Now first off, I gotta say, like with anything in life, when something is free it is not likely to be of the highest quality.
Most of the best poker training available nowadays (taught by world class pros) is on poker training sites or through coaching which of course is not going to be free.
However, for beginners just getting started in poker I believe that there are a number of good free poker training options these days. And I am going to cover them all in this article.
The best free poker training in my opinion, especially for beginners, is without a doubt still my free poker guide, Massive Profit at the Micros.
This 50 page poker "cheat sheet" teaches you all of the basics of how to win at poker at the lower stakes in particular.
I walk you step by step how to:
People ask me all the time why I give away all this information completely for free.
And I guess firstly, the answer is that it probably won't remain free forever.
However, I know that a lot of poker beginners read my articles here on my website. And I want to make it as easy as possible for them to get started without having to invest large amounts of money in expensive poker training.
I also have some of the best results in online poker history at the lower stakes and I want to help others struggling at these limits to start turning a profit.
"Massive Profit at the Micros" has now been read by over 100k people and if you are struggling to win at poker at the lowest stakes, reading this free poker training guide will help you finally start winning.
Because that is really the whole point of this free little poker book.
Massive Profit at the Micros won't teach you how to become a poker pro. And it won't turn you into some high stakes crusher overnight either.
This free little poker "cheat sheet" is instead intended for those who are playing at the lowest stakes and still can't figure out how to win consistently. Follow the strategies in this guide and you will start winning.
It's that simple.
You can go get your copy of my free poker training guide Massive Profit at the Micros, right here.
I think some of the absolute best free poker training these days is available on YouTube and Twitch. Because basically you get to watch professional poker players walk you through hands or even play live.
With YouTube in particular there is tons of great free poker training. Once again, I would recommend my own YouTube channel first especially if you play the micro stakes.
I put out brand new poker strategy videos every single week. My 4 part series in particular called "How to Crush the Micros" has been extremely popular.
Make sure you are subscribed to my poker YouTube channel so you never miss a video.
What if you play higher stakes poker games though? Well, a poker YouTube channel that I find myself watching a lot lately is No Limit Gaming.
This poker YouTube channel features some of the very best online poker players in the world showing you exactly how they crush mid and high stakes games.
This video above for example features some of the best online pros in the world such as Steffen "Go0se.core!" Sontheimer, "LLinusLLove" and others at nosebleed stakes ($50/$100).
It is very rare to get such high level free poker training without having to pay expensive membership fees on a poker training site.
As for Twitch, there are countless full time streamers these days who basically play every day and live stream the entire thing.
Not all of them are professionals of course but it is still a good idea to check out some of the up and comers who are trying to beat the lower stakes games just like you.
Probably the most famous poker Twitch streamer these days is Lex "RaSZi" Veldhuis. I often find myself binge watching his Twitch poker channel.
I would highly recommend checking him out! Tell him BlackRain79 sent you :)
Now I know I have been a little bit critical of poker forums and Reddit in the past. And I still think they are too often plagued by negative trolls and time wasting off-topic discussions.
However, I think there is still some good value in a few poker forums out there in particular. And poker forums of course are pretty much always free!
The #1 poker forum that I always recommend is CardsChat.
The reason why is because CardsChat has built up a nice sized community of mostly low stakes poker players trying to get better at the game and help each other.
You can post your poker hands or questions on CardsChat and usually get many helpful answers.
Now, people often ask me why I don't have a poker forum myself. I actually did have one for many years but the software got discontinued and I had to take it down.
Most of the best poker training available nowadays (taught by world class pros) is on poker training sites or through coaching which of course is not going to be free.
However, for beginners just getting started in poker I believe that there are a number of good free poker training options these days. And I am going to cover them all in this article.
1. Best Free Poker Training - Massive Profit at the Micros
The best free poker training in my opinion, especially for beginners, is without a doubt still my free poker guide, Massive Profit at the Micros.
This 50 page poker "cheat sheet" teaches you all of the basics of how to win at poker at the lower stakes in particular.
I walk you step by step how to:
- Know what hands to play from all positions at the table
- When to bet, raise and bluff
- How to read their hand
- The best poker sites to play on
- How to finally stop tilting
- How to consistently make $500-$1000 a months at the micro stakes
People ask me all the time why I give away all this information completely for free.
And I guess firstly, the answer is that it probably won't remain free forever.
However, I know that a lot of poker beginners read my articles here on my website. And I want to make it as easy as possible for them to get started without having to invest large amounts of money in expensive poker training.
I also have some of the best results in online poker history at the lower stakes and I want to help others struggling at these limits to start turning a profit.
"Massive Profit at the Micros" has now been read by over 100k people and if you are struggling to win at poker at the lowest stakes, reading this free poker training guide will help you finally start winning.
Because that is really the whole point of this free little poker book.
Massive Profit at the Micros won't teach you how to become a poker pro. And it won't turn you into some high stakes crusher overnight either.
This free little poker "cheat sheet" is instead intended for those who are playing at the lowest stakes and still can't figure out how to win consistently. Follow the strategies in this guide and you will start winning.
It's that simple.
You can go get your copy of my free poker training guide Massive Profit at the Micros, right here.
2. Best Free Poker Training - YouTube and Twitch
I think some of the absolute best free poker training these days is available on YouTube and Twitch. Because basically you get to watch professional poker players walk you through hands or even play live.
With YouTube in particular there is tons of great free poker training. Once again, I would recommend my own YouTube channel first especially if you play the micro stakes.
I put out brand new poker strategy videos every single week. My 4 part series in particular called "How to Crush the Micros" has been extremely popular.
Make sure you are subscribed to my poker YouTube channel so you never miss a video.
What if you play higher stakes poker games though? Well, a poker YouTube channel that I find myself watching a lot lately is No Limit Gaming.
This poker YouTube channel features some of the very best online poker players in the world showing you exactly how they crush mid and high stakes games.
This video above for example features some of the best online pros in the world such as Steffen "Go0se.core!" Sontheimer, "LLinusLLove" and others at nosebleed stakes ($50/$100).
It is very rare to get such high level free poker training without having to pay expensive membership fees on a poker training site.
As for Twitch, there are countless full time streamers these days who basically play every day and live stream the entire thing.
Not all of them are professionals of course but it is still a good idea to check out some of the up and comers who are trying to beat the lower stakes games just like you.
Probably the most famous poker Twitch streamer these days is Lex "RaSZi" Veldhuis. I often find myself binge watching his Twitch poker channel.
I would highly recommend checking him out! Tell him BlackRain79 sent you :)
3. Best Free Poker Training - Poker Forums and Reddit
Now I know I have been a little bit critical of poker forums and Reddit in the past. And I still think they are too often plagued by negative trolls and time wasting off-topic discussions.
However, I think there is still some good value in a few poker forums out there in particular. And poker forums of course are pretty much always free!
The #1 poker forum that I always recommend is CardsChat.
The reason why is because CardsChat has built up a nice sized community of mostly low stakes poker players trying to get better at the game and help each other.
You can post your poker hands or questions on CardsChat and usually get many helpful answers.
Now, people often ask me why I don't have a poker forum myself. I actually did have one for many years but the software got discontinued and I had to take it down.
However, I did recently start a private Facebook poker group which has quickly become the #1 place on Facebook to discuss poker strategy, with over 4k members joining in just the first year.
You can feel free to post your poker hand histories or you poker questions on there and you will get a reply often from myself personally or the other pros and semi-pros who post on there.
As for Reddit, I honestly have never been much of a big Reddit user but I do think there is some good poker strategy discussion for the most part in the main poker subreddit which is r/poker.
You can feel free to post your poker hand histories or you poker questions on there and you will get a reply often from myself personally or the other pros and semi-pros who post on there.
As for Reddit, I honestly have never been much of a big Reddit user but I do think there is some good poker strategy discussion for the most part in the main poker subreddit which is r/poker.
Edit: Alright I gave in and actually started my own poker Reddit, come join!
Some of the best free poker training these days is on poker strategy websites like the one you are looking at right now, blackrain79.com.
I have written over 700 poker strategy articles for this website now covering how to beat the micro stakes games in particular. And yes, they are all free and they always will be!
For a complete list of all my most popular poker strategy articles in recent years (beginner intermediate, advanced and pro), click here.
There are several other quality free poker strategy websites out there though that I would recommend reading as well.
I often find myself reading the poker strategy articles over at Upswing Poker for instance. Upswing is well known as having some of the best poker courses available in the world today. I have actually reviewed several of them and I regularly recommend them.
However, many people do not know that Upswing also produces lots of high quality and totally free poker strategy articles on a regular basis. I have actually even written poker strategy articles for Upswing in the past myself and probably will again in the future.
The last poker strategy website that I recommend is also one where I am a regular contributor. This is the biggest poker news website in the world, pokernews.com
I write a monthly article for this website and they have a whole host of other high level professional poker players writing regular strategy articles as well.
The final free poker training that I recommend is poker podcasts. Many people are surprised to learn that there are many high quality poker podcasts out there these days not only featuring interviews with world class pros, but also in depth poker strategy lessons.
If you have a long commute to work or you tend to workout a lot at the gym like I do, this the perfect way to improve your poker skills at the same time.
I am almost always listening to podcasts while working out. Two birds one stone right?
For example, I would recommend checking out Smart Poker Study. I was actually a guest on this poker strategy podcast on episode #162.
Sky Matsuhashi (the host of Smart Poker Study) creates high quality poker lessons to help you improve your poker game. He talks about small stakes poker most frequently.
Another good poker podcast that I would recommend is The PostFlop Poker podcast. Again, this is another excellent poker strategy podcast that will help you with your game.
I was also a guest on this podcast on episode #49.
The final poker podcast that I would recommend is probably the most famous one in the world. And that is Joe Ingram's The Poker Life podcast.
While not specifically educational in nature, Joe regularly interviews some of the very best poker players in the world. And this gives you a deep insight into what it takes to get to this level of the game.
You can go listen to The Poker Life Podcast right here.
Most of these poker podcasts by the way can be downloaded directly on Spotify or on the podcast app on your smartphone.
You can almost always find all of these poker podcasts on YouTube as well. Joe Ingram for example posts all of his interviews (with video as well) on his Youtube channel.
So there you have my list of the best free poker training. The truth is that high quality poker training does not need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Now of course yes, the very best elite level poker training available these days is often behind a paywall (it isn't free). But this really shouldn't be a huge shocker to anyone.
Information is power in poker and usually the best poker professionals in the world are not going to give that away for free.
If you want my list of the best advanced poker training available today, I have also written an article for that.
But there is also lots of great free poker training options out there these days for beginners in particular, my free poker strategy book for example.
You can also find tons of good high level poker strategy discussion on YouTube and Twitch streams, poker forums, poker strategy websites and poker podcasts.
Make sure you let me know in the comments below what you think the best free poker training is these days.
Lastly, if you want to know how I became a poker pro and poker writer traveling the world, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.
4. Best Free Poker Training - Poker Strategy Websites
Some of the best free poker training these days is on poker strategy websites like the one you are looking at right now, blackrain79.com.
I have written over 700 poker strategy articles for this website now covering how to beat the micro stakes games in particular. And yes, they are all free and they always will be!
For a complete list of all my most popular poker strategy articles in recent years (beginner intermediate, advanced and pro), click here.
There are several other quality free poker strategy websites out there though that I would recommend reading as well.
I often find myself reading the poker strategy articles over at Upswing Poker for instance. Upswing is well known as having some of the best poker courses available in the world today. I have actually reviewed several of them and I regularly recommend them.
However, many people do not know that Upswing also produces lots of high quality and totally free poker strategy articles on a regular basis. I have actually even written poker strategy articles for Upswing in the past myself and probably will again in the future.
The last poker strategy website that I recommend is also one where I am a regular contributor. This is the biggest poker news website in the world, pokernews.com
I write a monthly article for this website and they have a whole host of other high level professional poker players writing regular strategy articles as well.
5. Best Free Poker Training - Poker Podcasts
The final free poker training that I recommend is poker podcasts. Many people are surprised to learn that there are many high quality poker podcasts out there these days not only featuring interviews with world class pros, but also in depth poker strategy lessons.
If you have a long commute to work or you tend to workout a lot at the gym like I do, this the perfect way to improve your poker skills at the same time.
I am almost always listening to podcasts while working out. Two birds one stone right?
For example, I would recommend checking out Smart Poker Study. I was actually a guest on this poker strategy podcast on episode #162.
Sky Matsuhashi (the host of Smart Poker Study) creates high quality poker lessons to help you improve your poker game. He talks about small stakes poker most frequently.
Another good poker podcast that I would recommend is The PostFlop Poker podcast. Again, this is another excellent poker strategy podcast that will help you with your game.
I was also a guest on this podcast on episode #49.
The final poker podcast that I would recommend is probably the most famous one in the world. And that is Joe Ingram's The Poker Life podcast.
While not specifically educational in nature, Joe regularly interviews some of the very best poker players in the world. And this gives you a deep insight into what it takes to get to this level of the game.
You can go listen to The Poker Life Podcast right here.
Most of these poker podcasts by the way can be downloaded directly on Spotify or on the podcast app on your smartphone.
You can almost always find all of these poker podcasts on YouTube as well. Joe Ingram for example posts all of his interviews (with video as well) on his Youtube channel.
Final Thoughts
So there you have my list of the best free poker training. The truth is that high quality poker training does not need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Now of course yes, the very best elite level poker training available these days is often behind a paywall (it isn't free). But this really shouldn't be a huge shocker to anyone.
Information is power in poker and usually the best poker professionals in the world are not going to give that away for free.
If you want my list of the best advanced poker training available today, I have also written an article for that.
But there is also lots of great free poker training options out there these days for beginners in particular, my free poker strategy book for example.
You can also find tons of good high level poker strategy discussion on YouTube and Twitch streams, poker forums, poker strategy websites and poker podcasts.
Make sure you let me know in the comments below what you think the best free poker training is these days.
Lastly, if you want to know how I became a poker pro and poker writer traveling the world, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.
About the subject of forums I really recommend people to sign up for Nathans forum, if they purchased one of his books. We are a very small community in there, and it would be fine with a few more active members. Cardschat is also great, and as an additional advantage they have deals with several poker sites, which offer special freerolls for active Cardschat members. For instance there is a weekly 300$ freeroll on 888 for Canadian members of Cardschat.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Nathans forum it is however a potential time killer, if you are not carefull. There are many good posts and serious people in there, but there is also a decent amount of time wasting nonsense. Like people asking, why their account got blocked by the poker site, if you trust online poker, if the games would be more fair without HUDs, where to find the best freerolls, or how to withdraw 16$.
Thanks for being such an amazing poster on my poker forum Lars! I really appreciate it and I know that many others do as well. I agree, it would be good to have more active members on my forum though.
DeleteCardsChat is a much, much bigger forum and of course it is going to suffer from some of the noise that you talk about. I find the hand history review sections to be pretty helpful though. And CC as a whole is very beginner friendly which is awesome (unlike some other large poker forums out there which shall not be named here haha).
Also, I know the owner/forum admin Debi and she does a great job over there!