Check out Tony Dunst's latest blog post as he talks about the game's increasing popularity and the momentum currently building for online poker in America.

Learn more about Tony and how he can help improve your game by clicking here: Meet Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst

P.S. Join Tony on Tour and put what you've learned into play at the table! Click here to view upcoming World Poker Tour events.

July has been a very successful month for Fearless River Pros!

We had TWO Instructors each take home their 2nd illustrious Gold Bracelet and a 3rd place finish in the WSOP Main Event! 🏆🙌

Take a look at how Nick, Tony, and LuckyChewy fared….

Lead Instructor for Fearless River and the World Poker Tour Nick Binger outlasted a massive 2,408 entry field to win his 2nd WSOP bracelet and took home an impressive $133K first prize at the World Series of Poker Event# 24 8-Hand No-Limit Hold'em Tournament.

If you’ve ever watched one of his Strategy Episodes, attended a Live Workshop and heard his lecture, or had the pleasure of sitting at one of his Lab Day tables, you know how dedicated Fearless River Lead Instructor Nick Binger is to teaching his students.

Nick has dedicated over 12 years perfecting his poker instruction skills with the WPT and enjoys teaching as much as he enjoys playing.

Nick has helped many students reach their goals and achieve success in the game they love. Click below to learn more about Nick...

Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst took home his 2nd bracelet when he outlasted a massive 1,361 entry field and scored a huge $168K 1st prize during the World Series of Poker Event#21 $777 buy-in 6-Hand No-Limit Hold'em Tournament.

As a high-stakes pro and co-commentator for the World Poker Tour, Tony who has spent over eight seasons analyzing some of the most pivotal hands from World Poker Tour events.

Away from the bright lights of the WPT set, Tony is a force to be reckoned with both at the live and online felt. Tony has been putting in the work and getting great results.

Tony's experience grinding the Tournament and Cash Game scene make him a huge resource and asset for Fearless River Members and Students. Click below to learn more about Tony...

Fearless River Instructor Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger took 3rd place and scored $140K in the huge 2,126 entry field World Series of Poker Event#31 $1,000 buy-in Championship Main Event!

LuckyChewy is one of the best all-around players in the game today and had 8 cashes in major live tournaments in 2019 alone.

Chewy has been tearing up the virtual felt and continues to evolve and improve his game dominating both online tournament and cash games.

LuckyChewy's experience, positive mentality, and success make him a powerful resource and asset for Fearless River Members and Students. Click below to learn more about Chewy...

Your first WSOP event is 1 day away. The prep work is done, trust it. Today is about getting your logistics sorted, your mindset locked in, and making sure nothing off the felt gets in the way of your best poker.

We asked Team Fearless River to give us their best advice on exactly what to do the day before your first event in Las Vegas. We put one question to each of them:

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

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

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ I think the day before the event you want to get your logistics in order. Are you buying in that night and getting there for hand one, or will you late-reg the following day? Where are you eating in the morning? How long does it take to get from your place to the tournament? Did you leave enough time to get plenty of sleep? Did you pack a backpack with everything you’ll need for a 12 hour day of play? Is your phone charged? Think these things over so you’re not scrambling the day of the tournament and putting unnecessary stress on yourself. ❞

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ Your preparation is done. Get the best rest you can and have your nutrition dialed in. Do everything you can to be your best self when the event starts. Go into the event with the expectations of doing well, but treat yourself with kindness if it doesn't. Good play isn't always rewarded, nor bad play always punished. Your mindset needs to be such that you expect you can win, but understand that even the best players bust out of events before the money around 80% of the time. Most of all, have fun. This is what you've prepared for, and as long as you show up and try to execute the best you know how, be proud of yourself. After the event, try to take away any lessons you can use for your next one. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ My best advice for the day before your first tournament is to get a good night’s sleep. It can't be overstated how much of a difference good sleep makes when it comes to playing well and having fun at the table. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ It's nearly tournament time. Hopefully you're already in Vegas and have settled in. Now is a great time to check out the venue and make plans for the day of. Things to check for include:

➥ Find the place to register, if you plan to arrive on time the next day you may want to register the night before to avoid lines.
➥ You likely need a players card to play in the event, it may be good to get on the day before.
➥ See if you can find the structure sheet of the event. You often can find these online, but many venues also have printed copies. Note how often and what time breaks are going to take place.

➥ Note the locations of bathrooms near the tournament room. If there is one very close, take note of a second, as the primary bathroom is often overcrowded during the event. It can often save time to walk a little further to the less crowded bathroom.
➥ Find out the location of food options around the venue. Oftentimes you only have 15 minutes on break to use the restroom and also get food if you're hungry. If you waste 5 minutes trying to find a place that sells food then you have wasted most of your break. Also, make plans for your dinner break. If needed, make a reservation so you have a table waiting for you right at the time of break.

Final thoughts: Las Vegas during the summer is a fantastic time to play poker, but it can also sometimes be overwhelming or frustrating if you haven't properly prepared for your trip. Taking time beforehand to sort as many variables as possible so you can just focus on your strategy at the tables can be the make or break between a good trip and a bad one. Finally, making money is great, but try to enjoy yourself even if you don't. Enjoy the events, converse with your tablemates, and make the most of all that Las Vegas has to offer! ❞

➧ What To Focus On Now:

With 1 day remaining prior to the start of your first event, it’s time to clear your schedule and prepare your mindset for peak performance and ready to execute. Make sure that any unresolved questions about your game are answered.

Watch below (Free, no membership required) as Nick Binger discusses the proper mindset to approach playing tournaments and why it is essential to play to win vs simply trying to survive:

➧ Go Deeper: Create Your Feedback Loop

Having a trusted source to discuss strategy with is VITAL to your growth. Fearless River members have that feedback loop with our Pros through the WSOP or anytime!

If you're playing this summer keep track of any tough spots from your tournaments and get feedback from Team Fearless River anytime with these membership features:

➥ Jot down key details during play and after your session use the Hand Input Tool to store and share your hands for analysis.
Visit your HIT Dashboard

➥ Submit all of your questions about specific challenges directly to our Pros and receive in-depth feedback and answers in Discord.
Visit the members-only Ask a Pro Discord

➥ Join live Study Sessions to help focus your efforts, maximize your results, and talk poker or watch previous sessions.
Review all Study Sessions

Get quick fixes and strategy advice all summer long!

Not a member? Join for just $5 your 1st month and get instant access to the membership feedback loop features plus 550+ strategy videos and GTO Trainer spots to practice. No contracts, cancel anytime.

➧ WSOP Helpful Links and Info:

➥ 2026 World Series of Poker Full Series Information
➥ WSOP Tournament Schedule
➥ WSOP Bracelet Event Structures
➥ WSOP Satellite Schedule
➥ WSOP Daily Deepstacks Schedule
➥ Follow @KevMath and @WSOP on X for Daily Information
➥ PokerNews WSOP Hub
➥ The Guide to the 2026 Summer Las Vegas Poker Scene by Kim Unger for a great resource of events around Las Vegas
➥ Michael Gagliano's Summer Poker Calendar to build and save your own schedule. Get more info from Gags on the app.

📍 Getting Around the WSOP

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

How to Register in Person or Online

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

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

Healthy and Quick Food Options

➥ Check out PokerOrg's: The best healthy places to eat on a break
➥ Or: Unhealthy Vegas food for your 2026 WSOP dinner break

➧ Watching from Home? Follow the Action Live

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

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

We’ve got the strategies to help you play better poker this summer no matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament.

Did you miss any the previous Guides? Click below for more FREE tips and strategies:

➥ Prep Time = 60-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 30-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 7-Day Prep Guide
➥ WSOP 2026 Prep: All 4 Guides in One Place

➧ This Is What You Trained For

HAVE FUN! Playing a large tournament series like the WSOP is why you put in the hard work studying. Now it's time to relax, have fun, and enjoy. Even if you don't win your 1st bracelet, enjoy the process and the game we all love.

However, if you DO win your 1st WSOP bracelet, make a deep run, or cash in a tournament around town, let us know.

We love celebrating Student accomplishments, and they've been consistently crushing the Summer Poker Season. In fact, we’ve helped Fearless River students achieve:

🥇 4 WSOP BRACELETS
🏆 6 WSOP Final Tables
👏 9 Around Town Final Tables
💰 Over $1.7 Million in Cashes

This is why we teach, and this is why you play!

Remember to share your successes with us and we'll highlight your achievements on our upcoming blog. Tag us on social media with your results from the felt or email [email protected].

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

And if you see any of Team Fearless River, stop and say Hi!

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

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

Your first 2026 WSOP event is one week away. The time for big strategy changes is over. Now it's about sharpening execution, locking in your mindset, and showing up ready to play your best poker from hand 1. Here's exactly how to do it.

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

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

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

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ While you should continue the study habits you’ve built up in the week leading up to the tournament, this is a good time to think about preparing your body for the grind of tournament poker. Above all that means getting on the right sleep schedule for playing from noon to midnight PDT. So if you live on the East Coast and are early to bed, you need to start staying up later and sleeping in so you’re not exhausted during the late hours of play in Vegas. The highest EV decisions of your poker day are made latest at night, so it’s crucial that you’re alert during those hours. ❞

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ At this point, you really shouldn't be looking into anything new and just really solidifying the things you've already studied. Executing a good game plan very well is FAR better than executing a perfect game plan poorly, so at this point, you should really trust what you've been studying, and all your attention should be focused on taking the skills you already have and maximizing your ability to execute them flawlessly. Focus on getting good sleep and nutrition, and just maximizing your ability to be the best version of yourself. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ Try to exercise regularly leading up to the series, especially if you plan on playing long sessions. This will help with both concentration and fatigue. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ Hopefully by now you've spent some time working on your game and planning what you're going to play. Take any final looks over your strategy or any charts you've been studying, but don't try to make any large adjustments at this point. Your game is what it is, and you want to try your best to execute well in the moment, not have to craft an entirely new strategy based on something you just learned the week before. Now is the time to make sure you have all your logistics for your trip in order. Are you flying to Las Vegas? Make sure you're packing everything you'll need. Days at the poker table can be long; make a list of what you'll need while you play. I recommend a small bag you can carry with you to hold some snacks, water, headphones if you wear them, a charger for your phone, a sweatshirt in case you're cold (it might be 115 degrees outside, but those poker rooms can get cold), and anything else you may want while you're playing. You're going to need some money to buy into whatever tournaments you're playing. How will you get cash in Vegas? If you plan on going to the bank beforehand, now is a good time to do so. Many banks have limited hours and if, for example, you're flying out early Monday your bank might not be open the day before. Get your funds set now so you don't have to worry about that right before the tourney. ❞

➧ What To Focus On Now:

1 week prior to the start of your first event it’s crucial to ensure that any critical leaks are plugged and start shifting focus to execution.

Watch Below: Pregame Warm-up (Free, no membership required). Mental Game Coach Jared Tendler provides the building blocks for an efficient tournament poker pregame warm-up and describes why it is essential for growth in your game.

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

With one week to go, use these Episodes to sharpen your mental game and execution. Members can log in and watch anytime:

Your strategy is set — now it's about execution. Jared Tendler shows you how to stay locked in and mentally sharp when it matters most.
➥ Episode 84: Focus With Jared

Learn how to use aggression on the bubble in a tournament to help improve your chances of accumulating chips and maximize your ROI.
➥ Episode 61: Bubble Play

Chris Wallace introduces and outlines the fundamentals of his world-class short stack strategy.
➥ Episode 168: Short Stack Play

➥ Episode 293: Pregame Warm-Up With Jared (Watched Above)

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

➧ Quick Review Checklist: 7 Days Out

Use this final week to review the concepts that come up most frequently at the tables. Don't learn anything new, just sharpen what you already know:

☑ First-In Hand Ranges: Review your opening ranges from each position before you arrive
☑ Big Blind Defense: Know which hands to defend and which to fold facing a raise
☑ Continuation Betting: When to fire and when to check based on board texture
☑ 3-Bet Pots: Have a clear plan for how you play both as the 3-bettor and the caller
☑ Short Stack Play: Brush up on sub-30BB strategy since you will face this in every tournament
☑ ICM Awareness: Near the bubble and at final tables, understand how stack sizes affect your decisions

➧ Summer in Vegas Helpful Links and Info:

➥ 2026 World Series of Poker Full Series Information
➥ WSOP Tournament Schedule
➥ WSOP Bracelet Event Structures
➥ WSOP Satellite Schedule
➥ WSOP Daily Deepstacks Schedule
➥ Follow @KevMath and @WSOP on X for Daily Information
➥ Kevin Mather's Getting Around the WSOP
➥ PokerNews WSOP Hub

➥ Michael Gagliano's Summer Poker Calendar to build and save your own schedule. The calendar includes all information including links to structure sheets. Find out more here.

➥ The Guide to the 2026 Summer Las Vegas Poker Scene by Kim Unger for a great resource of events around Las Vegas

➥ If you're playing any WSOP events this summer, it can be hard to find something to eat quickly during a tournament break. Somewhere healthy? Even tougher. Poker-playing fitness coach TJ Jurkiewicz put together a guide with an overview of the best options within walking distance of the Horseshoe and Paris Casinos you can easily reach on a dinner break. You can sign up for TJ’s free comprehensive free guide here.

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

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

➥ Prep Time = 60-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 30-Day Prep Guide
➥ Prep Time = 1-Day Prep Guide
➥ WSOP 2026 Prep: All 4 Guides in One Place

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

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

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

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

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

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

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

➧ Tony Dunst:

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

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

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

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

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

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

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

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

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

➧ What To Focus On Now:

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

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

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

➧ Train & Practice Specific Spots

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

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

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

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

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

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

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

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

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

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

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

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

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

➧ Tony Dunst:

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

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

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

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

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

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

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

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

➧ What To Focus On Now:

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

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

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

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

Think in Hand Ranges:

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

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

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

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

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

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

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

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

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

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

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

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

Team Fearless River is elevating the standard for in-person poker training once again with our brand-new Fearless River Live Poker Lab concept in Las Vegas which includes a WPT Prime Championship Satellite!

FOR A LIMITED TIME SAVE $1,000

What is a Fearless River Live Poker Lab?

Fearless River Live Poker Labs are exclusive Workshops focused on upgrading your poker game in the fastest time possible. The training environment at the Fearless River Live Lab features real-time analysis of student play via RFID technology plus hands-on Lab Sessions with Fearless River Instructors and includes a complete post event report with video breakdowns and specific next steps for improvement in YOUR game.

Training sessions at the Fearless River Live Labs will be a 1-day event and limited to 9 students, allowing for incredibly specific coaching and feedback from our expert team of Instructors. Unlike other Fearless River Workshops, the Fearless River Live Lab focuses all of your time on playing poker and training in Live Lab sessions with Instructors, removing the need for group lectures. All play and Lab Sessions are recorded using state-of-the-art production equipment.

Next Live Labs in Vegas This December!

Our next two Fearless River Live Poker Labs happening in Las Vegas - Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th feature Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Triple Crown Winner Niall "Firaldo" Farrell.

A ticket to the December Live Poker Lab in Vegas gives you:

☑ Full day of Live Play and Lab Sessions with Niall and Eric
☑ 6 months of Platinum access to Fearless River.com
☑ Seat into our year ending WPT Prime Championship Satellite**
☑ Personalized report with video analysis and next steps for improvement
☑ Professionally produced video of all event Sessions
☑ Supplementary study materials and a private strategy Discord - all accessible through our online course model

ZERO Lectures - All Poker

Harness the power of active learning with 100% of your time spent playing real poker with a professional dealer during Student Play Sessions. Team Fearless River will record the entire Session using RFID technology and state-of-the-art production equipment to capture every move. Niall and Eric will be close by watching all the action on a live feed and give expert feedback for every hand. Students are provided with a professionally edited video including Instructor commentary as a follow up to the session.

Direct Poker Coaching

During Instructor Lab Sessions you’ll continue to learn by playing. This time your Instructors will take a seat in the dealer box and guide the table through interactive hands-on Lab Sessions. After each hand played the entire table will reveal their cards face-up as Niall and Eric break down each decision point, focusing on fixes for key strategic errors. As with Play Sessions, we’ll capture all of the analysis and action during Instructor Sessions as part of the final video package.

WPT Prime Championship Satellite

Fearless River Live Labs aren’t just your chance to train up close with poker champions, they also just might be the first step on your path to a World Poker Tour Title.

Every Fearless River Live Poker Lab Student qualifies for an exclusive WPT Prime Championship Satellite on December 8th at 9AM PT in the Wynn poker room, right before the start Day 1A!

➧ This Satellite is exclusive to Fearless River Live Poker Labs attendees
➧ Limited to a maximum of 27 entries
➧ For every 9 players in the Satellite, we’ll be awarding one $1,100 seat to the $5M GTD WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

PLUS - Every Fearless River Live Lab Student receives a Personalized Report with specific plans to improve their biggest leaks observed during the sessions. To top it off, we’ve included 6 months of Fearless River.com Platinum Access (a $594 value) so you can keep the momentum going long after you leave Las Vegas.

Unleash Your Potential Like These Students!

Fearless River Live Event attendees aren't just improving their poker game, they are also seeing being results like these Students who won 3 WSOP Bracelets, 2 WSOP Circuit Rings, and Final Tabled the 2023 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

Plus buy your seat now and SAVE $1,000!

Fearless River Student Sean Jazayeri WON the 2024 WSOP Super Seniors Championship taking home over $368K and outlasting a field of 3,362 players. This was Sean's third 2024 WSOP cash which is also his largest-ever WSOP cash and the 2nd biggest of his career.

Fearless River Student Tamar Abraham WON the 2023 WSOP Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship outlasting a field of 1,295 players and taking home the $192,167 first prize. Tamar secured her place in the record books as the victor of the largest Ladies Event field in history.

Fearless River Student Bob Buckenmayer Final Tabled the 2023 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas placing 5th out of 10,512 players and took home $380K. Bob navigated a record-breaking field of Pro and recreational players for a massive 6-figure score.

Fearless River Student Sue Faber won the WSOP Salute to Warriors event defeating the field of 1,723 entries earning $121,161 in the process and was the only woman to win an open No-Limit Hold'em event during the 2019 series. In 2024 Sue won 2 WSOP Circuit Rings in the same week!

This unique poker experience is in high demand, so make sure you act now to secure your seat to the Fearless River Live Poker Labs in Vegas this December. PLUS buy your ticket now and SAVE $1,000!

If you have any questions or need assistance please reply back to this email or email [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

We look forward to seeing you in Vegas!
- Team Fearless River

*Discount is taken off list price. Offers can not be combined.
**The WPT Prime Championship Satellite on December 8, 2024 is not open to the general public. One seat to the 2024 WPT Prime Championship in Las Vegas will be awarded for every 9 Fearless River Live Lab students. This opportunity is exclusive to attendees of Fearless River Live Lab events held in Las Vegas in 2024. The $1,100 WPT Prime Championship Passports are non-transferable and have no cash value. Travel, food, and lodging are not included. Winner must play the awarded event seat within the prescribed prize redemption period, before December 31, 2024 or the prize will be voided.

Fearless River Instructor Johan Schultz-Pedersen took to the online felt last weekend to win his FIRST career WSOP Bracelet!

Johan captured WSOP Bracelet #1 and the $149,745 1st place prize after outlasting the 3,379 entry field in the $400 No-Limit World Series of Poker Colossus Online Event #20. As a testament to Johan’s focus and determination, he won his first bracelet while on an off day before the start of Day 2 of the $10K WSOP Main Event!

This incredible victory is the highlight of an already epic summer, including 🔥 12 WSOP cashes and a Final Table in the super stacked WPT Alpha8 Trifecta $25K buy-in event at Wynn Las Vegas.

Johan adds this win to his impressive list of live and online career accomplishments including:

➧ WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ More Than $1 Million in Combined Online and Live Earnings
➧ PartyPoker $150K GTD Tournament Champion
➧ Final Table $5K Buy-in EPT London Main Event
➧ Multiple Cashes in $25K Events Including WPT and PokerGO Tour

Johan’s knowledge of Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker strategy has been a valuable asset in developing many of the training solutions currently available for the WPT GTO Trainer.

We are very proud to have Johan on Team Fearless River and know that this is just the beginning of his championship success.

Congratulations Johan!
- Team Fearless River

He's done it again!

Fearless River Instructor Tony Dunst took to the online felt last weekend to win his third career WSOP Bracelet!

Tony captured WSOP Bracelet #3 and the $134,888 1st place prize after outlasting the 2,435 entry field in the $500 No-Limit World Series of Poker Deepstack Online Event #15. After a hard fought 13 hour battle of online play through a massive field stacked with Pros and online grinders the remaining 8 players reached the final table.

Just as the sun was rising over the Las Vegas Valley, the last hand of heads up play with his opponent “vevere” was dealt, and the marathon session ended with Tony securing WSOP Bracelet #3.

Tony adds this win to his impressive list of live and online career accomplishments including:

➧ World Poker Tour Champion
➧ 3x WSOP Bracelet Winner
➧ 3x WSOP Circuit Ring Winner
➧ More than $5 Million combined live and online cashes
➧ World Poker Tour Lead Commentator
➧ 10+ Years as Professional Player and Respected Coach

Since the beginning of Fearless River in 2016 Tony has been an incredible asset to Fearless River Members providing unique insights and expert strategy advice. His experience in the booth and on the felt combine for a one of a kind perspective on the game and we are proud to have him on Team Fearless River.

Congratulations Tony!
- Team Fearless River

It’s easy to perform badly for a long time. Anyone can do that. Your A-game, however, is taxing. You’re utilizing recently learned skills and that requires more effort.

Even though performing at an A-game level feels, at times, natural and easy, I can assure you that experience doesn’t reflect the fact that your A-game uses a lot of mental energy and requires endurance to sustain.

While improving your mental endurance can be helpful in a variety of ways, with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) coming up, I want the poker players out there to pay special attention to this blog. Poker tournaments are intense and you need a reservoir of energy to be able to access the knowledge and skills you’ve worked on more recently, including progress in your mental game. This is especially true in the late stages of a tournament where the big money is on the line. The last thing you want is to falter down the stretch because you’re tired.

Of course, mental endurance is key in other fields. For many traders, endurance is a concept that isn’t discussed much but is still significant. This is especially true for newer traders who have yet to condition themselves to the intensity of the live market, which is very different from a typical 9-5 job. More experienced traders tend to underestimate the impact of burnout and don’t realize that strengthening endurance is key to minimizing or avoiding burnout altogether.

Mental endurance is also relevant for golfers, including me, who are trying to improve their games. But the WSOP only comes once a year and I’m going to focus my examples and advice here on tournament poker.

One of the reasons mental endurance is key is because, for all of us, the only thing guaranteed every day is the C-game.

C-game relies mainly on your unconscious. Decisions come automatically and there is no deep thinking involved. Thinking is your mind working and if it’s working, it’s burning energy. If you have to think a lot and think deeply to perform well, it’s an indication of the lack of mastery or automation of knowledge and skills. I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m simply outlining the facts.

Your A-game, on the other hand, requires effort, preparation, and the right conditions. A-game is earned, not expected. Understanding the demands of what is actually required to be able to sustain your A-game for longer periods of time can help you unlock that performance more often.

To be at your best more often, you want to expand the amount of time where you are operating in that optimal state. You need endurance. You want to be capable of making high-level decisions when you need to or, at a minimum, solid ones that are part of your B-game and don’t fall into C-game.

Decisions that require thinking burn more energy than standard decisions made automatically. Training knowledge to a deep level, on the other hand, not only builds capacity but preserves energy.

Habits and routines are energy-efficient. With a limit to how much you can think about at any one point in time, the more of your skills that are automated, or mastered to the level of Unconscious Competence, the better able you are to make quick, and accurate, decisions while burning less mental energy.

When your knowledge is part of your Unconscious Competence, performance becomes more instinctual. To be clear, I’m not saying to automate your decisions, I’m saying that by automating more of the knowledge that feeds into your decisions you preserve mental energy.

With that in mind, when preparing for the WSOP it’s important to know when to stop learning new things. There is often a tendency to want to do everything and check all the boxes, but you have to work/study with an eye towards the big moments. If you cram too much information in your head right before the series starts, you risk not having access to that knowledge readily available because of pressure, and you’ll burn more energy trying to get to it.

Cramming puts you in a compromised position from both an execution and endurance standpoint. While it can be hard to selectively choose to not try to improve areas of your game that you “theoretically” could, your ability to access that information is not guaranteed. So figure out when you’re going to stop actively learning new things, and hold yourself to it.

Of course, after that point and during the series, you can make small adjustments, because they can be easily integrated into your game. But you will play far better going in with a knowledge base that you know is solid and reliable vs. cramming for the WSOP like it’s a test in school. And let’s get real, you never took a test in school where the exam lasted 12 hours a day, and sometimes for several days in a row! So why would you approach the biggest tournament series of the year that way?

Now is the perfect opportunity to build mental endurance for the WSOP and the process is similar to the process of increasing physical endurance. As an example, if you want to run a marathon, you are not going to just show up to the race without having built a capacity to run long distances. And you likely aren’t going to start your first training run at 20 miles and build from there.

While the analogy isn’t perfect, we can use the general framework of steadily ramping up your endurance to give us ideas on how to do it in poker. Here are a few ideas that have helped clients:

• Make a realistic assessment of where you are today. For example, look at your average volume in a series like the WSOP or in years past, the prevalence and severity of mental game problems, and what your ideal WSOP schedule looks like.
• Between now and a week or two before your WSOP starts, create a training plan where you look to steadily increase your volume or duration of play, either online or live. The idea is to understand where your limit is and then push it a little more.
• To help you build endurance while playing well, use injecting logic statements and strategic reminders to help ensure you retain emotional stability and quality decision making as you push.
• Increase steadily over time. While it’s hard to be exact about how much to increase your play, I think a reasonable goal is 10% at a time. Be wary of pushing too hard and burning out instead of increasing capacity.
• We still have some time before WSOP and it’s a good opportunity to treat smaller poker events in the lead-up as a good tune-up for what’s been working tactically and an opportunity to build some mental endurance.

At the end of the day, if you want to perform at a high level, you have to fight for it. If it was easy, everyone would do it and there would be no reward.

I hope you final table a big event and that when you get there you have more energy than normal, and you can see how your opponents are tired and more vulnerable to tilt and mistakes from fatigue. This, of course, doesn’t mean you’re going to take down the title, but in a game like poker, you’ll take every advantage you can find.

If you want more content like this to help you prepare for the WSOP, including improving focus, reducing tilt, and getting in the zone more often, check out The Mental Game of Poker 2 and my video series The Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker.

-Jared Tendler

For more insight and stories from Jared visit his blog at https://jaredtendler.com/blog/

Analysis of Mental Game strategy is as important as any poker technique you can master which is why top poker players trust Jared Tendler to help maintain focus & bring their A-game to the table.

Jared's Mental Game Tune Up for Tournament Poker video series is a step-by-step guide to prepare your mental game for sustained success and get you ready for the WSOP, WPT® World Championships, or a series at your local card room.

This step-by-step guide to preparing your mental game for sustained success during a tournament series includes:

• 8 specific training modules with 34 video lessons
• Downloadable worksheets to personalize your training
• A private community forum
• Review quizzes to reinforce your learning!

Find out why the world’s best poker players trust Jared to help them maintain focus and bring their A-Game to the table more consistently. Unlock a hidden edge in your poker game, and start working towards unshakable confidence at the table today.