Top Poker Training Sites

People often ask me what is the best free poker training in 2020. Now first off, I gotta say, like with anything in life, when something is free it is not likely to be of the highest quality.

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Most of the best poker training available nowadays (taught by world class pros) is on poker training sites or through coaching which of course is not going to be free.

Our trusted list of the best online poker training sites in 2020, including real reviews and expert ratings. Here's where winning players get coaching! The best 256 online gambling sites in. Best poker training sites 2019 provides a comprehensive and comprehensive pathway for students to see progress after the end of each module. With a team of extremely dedicated and quality lecturers, best poker training sites 2019 will not only be a place to share knowledge but also to help students get inspired to explore and discover many. Holdem Manager 3 or Poker Tracker 4. Tracking poker software is necessary for everyone who is. Best Poker Training Sites 2020 - Upswing Poker Upswing Poker took over as the #1 advanced poker training site in the world a couple of years ago in my opinion. Not only do they have world class poker coaches, but they also consistently produce the best poker training videos for today's games.

However, for beginners just getting started in poker I believe that there are a number of good free poker training options these days. And I am going to cover them all in this article.

1. Best Free Poker Training 2020 - Massive Profit at the Micros

The best free poker training in my opinion, especially for beginners, is without a doubt still my free poker guide, Massive Profit at the Micros.
This 50 page poker 'cheat sheet' teaches you all of the basics of how to win at poker at the lower stakes in particular.
I walk you step by step how to:

• Know what hands to play from all positions at the table
• When to bet, raise and bluff
• How to read their hand
• The best poker sites to play on
• How to finally stop tilting
• How to consistently make $500-$1000 a months at the micro stakes

People ask me all the time why I give away all this information completely for free.
And I guess firstly, the answer is that it probably won't remain free forever.
However, I know that a lot of poker beginners read my articles here on my website. And I want to make it as easy as possible for them to get started without having to invest large amounts of money in expensive poker training.
I also have some of the best results in online poker history at the lower stakes and I want to help others struggling at these limits to start turning a profit.
'Massive Profit at the Micros' has now been read by over 100k people and if you are struggling to win at poker at the lowest stakes, reading this free poker training guide will help you finally start winning.
Because that is really the whole point of this free little poker book.
Massive Profit at the Micros won't teach you how to become a poker pro. And it won't turn you into some high stakes crusher overnight either.
This free little poker 'cheat sheet' is instead intended for those who are playing at the lowest stakes and still can't figure out how to win consistently. Follow the strategies in this guide and you will start winning.
It's that simple.
You can go get your copy of my free poker training guide Massive Profit at the Micros, right here.

2. Best Free Poker Training 2020 - YouTube and Twitch

I think some of the absolute best free poker training these days is available on YouTube and Twitch. Because basically you get to watch professional poker players walk you through hands or even play live.
With YouTube in particular there is tons of great free poker training. Once again, I would recommend my own YouTube channel first especially if you play the micro stakes.
I put out brand new poker strategy videos every single week. My 4 part series in particular called 'How to Crush the Micros' has been extremely popular.

Make sure you are subscribed to my poker YouTube channel so you never miss a video.
What if you play higher stakes poker games though? Well, a poker YouTube channel that I find myself watching a lot lately is No Limit Gaming.
This poker YouTube channel features some of the very best online poker players in the world showing you exactly how they crush mid and high stakes games.
This video above for example features some of the best online pros in the world such as Steffen 'Go0se.core!' Sontheimer, 'LLinusLLove' and others at nosebleed stakes ($50/$100).
It is very rare to get such high level free poker training without having to pay expensive membership fees on a poker training site.
As for Twitch, there are countless full time streamers these days who basically play every day and live stream the entire thing.
Not all of them are professionals of course but it is still a good idea to check out some of the up and comers who are trying to beat the lower stakes games just like you.
Probably the most famous poker Twitch streamer these days is Lex 'RaSZi' Veldhuis. I often find myself binge watching his Twitch poker channel.
I would highly recommend checking him out! Tell him BlackRain79 sent you :)

3. Best Free Poker Training 2020 - Poker Forums and Reddit

Now I know I have been a little bit critical of poker forums and Reddit in the past. And I still think they are too often plagued by negative trolls and time wasting off-topic discussions.
However, I think there is still some good value in a few poker forums out there in particular. And poker forums of course are pretty much always free!
The #1 poker forum that I always recommend is CardsChat.
The reason why is because CardsChat has built up a nice sized community of mostly low stakes poker players trying to get better at the game and help each other.
You can post your poker hands or questions on CardsChat and usually get many helpful answers.
Now, people often ask me why I don't have a poker forum myself.
Well, the truth is that I actually do have a poker forum! Yes that is me by the way above answering questions on my poker forum.
However, the big difference between my poker forum (and pretty much every other one out there) is that mine is private and not open to the general public.
This allows me to make sure that I limit the amount of users only to those who are serious about improving their poker game and helping others in a positive way.
You can feel free to post your poker hand histories or you poker questions on my poker forum and you will get a reply often from myself personally or the other pros and semi-pros who post on there.
As for Reddit, I honestly have never been much of a big Reddit user but I do think there is some good poker strategy discussion for the most part in the main poker subreddit which is r/poker.

4. Best Free Poker Training 2020 - Poker Strategy Websites

Some of the best free poker training these days is on poker strategy websites like the one you are looking at right now, blackrain79.com.
I have written over 700 poker strategy articles for this website now covering how to beat the micro stakes games in particular. And yes, they are all free and they always will be!
For a complete list of all my most popular poker strategy articles in recent years (beginner intermediate, advanced and pro), click here.
There are several other quality free poker strategy websites out there though that I would recommend reading as well.

Top Poker Training Sites

I often find myself reading the poker strategy articles over at Upswing Poker for instance. Upswing is well known as having some of the best poker courses available in the world today. I have actually reviewed several of them and I regularly recommend them.
However, many people do not know that Upswing also produces lots of high quality and totally free poker strategy articles on a regular basis. I have actually even written poker strategy articles for Upswing in the past myself and probably will again in the future.
The last poker strategy website that I recommend is also one where I am a regular contributor. This is the biggest poker news website in the world, pokernews.com
I write a monthly article for this website and they have a whole host of other high level professional poker players writing regular strategy articles as well.

5. Best Free Poker Training 2020 - Poker Podcasts

The final free poker training that I recommend is poker podcasts. Many people are surprised to learn that there are many high quality poker podcasts out there these days not only featuring interviews with world class pros, but also in depth poker strategy lessons.
If you have a long commute to work or you tend to workout a lot at the gym like I do, this the perfect way to improve your poker skills at the same time.
I am almost always listening to podcasts while working out. Two birds one stone right?
For example, I would recommend checking out Smart Poker Study. I was actually a guest on this poker strategy podcast on episode #162.
Sky Matsuhashi (the host of Smart Poker Study) creates high quality poker lessons to help you improve your poker game. He talks about small stakes poker most frequently.
Another good poker podcast that I would recommend is The PostFlop Poker podcast. Again, this is another excellent poker strategy podcast that will help you with your game.
I was also a guest on this podcast on episode #49.

Best Poker Training Sites Reviews

The final poker podcast that I would recommend is probably the most famous one in the world. And that is Joe Ingram's The Poker Life podcast.
While not specifically educational in nature, Joe regularly interviews some of the very best poker players in the world. And this gives you a deep insight into what it takes to get to this level of the game.
You can go listen to The Poker Life Podcast right here.
Most of these poker podcasts by the way can be downloaded directly on Spotify or on the podcast app on your smartphone.
You can almost always find all of these poker podcasts on YouTube as well. Joe Ingram for example posts all of his interviews (with video as well) on his Youtube channel.

Final Thoughts

So there you have my list of the best free poker training for 2020. The truth is that high quality poker training does not need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Now of course yes, the very best elite level poker training available these days is often behind a paywall (it isn't free). But this really shouldn't be a huge shocker to anyone.
Information is power in poker and usually the best poker professionals in the world are not going to give that away for free.
If you want my list of the best advanced poker training available today, I have also written an article for that.
But there is also lots of great free poker training options out there these days for beginners in particular, my free poker strategy book for example.
You can also find tons of good high level poker strategy discussion on YouTube and Twitch streams, poker forums, poker strategy websites and poker podcasts.
Make sure you let me know in the comments below what you think the best free poker training is these days.
Lastly, if you want to know how I became a poker pro and poker writer traveling the world, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

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The poker boom has led to milliorun-dollar payouts, sponsorships for players, and underground poker clubs. All of these caused a sudden surge in the number of people who want to learn the game, which has led to another market boom—online poker courses and training sites.

As of 2020, some of the best poker training sites include Upswing Poker, Daniel Negreanu’s MasterClass, Phil Ivey’s MasterClass, Bluff the Spot, Raise Your Edge, and Run It Once. All of these sites will teach you some of the best poker strategies that you can use to take your game to the next level.

If you’re looking for effective ways to become a better poker player, learning from the top poker players in the world is the best way to do it. Stick around to learn more about these training sites and find out how they can help make you a better poker player.

Table of Contents

Upswing Poker — All-Around Poker Training Site

Upswing Poker remains one of the best poker training sites that can help you improve your game. They have world-class poker coaches who are adding new content every month.

It’s not a one-time deal that gets outdated over time because these videos will keep your knowledge up-to-date. So, even if you’re a new player, you can access old content to start building the foundation for a successful poker career.

Small and mid-stakes players who struggle to win consistently will find the Upswing Poker Lab a course that can make them play better. It’s the flagship course of Upswing Poker that offers a holistic approach to playing the game.

Their primary coach is Doug “WCGRider” Polk, who is one of the best online poker players with millions of dollars in winnings from cash games. He’s also one of the dominating forces in live poker tournaments, which includes a $3.7 million payout in the One Drop High Roller, 11 WSOP money finishes, 5 final table appearances, and 3 WSOP bracelets.

Aside from Doug, Upswing Poker hired some of the best online high-stakes cash game players, including Dan “Danmerr” Merrilees and Mo “MuckCallOK” Moritz. This move solidifies them as one of the best go-to places for newbies who want to learn from the world’s best players and improve their game.

They have a collection of over 250 hours of videos from different coaches, with new content added every month. It also includes various hand selection charts that will serve as a “cheat sheet” to help you play your hands in any situation. These resources will help you improve your game, whether you’re playing 6-max, Zoom, full ring, or even live poker tournaments.

Modules of Upswing Poker Lab

There are various courses that you can get into while you’re in Upswing Poker, but “The Lab” is the most comprehensive. It covers almost everything that can make anyone a dominating force in the game.

As long as you know the basic rules of poker and apply the principles that Upswing Poker Lab teaches, nothing can stop you from joining the top rank.

They add new content every month, but we can categorize them in 6 different modules, including:

• Module 1: Lab Core Strategy – the basic strategies that every player, new or seasoned, should know before hitting the felt.
  
• Module 2: Advanced Lab Strategies – crucial lessons that will take you from a new poker player to a dominating force at any game format.
  
• Module 3: MTT’s – strategies that you can use to crush your opponents when playing multi-table tournaments.
  
• Module 4: Live Poker – the core principles that you should know and up-to-date lessons that you can use when playing live cash games.
  
• Module 5: Mini-Courses – apart from the core principles, Upswing Poker Lab also has its mini-courses covering various parts of the game. These courses don’t belong to any other modules but can help you adjust and improve your strategies.
  
• Module 6: Plays and Explains – play across the table with Doug, as he explains the rationale behind every move. This module includes the do’s and don’ts when playing poker, and how you should play each hand accordingly.

Accessibility of the content and resources from your desktop or smartphone is a bonus. Aside from this, you’re not stuck with year-long memberships because you can register for a month, consume all the content, cancel your membership, then start hitting the felt. However, it’s highly unlikely that it’s going to happen with all the new information that they release every month.

Best Free Poker Training Sites

Whether you’re a casual poker player who only wants to dominate your friends or someone who’s planning to turn professional in a few months, Upswing Poker is the best training site that you can join.

Upswing Poker free resources are, sometimes, even better than paid content that other poker training sites offer.

MasterClass by Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey

MasterClass is an online teaching platform where experts from various fields share their knowledge. It covers almost any topic that you can think of, including culinary arts, basketball, photography, pottery, painting, writing, film-making, and more.

Now, that’s not what a typical poker training site should be because it creates a bit of confusion on what you should learn. However, MasterClass did something that no other poker training site could, or will, ever do: get Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey, two of the best poker players to have ever hit the felt, to teach poker.

Not only are they the most popular poker players in the world today. Both of them are also in our list of the 10 Best Poker Players Ever. Can you imagine learning from both of these professionals just sitting across the table? That’s what MasterClass does, and is the biggest reason for us to have this training site on the #2 of our list.

Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey have combined earnings and achievements that exceed anyone who has ever played the game. Their lessons are perfect for low or mid-stakes poker players who are having a hard time getting consistent results. However, since both are two of the best in the field, you can expect to get “pro tips” that even seasoned players can use.

Poker MasterClass by Daniel Negreanu

Have you ever wondered how Negreanu looks at his opponents and tells them straight to their face the cards they have? Well, that’s not something that he talks about in public, but that’s what he’s going to teach you in his MasterClass.

He’s going to cover the fundamentals that differentiate a new player from someone who can win live tournaments, the game of theory and math, and the proper execution of bluffs. Negreanu’s MasterClass includes 38 videos of close to 8 hours. That’s like 8 hours of going through everything inside his head when he’s at the poker table!

Poker MasterClass by Phil Ivey

As one of the only four players in the world to have ten or more WSOP bracelets, Phil Ivey is someone you’d want to be teaching you. Unfortunately, he’s never had an online course until MasterClass. So this course is possibly the only place where you can learn from Ivey’s experiences and strategies at the poker table.

The most enigmatic player at the felt, the best all-around poker player in the world, and the youngest player to win 10 WSOP bracelets shares the secrets behind his betting tactics, post-flop play, blind defense, and bluffing. It includes 12 videos that last for 210 minutes, allowing you to dive deep into the rationale behind some of his best plays.

Both MasterClass has a combined runtime of only 11 hours and 10 minutes, but it is, perhaps, the most valuable lessons that you’ll learn from professionals. These poker training programs can change your gameplay within one day, and you don’t have to commit to a long-term subscription!

BluffTheSpot — Fuel Your Poker Success

If you’re looking for free, high-quality poker content, one of the best places to visit is BluffTheSpot’s YouTube channel. It caught our attention because most of the content posted on their YouTube channel is sometimes better than paid content in some training sites. Their website has a minimalist feel to it, but their courses are, possibly, the best training programs that you can get.

MMAsherdog is their head coach, who may not be familiar to many poker players, but he’s been crushing the high-stakes tables for years. He’s one of the winners of the biggest high-stakes NLHE on PokerStars and has over $1.2 million of winnings with close to 275,000 hands played.

Their main course is the “Ultimate Course by MMAsherdog,” which includes “Pre-Flop Bible Vol. 2.” They also have the “BTS Lab,” which contains several training videos from one of 23 coaches who specialize in different game formats. They release new content every month to keep their programs up-to-date, allowing you to improve your poker strategies continuously.

Ultimate Course by MMAsherdog at a Glance

If you’re a high-stakes player or dreaming of joining the ranks, this course is one of the best you can have. The topics that it covers include the following:

• Various post-flop spots to help you formulate a solid strategy.
• Lessons to equip you with skills you can use to study the game.
• How to launch a profitable career as a high-stakes poker player

Everything that you’ll learn from the Ultimate Course will help you stay ahead in any poker game and keep you up-to-date in today’s fast-paced poker world. It’s the only video course from MMAsherdog, which includes 12 videos that cover the following topics:

• Course Intro
• The Fundamentals
  • Studying with PIO Solver
  • Live Poker
• Theoretical Videos
  • Out of Position play from the Big Blind
  • Blind vs. Blind
  • In Position play
  • 3Bet Pot in Position
  • 3Bet Pots Out Of Position as 3Bettor
  • 3Bet Pots Out of Position as Caller
• Live Play
  • 500 Zoom session review Part 1
  • 500 Zoom session review Part 2
• High Stakes Hand Review
• Wrap Up
  • FAQ

We have yet to see a poker training site that is as in-depth as what MMAsherdog covered in the Ultimate Course. On top of that, BTS Lab will serve as a supplement that builds upon the lessons you’ll learn from the course. It’s like one coherent module that stays up-to-date month after month, allowing you to improve your game at the poker table continuously.

Run It Once — The Best Coaches in 1 Training Site

Run It Once is a poker training site that Phil Galfond started. He’s a PLO coach who taught some of the best old school PLO players through his Bluefire Poker videos.

Run It Once is a poker training site with some of the basic courses that a new player can use to improve his game and the most advanced lessons from the best coaches around the world.

If you visit Run It Once, you’ll have the option to choose between three courses:

• From the Ground Up: A basic course for new players who want to have the right foundation and concepts to improve their game. It doesn’t cover the advanced strategies that players use when playing live cash games, but it sets you up on the right path to become a successful poker player.
• From the Ground Up – MTT Edition: This course runs on the same concept as the original FGU, but focuses on tournament players. It’ll show you the best ways to play different stack sizes, understand your opponents, play GTO, and how ICM can have a massive impact on your decisions.
• A-Game Poker Masterclass: The flagship course of Run It Once. It includes everything that you need to know to bring out your A-Game when playing poker. One of their most notable students was Fedor Holz, a 26-year old German poker player with total tournament winnings of $32.5 million.

Modules of A-Game Poker Masterclass

The A-Game Poker Masterclass has six different modules that cover the fundamentals and advanced strategies that you can use for your games. It’s in a logical sequence that you can consume to provide you with all the information and foundation that you need to become a world-class poker player.

Free Poker Training Sites

Here are the six modules in the A-Game Poker Masterclass:

1. The difference between the mental game and A-Game poker
2. The Core Mindset Principles of Mental Operating System
3. The 3 phases of the A-Game Engine in poker and life
4. The gap in what you can do and what you bring to the table
5. How you can identify and resolve tilt to get rid of it
6. The real meaning behind Life Balance

These modules have separate topics that will allow you to bring out the best in all of your games. Many people consider it to be one of the best poker courses that you can get for your career. The A-Game Poker Masterclass is so comprehensive that it’s enough for you to shoot your way up the ranks of the best poker players in the world.

Besides their top-tier courses, you can also join their membership site, which includes a total of 5,655 coaching videos. It’s the most extensive knowledge base that you can access, and all of them can help you become a better poker player. When you sign up to Run It Once, you can choose between three different membership levels:

• Basic Membership: A free version with full access to their poker forum. It’ll allow you to pick the brains of poker players with different levels of skills from around the world.
• Essential Membership: A paid version that is perfect for low stakes players. It includes full access to the poker forum, 2219 Essential videos, and five new Essential videos per week to keep your knowledge up-to-date.
• Elite Membership: The perfect and all-in-one training program for high-stakes players. It gives you untethered access to everything in Run It Once, including the poker forum, 2219 Essential videos, 3436 Elite videos, five new Essential videos, and nine new Elite videos every week.

All of these content, compiled inside one membership site, makes Run It Once one of the best poker training sites. The additional video content they release every week ensures that every information you’re getting will remain up-to-date and make you competitive in the ever-changing poker landscape.

Raise Your Edge — The Tournament Masterclass

MTT is one of the biggest challenges that Raise Your Edge aims to address. It has the most comprehensive topics that are perfect for players who want to dominate tournaments.

The head coach for Raise Your Edge is Benjamin’ bencb798′ Rolle, one of the best performing poker players in MTT. One of his most notable wins was with the $1.1M in WCOOP 2016 SHR. Benjamin Rolle, alone, made it the best poker training site for players who want to get into MTT. It’s also starting to get a grip on lessons that will help players win live cash games.

The Tournament Masterclass is the flagship course of Raise Your Edge. It’s divided between two versions: the Apprentice Class and Expert Class. Both aim to address the needs of a player, depending on the level of his poker skills.

The Apprentice Class includes Benjamin’s range charts with over 20 hours of content. These videos will discuss each hand in detail and the strategies that you can deploy for every situation. The Expert Class includes everything in the Apprentice Class, plus over 50 hours of video content and exclusive access to the VIP discord channel with Benjamin.

Some of the topics that Raise Your Edge covers in The Tournament Masterclass includes the following:

• Pre-flop range analysis that covers almost every situation
• What to open from each position to hold the upper hand
• How to continue against 3-bets and 4-bets

Like the other training sites we have on this list, The Tournament Masterclass gets a constant update from Benjamin to keep the course up-to-date with the changes in the game. You’ll also have access to the most recent strategies that you can implement on the table. It doesn’t get outdated and is an excellent resource for continuously improving the way you play MTTs.

Despite being aimed for both new and seasoned players, The Tournament Masterclass is a better course for those who already have intermediate-level knowledge of MTTs. If you want to get the most out of this course, you should be familiar with concepts like hand ranges, pot odds, ICM, etc.

Aside from The Tournament Masterclass, here are other courses that you can get from Raise Your Edge:

• Mastering Live Cash: This course has everything you need to take advantage of live cash games worldwide. It includes topics that will help you understand your opponents, master pre-flop strategies, isolate and overlimp, and play deepstacked.
• Bounty Beast: This course aims to help you understand and improve your game when playing bounty tournaments. It enables you to take advantage of players who are guessing the correct plays, the theory and math behind poker games, and several bounty practice videos that you can use to crush bounty tournaments.
• Unchained Poker Mindset: It’s more than just a poker training program; it’s a course that will help you super-charge your life! It covers different aspects of a powerful mind, including calmness, self-awareness, patience, and focus. It’s more of an elite mindset training that rewires your brain to perform better at the poker table and in life.
• Elementary Cash Game: A course aimed for new poker players looking for a quick way to improve their cash games and bring more profits in their pockets. It’ll help you understand poker rules, how you can use HM2/PT4, and pre-flop and post-flop strategies.
• 6-Max Hyper SNG: It’s a course that minimizes the information you’re getting from other SNG courses that can be overwhelming for many players. 6-Max Hyper SNG will provide you with the necessary information to dominate SNG tournaments in 7 easily-consumable courses.

Raise Your Edge is the best poker training site for players who want to be better with MTTs and newbies looking for ways to consistently win cash games. Whether you’re new or looking for ways to reach the top ranks, their courses are something that you should consider.

Advanced Poker Training — Personal Poker Trainer

Advanced Poker Training believes that you have to experience the best lessons in poker, and hard work pays off. That’s why instead of creating a poker course, it provides you with a virtual poker trainer. It’s so efficient that you can play as much as 500 hands per hour. As you use this program, it becomes more efficient in providing you with information on how you can become a better poker player.

Top 10 Online Poker Sites

When you sign up for Advanced Poker Training, you’ll play with AI opponents in a fast-paced game that goes beyond what you can do in a live poker table. After each session, the program will provide you with detailed information on the hands that you played. You’ll also receive some advice on what you could’ve done better, feedback on the decisions that you’ve made, and areas of the game that you can improve.

It’s a highly customizable program that lets you configure the type of player you want to play against, and the rules when playing the game. Since it has a record of all the games that you’ve played in the system, the advice and feedback that you get from it get more personalized. It allows you to see your game better and faster than if you were to study it from a live table.

If you want to see what this program can do for your poker games and how it can improve your strategies, you can sign up for a free version. It’ll help you figure out the best course of action when you’re in a difficult situation. It also shows you the best way to exploit different types of opponents that you might face on the poker table.

Players with an intermediate level of understanding in poker can opt for a premium version, which unlocks more options and features. It even has a “Beat the Pro” feature that will show you how your skills stack up against the world’s best players.

Advanced Poker Training is one of the best poker training sites that you can get into if you want to learn from personal experience directly tied to your personality as a player. It won’t force you into principles that may not match your gameplay, but rather focus on how you can become a better version of yourself when you’re at the poker table.

Conclusion

There are dozens of different training sites that you can choose from if you want to learn poker. All of them can help you hone your skills up to a certain level. However, the ones that we have on this list will provide you with a perpetually evolving program that grows with you as you learn the game.

If you want to learn the basics of poker, Run In Once is an excellent place to start. If you have intermediate knowledge with the game, you can sign up with Upswing Poker, MasterClass, BluffTheSpot, and Advanced Poker Training. Players trying to get into MTTs will find Raise Your Edge an indispensable site for training.

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