Learn Poker Sites
Learning Poker: APT 2021 - Phu Quoc - Are you going??? 0: September 11th, 2020 4:57 AM: Poker News and Events: Can you recommend any free poker learning sites? 6: August 25th, 2020 5:49 PM.
ClubWPT Overall. ClubWPT offers players the chance to win real-money prizes from play-money poker games, but it isn’t free. This online poker site operates on a distinctive model that grants players access into unlimited poker tournaments for the chance to win cash and luxury prizes without having to buy in every time. However, players are required to pay a monthly subscription fee to be. Poker’s most famous hand, a royal flush cannot be beaten. It consists of the ace, king. Raise Your Edge. Raise Your Edge are relatively new and has not been around as. Poker learning apps are those that have tables featuring other players, whether it is a play money game on a real money site or a pool of players on a training site. How to Find and Use Learn to Play Poker Apps. There are several ways to find the best apps to learn to play poker.
While the poker boom really took off between 2001 and 2003, the game has
continued to grow in popularity over the last decade, especially outside of the
United States, where online poker came tragically crashing down. These days, the
biggest difference in poker is that players are overall much better players than
they were in the early 2000s. This is most likely due to the sheer volume of
hands that a player can play online versus playing live. Also, there is far more
information on how to improve your game than ever before, which means there are
more reasons for players to practice.
To be a winning poker player, continuing to learn the game is crucial, and
these days that can be accomplished right from your phone by using an app
designed for learning poker. Our poker experts have come together to walk you
through everything you need to know about these apps, and that way when you are
ready to take your game to the next level, you can easily select an app either
for your iOS or Android device with confidence.
Why Would People Use an App to Learn to Play Poker?
A question we hear all the time is “Why do people practice poker? Isn’t it
mainly about the cards you have anyway?” Well, we are here to tell you that this
couldn’t be further from the truth. The cards you are dealt are only a piece of
the puzzle when trying to be profitable – there is so much more at play. Let’s
look at the top 3 reasons that players would use an app to learn to play poker.
Learn New Games
Most people think about No Limit Texas Hold’em when they think about poker,
but there are many more variants of the game that people play all over the
world. Some of these have much smaller fields in major tournaments, as they are
more complicated to play, so if you are looking to win a World Series of Poker
bracelet, then you may want to learn a game like Omaha or Stud. The best way to
learn games is by playing them, of course, so this is where these apps can come
in handy.
Practice New Strategy
With all the books, blogs, podcasts, and videos on poker strategy these days,
you can get overwhelmed trying to learn a new strategy. Then, once you select
one or two to try out, you need a place to get some hands in without wasting
money. A poker app for learning to play the game gives you a chance to put some
of this theory into action before you hit the real money tables.
Convenience
Learning to play poker is important if you want to stop being a losing
player, but the game is also a long grind. Having a chance to learn how to play
the game with the convenience of having an app on your device means you are no
longer shackled to your PC. You have the poker game with you in your pocket
whenever you get a moment to learn, and within a couple of clicks, you can be
playing hands! Also, as the game isn’t for real money, the length of your
session isn’t important – you can close and reopen the app whenever you are so
inclined.
The Best Apps for Learning to Play Poker
When we review apps for this site, we are in most cases looking at them with
real-money players in mind. That is why it is so refreshing to have put together
this page – while some attributes remain the same, there is a whole subset of
criteria that matter to players who are learning rather than just trying to win
big bucks.
We looked at each poker app we could find and reviewed it from a learning
perspective to come up with the following list. A couple of these apps are very
focused on learning the game, while others are excellent from a learning and
practice perspective but also give you a chance to access real-money games in
case you get the urge quickly. All of the sites are good enough in the eyes of
our experts to have them on the recommended apps for learning to play poker
list.
What We Look for in an App for Learning Poker
As we mentioned, some of the things we look for when reviewing the best apps
for learning poker are different from that of a real money poker app. Here, we
are giving you an overview of three of the top differences.
Integrated Odds Calculator
One of the best inventions in the history of poker was the graphic on the
screen letting you know the percentage chances of a player winning a hand. That
made it so much clearer to players that there was more than just luck in the
game, and we look for sites that will show you that as you are playing the
hands. Of course, this would be in a practice mode, but it still gives you a
little more insight into what the odds are as the hand progresses. Not all sites
offer this feature, so we let you know in each review which ones have this
available for your use.
Combination of Strategy Pages and Tips Along with Gameplay
With so much information to digest, we like the poker learning apps that
incorporate some of these details directly in the app. This can come from a feed
of interesting strategy pieces in a section of the app or being able to watch a
video followed by being directed to the table to try out new strategies. The
fewer steps between taking in the information and putting it into action, the
more likely the information will be remembered.
Multiplayer Modes
Playing and practicing against the computer is one thing, but being able to
put your learning into action against other players is definitely the best way
to see if you are able to take the theory and put it into practice. The best
poker learning apps are those that have tables featuring other players, whether
it is a play money game on a real money site or a pool of players on a training
site.
How to Find and Use Learn to Play Poker Apps
There are several ways to find the best apps to learn to play poker. Of
course, we have already given you a few to choose from above on our recommended
list. While we are sure these provide you with all the tools you need, there are
other places to look. Some of the training sites will have their own apps to
download, or you can simply go to the app store of your Apple or Google device
and search for “poker.” Bear in mind that when you search directly from the app
store, you will find the most popular apps, which aren’t necessarily the best in
our opinion.
Once you have selected the app, you can quickly download it to your phone or
tablet, and then you will likely need to create an account. Even though you will
be playing for free to start, the company still wants your information for
future communication purposes. Once you have created your account, look for any
in-app purchases you may want to make. Some sites will offer tutorials directly
in the app that aren’t on a website, so they could be of value to you if you are
interested.
Conclusion
As the game of poker continues to evolve, unless there are new games
introduced, players will have no option but to continue to improve at the
current variants. The good news is that 98% of players really only know how to play Texas Hold’em,
and even then, the majority of players could use significant
improvement. These apps designed for learning poker are perfect for anyone
looking to take their game to the next level or who want to learn a new game
without having to risk any cash.
The apps we have discussed and recommended on this page are the ones we feel
are the best for players looking to learn more about the sport. However, we know
our community of readers will have their own opinions. We encourage you to drop
us a line and let us know what you think about any of the apps we have
recommended, or if there are any poker learning apps that you swear by yourself.
Also, if you are interested in reading more about the best real-money poker
apps, then check out our poker app pages and our reviews section.
Welcome to Poker 101 for dummies – where beginners learn to play poker.
Poker 101 will give you a grounding in the mechanics of the game and get you started with some winning strategies. Read through the following pages to get an understanding of all poker related info plus lots of extra tips and tricks.
If you are unsure of the Rules of Texas Holdem or the Hand Rankings of Poker, make sure you check them out too.
Poker 101: What We Will Cover
- Terminology (below)
Get the PDF version of the complete Poker 101 guide for offline use (30+ pages of poker goodness). Use one of the buttons below to unlock:
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If you are new to poker and looking to have all the basics covered on a single printable PDF, check out our cheat sheet web page.
Use the terminology section below as a dictionary – there is no need to read through it now. Refer to back to this page if you come across a word you don't understand.
Check out the next poker 101 page – Basic Preflop Strategy – to find out more.
Poker 101 – Terminology
We will link back to this page throughout Poker 101 for any words you may not understand. Keep an eye out for the hyperlinks!
6-max: A table with a maximum of 6 players allowed to sit down- see 6max vs fullring. This type of game type is more typical to online play. An example of a 6max table shown below:
Ante: An ante is an other forced bet, typically smaller than the blinds which are used late in tournaments to increase the size of the starting pot.
Backdoor: A draw which requires two cards to complete. For example, AK of hearts on a Th6s2d has two backdoor draws – two consecutive hearts for a flush and consecutive Queen and Jack for a straight.
Bankroll management: Bankroll management is a process which all successful poker players undertake. It involves managing the amount of money available for you to play poker to ensure that you have sufficient funds that you do not go broke. See the post on bankroll management which delves into more detail.
Big Blind: The big blind is the forced bet which the player two seats to the left of the dealer has to put in before seeing his cards. The rules fix the big before the game has started. The BB is the minimum bet size for the poker game. For more information see Position is King.
Board: The community cards which everyone shares i.e., the flop turn and river
Blank: A hand which does not change the board or the strength of many of the types of hands players is likely to hold. For example, on a T96 board, a two would be considered a ‘blank.'
Blocker: When you hold a card which your opponent needs to make a strong hand. For example holding the Ace of hearts on a board with a heart flush possibility.
Broadway: The cards from Ten through to Ace are called Broadway cards.
Chase: To call a bet with a drawing hand with the correct pot odds.
Chop: To split the pot between two or more players due them all having similar holdings.
Coin flip or flip: When two players end up all in and their hands have roughly the same equity i.e. it is 50:50 for either to win. AK vs. QQ all in preflop is considered a flip despite QQ having slightly more equity.
Combo-draw: A powerful draw with a lot of outs to win. For example a flush draw and a straight draw.
Continuation bet: The act of following up your aggressive action on the next street. For example, raising preflop and then betting on flop. See more on continuation betting here.
Cutoff (CO): The cutoff is the position to the right of the dealer button (acts before the dealer). For more information see Position is King.
Domination: You are said to dominate your opponent when you each share one card of the same rank but your second card is of a higher rank. For example, AK dominates AQ as it will win a large percentage of the time (71%).
Downswing: A period of a bad run of luck where a poker player finds it difficult to win. A part of poker which every player must expect. The opposite of an upswing (or hot streak). See an example of a downswing below (after 7500 games).
Double Barrel: To bet two streets in a row, for example, bet the flop and follow up with another bet on the turn.
Draw: A draw is when you are waiting for particular cards to help improve your hand. For example, if you have four cards to a flush you are said to have a flush draw. Similarly, you can have a straight draw when you have four cards to a straight.
Drawing dead: When a player can no longer win the pot no matter what cards come on the turn and river. AK would be drawing dead vs. 99 on a 962 board as even hitting two Aces or Kings in a row wouldn't make the best hand.
Equity: the percentage chance you or your opponent have of winning the pot. For example, AA has over 80% equity vs. a lower pocket pair such as QQ or TT. See our pot equity tutorial for more details.
Equity realization: Having equity is great but in some cases with difficult to play hands (for example K8o) you will not be able to realize that equity because the hand is difficult to play. See equity realization for more info.
Expected value: expected value is the predicted value of a particular move (such as calling or raising). It is calculated using the value of each outcome multiplied by the probability that each outcome will occur. For more information see Pot Odds, Equity And Expected Value.
Floating: Calling a bet with a speculative hand with the plan to bluff to win the pot on a later street. Typically this strategy is use to exploit weak opponents who will only bluff once before giving up on the pot and folding to a bet. Floating is more successful in position as you have the opportunity to apply more pressure to your opponent plus you will have more information while action in position.
Fold equity: The percentage chance you have of winning the pot due to your opponent folding to a bet or raise. For more information see this detailed article.
Full ring: The classic Texas Hold'em format. A maximum of 9 players may sit as this table type.
Freeroll: A tournament which is free to enter and offers a prize to the winner(s). A freeroll can also be used to describe when two hands of the same rank are all in but one hand has an additional way to win. For example, both players have KQ and are all in on a JsTs5c board. However, one player has a flush draw to complement his straight draw and thus is said to be freerolling – he can only draw or win, not lose.
Gut-shot (inside straight draw): A draw which has four outs to the straight. For example 76 on A53 board – a four will complete a straight.
GTO – GTO or game theory optimal is an unexploitable poker strategy based on mathematics and Nash Equilibrium that has arisen in the last number of years. When playing a GTO strategy you cannot be beaten in the long run, only break even against another GTO strategy. The use of unexploitable strategies have been accelerated by the use of GTO solvers such as PIOSolver. For more on GTO strategies and solvers see PokerNerves article.
Hero: When discussing the hand online, the player whose cards are known is said to be the hero.
Heads Up Poker: Playing poker against one opponent in a 1vs1 situation. For more on heads up poker see heads up poker strategy- adjusting to your opponent.
HUD (Heads up display): A HUD is a display which is used in online poker which provides information on opponents.
Isolate: To raise with the intention of singling out a single player after they have entered the pot. Typically isolation moves are performed vs. weaker players after they have limped into the pot.
Kicker: A kicker is used to break ties between players when they have hands of the same rank. For example, the kicker for the hand AK on an A72 board would be the king. The king kicker means that AK would be a stronger hand than AQ – in this case, AQ hand is out-kicked. See this article for more on kickers.
Limping: Limping is the act of calling a pre-flop bet when the pot is unopened. For example, a player is first to act under the gun (UTG) and calls the big blind. See this article for why limping is a bad strategy.
Middle position (MP): Middle position is the 2nd position to act after the cards are dealt in 6max (after UTG) and the 3rd and 4th position to act in a full ring game (9 players). For more information see Position is King.
Nuts: The nuts is the strongest hand possible. The ultimate nuts is the Royal flush as this can never lose. However, some hands won't always be possible, and therefore the nuts is referred to the strongest possible hand on the current board. For example, the nuts on a KT9 board without a flush possible would be QJ.
Offsuit: Two cards which are not of the same suit. For example AK with Ace of Diamonds and King of spades (often shortened to AKo).
Open-ended straight draw (OESD): A draw which has eight outs to the straight. For example 76 on A54 board – a 3 8 or will complete a straight.
Outs: The number of cards which could potentially improve your hand strength. For example, with QJ on a T92 board, we have eight outs to a straight (4 Kings and 4 Eights) and we have six outs to top pair (3 queens and 3 jacks).
Outdraw: When your opponent had a worse hand than you, but his hand improved to one better than yours on future streets. For example, a flush draw would ‘outdraw' a one pair hand if the turn or river completed the five card flush.
Overcard: this is when you have a card which is greater than the highest card on the flop or turn. For example, AQ has one overcard on a K52 flop and has two overcards on a T52 flop. Overcards are important as they give us an opportunity to make good a hand on later streets.
Overpair: When you have a pocket pair which is larger than the highest ranking card on the board. For example, KK is an overpair on a Q52 flop.
PFR (pre-flop raise): A HUD stat which shows how often a player raises when entering the pot. Typically range from 12-22% for winning players depending on the game type.
Postflop: The later rounds of betting which occur after the flop is dealt. See Texas Holdem strategy for more on playing postflop poker.
Pot Equity: This is the percentage chance that you will win the pot at any given point in the hand. It is how much of the pot ‘belongs' to you. For example with KK pre-flop, you will have approximately 80% chance of winning (equity) vs. QQ. For more information see Pot Odds, Equity And Expected Value.
PLO: PLO or Pot Limit Omaha is a poker game type similar in structure to Texas holdem although you are dealt 4 cards instead of two and are limited in bet size to the pot. Check out PLOQuickPro for pot limit omaha strategy.
Pot Odds: This is the odds that are being offered to you to call when facing a bet or raise. If you are confronted with a half pot bet, you are offered odds of 2:1 (you have to call 1 to win 2). See our poker books page our review of Essential Poker Math by Alton Hardin for all the basics of poker math, including pot odds.
Preflop: The round of betting which occurs straight after the card have been dealt. See Texas Holdem strategy for more on playing preflop poker.
Rainbow: When there is no possibility of a flush draw on the flop or turn due to all cards being different suits.
Rake: Rake is a percentage of the pot that a poker room or casino will take to play for the dealer, services, etc. Rake is how the poker room or casino generates profits from poker games. See this page for how rake works in poker.
Rakeback: This is the refund a poker play may get from a poker room or casino when a certain amount of play has been completed (hours or hands played). Rakeback is similar ‘tax-back' which is returned to good customers of the poker site.
Range: A group of holdings you think your opponent may hold. See poker hand ranges for beginners.
Shorthanded: When the number of players falls below five on a table, it is considered to be a shorthanded table.
Set: A set is three of a kind with a pocket pair in the hole. For example, a set of sixes would be 66 on a KT6 board. Sets are stronger than a standard three of a kind because you cannot be outkicked.
Sit ngo: A tournament which begins when enough players sit down on the table (rather than starting at a specific time of day).
Small blind: The small blind is the forced bet which the player one seat to the left of the dealer has to place before seeing his cards. The value of the small blind is typically half that of the big blind. For more information see Position is King.
Suited: Two cards which are of the same suit. For example AK of hearts (often shortened to AKs)
Tell: Unconsciously giving away a piece of information to your opponent. For example, a shaking hand may mean a good holding.
Trap: To play in a manner which disguises the strength of your hand. For example calling preflop with AA instead of raising. See examples of traps here.
UTG: The first player to act after the cards are dealt. For more information see Position is King.
Villain: Often used to denote out an opponent in an online discussion. For example, the villain makes a big call with a weak hand.
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VPIP (Voluntarily put in the pot): A HUD stat which shows how often a player puts money into the pot by raising or calling voluntarily. VPIP is a measure of how many hands a player plays. Typically range from 15-25% for winning players depending on the game type.
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That's it for poker 101 terminology. Check out the next poker 101 page – Basic Preflop Strategy – to find out more.