get them Championship ready! On December 8th the Fearless River Live Poker Lab students will take to the felt in an exclusive satellite where we are awarding 3 seats to the WPT Prime Championship.
Video credit: Lee Cummings
During the Fearless River Launch Digital Workshop, Jerry came out the victor to win his seat to the WPT Prime Championship seat in an exclusive Satellite on ClubWPT.com. Andrew, Matthew, Christopher, and Robert will be playing for the $1M first place prize in the $5M GTD ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Invitational after winning their seats by signing up with the Fearless River promo code.
The entire Fearless River Team will be at the Wynn Las Vegas helping cheer on our winners (and coaches) - Help us wish them luck!
Live Lab Satellite Winners Mark, Shen, and Punal
➧ Fearless River Launch WPT Prime Seat Winner: Jerry Drew
➧ Fearless River Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Mark Swafford
➧ Fearless River Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Punal Patel
➧ Fearless River Live Poker Lab WPT Prime Seat Winner: Shen Sidana
➧ ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Andrew Stern
➧ ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Matthew Drager
➧ ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Christopher Gilley
➧ ClubWPT Golden Passport Winner: Robert Koller
Your Fearless River Instructors Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Adrian Naggy, Brian Altman, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Michael “Gags30” Gagliano, Niall Farrell "Firaldo87", and Tony Dunst will be at the Wynn and in the action.
Stay tuned for updates from our 2024 satellite winners!
LET'S GO TEAM LEARNWPT 🏆
WPT Special Events for Players
The non-stop poker action, massive prize pools, and the chance to go down in history as a WPT World Champion are only part of the excitement happening in Vegas this December! The World Poker Tour and Wynn Las Vegas have created a one of a kind poker experience that is sure to BRING THE FUN during the Championship Festival!
Whether you’ve dreamed of playing a few hands vs Phil Ivey, wanted to make a guest cameo in Brad Owen's Vlog, be entertained by amazing halftime shows and performances, or dance the night away with the WPT Family in an epic Player’s Party that could only be held in Vegas, there are plenty of off the felt activities to enjoy.
WPT Gold Booth - Win Your Seat (or a Supercar??)
Visit the ClubWPT Gold Booth from December 8th - December 17th for more chances to win! Sign up at the booth and pull an envelope for a chance to win big - Prizes include:
➧ A McLaren valued at $250,000
➧ Entry into the Ultimate Cash Booth to win up to $50K
➧ Over 100 Gold Passports into the $5M GTD Freeroll
➧ VIP Experience at Wynn Field Club with Brad Owen
➧ Entry into the Cash Booth to win up to $500
➧ Arsham Chip set valued at $5,000
➧ ClubWPT Gold coins, Wynn gift cards, and more
📍 Located in front of Mozart at Encore (10:30 am - 8pm PT)
ClubWPT Super SATurday Workshop With Fearless River
Fearless River has teamed up with ClubWPT to give online qualifiers even more opportunity to make a huge score at the Wynn.
Team Fearless River will be offering LIVE poker coaching to ClubWPT Super SATurday qualifiers to help enhance their strategies, just in time for Day 1D of the WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
Learn more about the ClubWPT.com Super SATurday Membership and start playing to win your seat to the 2025 WPT World Championship and get free access to the Fearless River CHAMP Membership!
🥳 WPT Thank You Players Party at AREA15
Players are invited to the Thank You Players Party at AREA15 on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm - 1 am. Complementary shuttle service is available, departing every 30 minutes from the Encore shuttle area, starting at 7:30 pm. Team Fearless River will see you there!
To join the party, just present your satellite receipt to or tournament receipt from the WPT Ladies Championship, WPT Prime Championship, WPT World Championship, or your Golden Passport.
WPT Premier 💰 Meet Up Game (MUG)
Join the fun at the Premier Meet Up Game December 17th from 9am-12pm in the Wynn Poker Room. PLUS other prizes will be awarded during live-action play. Play some $1/$3 and $2/$5 cash with WPT Ambassadors including Vince Van Patten, Lynn Gilmartin, Tony Dunst, Matt Savage, Brad Owen, Phil Ivey, and special guests.
📍 Wynn Poker Room
2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ ClubWPT Members Take to the Live Felt
Congratulations and good luck to the 200+ players ClubWPT is sending to the 2024 WPT World Championship Events!
ClubWPT Members and Qualifiers always receive the royal treatment and will enjoy several fun events including additional ways to win seats into the Championship Events live on-site at Wynn Las Vegas.
ClubWPT fosters a tight knight community of players who love to compete and share the excitement of competing at the WPT World Championship Festival in Las Vegas each December. We love helping ClubWPT Qualifiers and Stream Team Members prepare to play their best poker and can’t wait to sweat the action as they look to make deep runs and bag big scores.
Good luck and good playing!
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Are you playing any of the WPT Championship Events at Wynn Las Vegas? Stop and say Hi 👋 to Team Fearless River!
Your Fearless River Instructors Tony Dunst, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Brian Altman, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Niall Farrell “Firaldo87”, and Adrian Naggy will be at the Wynn and in the action.
Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Championship Events or side events on the Festival schedule! Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team Fearless River, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.
Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt | X @Fearless River
We love to hear how Fearless River Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
Train With Fearless River Champions for Just $5
Meet Team Fearless River - Combined the Fearless River Instructors have amassed 5 WPT Championships, 14 WSOP Bracelets, 8 WSOP Circuit Rings, 9 High Roller titles, 2 Poker Masters Championships, over $60 Million in live Tournament winnings, 5 decades of coaching experience, and authored 5 acclaimed poker books.
Ready to train and learn from these Pros? Join them NOW!
Fearless River Members have access to over 100 hours of on-demand video Strategy Episodes featuring key poker concepts and real world examples demonstrating specifically how to use them in your game - all for just $5 your first month of Membership!
Whether you are brand new to poker training or you’re an experienced student this is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players in a friendly community using state of the art tools.
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
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Poker Quiz! In the Small Blind With Q♥Q♦, What Do You Do?
DECISION POINT: You are currently eight-handed in the middle stages of a major weekend online tournament with blinds at 500/1,000 and a 1,000 big blind ante. Most of the stacks at the table have around 50BBs and 75% of the field is still in play. The UTG player raises to 2,000 and it folds to you in the Small Blind with Q♥Q♦. You reraise to 9,000, the Big Blind folds, and the original raiser calls. The flop comes 6♦4♣3♠ and action is on you.
What do you do here?
PRO ANSWER: We are in the early to middle stages of a major weekend online tournament. Most of the stacks at the table, including us, have around 50 big blinds. Around 75% of the field is still playing. The blinds are 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante. We are dealt QhQd in the Small Blind with eight players at the table. The UTG player opens to 2,000 and the action folds around to us.
While this raise came from an opponent seated Under the Gun, this opening range should still be as wide as 18-20% of overall hands when using a small opening raise size and with a big blind ante in play. Our specific hand pocket queens is well ahead of that range. Due to being out of position we are heavily incentivized to push our equity edge preflop by reraising rather than taking a passive line and playing out of position postflop with relatively deep stacks. We choose to reraise to 9,000 chips, the Big Blind folds, and the original UTG raiser calls.
The flop is 6d4c3s and with a stack to pot ratio (SPR) of around 2, our pocket queens are very strong and we are near the top of our range, so folding should not be a consideration at any point in the hand. Given that is the case our main concern here is finding the best way to get money into the pot against their range. When the UTG player just calls our preflop raise, their range is usually condensed to pairs as well as some suited aces and suited broadway hands. Although AK might just call sometimes preflop, many players would just move all-in preflop with that hand so we can discount it from our range assessment. This means that when we’re ahead our opponent is likely drawing to somewhere between 2-3 outs, the exception being the times they specifically have combinations of A5s and 55.
The big temptation that many players have here is that they want to bet big and just get the hand over with.
Continued below...
If we really think about UTG’s range our hand isn’t that vulnerable when we’re ahead on this flop. You’re not likely to make big hands at a high frequency in any given tournament, so it’s vital that we’re able to maximize our value when spots like this do occur. If we bet big here our opponent may continue with some of their overpairs, however most of their defending range will be composed of hands that are drawing super thin on this flop such as JTs/ATs.
Consulting the output from a GTO solver for this spot, we see that the preferred line actually checks with our hand at a high frequency here to induce a stab from the portion of UTG’s range that just contains overcards. In addition to checking the solver recommends sometimes betting with a mix of sizing between 25-50% pot. Using a sizing any larger than half pot will likely force our opponent to play closer to “perfect”, by folding all their hands that have little equity against us and only continuing with their strongest holdings.
In real-world games our decision in this spot will be influenced by any tendencies we’ve observed from our opponents.
If we have observed that the UTG player might aggressively take a stab at the pot if we check, this is a great place to play our hand a bit deceptive and check the flop. Against more passive opponents it’s crucial to start betting now and to choose a small sizing that will allow UTG to continue with hands we are dominating.
Both checking and betting small are the best plays.
How would you play it?
Share your answer in the comments below!
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- The WPT GTO Trainer to play real solved hands and get instant feedback on YOUR leaks (over 4 BILLION solved spots!)
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On Tour With Fearless River: 2024 WPT® Choctaw-Durant
If you’re a fan of nonstop poker action in an award winning hotel casino where you can split time between fine dining, line dancing, and some time at the pool, then you need to get to Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK right now. Join Team Fearless River as we head back On Tour for the televised $3,800 World Poker Tour® Choctaw Championship Event featuring 50K in starting chips plus a massive $2 Million Guaranteed prize pool.
The 2023 WPT Choctaw Championship Event drew some of the best rounders on the planet and the prize pool swelled to over $2.1 Million. After a long final table battle, world-class player Jared Jaffe captured the $400,740 first prize and his 2nd WPT Main Tour Title
This year the Choctaw Festival returns featuring a huge slate of new exciting tournaments, epic schedule of satellites, and huge guarantees leading up to the highly anticipated WPT Main Tour Championship Event.
Do you have dreams of making the televised final table and sharing the stage with Vince, Lynn, and Tony but don’t quite have the bankroll? Good news - there are plenty of chances to parlay a small buy-in into a life changing score, and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the Championship Event satellites starting as low as $130!
Get Championship Ready With Fearless River
Team Fearless River is here to give the tools and strategy you need to win your seat to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog (and on site on May 2nd!) and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.
➧ Get In on the Action
➧ Win a FREE $500 Satellite Seat
➧ Satellite Keys and Basics
➧ Test Your Satellite Skills
➧ Understanding ICM at the Final Table
➧ Play Solved GTO Final Table Hands
➧ Launch Your Poker Game This Summer!
Get an edge on your competition with poker strategies from proven winners and prepare to dominate the felt!
#TheCupAwaits 🏆
Get In on the Action ...
The 2024 Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant festival kicked off on April 17th with the $300 Monster Stack $50K GTD opener and features some can't miss events including the $100K GTD $130 buy-in “Gargantuan“ on the 18th and the $400 buy-in $200K GTD “Choctaw Classic” event on the 25th.
In addition to the satellites to the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship even starting as low as $130, you can also potentially parlay a low buy-in of $250 into a $14,100 WPT package satellite that awards winners a seat to the $10,400 WPT World Championship in Vegas this December. There are also lower buy-in events scheduled nightly so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to get to experience the fun and excitement of playing in a World Poker Tour event!
📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
End: Monday, May 6, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule
Day 2 of the Televised Championship Event begins Friday, May 3rd with two starting flights and allows for unlimited re-entry until the start of level 9 on Day 1A and Day 1B - Click here for the structure.
📅 WPT Championship Event Schedule:
➧ Day 1A: Friday, May 3, 2024 starting at 11 am CDT
➧ Day 1B: Saturday, May 4, 2024 starting at 11 am CDT
➧ Day 2: Sunday, May 5, 2024 starting at 11am CDT
➧ Day 3: Monday, May 6, 2024 starting at 11am CDT
➧ Final Table: Thursday, May 30, 2024*
The $3,800 Championship event offers 50K in starting chips and the player's favorite WPT structure providing plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.
Win a FREE $500 Satellite Seat and Train With Team Fearless River - May 2nd!
Satellite poker tournaments are a great way to parlay a larger buy-in event at a lower price so you don’t need to have big bucks to be in contention for a game-changing score. Strategies for Satellites can be very different from a normal Tournament, and you’ll need to make some adjustments that may seem strange compared to standard tournament strategy.
To help get you ready for the WPT Choctaw Championship Event we're inviting you to join Team Fearless River Instructors Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Adrian Naggy for a FREE 30 minute introduction to Satellite Strategy Workshop LIVE at 12PM CDT on May 2nd prior to the start of the Championship Event Satellites.
You’ll get specific examples of how to change up your play to take advantage of the unique factors in a satellite, including how to adjust for each stage of the tournament, surviving as the shortstack, monitoring stacks and other tables, and navigating the bubble.
The Workshop is free to all and will be held in the Willow Room (located in the Conference Area next to The Grand Theater) on May 2nd at 12PM CDT - look for the Fearless River banners!
Immediately following the FREE strategy session, we’ll go down to the tournament floor in the Grand Arena and play in an exclusive freeroll satellite for attendees with 1st prize awarding a $500 seat to the 4PM Mega Satellite to the WPT Choctaw Championship!*
➧ Save your seat by registering below or clicking here
*Entry limited to attendees of the Free Fearless River Satellite Strategy Workshop on May 2, 2024 at 12PM CDT. Attendees must register prior to the start of Satellite. First Prize in the Fearless River Freeroll Satellite awards one (1) seat to the $500 Mega Satellite to the WPT Choctaw Championship Event on May 2, 2024 at 4PM CDT. First Prize is only valid for the $500 Mega Satellite to the WPT Choctaw Championship Event on May 2, 2024 at 4PM CDT. First Prize non-transferable and not redeemable for cash value.
P.S. After the Workshop jump into the $500 Mega Satellite at 4 pm or the $250 Super Satellites at 6 pm and 9pm to win your seat into the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship Event.
Can't make the FREE Introduction to Satellite Workshop? Use the poker strategies below to sharpen your focus and who knows, maybe you’ll turn a few bucks into a huge payday.
Should You Play a 🛰️ Satellite Differently?
YES YOU SHOULD!
Approaching satellite play with the same strategy used in a regular poker tournament will often result in you busting when you would otherwise have a seat to the target tournament locked up.
Watch this Strategy Episode from Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he discusses the key adjustments you need to make when playing Satellite Poker Tournaments.
Need Help Closing The Deal?
In this Fearless River Strategy Episode get invaluable perspective from a Pro as Nick Binger reviews several key hands from a Satellite to highlight the unique adjustments during the endgame.
These strategy concepts could help you avoid busting on the bubble and secure your seat to the WPT Choctaw Championship!
The Keys 🗝️ to Satellite Play
- Everyone gets paid the same prize
- Make sure you know the rules of the Satellite you are playing and how to secure your seat
- Satellites can be played a number of ways, from traditional freezeout, to milestone, to shootout format
- No incentive to build a large stack once you are likely to win a seat
- As the probability of winning a seat goes up, your ranges in all spots tighten up
- There are times in a satellite poker tournament when players should never continue against an all-in
- Satellites are the only form of poker where it can be correct to fold pocket Aces preflop
- Pay very close attention to stack sizes and level changes!
- Often in the satellite endgame 10BBs may be a big stack that is guaranteed to win a seat
Test Your Satellite Skills!
You are playing a Mega Satellite to the $2 Million guaranteed WPT Choctaw Championship with blinds at 50/100 and a 100 big blind ante. You are in the Small Blind with Q♠Q♥ and 4,600 chips (46BBs). An Early Position player limps, a visibly frustrated player in the MP2 seat makes it 300, the Button flat calls, and action is on you.
What do you do here?
Click here to get detailed analysis of this hand from Team Fearless River and learn more strategy behind the correct plays.
Final Table ICM Pressure on Preflop Ranges
Strategy adjustments for various tournament stages must consider the impact of ICM (Independent Chip Model) and the specific factors in play at your table. When there are different stack sizes and a huge gap in pay between 1st and 9th place, making the most profitable decisions can seem daunting.
When you are the chip leader at a Final Table it’s also crucial to understand how dramatic ICM will affect your opponent’s strategy, and when you can use ruthless aggression to punish your foes on the way to victory. In both cases, the key to making better decisions with ICM in play starts with adjusting first-in hand ranges.
Watch this Fearless River.com Strategy Episode as Nick breaks down ranges and adjustments across stack sizes and describes how you should be approaching these spots at your next Final Table.
Playing Medium Pairs at A Final Table
Medium strength pocket pairs are a common source of frustration at the poker table for many players. Often with this hand category we are faced with difficult decisions to continue on many board textures, and can be challenged to make the right play when facing aggressive action.
At a Final Table when pay jumps are a big factor, it’s even more crucial to understand the correct strategy with medium pairs in order to avoid massive ICM blunders.
Here’s a breakdown from Fearless River Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen featuring pocket 8s at a Final Table to illustrate just how much ICM should affect your decisions in these spots.
Are You GTO Final Table Ready?
Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the Final Table of the $3,800 WPT Choctaw Championship event. How do you play your 30 Big Blind stack against a call from a tough chip leader with two short stacks in play and the Mike Sexton Champions Cup on the line?
Payouts: 1st = 20%, 2nd = 14%, 3rd = 9%, 4th = 6.7%, 5th = 5%, 6th = 4%
Play FREE solved hands from the WPT GTO Trainer to see firsthand how preflop ranges affect your decisions at the Final Table.
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
Members can practice more hands from this scenario anytime by playing the 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer Final Table pack!
Not a Member? Join for just $5 your first month to play more WPT GTO Trainer scenarios like this.
At the Final Table Remember To...
- Play to avoid busting out to the chip leader
- You will check and call more often than bet or raise
- You still need some bluffs in your range to prevent the chip leader from exploiting you
- Almost never lead out from the Big Blind after calling preflop
- Don’t be afraid to fold marginal hands against big bets that could set up an all-in situation on a future street
- When facing an aggressive chip leader, you should often trap by check-calling with your big made hands
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Will we see you on the felt during the WPT Choctaw Festival? If you see Team Fearless River stop and say Hi 👋!
Check the Fearless River calendar to follow Team Fearless River On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.
Let us know if you are in the action during the WPT Choctaw Championship Event or side events on the Festival schedule!
Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team Fearless River, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.
X @Fearless River | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt
We love to hear how Fearless River Students are doing and we can’t wait to share your success at the poker table!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team Fearless River! Subscribe for more FREE poker content.
Fearless River Launch Digital Strategy Workshop!
Join Team Fearless River for the upcoming Fearless River Launch Digital Tournament Strategy Workshop to get your game ready for the Summer Tournament Series - all from the comfort of home!
Fearless River Launch is an interactive Workshop that consists of 4 Digital Training Sessions conducted over a span of 2 Weeks (starting May 14th). Each Session is highly structured and designed to deliver the maximum impact to your game over 8 Immersive Hours of Instruction with Team Fearless River.
PLUS attendees have a seat in a private Tournament hosted on ClubWPT.com* to win a $2,500 WPT Prime Championship Passport!
Fearless River Launch is your chance to train directly with Tony Dunst, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen on your time and from the comfort of your home.
With a combined resume including a WPT Championship, 5 World Series of Poker Bracelets, 3 WSOP Circuit rings, best selling author, over 3 decades of coaching experience, plus countless other high profile final tables and huge scores, Team Fearless River has the tools and knowledge to make this your best summer on the felt yet.
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
On Tour: 2023 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open
Team Fearless River is back On Tour and returning to our home on the east coast at the incredible Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL for the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship featuring a massive $3 Million Guaranteed prize pool.
The excitement is building as the WPT hopes for a repeat of the 2022 series where the Main Event prize pool soared to almost $5 Million and Andrew Wilson claimed $785,500 and the WPT Title!
Join your poker family for a bountiful feast of flops, turns, and rivers as grinders and shot takers descend on Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood to find out who will be crowned the next WPT Champion!
WPT Main Tour stops at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood are legendary for smashing guarantees and awarding massive 1st place prizes and this year’s Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open should be no exception.
This is your chance to join what is sure to be a massive field of poker fans and pros chasing the Mike Sexton Champions Cup! If you are ready to jump in the action and want to parlay a small buy-in into a life changing score, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the Championship Event satellites starting as low as $150!
Championship Strategy From Team Fearless River
Team Fearless River is no stranger to success at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, with 2 of Brian Altman’s WPT Titles coming at the venue.
We are here to serve up a healthy portion of poker tournament tactics and tools to keep you focused and playing your best poker during the $3,500 WPT Championship Event. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.
🎸 Get In on the Action
🎸 Blind Battle With Brian Altman
🎸 Tony Dunst on Broadway
🎸 Get Final Table Inspired
🎸 Train With Champions LIVE
🎸 Show Us Your Stack
Get an edge on your competition with expert poker strategies from proven winners who know how to succeed when the pressure is on!
#TheCupAwaits 🏆
Get In on the Action …
The 2023 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Festival kicked off on November 15h with the $400 Deep Stack $2,000,000 Guaranteed opener.
There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Championship Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun including a $200 buy-in event on Thanksgiving Day with a $3,500 seat to the WPT Championship Event added to 1st place!
📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Wednesday, November 15, 2023
End: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule
Day 1A of the $3 Million Guaranteed WPT Championship Event starts on Friday November 24th and offers 2 full starting days plus re-entry format, Day 1B on November 25th - click for more information.
The $3,500 event features a super deep championship structure giving you plenty of chances to chip up and build a final table stack.
🗓️ WPT Championship Event Schedule:
➧ Day 1A Friday, November 24th starting at 11AM ET
➧ Day 1B Saturday, November 25th starting at 11AM ET
➧ Day 2 Sunday, November 26th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Day 3 Monday, November 27th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Day 4 Tuesday, November 28th starting at 12PM ET
➧ Final Table Wednesday, November 29th starting at 2PM ET
Final table will be live streamed with 30-min delay
View ⚡ Live Stream on WPT Twitch, WPT YouTube or WPT.com
Jump into the action and compete for your share of this massive $3,000,000 Guaranteed prize pool.
Tips From Tony & Adrian
Fearless River’s Tony Dunst and Adrian Naggy are huge fans of the poker action at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood and are excited to head back to this amazing venue.
Check out this chat from last year's festival to hear about Tony’s run in the Championship event and get some tips on structuring your study routine to avoid burnout and stay sharp for the $3M Guaranteed WPT Rock N’ Roll Poker Open.
P.S. if you see the guys on site be sure to say hi!
Battling From the Blinds With Brian Altman
Practicing from the Blinds will have a dramatic impact on your tournament results, particularly in higher buy-in tournaments with tougher competition. Facing aggressive late position opponents with marginal hands, especially hands containing an ace with a weak kicker, often result in making huge mistakes.
3x World Poker Tour Champion and WPT Player of the Year Brian Altman is no stranger to tough battles playing from the blinds against the world’s best poker players.
Watch this Fearless River Strategy Episode as Brian details his strategy from this spot from a $5,300 event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood to demonstrate championship play from the Big Blind facing an aggressive and tricky player on the Button.
Tony Dunst on Broadway
Broadway hands (any 2 card combo that can make an A-K-Q-J-T straight) are often preferred combos for taking aggressive actions like raising first-in to the pot and 3-betting. While sometimes the approach to play these hands can seem straightforward, there are often very close decisions with hands even as strong as top pair particularly when stacks are shallow.
Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst played 3 key hands during a WPT Main Event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, and he took some time to break down the unique lessons from each spot.
Check out this Strategy Episode to learn the importance of position and SPR (Stack to Pot Ratio) when it comes to playing broadway hands as both the initial raiser and when defending the blinds. Tony shows you how the strategy shifts based on the situation and how a WPT Champion breaks down these spots to improve their play.
Not a Member? Join for just $5 your first month to gain access to Fearless River Training featuring 500+ Strategy Videos (and more!)
Get Final Table Inspired
Fearless River Member Adrian Naggy and WPT Champions Club Member, Matthew Waxman called the Final table action of the 2022 Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open Championship Event as Fearless River Instructor Brian Altman chased history & went for his 4th WPT Title!
Watch a WPT Championship in Action…
Are YOU Final Table Ready?
To make sure you are prepared to shine for the cameras and show off your skills, we’ve got some important strategies to share to help you get ready. Final Table Strategy can differ dramatically from the early stages of a tournament, especially with huge pay-jumps and the prestige that only comes with winning a World Poker Tour Title.
Often poker players are unprepared for the pressure that comes with playing in front of an audience with life-changing money at stake. When you are facing the pressure of big pay jumps and the studio lights seem just a little too bright, it’s important to stay focused and make objective decisions.
Can You Stay Aggressive at the Final Table?
Picture yourself as one of 6 remaining players at the $3M Guaranteed WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Championship Final Table with big money and a title on the line.
How do you play your 30 big blind stack from the Button against a call from a tough chip leader with two short stacks in play?
Payouts: 1st = 20%, 2nd = 14%, 3rd = 9%, 4th = 6.7%, 5th = 5%, 6th = 4%
Play hands from a WPT GTO Trainer Final Table Pack to see firsthand how preflop ranges affect your decisions at the final table.
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
Members can practice more hands from this scenario by playing the 30BB Button Open Vs 70BB Big Blind Call WPT GTO Trainer pack!
Tips To Sharpen Up Your Game for Showtime
- Be aware of stack sizes and pay jumps at all times, even the slightest changes in stack sizes can shift strategy dramatically
- When short stacks exist, there is extra pressure on the bigger stacks to avoid busting out
- The chip leaders can use this extra pressure to win many pots while the short stack is in play
- As a medium stack vs larger stacks be cautious with any bets and raises and try to take marginal hands to showdown passively
- Preflop ranges shift quite a bit at final tables due to this effect with big stacks playing much wider ranges and medium stacks much narrower ranges
- Do not be afraid to ramp up your aggression against players that are playing tight in the hopes of laddering up
Not a Fearless River Member? Join for just $5 your first month to play more WPT GTO Trainer scenarios like this.
Train With Poker Champions LIVE in Vegas!
Join Fearless River Instructors Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Tony Dunst, and Eric "Rizen" Lynch this December 4th-5th for an immersive Fearless River Live at Wynn Las Vegas Tournament Strategy Workshop which includes Lab Sessions and a freeroll satellite into the $5 Million Guaranteed WPT Prime Championship.
Learn Championship Strategy for 2 days then test your skills against fellow classmates in an exclusive freeroll satellite with two (2) seats to $5M GTD WPT Prime Championship Main Event awarded to the 1st & 2nd place finishers.
Seating is limited to this Workshop... don't miss out!
Have questions about this Event? Contact us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Are you playing? If you see Team Fearless River stop and say Hi 👋!
Check the Fearless River calendar to follow Team Fearless River On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.
Let us know if you are on the felt and in the action during the WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Championship Event or any side events on the Festival schedule!
Follow and tag us on social media to share your pic with members of Team Fearless River, show off your chip stack, or celebrate a deep run.
Twitter @Fearless River | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt
We love to hear how Fearless River Students are doing!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
We hope you enjoyed these free strategies and tips from Team Fearless River! Subscribe for more FREE poker content.
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
Prepare for The WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas with Fearless River!
Photo credit: Drew Amato
📚 Poker Study Sessions With Team Fearless River!
Over the last 2 months Team Fearless River hosted Study Sessions for Members to get their game ready to dominate the 2023 WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas this December.
For each poker Study Session we provide Members with a curated curriculum that features Strategy Episodes, WPT GTO Trainer packs, and downloadable tools that are focused on specific concepts and habits essential for tournament success. Team Fearless River also conducted LIVE Member-only sessions to focus on key strategy concepts for each topic and answer questions.
A huge THANK YOU to every Student who’s joined us for the WPT World Championship Study Sessions. Members can rewatch the sessions anytime from the Webinars Dashboard.
Not a Member but want to watch all 6 Live Study Sessions? Join for just $5 your first month of Fearless River Membership!
We’re in the home stretch now! Fearless River Members - make sure to submit any questions or hands on trouble spots to Ask a Pro and we’ll get you ready to conquer Vegas!
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
Review Previous Poker Study Sessions!
➧ Study Session 6: Exploits and Intuition - A common trait shared by most successful tournament players is the ability to identify when an opponent is making an obvious mistake and knowing when to shift gears and use Exploits to maximize their edge. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Tuesday, November 28th 6PM ET | 3PM PT
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Intuition & Exploits Strategy Curriculum
➧ Study Session 5: ICM, Bubble and Satellite Strategy - Tournaments have specific inflection points where the threat of elimination plays a large role in shaping decisions. Bubble, ICM, and Satellite Strategy are critical areas of study to make big scores and win seats to high buy-in events for small investments. Live with Eric "Rizen" Lynch: and Adrian Naggy: Wednesday, November 15th 6PM ET | 3PM PT
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Satellite, ICM, and Bubble Strategy Curriculum
➧ Study Session 4: Postflop Considerations - Deeper stacked poker tournaments feature more decision points and create tougher Postflop Considerations. Understanding how board texture and ranges interact will have a big impact in your ability to win uncontested pots. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Wednesday, November 1st 6PM ET | 3PM PT
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Postflop Strategy Study Curriculum
➧ Study Session 3: Defense Strategy - Blind and Button Defense Strategy in a poker tournament all have unique considerations and hand range constructions that help target specific opponents in position and develop criteria for check-raising frequent c-bettors. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Thursday, October 19th 6PM ET | 3PM PT
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Defense Strategy Study Curriculum
➧ Study Session 2: Preflop Strategy - Knowing how and when to make moves preflop is one of the keys to getting a hold of chips in a poker tournament. Understanding how to adjust for specific stack sizes and positions will give you opportunities to exert a skill edge. Live with Michael "Gags30 Gagliano and Eric "Rizen" Lynch: Wednesday, October 11th 6PM ET
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Preflop Strategy Study Session Curriculum
➧ Study Session 1: Mental Game and Endurance - Many players ignore Mental Game issues that prevent growth in their game including fear, anger, and frustration. Building Endurance through exercise, rest, and nutrition is key to excelling during a long tournament series.
Live Session with Jared Tendler: Tuesday, Sept 26th 7PM ET
• Click to Watch the Live Study Session Replay
• Click to Review the Mental Game Study Session Curriculum
2023 WPT 🌎 Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Guarantees Record $40 Million Prize Pool!
The 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas is taking poker to new heights with poker’s first $40,000,000 guaranteed prize pool – the largest single live tournament guarantee in the history of poker.
The WPT® World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas runs November 29 - December 23, 2023. The marquee event of the multi-tournament festival will be the $10,400 buy-in Championship Event.
Are you ready to be part of history?
The festival kicks off with a $1 million guaranteed, $600 No Limit Hold’em multi-flight tournament followed by player favorites including the $250,000 guaranteed WPT® Ladies World Championship, $5 Million Guaranteed WPT® Prime Championship, the ever-popular Mystery Bounty featuring a $2 Million guarantee, a Seniors Championship (50+) and a $10,000 buy-in Seniors High Roller.
Multiple mixed game tournaments are also available throughout the festival, ranging from the $1,100 HORSE Championship to a brand-new addition to the schedule, a $3,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship.
Click here to view the complete 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Festival schedule or visit wynnlasvegas.com and WPT.com for more details.
Improve Your Game With Team Fearless River
The time is NOW to start getting your poker game ready!
Whether you are brand-new to poker training or you’re an experienced student this is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players and teachers in a friendly community using state-of-the-art tools.
You must be a Fearless River Member to access and join the WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas Study Sessions and becoming a Member is easy! Click the red JOIN NOW button to get started.
As a Member you'll immediately gain access to Fearless River Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, featuring an on-demand library of 500+ Strategy Videos, Downloadable Tools (and more).
You'll also get alerts and links to the Study Session curriculum, Live Webinar dates, and upcoming Sessions.
We'll see you online,
-Team Fearless River
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
On Tour With Fearless River: WPT® Gardens Poker Championship
The first half of the WPT Main Tour season reaches its exciting conclusion as the best poker players on the planet head back to the incredible Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens, CA right outside of Los Angeles for the televised $5,250 World Poker Tour® Gardens Poker Championship.
The 2020 WPT Gardens Championship Event featured a who’s who of tournament poker stars and elite cash game pros, all vying for their place in poker history. The prize pool swelled to just shy of $2.5 Million with Markus Gonsalves capturing the $554,495 first prize.
If you’ve always dreamed of seeing your name in lights and having your name etched on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup, this May is the time to find your way to L.A.! There are plenty of ways to win your way into the $5,250 Championship Event through one of the many satellites running throughout the festival, starting at just $150.
Team LearnWPT is here to give the tools and insights you need to make a deep run in the $5,250 WPT Gardens Poker Championship. Check out the strategies in this blog and you’ll be ready to jump in the action.
Lights, 🎥 Camera, … All-in!
The Gardens Poker Championship festival kicked off on May 15th with the $600 Mixed H.E.R.O.S Tournament. There are plenty of lower buy-in events and a ton of satellites into the Main Event, so you don’t have to stretch your poker bankroll to join the fun!
📅 Festival Dates:
Start: Monday, May 15, 2023
End: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Click here for the full Festival schedule
The Televised Championship event begins Sunday, May 21st with two starting flights and unlimited reentry through the start of level 9 - Click for the tournament structure.
📅 WPT Main Event Schedule:
Day 1A: Sunday, May 20, 2023 starting at 11am PT
Day 1B: Monday, May 21, 2023 starting at 11am PT
Day 2: Tuesday, May 22, 2023 starting at 12pm PT
Day 3: Wednesday, May 23, 2023 starting at 12pm PT
Day 4: Thursday May 24, 2023 starting at 12pm PT*
*The final table of 6 will be played and filmed for television by the World Poker Tour at the HyperX Las Vegas at Luxor on May 27, 2023
Starting Thursday, May 25th Get 3 Days of WPT Final Table Live Streams!
➧ WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table Live Stream - May 25th at 4:30 PM PT
➧ WPT Choctaw Final Table - Live Stream May 26th at 4:30 PM PT
➧ WPT Gardens Poker Championship Final Table - Live Stream May 27th at 4:30 PM PT
All live stream final tables are on a 30-minute delay
View ⚡ Live Streams on WPT Twitch, WPT YouTube or WPT.com
🎭 Take the Stage With Brad and Andrew
The Scene: Gardens Casino in Los Angeles
The Cast: Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen
The Star: YOU!
Your chance to be a part of the fun and nonstop action is here as the World Poker Tour brings the famous Meet Up Game (MUG) to the Gardens Casino - and you're invited. Beginning at 11AM Pacific Time the pioneers of poker Vlogging and creators of the MUG will kick off the $5/$5 cash game action in the Gardens Casino Poker Room.
The Los Angeles poker scene is synonymous with wild cash game action so be ready to play your share of Bomb Pots and practice your Stand Up Game Strategy.
Join us for a unique poker experience with the WPT Family, and you might even show up in Brad or Andrew’s next VLOG.
It All Starts with A Good Script 📖
Championship poker strategy and award winning movies have one key thing in common - without a solid fundamental backbone (or script) the results often are lackluster and can lead to disappointment. In poker, solid GTO based first-in hand ranges serve as the script for your entire poker story.
Watch this Strategy Episode from Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger as he gives you a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot.
Don't forget your copy of the Advanced First-In Hand Ranges. Use these rock solid Game Theory Optimal hand ranges and you'll be well on your way to an award winning performance in your next WPT Event!
Need Help Getting Into Character?
Actors use proven techniques to get into character, often spending several months studying subtle mannerisms and perfecting accents.
If you expect to show up on the big stage at the WPT Gardens Championship final table and receive a standing ovation, you need to prepare with the same effort and intensity.
In this section from his course Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker Fearless River Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler tells you why it’s critical to have a process for preparing to play your A-game aside from studying strategy.
“Table Reads” With Tony Dunst
In Hollywood the "Table Read" is a key for developing chemistry between co-stars and sets a tone for collaboration during production. In poker, a table read is critical for the opposite reason - to create uncertainty and exploit your opponents.
In this Strategy Episode Fearless River Instructor and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst describes the Top 8 Tells he’s observed in live poker and gives you tips on making Table Reads that will add profit to your bottom line.
Time To Test Your Skills!
You are dealt J♦J♣ in the Big Blind at the final table of the WPT Gardens Poker Championship with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and only 3 players remain. The Button folds, the Small Blind raises to 33,750 and you reraise to 100,000.
The Small Blind goes all-in and action is back on you.
What do you do here?
Select your answer above to get insight from the Fearless River Pros!
Have FUN, Good Luck, and Good Playing!
Are you playing? If you see Team Fearless River stop and say Hi 👋!
Check the Fearless River calendar to follow Team Fearless River On Tour as we travel the globe to play WPT Events.
Are you on the way to L.A.? If you are planning to be in the action during the WPT Gardens poker festival we want to hear from you!
Share your success, show off your pictures of Brand and Andrew from the MUG, or just let us know you were there to be a part of the World Poker Tour. Follow and tag us on social media - we can’t wait to hear all about it!
Twitter @Fearless River | Facebook @learnwpt | Instagram @learn_wpt
Good luck and good playing,
-Team Fearless River
Train With Fearless River Champions for Just $5
In 2022 alone Fearless River Instructors won a 2 WSOP Bracelets and WSOP Circuit Ring, a 25K buy-in WPT High Roller, a 25K PokerGo Masters title, a 50K buy-in WPT High Roller, and a combined $5.2 Million in tournament winnings plus made appearances at several high profile final tables.
In 2023 we’ve already got 1 WSOP Circuit Main Event win and a 5th Place Finish in the EPT London Main Event to add to the totals!
Ready to train and learn from these Pros? Join them NOW!
Whether you are brand new to poker training or you’re an experienced student this is your chance to learn from world-class professional poker players in a friendly community using state of the art tools.
Gain access to Fearless River Training and WPT GTO Trainer packs, featuring Downloadable Tools, 500+ Strategy Videos (and more) for just $5 your first month of Membership!
Train → Play → Think → Like a Pro
Have Questions about Fearless River? Send an email to our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red CONTACT US button.
Tour Terms With Fearless River - Continuation 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 …
Continuation Bet: noun
con·tin·u·a·tion bet \kən-ˌtin-yə-ˈwā-shən ˈbet\
1) To bet on the flop after being the initial aggressor in the preflop round of betting. This bet must be the first bet of the flop round by the initial aggressor in the preflop round in order to be considered a continuation bet. Abbreviated as C-Bet.
Example of Continuation Bet in a Sentence
Brian raises to 1,000 from the Hijack and Tony calls from the Button. On the flop of A♣J♦4♥ Brian continuation bets 1,500 and Tony folds.
🤔 Should You Always C-Bet After Raising?
Aggression is a key to winning play in No-Limit Hold’em, however if you always just bet, bet, bet without a plan, you’re bound to run into a tricky opponent who will push back when the situation isn’t right for a continuation bet.
A fundamental strategy for c-betting is essential for keeping opponents guessing on the flop and taking down your share of pots.
Watch this Strategy Episode as Fearless River Instructor Nick Binger outlines an easy to use strategy for c-betting, complete with a field guide you can download and use in your next tournament!
▼ Download the Basic Continuation Betting Manual ▼
How Do You Adjust for Tough Opponents?
A strong default c-betting strategy will put most opponents on the defensive and result in winning many uncontested pots.
When facing tougher opponents, you’ll need to upgrade your approach and adjust how frequently you fire again on the flop after raising first-in. Here Nick outlines the most common spots vs tough opponents that are the most challenging when deciding to c-bet.
Rules for Different Textures With LuckyChewy
Subtle differences in flop textures can have a big impact on the profitability of your continuation bets. Building out a balanced strategy for each texture is required if your goal is to maximize expected value across your c-betting opportunities.
In this Strategy Episode Fearless River Instructor Andrew “LuckyChewy'' Lichtenberger takes a deep dive into the most common flop textures and tells you the proper c-betting frequency and recommended bet sizing for each type.
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.
With a massive library including 500+ 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.
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).
Train - Play - Think Like A Pro!
During your next tournament or session give these continuation betting 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
Have Questions? Email our Support Team at [email protected] or click the red Contact Us button and we'll be happy to help.
























































































