Best Free Poker HUD for 2024 [Used by Pros]

People often ask me, what is the best free poker HUD these days? A poker HUD by the way is short for "heads up display" which gives you absolutely vital information on your poker opponents.

For example, what percentage of hands they play, how often they call on the flop, how much they go to showdown and much, much more.

This allows you to understand the player type you are up against, put them on a range of hands, figure out when to bet, raise and fold against them and let's you know if you can bluff them or not.

All of this information is extremely useful especially when you are multi-tabling online poker or if you play Zoom. It allows you to keep track of dozens of opponents all at the same time and get precise reads.

As a 10+ year professional poker player I believe using a good HUD is essential to your success in online poker. 

And the HUD that I use is also the #1 HUD used by other pros as well.

By the way, if you want to know how to I use my HUD to generate thousands of dollars per month in online poker, grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

In this article I am going to reveal the best free poker HUD for 2024.

Best Free Poker HUD for 2024

Now let me start by saying that the idea of a totally free poker HUD is just silly. 

These are highly sophisticated programs that take years of development and an entire software team in place to create.

They also require constant software updates and patches as online poker sites frequently change their software. 

And lastly, they require a dedicated customer service and tech support team in place in order to help you with any tech issues that you may have.

Nobody is going to spend millions of dollars on software development and then give it away for free.

So if you want to find a poker HUD that is actually going to help you succeed in online poker in 2024, then there is no way that it is going to be completely free!

With that disclaimer out of the way... 

The best poker HUD for 2024 is PokerTracker. 

And it really isn't even close. This is also the poker HUD that I have personally relied on for over a decade now as an online poker pro.

Many people do not realize that PokerTracker actually does have a 30 day free trial version allowing you to test out the powerful capabilities of this poker tracking software and HUD.

There is a reason why PokerTracker is still by far the #1 poker HUD choice for poker pros in 2024. Here is a look at my screen while I use the PokerTracker HUD on PokerStars.



You can see how it gives me detailed information on each one of my opponents. All of these numbers refer to stuff like how many hands they play, how often they bet the flop and so on.

PokerTracker also has the most HUD stats and filters for plugging your leaks of any poker tracking program available on the market today.

Lastly, PokerTracker is the only free poker HUD out there that is available for both Mac and Windows based computers.

You can download the free trial of PokerTracker right here.

Best Free Poker HUD - What Can PokerTracker Do For You?

As a poker pro I use PokerTracker 4 every single day both at the poker tables and away from them. Regarding the HUD, I pretty much always have this on when playing online poker.

My poker HUD allows me to always have information available on my opponents right on my poker table, such as:

• Percentage of hands that they play
• Percentage of hands that they raise with
• Percentage of the time they raise the flop
• Percentage of the time they go to showdown

And so much more. This information is absolutely invaluable in helping me form my game-plan and strategy against them at the poker tables.

For example, Player A goes to showdown too much, I don't want to bluff him. But Player B rarely goes to showdown, I want to bluff him!

And the best thing about the free PokerTracker HUD is you can set up the entire thing in less than 5 minutes. 

I even made a video showing you how.

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Bottom line, if you take online poker seriously then you should at least try using the free PokerTracker HUD and see if it helps you. For me, as a poker pro, I do not play without it.

You can download the free trial of the PokerTracker HUD right here.

What Else Can This Free Poker HUD Do?

The other thing that many people fail to realize about PokerTracker is that the best feature of it is the ability to find your own leaks at the poker table and then plug them.

For me personally, as a poker pro, this has saved me tens of thousands of dollars over the years. I also use PokerTracker to study my opponents away from the tables in order to create the best strategies to beat them.

Now how do I do all this?

Well, this is where the back-end filters inside PokerTracker help you. In order to use them just open up the Cash Filters box (or Tournament Filters box if you play tournaments), as shown below.



After that choose Actions and Opportunities and go ahead and filter for any scenario possible. For example, maybe playing Ace King in the blinds is giving you trouble?

Just filter for all hands where you played Ace King from the blinds and you will be able to see your wins and losses and replay all the hands as well.

This allows you to find out why you might be losing in this situation. You can also use the PokerTracker LeakFinder to assist you in this.

I conjunction with PokerTracker I also recommend that you start learning some advanced poker strategy so that you understand how to beat good players.

You need to know the advanced math, game theory and exploitative strategy to consistently win especially as you move up the stakes.

The #1 Poker HUD Used By Pros

Another one of my favorite things to do is study my opponents in order to create the strategies to beat them. You can just load up the My Reports tab in PokerTracker and then study their hands and run filters as well.

I often improve my own game by simply studying the best players in my games and just copying their strategies!

Look, there is absolutely no shame in this. Clearly, what they are doing is working because they are winning big. Just learn the poker strategies they are using incorporate it into your own game.

PokerTracker allows you to do all this and more. This is why it is my #1 recommended free poker HUD and tracking software for online poker games.

Lastly, the ability to keep track of all your results and even graph them as well is another great feature of PokerTracker.



And the PokerTracker 4 graph also allows you to see your red line (non-showdown winnings) as well. This is crucial in letting you know if you are bluffing too much or too little.

Once again, there is a reason why PokerTracker is consistently voted as the #1 HUD by online poker pros. This is the best poker tracking software available today.

You can download the free trial of the PokerTracker 4 HUD right here.

By the way, I should mention that while PokerTracker is my #1 recommended poker software tool (available for both Windows and Mac at the link above), it is not the only piece of poker software that I use.

For the full list of all the poker software tools that I use as an online poker pro, click here.

How Do You Read HUD Stats in Poker?

People often ask me what are the best poker HUD stats to use these days as well. And more importantly, how do you read your HUD stats and use them at the poker table.

So I recently decided to make a full video showing you exactly which HUD stats I use.

Never miss my new poker videos, join 100,000+ who are already subscribed.

And more importantly, why I use each of these 12 HUD stats and how I use them to get extremely specific reads against my opponents at the online poker tables.

These are the top 12 best poker HUD stats used by a majority of online poker pros these days. 

And these are also the HUD stats that I have personally used on my PokerTracker HUD for nearly a decade now as an online professional poker player.

Once again, if you want to start using these HUD stats for yourself, get the free trial of PokerTracker right here.

Is Using a Poker HUD Cheating?

Let me answer another common question that I get about poker HUDs. Is using a HUD cheating?

The short answer is no. And the reason why is because all a HUD does is take data from hands that you have already played against your opponents, and display it for you.

This is why most online poker sites allow the use of HUDs.

A poker HUD can really just be thought of as a natural extension of what you already should be doing at the poker table anyways, taking mental notes.

You could sit there with a paper and pencil and take notes on your opponents the old fashioned way. Or you could just let a HUD do the same thing for you.

This is why HUDs are not considered cheating and are widely used and approved on nearly all of the major online poker sites.

Can You Use a HUD on PokerStars?

Lastly, can you use a HUD on PokerStars, which is the most popular online poker site in the world?

The answer is yes. You can use a poker HUD in PokerStars games whether you play tournaments, cash games, sit and gos or Zoom.

In fact, if you play on PokerStars, I highly recommend using the poker HUD that I use.

PokerTracker works in all games on PokerStars and if you play on this site, this is my #1 recommended piece of software.

Most serious online poker players on PokerStars also use a HUD these days, but if you play at the lower stakes, HUD usage is still relatively low, as little as 20% or so.

The bottom line is that yes, you can use a HUD on PokerStars, and most other major online poker sites for that matter.

Final Thoughts

If you take online poker seriously then it is necessary that you use a tracking program and HUD in my opinion. 

There are many poker HUDs with a free trial available these days but by far the best one (and the choice of most poker pros) is PokerTracker.

If you play Zoom poker in particular (or if you multi-table), PokerTracker is by far the best HUD out there because it allows you to easily keep track of all your opponents.

I have personally been using the PokerTracker 4 HUD for nearly 10 years now as a pro since it was first released.

And the reason why is because PokerTracker 4 has the best HUD available for online poker with the most statistics that is also the easiest to setup on your poker tables.

PokerTracker also has the best back-end database and filters of any poker tracking program that I have ever seen.

This allows you to not only study your own game, find your leaks and plug them, but also to study all of your opponents in PokerTracker as well.

One of my favorite things to do is study the biggest winners in my own poker games and simply copy some of the strategies that they are using!

Bottom line, if you take online poker seriously, then you owe it to yourself to get a good poker HUD.

To download the free trial version of the PokerTracker HUD right now, click here.

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Let me know in the comments below what free poker HUD you use at the poker tables.

And if you want to know the poker strategies that I use as a pro, then make sure you also pick up a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

Please note that the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that at no cost to you I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase the full version of PokerTracker.

What Stakes Do Professional Poker Players Play? It Will Shock You

People often ask me what stakes do professional poker players play. They also ask me what stakes I personally was playing when I turned pro 10+ years ago.

The truth is that is varies greatly depending on the person.

Most professional poker players will play at stakes of at least NL25 online or $2/$5 live. And many poker pros will play at stakes much higher than this. However, there are many cases where a professional poker player can earn a living at stakes even lower than this such as NL5, NL10 online or $1/$2 live.

So in this article I am going to break it all down for you from a poker pro's perspective. These are the stakes that professional poker players play.

What Stakes Do Professional Poker Players Play? Lifestyle

The biggest thing when determining what stakes you need to play as a professional poker player is your lifestyle and situation.

For example, I am based in Bangkok, Thailand.



I rent a high end condo in the heart of the city, eat out regularly in nice restaurants and I travel a fair bit as well. But I do not have any kids and I do not own a car or a house.

Also, the cost of living in a country like Thailand is much lower in general than a Western country like the one I come from, Canada.

So my overall expenses as a professional poker player are much lower than some other poker pros.

In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why so many online professional poker players continue to move to places like SouthEast Asia or South America.

The cost of living in these regions tends to be a lot lower than in North America or Europe for example. The year round good weather and tropical beaches are a nice bonus as well!

So for me personally, I could probably get by as a online poker pro playing at stakes as low as NL25 ($25 buyin game) with my current lifestyle.

This is assuming multi-tabling and regular play by the way (4-6 hours a day, 6 days a week). At higher stakes I would not need to put in as many hours.

But honestly, if I wasn't renting a luxury condo in the middle of Bangkok,



I could probably get by here playing at stakes as low as NL10 ($10 buyin).

For example in a smaller town like Chiang Mai, Thailand or Da Nang, Vietnam or Cebu, Philippines you can easily rent a modest (but still totally modern and liveable) condo for $300 a month.

Any winning multi-tabling reg at NL10 online is going to be making much more than this each month with regular play.

Now let's compare this to someone who lives in an expensive Western city like London, England or Los Angeles, U.S.A. and has a wife, a couple kids, owns a house and some vehicles.

This person's expenses are going to be way, way higher than mine. I would guess 4 times higher at a bare minimum.

Therefore, somebody in this situation would never be able to get by as a poker pro playing at stakes as low as NL25 online. They would probably need to be playing probably NL200 at a minimum.

If you play live poker, then maybe I could get by at stakes of like $2/$5 but the family man in London or LA would need to be playing a lot higher than this, probably $10/$20 at a minimum.

I think you get the point by now.

So this is the biggest reason why it is difficult to say what stakes a professional poker player plays. It is going to be vastly different depending on where they live, their lifestyle and situation in life.

What Stakes Do Professional Poker Players Play? Winrate

The next most important factor in figuring out what stakes a poker pro needs to play is their winrate.

If you don't know what a poker winrate is by the way, it just refers to how many big blinds per 100 hands you profit if you play online, or how many big blinds per hour you profit if you play live poker.

I have already written about what I think are good poker winrates for online poker if you are curious.

Now, as a professional poker player ideally you want to be crushing the games for the highest possible winrate.



For example, somebody who is beating a $1/$2 live game for 5 big blinds per hour is only making $10 a hour, barely minimum wage in most Western countries.

However, if you are capable of beating this game for 10 big blinds or 15 big blinds per hour, then you can see that you are making a lot more, $20 an hour or $30 an hour.

Increase the stakes while maintaining a similar winrate and the hourly gets even better. So this is why I constantly hammer home the importance of playing a fundamentally solid poker strategy.

This is a point I really try to get across in the opening sections of Crushing the Microstakes. My goal is always to be as efficient as possible when I am playing poker.

In other words, I want to maximize my table winnings at lower stakes rather than have to jump up to higher stakes, play against much better competition, and endure much bigger swings both financially and emotionally.

My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Teaches You How to Make $1000+ Per Month in Low Stakes Games

Are you struggling to beat low stakes poker games like 2NL, 5NL, 10NL, 25NL online or $1/$2, $2/$5 live?

Do you want a simple step by step guide to show you exactly how to start winning consistently right now?

That is why I recently wrote this free little 50 page no BS guide to teach you exactly how to start crushing these games right now.

You will learn the exact strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $1000+ per month in small stakes poker games.

Enter your details below and I will send my free poker cheat sheet to your email right now.

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How Many Hours Do Professional Poker Players Play?

Let's talk about the workload next, how many hours poker pros need to play.

Sorry to be so non-committal but again this is going to vary heavily depending on your situation. For example, in my heaviest days of grinding the online micro stakes poker games I was playing as much as 12 hours a day.

However, nobody can handle these kind of hours forever especially when you are playing 20+ tables at a time as I was often known to do.

By the way, in case you are wondering, yes, I use a lot of poker tools and software aids to play this many poker tables and play sessions this long.

For the complete list of all poker software tools I use as a pro, click here.

Now, these days I have also developed a large side business teaching the game of poker through this website, my YouTube channel and so on.

All of this takes up a lot of my time.

However, this also enables me to earn a significant side income away from the poker tables meaning that I don't need to put in such long hours anymore.

For somebody who is just starting out though their situation is going to be different. Like me, in the early going they will probably need to be putting in heavy, heavy hours at the tables.



So you better get the coffee ready!

Forget the 40 hour work week. If you want to be a professional poker player bad enough like I did, then you are literally going to be sleeping at the poker tables.

I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions about being a professional poker player. Some people think being a poker pro is just a life of total freedom, sipping pina coladas at the beach and putting in a few hours whenever you feel like it.

No, being a professional poker player is actually one of the most demanding and stressful jobs you can possibly do. This is especially the case in the early days when your bankroll is thin and you are still trying to make a name for yourself in this game.

Literally all I did for the first 5 years of my career as a poker pro was eat, breathe and sleep this game. I was at the poker tables playing all the time. There was nothing else. And that is why I made it happen.

You can read all about my tumultuous journey as a 10+ year poker pro right here.

Are Professional Poker Players Rich?

Another common question that I see is are professional poker players rich.

Let me tell you that most of them are not. In fact many of them just scrape by grinding it out for long hours in low stakes poker games.

Now there are exceptions of course, like if you name is Daniel Negreanu or something.

But Daniel is also a very smart businessman with many other side projects going on such as his new poker training course.

But as you guys know, I like to keep it real on this blog and tell you guys the real story from the perspective of someone who has actually made a career out of this game over the long haul (10+ years).



All that million dollar final table nonsense and the flashy diamond bracelets that you see when poker is mentioned on TV or social media is honestly just complete bullsh*t.

Even the best poker players in the world (who actually do make $1 million+ dollars a year) routinely have horrendous downswings where they will be down $1 million+ dollars in a year.

They never show you this on TV or social media.

They only show the guys who are currently winning big and they become everybody's hero. While last years big winners are quickly forgotten about.

The other thing they always fail to mention is how much staking is involved in high stakes poker these days. Literally everyone sells action these days.

And what this means is that the guy who just won that $5 million dollar tournament is only going to take a small portion of that in reality after he pays off all his backers as well as the taxman (depending on where he lives).

Guys, the truth is that becoming a professional poker player is not likely to make you rich. Now, can you create a comfortable living or a significant side income grinding low to mid stakes games (online or live)?

Yes, you certainly can. I am living proof of this!

Especially if you are smart and learn to branch out a little bit like I have mentioned so many times on this blog before (i.e. coaching, staking, endorsements, sponsorships, Twitch, YouTube, training sites).

But most people who decide to become professional poker players will not get rich from it. You should only decide to pursue this game as a career if you truly have a true deep passion for it.

Yes, it does bring freedom and the ability to be your own boss. Believe me, these are two things that I absolutely love and it's why I got into this game in the first place.

And yes, I also travel a lot and make money from anywhere on earth, often a tropical beach. I wouldn't trade this for anything on earth.

I post about it every day on my Instagram.

But if your goal is to get really rich in life, then I would say that there are probably better opportunities out there than poker.

With all that said, I am also not here to be a dream killer. Here are 50 poker pros for example who have all made at least $12 million dollars in poker tournaments winnings alone!

If you really want it, then you will go make it happen.

Final Thoughts

So what stakes do professional poker players play?

Well, it depends heavily on your lifestyle and situation in life. Do you live in an expensive Western country? Do you have a wife, kids and a mortgage to pay?

Or do you live a more modest lifestyle with no big attachments in a developing country? These two people are going to have vastly different financial goals as a poker pro.

Your winrate is also extremely important when determining what stakes you need to play as a poker pro. Somebody who crushes the games for the highest possible winrate will not have to put in nearly as many hours as a small winner does.

By the way, I discuss this in much more detail in my new Elite Poker University training. 

Learn EXACTLY how to start crushing small and mid stakes poker games, play semi-pro or even full time pro. Use my proven elite poker strategies to start winning fast.

Enroll in BlackRain79 Elite Poker University

Get $100 OFF Use Code: Elite100

Lastly, you should be aware that becoming a professional poker player is not the roses and sunshine glamorous lifestyle often portrayed on social media or TV.

It is actually one of the most stressful and demanding jobs you can possibly do and if you really want to make it in this game, then poker will literally be your whole life especially in the early going.

If you want to learn how to start consistently making $1000+ per month in low stakes games, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

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Let me know in the comments below what stakes you think a professional poker player needs to play. If you are a poker pro yourself, what stakes do you play?

Does PokerStars Have Bots? Here are the Facts [2024]

People often ask me if there are bots on PokerStars. And believe me I get it, there are a lot of tight players these days who seem to play a very robotic style of game.

It is definitely a legitimate concern that some of these players might be non-human bots. A poker bot by definition is a non-human poker player.

So in this article I am going to break it all down for you. Does PokerStars really have bots?

What is a Poker Bot?

Before I even begin though let's talk about what a poker bot even is. As mentioned, a poker bot is simply a non-human computer program that will play poker for you.

Essentially you program the bot (or have somebody program it for you) to follow a set of rules for what poker plays to make in every situation.

Now for very, very obvious reasons pretty much every online poker site in history has banned these programs outright. In most cases the penalties are very harsh if you are caught using one.

And the reason why is simple. Using a poker bot is simply cheating. Poker is a game that is meant to be played between human beings, not computerized programs.

So if you are caught using a poker bot, then the poker site will probably ban you for life, confiscate all your money and you will get blacklisted in the poker community as well.

And rightfully so!

Because as a poker community we do not want you. You are a parasite on this beautiful game that millions of people around the world love to play in an honest way.

PokerStars Bots - How Many Bots Are on PokerStars?

However, let's be real. We live in a world where not everybody subscribes to the same moral code. Some people out there (and not just in poker), will always look to find a way to cheat for their financial gain.

It's just kind of a fact of life. You need look no further than the stock market to see clear evidence of this all the time!

Online poker continues to be a very profitable income source for many people. For me personally I have played poker professionally for over 10 years now. And most of my hands have been played on PokerStars.



I have played millions and millions of hands of poker on PokerStars. Do I think there are bots on PokerStars though?

For me personally, I would say yes there might be, but probably not very many. PokerStars has one of the best bot and collusion security prevention teams in the industry. They take this very seriously.

But of course whenever there is money involved in anything in life, people will try and cheat. So it doesn't stop people from trying to run a bot on PokerStars.

And while I believe most of them get caught (or will eventually get caught), you would have to be pretty naive to believe that the PokerStars security team catches them all.

I can say that I myself have been accused of being a bot on PokerStars many times because I tend to play the table maximum (24 tables) and I play long hours. I also don't use chat.

But I do this because online poker is my job. I am not there to chat and have fun like all the other amateurs. I am there to take your money and win!

And because of this PokerStars has watched my account very closely over the years. In fact, they would often freeze my tables and force me to solve a CAPTCHA while playing in order to prove that I was a real human being playing.

As somebody who has always played the game in an honest and fair manner, I am happy to deal with all this if it helps prevent other people from cheating.

My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Teaches You How to Make $1000+ Per Month on PokerStars (No Bot Required)

Are you struggling to beat low stakes games on PokerStars like 2NL, 5NL, 10NL, 25NL or $1/$2, $2/$5 live or tournaments?

Tempted to find a poker bot and make it play for you? Don't do it!

Because you can just read my free little poker guide and finally learn to start winning now.

I recently wrote this free little 50 page no BS poker guide to teach you exactly how to start crushing these low stakes games.

You will learn the exact poker strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $1000+ per month in small stakes poker games.

Enter your details below and I will send my free poker cheat sheet to your email right now.

Name

Email

Does PokerStars Take Bots Seriously?

So I know first hand that PokerStars does indeed take poker bots very seriously. In fact, if you are caught using a bot they will immediately ban your account for life AND confiscate your bankroll.

So the penalties are extremely harsh for those who still try and circumvent the rules by running a bot on PokerStars.

Now how would PokerStars actually know know if you are using a bot you might be asking?

Several ways. When you use PokerStars software their security team is able to detect what other running processes are in use on your computer.

Therefore, if you think you are just going to download some bot (yes, people are pathetic enough to sell these on the internet) and use it on PokerStars, you will be caught, 100%.

The other way that the PokerStars security team detects poker bots is by anomalies in your play. What I mean by this is repetitive non human actions and the total absence of tilt or fatigue mistakes.

Humans tilt when they get frustrated and they make mistakes when they are tired. A bot doesn't do these things. So this is one of the easiest ways for PokerStars to tell if you are using a bot or not.

By the way, there actually are plenty of poker software tools which are fully legal to use while playing online poker.

For the complete list of all the poker software tools that I personally use as a poker pro, click here.

PokerStars Bots and PokerStars Complaints

So how many complaints does PokerStars get about bots? Honestly, god only knows. I am sure it is a metric sh*t ton though.

Because you see here's the thing.

PokerStars is the #1 online poker site in the world by a very wide margin. And the other thing is that most people lose at poker in the end.

The thing about poker though is that everybody thinks they are good at it (most actually aren't). So therefore, since most people will inevitably lose, they need something to blame it on.

Instead of studying and improving their poker game it is much easier to blame their lack of success in poker on the site being "rigged" or the use of "bots."

There is nothing you can do about this. So the complaints about PokerStars having bots, being rigged for action and so on will never stop.

As somebody who has made more money than perhaps anyone in history in the low stakes cash games on PokerStars I have seen the bad play myself for many, many years.

This is actually one of the main reasons why I initially chose to write Crushing the Microstakes.

And then created the subsequent video series that I released alongside the book showing me crushing 6max, Zoom and full ring all on PokerStars.



Because the lowest stakes games like 1c/2c and 2c/5c in particular are so unbelievably easy to beat in my opinion. I have made tens of thousands of dollars just in these two games alone on PokerStars.

So the only conclusion I am left with is if there really are bots on PokerStars, they sure do play bad!

Final Thoughts

So does PokerStars have bots on their site?

Well, I think you would have to be pretty naive to believe there aren't at least a few. But at the end of the day, PokerStars has one of the best security teams in the business.

They use a lot of sophisticated methods for bot detection and they have a clear incentive to keep them off their site as well, PokerStars is a highly profitable business!

Also, in my experience people will simply accuse you of being a bot if you play a lot and don't talk. I have personally been accused of being a bot on PokerStars countless times, which is just hilarious.

Lastly, most people lose at poker in the end. These are just the cold hard facts.

And most people also think they are pretty good at poker (which isn't true). So when they inevitably lose due to their own bad play, they will need something to blame it on.

By the way, I discuss this in much more detail in my new Elite Poker University training. 

Learn EXACTLY how to start crushing small and mid stakes poker games, play semi-pro or even full time pro. Use my proven elite poker strategies to start winning fast.

Enroll in BlackRain79 Elite Poker University

Get $100 OFF Use Code: Elite100

People love to claim that PokerStars is rigged or it's overrun by bots in order to explain why they can't win at poker. The reason they don't win is actually bad play and tilt.

As a professional poker player, I spend a lot of time studying away from the tables to improve my poker game and get better at my tilt control.

If you really want to win at poker over the long run, I would suggest you focus more on the things that you actually do control at the tables such as consistently making better quality poker decisions.

Lastly, if you want to know how to start consistently making $1000 per month in low stakes poker games, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.


Let me know in the comments below if you think there are bots on PokerStars? Do you personally have any experience with poker bots?

The ONLY Poker Courses You Need [2024] - Voted by Pros

People ask me all the time what are the best poker courses. And I know it can be difficult with so many options out there these days.

Also, many poker courses are aimed at different skill levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced. As a 10+ year poker pro I have studied many poker courses over the years to improve my own skills at the poker table.

Many of my poker pro friends have also used these same poker courses to push their game to new levels and continue winning big.

So in this article I am going to give you a complete breakdown of the best poker courses.

Best Poker Courses - The NL2 Mastery Course (Beginner)

There actually aren't that many poker courses available these days that are aimed specifically at beginners. 

Most of the poker courses that I will discuss below include advanced topics like range analysis, bluff/raising and GTO theory.

None of this is anything that a complete beginner playing NL2 online (1 cent / 2 cent blinds) or $1/$2 games in a casino needs to know.

And so this is why the best poker course for beginners is one of the few poker courses aimed directly at total beginners, The NL2 Mastery Course.

I know this poker course very well because I made it! The NL2 Mastery Course consists of 6+ hours of live play video of me personally showing you how to crush the lowest stakes games.



And the key strength of this poker course is that I (as the creator of this course) am well known as having some of the best results in online poker history in these games, tens of thousands in winnings.

So you know that you are learning from the very best. I have created the most profitable strategies in history for this game specifically (NL2), and you get to essentially look over my shoulder and watch me show you them in action.

The NL2 Mastery Course was recorded entirely on PokerStars and I play 6-max, full ring and Zoom. There are 9 videos in total, each of which is around 45 minutes.

Here is a sneak peek video from the Zoom section.

There is also plenty of bonus material included in the course including my hugely popular Starting Hand Chart Manual. This guide tells you exactly which hands to play from every position at the poker table.

You also get my free Zoom Poker Strategy Guide completely free ($50 value). If you struggle with Zoom style games, this is the step by step guide you need.

Both of these come with The NL2 Mastery Course, 100% free.

There is no other poker course ever created for how to beat the lowest stakes poker games that even compares. I have some of the best results in the history of online poker in these games and have also written 3 books on how to beat them.

I should mention that low stakes live poker players will probably also find this poker course helpful (especially if you play $1/$2 games). This poker course is also great if you play Zoom or in soft higher stakes games online like NL5.

Lastly, The NL2 Mastery Course also comes with the option to get my best selling poker book, Crushing the Microstakes, which has now helped thousands of people drastically improve their results in low stakes poker games.

The bottom line is that if you are a poker beginner still struggling to find out how to win consistently, this is the poker course for you.

To enroll in The NL2 Mastery Course right now, click here.

Use Code 20OFF to get 20% Off.

Best Poker Courses - BlackRain79 Elite Poker University (Intermediate/Advanced)

People have been asking me for something a little bit more advanced for many years though.

And so I just released my brand new BlackRain79 Elite Poker University.

This includes 17 hours of advanced poker video lessons, hundreds of step by step example hands and "cheat sheets."

This course is so massive that I decided to create a complete walkthrough video to show you everything that is included.

In a nutshell, BlackRain79 Elite Poker University is all about giving you the practical proven strategies to get you confidently beating your poker games, right away.

For Example Here's What You'll Learn...

• What to do when you have A♥K♥, the flop comes 8♠6♣5♠, and an aggressive player raises you
• How much to bet, raise and re-raise Preflop and on the Flop, Turn and River
• How to play Suited Connectors like 9♦8♦ when you totally miss the flop
• When to bluff on the Turn versus a passive opponent
• How to read aggressive players and make big profitable calls versus them on the River
• How to over-bet shove All-In on the river as a bluff versus tight regular opponents
• How to play your K♥K♣ optimally when the flop comes A♠7♥4♠
• Downloadable "cheat sheets" showing you exactly what hands to play in all situations

And so much more.

Covering cash games, tournaments, Zoom, 6max, live poker, online poker and more, this is the most comprehensive advanced poker training program available today.

Unlike many of the other poker courses in this article, there is very little use of complex math, GTO or solver analysis in BlackRain79 Elite Poker University.

It only includes the proven poker strategies that you need to know in order to start quickly getting real results for yourself at the poker table.

No stone is left unturned as I show you how to maximize your winnings in all situations, versus all 5 major players types.

This includes: 

1) Loose

2) Aggressive

3) Crazy

4) Tight

5) Fishy

If you struggle versus any of these player types, I show you exactly how to play optimally versus each one.

In my Elite Poker University advanced training I give you the specific strategies that you need to know to crush each of these common players that you will face in your poker games.

I walk you step by step through the most basic strategies for beginners all the way to elite world class strategies to beat high stakes games such as check/raising the river.

I also included two massive bonus video sections at the end specifically for Zoom poker strategy and Tournament poker strategy.



You will learn the top strategies that today's Zoom and Tournament pros are using to continue to get ahead and stay on top.

This includes how to dominate the Bubble and Final Table in tournaments and how to play optimally as a 10bb, 30bb or 50bb stack size in the mid and later stages.

And my top bluffing strategies to crush today's Zoom poker games online, including 3-bet and 4-bet bluffs specifically tailored for Zoom.

There is no better way to quickly improve your poker game today.

If you take poker very seriously, and you want to start achieving world class results in this game, then my Elite Poker University is for you.

Learn EXACTLY how to start crushing small and mid stakes poker games, play semi-pro or even full time pro. Use my proven elite poker strategies to start winning fast.

Enroll in BlackRain79 Elite Poker University

Get $100 OFF Use Code: ELITE100

Best Poker Courses - The Daniel Negreanu MasterClass (Intermediate)

Next on the list is The Daniel Negreanu MasterClass. Daniel Negreanu really needs no introduction in the world of poker. He is one of the winningest poker tournament players in history with over $40 million dollars in earnings.

Daniel is probably the most famous poker player on earth and he has inspired and influenced countless people to learn the game of poker.

So last year when he came out with a new MasterClass teaching all his poker strategy secrets, I was immediately all over it.

The Daniel Negreanu MasterClass is comprised of 38 video lessons covering every topic imaginable for small and mid stakes poker games including:

• Poker math and game theory
• Bet sizing tricks to confuse your opponents
• How to read their poker hand
• The art of table talk
• Picking up physical tells
• Advanced tournament strategy

And tons more.

Here is my complete step by step video walkthrough guide of the Daniel Negreanu MasterClass on YouTube:

The Daniel Negreanu MasterClass also comes with a comprehensive 122 page course manual which takes you through every concept Daniel teaches you in even more detail.

Another strength of this poker training program is that Daniel personally walks you through some of the most famous televised poker hands in history that he played against other famous poker pros like Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan.

Daniel's insights into the live tells that he picks up, how he uses table talk to his advantage, and how to read somebody's poker hand is some of the best content I have ever seen on this.

Lastly, in this poker course you have unprecedented access to KidPoker himself. The "office hours" section of the course allows you to ask your poker questions personally to Daniel himself.

Overall, I think that anyone who has gotten beyond the basics in poker and is struggling to win consistently in small or mid stakes games will learn a lot from this course.

Now no, it is not quite as comprehensive as BlackRain79 Elite Poker University, but in other ways (such as live poker theory, picking up physical tells and so on), it is actually better.



The other thing is that you know you are learning how to win at poker from one of the very best poker players in history.

Daniel Negreanu's credentials in this game need no introduction. He has won more money at the poker tables than nearly any human being in history.

That's why anyone looking to take their poker game to an elite level should check out this new MasterClass poker course.

To enroll in the Daniel Negreanu MasterClass right now, click here.

Best Poker Courses - The Phil Ivey MasterClass (Intermediate)

Another brand new poker course that was just released is the Phil Ivey MasterClass.

With over $58 million dollars in winnings (online and live combined), Phil Ivey has more publicly documented winnings that any poker player in history.

This is also part of the reason why Ivey has already been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame despite the fact that his poker career is far from over.

Since Phil Ivey has never revealed any of his poker knowledge before, this is arguably the most exciting new poker course release.



In the Phil Ivey MasterClass he teaches you:

• What hands to play in all situations
• How to read someone's hand in both online poker and live poker
• Elite poker bluffing strategy
• Deep stacked poker strategy (best ever info on this in my opinion, great if you play Zoom)
• The mental game of poker, how Ivey puts people on tilt
• Optimal bet sizing for both tournaments and cash games

And tons more.

The Phil Ivey MasterClass is aimed at beginners on through to small stakes and mid stakes poker players, both live and online, cash games and tournaments.

If you are struggling to turn a profit in these games this is a unique opportunity to learn from one of the all-time greats and the winningest poker player in history.


Like the Daniel Negreanu MasterClass this poker course is mostly video content (downloadable for both iOS or Android) with Phil Ivey teaching you directly how to crush small and mid stakes poker games.

There is also a large course book that comes with this poker course as well as "Office Hours" where you can ask Phil Ivey your poker questions directly.

Lastly, Phil Ivey reviews many of his most famous million dollar bluffs in in this poker course and tells you exactly what he was thinking at each stage of the hand.

This includes famous poker hands against the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan and Doug Polk.

And yes this also includes (for the first time ever) Ivey's famous 5-bet all-in flop bluff with Queen high against Paul Jackson, which is the greatest bluff in poker history in my opinion.

To finally get inside the mind of Ivey a little bit when he is making some of these insane bluffs was probably my personal favorite part of this poker course.

Bottom line: If you are new to poker or struggling to get past breakeven in low to mid stakes tournaments or cash games, this is one of the absolute best poker courses to learn from.

To enroll in the Phil Ivey MasterClass right now, click here.

Final Thoughts

So what is the best poker course these days?

Well, it depends heavily on where your current poker skill level is at. There are poker courses for total beginners right on through to high stakes pros.

Crucially I think the most important thing in deciding which poker course is best for you is to make sure that you are learning from the very best.

That is why every single poker course listed in this article is taught by people who also have some of the best poker results in history for the games they are teaching.

Now it should be mentioned that no poker course on earth is going to magically allow you to replicate their results.

In order to truly improve your poker results you are going to have to study these poker courses, take notes, and most importantly, start implementing what you learn at the poker tables right away.

However, I hope that this list of the best poker courses helped you find out which training program is best for you.

If you want to know more about how I became a poker pro and 3-time best selling poker author, make sure you download a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.

---

Let me know in the comments below what you think the best poker course is. Have you tried any of the poker courses above?

Please note that some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that at no cost to you I may earn a commission if you choose to enroll in that poker course.

10+ Years Poker Pro Traveling the World (My Story)

I post a lot of pics on my Instagram of exotic tropical beaches, luxury condos, rooftop infinity pools and so on. 

And I get DM's every single day from people telling me that I am living what they call the "dream life."

Some people might even think that my entire life is just one big vacation! 

And to be honest, it kind of is, I can't lie. But this was also the entire point all along as I am going to explain in this article.

And I am also going to show you exactly how you can do it too (don't necessarily have to be a poker pro, it's just one potential option).

Time is Your Most Valuable Asset in Life (Use it Wisely)

Tim Ferriss famously stated in "The 4 Hour Work-Week" that real wealth and happiness in life is the ability to actually go live your life, and do all the things you always wanted to do, while you are young.

And furthermore, to actually be there with the ones you love, instead of spending long hours at the office, waiting for some distant time in the future when you are 60 or 70 years old (and well past your physical prime), to hopefully "retire."

I could not agree with this worldview more.

I haven't worked a so called "9-5" job in over 12 years now and I never will again. I also haven't used an alarm clock in over 12 years. 

Instead I work when I want to, doing something I truly enjoy, and I do it from anywhere on earth.

Working from the pool earlier this year, private beach, southern Thailand

Also, if I want to just completely get away for a couple weeks, a month or even a year with family or friends, I just do it. I don't have to ask some "boss" permission to go live my life.

Now I should mention that for some people this lifestyle might seem like some sort of ridiculous fantasy world only reserved for rich people.

But for me and all my friends based out here in SouthEast Asia, who also work for themselves online, this is actually just a completely normal way to live your life for us.

It really is just a matter of perspective.

Online poker is what allowed me to create this lifestyle of time, location and financial freedom. Put simply, this game allowed me to live my life exactly how I want to, every single day.

Now, I want to be extremely clear off the top though that poker isn't for everybody, and most people will actually end up losing in the end.

Also, there are many, many other ways to achieve a lifestyle of time, location and financial freedom, many of which are a lot easier than becoming an online poker pro!

However, for some people like me, online poker was indeed life changing. And this is my story.

By the way, I also made a youtube video recently, discussing my struggles to become a poker pro early on in my career, starting from absolutely nothing, $0.

How Online Poker Changed My Life

I first "discovered" online poker way back in 2004. This was right after Chris Moneymaker had famously won the World Series of Poker as an amateur for $2.5 million dollars and poker was literally everywhere on the TV and the internet.

I pretty much had no clue what I was doing back then and my main strategy was simply to "play tight." Luckily back in those days though, that strategy was good enough to win.



And so after spending a few years slowly moving up through the micro stakes games, I found myself with a 10k bankroll and multi-tabling the 50c/$1 games ($100 buyin) online.

It was at this point that I realized that I was making more money in just a few hours playing poker each night than I did all day at my job!

So that was when I decided to make the fateful decision to turn pro, in April of 2007. 100% of my income would come from playing poker from now on. 

And my life would never be the same again.

My Experience Becoming a Professional Online Poker Player

Now I would love to give you some sunshine and roses story about how I climbed the nosebleeds to the very top and became some high stakes poker hero like Tom Dwan or Phil Ivey.

However, it didn't exactly work out that way.

In fact the first couple years when I went pro were some of the most difficult periods of my life and I almost quit this game completely, many many times. 

Many people do not realize what actually happens when you suddenly don't have a boss telling you what to do anymore.

You have to motivate yourself to "go to work" (play poker in my case). And back then when the money was just literally falling out of the sky, I took it for granted and figured that it would last forever.



It didn't of course. And this was a huge mistake which I still regret to this day. I literally threw away millions of dollars.

So instead of playing poker I often found myself playing the latest Call of Duty or going out with my friends. After all, I could just play a few hours a week and make a couple thousand bucks very easily.

Why bother working so hard right?

Well, predictably, the money didn't keep falling out of the sky forever. Eventually people got better at poker. 

They learned to stop playing so badly and literally giving their money away. A worldwide recession also hit in 2008, governments started interfering with player pools and so on.

The bottom line is that by around 2009 or 2010 online poker wasn't the walk in the park joke anymore where you could just sit down and literally print money.

You actually had to have some skill now. So I had to move beyond my "play tight" strategy and learn how to actually play poker better in order to continue dominating.

And so that is exactly what I did. I joined training sites, I read books, I studied poker courses. I even hired a few coaches!

I also started studying my own hands and my opponents for countless hours in PokerTracker. And this is what I really credit the most in taking my game to the next level.

In short I wasn't taking this online poker thing for granted anymore. It was time to get to work!

My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Teaches You How to Make $1000+ Per Month in Low Stakes Games

Are you struggling to beat low stakes poker games like 2NL, 5NL, 10NL, 25NL online or $1/$2, $2/$5 live?

Do you want a simple step by step guide to show you exactly how to start winning consistently right now?

That is why I recently wrote this free little 50 page no BS guide to teach you exactly how to start crushing these games right now.

You will learn the exact strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $1000+ per month in small stakes poker games.

Enter your details below and I will send my free poker cheat sheet to your email right now.

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The Long Road Back

So as I mentioned, by 2009 or 2010 the online poker games had started to get a little bit more difficult and I had let my bankroll dwindle to a seriously low level, mostly from a lack of play.

It was time to get my act together. So like I said, I started pouring hours and hours into studying poker, improving my poker game and also grinding much harder.

And I really have to make this point clear. Poker was my entire life now. From the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep there was nothing else for years and years.

I dreamed about flops at night. I was completely all-in with this game. Make it or break it!

So it was during this time that I decided to start mass multi-tabling the lowest stakes in order to rebuild my bankroll. And this is what most people actually know me for still to this day.



I played millions and millions of hands at the very lowest stakes online and made a lot of money. At a certain point I just didn't even bother moving up again because the money was just so easy.

I would literally just load up 24 tables of NL2 or NL5 on PokerStars and watch movies or podcasts on my other monitor while I played 8, 10 or even 12 hour sessions.

I played so much poker during this period that I was accused of being a bot all the time. PokerStars would actually freeze all my tables from time to time and force me to solve a CAPTCHA. Apparently even they didn't believe a human being was capable of playing this much poker either.

The truth is that I just needed the money to get my bankroll up to 10k+ again and get back to the higher stakes games. And at stakes this low, I really didn't even need to think in order to beat these people.

This is still largely the case today. Because these stakes are full of complete beginners. So I just said screw it, I am going to grind these tables day and night and see what happens!

By the way if you are curious how on earth I played that many hands of poker and kept my sanity, yes I do use several software aids and tools.

For the complete list of poker software tools I use as a pro, click here.

Sudden Exposure in the Poker World, Dealing With "Haters" and a Weird Twist of Fate

It was also during this time that a certain website began data-mining all the major online poker sites on a massive scale. 

Then they would publish the results of all poker players whether they liked it or not.

Honestly, I won't even name this website here because they don't deserve any bit of free exposure. 

They pissed off a lot of people by publishing all this information purely for their own financial gain (they sold subscriptions to access this data, including my own).

This was especially bad for large losing poker players (fish). 

Now the whole world got to see their huge losses and it was very embarrassing for them. There is no doubt that this caused some of them to quit poker altogether.

Brilliant work guys!

Anyways, eventually PokerStars lawyers got involved and issued this website cease and desist letters and their little "business" basically went downhill from there.

In any case, once people started to see just how much money I was making at the very lowest stakes in online poker, my profile on this website became something of a circus.

In fact, my profile on this website was getting more attention at times than some massive names in the poker world like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and others.

This was especially the case because it was pretty obvious that I was actually a poker pro at such low stakes, something that was thought to be impossible by most people at the time.

Multi-tabling online poker from my condo near the beach.

The funny thing is that I have met so many poker players through my travels in SE Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe that are doing the exact same thing as me!

Anyways, almost overnight I suddenly started to get lots of fans and even my very first haters too! (aww the memories).

It was honestly quite shocking at first to see grown men gossiping and talking smack about me online, and even completely making stuff up, while hiding of course behind cartoon avatars and fake names.

All because they saw a few of my poker graphs on some website and so they went ahead and made a bunch of wild assumptions about me.

Now believe me, I get it.

If you choose to "put yourself out there" these days, then you will be unfairly criticized sometimes by anonymous clowns on the internet.

This just comes with the territory as any content creator or influencer these days fully understands, myself included.

But at the time, I didn't choose any of this.

I didn't choose the limelight, my poker results were published online without my permission.

In fact, all I ever wanted to do was just grind my little small stakes online poker games in complete anonymity.

And to be completely honest, anyone who actually knows me well, knows that I am a complete introvert.

I never wanted any of this attention.

Anyways, it's all water under the bridge now.

Because once people started to see that I was consistently making over 6 figures playing this silly little card game on the internet, my life would never be the same again.

So out of pure frustration one day I decided I was completely done with all the ridiculous comments and the unwanted attention I was suddenly receiving which had now spread to forums and reddit as well.

So I decided instead to start my own website, www.blackrain79.com, which is named after my online poker screen name.

I also decided to start publishing regular poker strategy articles about how I was achieving these results, in order to give back to the people who were actually supporting me (of which there were lots).

Luckily most of my fans, and even a few of my haters too, followed me over here to my website.

And so it began.

Going Public - From Anonymous Micro Stakes Grinder to Poker Coach and Self-Published Author

So I started writing poker strategy articles and getting hundreds of visitors a day to my website. 

Since the feedback was mostly positive I decided to continue writing and build up an even bigger audience.

However all of this was still just a hobby for me. I never intended to actually make an income off this website. 

Heck, I didn't even put up any ads or anything! (and still haven't to this day even though I get offers every single day in my inbox).

This website is simply not for sale.

You can't buy your way in front of my audience.

Because this was never my intention when I started it.

Instead, this poker blog was meant to be my way of giving back to the poker community, to my fans in particular, who have supported me so much over the years.

However, I did do a little bit of private coaching during this period and I also started making videos for a major poker training site. 

I also did some of my first interviews with a couple big poker news sites.

My very first ever interview with PokerListings.com in my hometown of Vancouver.
What is up with that beard though!?

However, I still didn't consider any of this as much more than a silly side project while I continued to grind it out at the poker tables.

After all, who on earth is seriously going to listen to some micro stakes "poker coach?" My haters made sure to remind me of this often too.

Turns out they were dead wrong though.

The traffic to my website started really exploding around 2012 and by 2015 this was the #1 small stakes poker strategy website on the internet, getting thousands of visitors every day.

It was around this time that I also decided to start a poker YouTube channel as well (although more on that in a bit).

What really changed things drastically for me though was when I started to learn a little bit about online business and SEO. 

I also learned just how easy it is to actually write and self-publish an ebook.

I have always enjoyed writing and before I ever "discovered" poker I spent years and years in university getting my degree in history and philosophy.

Sure, it was (and still is) a largely useless degree as far as finding a job in the modern workplace. 

But it did teach me how to write.

So I began working on Crushing the Microstakes (my first ever poker book). I actually ended up writing the entire thing in a couple weeks.



And after playing millions and millions of hands at these stakes, with some of the highest winnings in online poker history, the book literally wrote itself.

After two more weeks of editing the book I released Crushing the Microstakes to the world on just this blog and I was hoping a few dozen people might buy it!

Update: CTM has now sold tens of thousands of copies, been translated into several other languages, and been called the "bible" of the micro stakes by some.

But at the time, I was totally just "winging it."

I knew absolutely nothing about marketing back then. I didn't have any social media at all or even an email list to tell people about it either!

As mentioned, I literally launched the book with just a single blog post. Just like the one you are reading right now. 

Which is totally insane when I think back on it.

The entire project was really just a ridiculous moon-shot (which is kind of the entire point of this blog post as well, just go for it in life, who cares).

I had no idea if anybody would actually buy the book or even take any interest in it at all.

So, much like my decision to become a poker pro several years before, I was simply taking a calculated chance. 

There was no script to follow. And there was nobody to hold my hand and tell me what to do.

It would either fail spectacularly or become a success.

I just went for it.

Anyways, as mentioned, Crushing the Microstakes (CTM) has now gone on to become arguably the most popular poker book ever written for the lower stakes games.

And it has also been featured and reviewed by almost every major poker publication in the world.

I went on to write two more poker strategy books after that:

1) Modern Small Stakes

2) The Micro Stakes Playbook

Both of these have also been highly successful.

I hope you are able to see the lesson here as it applies to your life as well.

If you are procrastinating on some big goal or dream in your life, please don't do it anymore.

Just start taking action today.

Realize that you literally have nothing to lose, but potentially everything to gain.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

― Steve Jobs

Making it in the YouTube Poker Game?

Lastly, as mentioned, I did start a poker YouTube channel several years ago as well.

But being the total introvert that I am, I was terrified of being on camera and so I only made (sporadic) screencast videos of me explaining poker hands for many years.

While I saw a little bit of success and people seemed to like the videos, the real success of my YouTube channel didn't start until about a year ago, when I decided to come out of my shell.

I made my first YouTube video showing my face in Feb, 2021 and it is painful for me to even watch it because it is so bad.

While I don't consider myself to be good at making YouTube videos to this day, I have learned a lot, and the channel is about to hit 50k subscribers as I type this.

Edit: Just hit 100k subscribers now!

My YouTube channel is also among the fastest growing poker channels on the platform in the past year and I have had great support from all my loyal subscribers.

So all I can say is thank you for your faith in me!

Like I said, I still think my videos are pretty terrible, but I am always learning and improving.

And that is really the entire point.

I don't consider myself to be a "YouTuber" and don't really have any intention of becoming one either.

Although, my poker YouTube channel does provide another steady side income that has been growing consistently.

And having more income streams is without a doubt one of the biggest keys to success in my opinion.

But learning to finally "put myself out there" on camera, and stop hiding behind the pen, this website/my books, has been the real reward.

Like I said, I was terrified when I made my first real video speaking to a camera, but I had to take this crucial step to grow as a person and reach a wider audience.

You must tackle the things you fear in life head on!

Where There is a Will There is a Way (Create Your Best Life)

The real point of this whole story is to hopefully show some of you that where there is a will there is a way in life. People literally laughed at me every stage of the way and told me I was crazy.

He is going to play poker on the internet for a living? That's ridiculous, go get a real job! 

Now he is going to write books about the micro stakes games? Nobody is ever going to buy that!

I have fought it at every stage of the way. I even had my own family (the older religious members) telling me that I was throwing my life away, I was a "gambling addict" and so on.

I knew they were 100% wrong, but it still hurt nonetheless. It hurt badly.

And this is just one part of the psychological side of the game that not too many people talk about these days.

By the way, I discuss this in much more detail in my new Elite Poker University training. 

Learn EXACTLY how to start crushing small and mid stakes poker games, play semi-pro or even full time pro. Use my proven elite poker strategies to start winning fast.

Enroll in BlackRain79 Elite Poker University

Get $100 OFF Use Code: Elite100

I think truthfully though they were upset because I wasn't following their idea of how I should live my life (career, wife, kids, house in the suburbs).

But you need to remember that only you know what is best for you and your life. And the only person's opinion that ultimately matters is your own.



I knew that their idea of how I should live my life was not right for me. I would never be happy with a life of comfortable mediocrity in a 9-5 answering to some "boss."

I always demanded much more out of life than this. And that is why I chose to go it alone, down the road less traveled, with a career as a professional online poker player, and then as a self-published author.

And let me tell you, yes, it absolutely was scary and totally unpredictable! And yes, it could have all ended in utter failure too. And I would not even be writing this story right now.

In fact there were countless times, especially during my heavy poker grinding days, where I thought I was out of my mind to be doing this.

Maybe they were right after all, maybe I was throwing my life away. Maybe I was in over my head. These are all the thoughts that will go through your head again and again.

But this is also why so many people never follow their dreams and goals in life. They are too afraid of failure. And they are especially too afraid of what other people will think if they fail.

What they forget though is that going all-in with your dreams and goals in life can sometimes also lead to something truly amazing. Real happiness, success and freedom.

A deep passion for what you do. Jumping out of bed with a smile on your face every single morning. And even more importantly, with the power of technology today, you can do all this while you are young!

I think the idea of waiting until you are 65 to retire, enjoy your life, and finally do all the things you always wanted to do, is utterly ridiculous.

And in fact, most Americans won't even be able to afford retirement by age 65 anyways. They will literally just work themselves into the grave.

Please, please guys, if you take nothing else away from this article just remember that there really is another way in life.

And it's actually a lot closer than you think.

Right now is the greatest time in history to be alive. You can literally start a successful business from your iPhone or laptop while sitting on a beach anywhere in the world.



The biggest key is to just start taking action, every day.

The vast majority of people spend their entire lives sitting around talking about all their dreams and their big goals in life.

And life ends up passing them by. 

I hope that won't be you too.

Take action, even when they talk smack and nobody in the world believes in you.

Just keep taking action and let your results do the talking. 

Final Thoughts

Anyways, this was just my personal story.

I hope it was helpful or inspiring in some way to a few of you dream chasers out there who, like me, are looking for a little bit more out of life than the ordinary.

And to be honest, this article isn't really even about poker, although there are more ways than ever to quickly improve your poker game these days.

You don't have to become a professional poker player, create an online business or travel the world in order to achieve your own version of happiness and success in life.

For many people, this kind of nomadic digital life just isn't something that they are interested in at all and that is completely and totally fine!

The real point that I wanted to get across in this article is that if you pursue your goals and dreams in life with a relentless fury, then anything is possible.

And I know it sounds cliche.

But I am living proof that it is true. Because I came from nothing. I started my poker career with literally $0.

And against all odds I built a career out of this silly little card game. Because I have a deep passion for it.

You start by believing in yourself, first and foremost, above anything else in this world. And then you decide to go 100% all-in after whatever it is that you are deeply passionate about in life.

I created my own version of "living the dream" by mastering online poker, playing the game professionally, and then monetizing that knowledge through blogging, youtube, coaching and digital products like ebooks and courses.

In fact, I just released my brand new BlackRain79 Elite Poker University a few months ago.

17+ hours of video lessons, hundreds of step by step example hands and "cheat sheets."

This is the culmination of everything I have learned throughout my professional poker career.

Enrollment is open right now.

Get $100 OFF with code: ELITE100 

We are lucky enough to live in an age where literally anything is possible.

All my friends living out here like me in Thailand, Bali and Vietnam also created their own version of "living the dream" with location independent online businesses (and most of them are non-poker).

They all did the exact same thing as me. 

They created something out of nothing by simply hustling harder than the next guy/girl and not being afraid to take chances.

Look, the internet is the greatest opportunity in human history. Anybody can change their entire life if they really want it bad enough.

You owe it to yourself to create your own version of "living your dream life" (whatever that might be).

Start today.

Don't talk about it anymore.

Be about it instead.

Lastly, if you want to learn my complete strategy to crush low stakes poker games, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.