Hi, my name is Nathan.
You might know me better as "BlackRain79" in the online poker world though.
I am a 10+ year professional poker player, YouTuber, 3-time best selling poker author and I have been traveling the world for over 10 years now.
But it didn't exactly start out this way...
I thought I would just follow the typical path, become a lawyer, grind the 9-5 for 40+ years and retire with a wife and 2.5 kids in the suburbs.
Then I found poker in my mid twenties.
And that, as they say, changed everything.
Poker Changed Everything
Shortly after I graduated from college I found online poker.
I was absolutely obsessed with the game from the start and I would literally grind the poker tables day and night.
Some people asked me if I even slept!
I would eventually become one of the biggest winners ever at the small and mid limit games online.
Some people asked me if I even slept!
I would eventually become one of the biggest winners ever at the small and mid limit games online.
Thankfully I was also making enough money playing poker by this point to say goodbye to my crappy office job forever.
That was over 10 years ago.
I now spend most of the year living in beautiful Southeast Asia and traveling around the world.
That was over 10 years ago.
I now spend most of the year living in beautiful Southeast Asia and traveling around the world.
I am able to make a living anywhere on earth from my laptop thanks to this silly little card game :)
I started this blog originally back in 2007 as a personal journal of my success and struggles in the small and mid stakes cash games.
This was a place to track my progress and rant about my downswings in complete obscurity.
I did not reveal my online poker screen name - BlackRain79 - for many, many years because I didn't want any readers. I wrote this blog for myself and myself alone.
But then a few years later a certain infamous (and now defunct) website started tracking and publishing the results of all online poker players without their consent.
I was really mad at first.
Who on earth were they to publish my poker results publicly for everyone to see? The bottom line though was that I could no longer remain anonymous.
When people started to see that I was making tens of thousands of dollars just at the micros alone...
I quickly started to gain legions of fans (and a few haters too) almost overnight.
My website suddenly started getting hundreds of visitors a day and so I decided to start blogging about how I was achieving these results.
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 poker strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $2000+ 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.
It was about 10 years ago that I also decided to sell everything that I own and hop on a one way 17 hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
I'm not going to lie, I was absolutely scared out of my mind.
I had never traveled anywhere before except to America, which is basically the same thing as Canada in many ways.
But I knew that I was completely all-in with this poker thing at that point. And since I could do it from anywhere in the world, there was simply no reason not to go.
I immediately fell in love with Asia, and Thailand in particular, where I now spend the majority of the year living.
Yes, that's me in Bangkok in the pic above by the way. This was the craziest condo I ever rented there with an Olympic sized infinity pool and 2 jacuzzis on the 50th floor!
South East Asia in general has a year round warm tropical climate, amazing beaches, friendly people, great food (especially Thailand and Vietnam).
So it's almost a what's NOT to like kinda thing. And that is why there are so many other online poker pros and digital nomads also living here.
I have also spent considerable time in a few other countries in the region, such as the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam, which are all awesome as well.
In short, traveling is absolutely amazing and life changing and I highly recommend it to anyone. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner!
And this is truly one of the best parts about being an online poker pro. You can literally make a living from anywhere on earth.
You can also choose to live in a country where your cost of living is considerably lower. For instance my expenses in Thailand are about 1/3 of what they are in my home country of Canada.
This is an absolutely massive help if you are a small stakes poker player like me.
If you want to get an inside look into my life as an online poker pro and all of my travels, make sure to follow me on Instagram.
It was back in about 2011 when this website that you are on right now really started to take off.
I write articles every week that give you an inside perspective on what it really takes to succeed in the small and mid stakes games and even turn it into a full time career like I have.
That is why blackrain79.com now gets huge amounts of traffic every day and it is one of the most popular poker strategy websites in the world.
I would recommend checking out my "Start Here" page for a complete list of all my top poker strategy articles and resources.
I have also coached over 100 students to success at the lower limits, I am a lead instructor at a major poker training site and I write for some of the biggest poker publications in the world, including pokernews.com, where I have a monthly column.
Lastly, I have written 3 strategy books on the game now including Crushing the Microstakes which some people have called "the bible" of small stakes poker.
I am glad that you found my website and I hope that my story above was inspiring to you in some way.
Look, no matter how cliche it might sound, I am living proof that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to in life.
To get started I recommend that you pick up a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.
Ready to take it to the next level?
But here's the gist:
I now have another brand new course called Play Fearless Poker. This is my advanced bluffing course for serious poker players.
Play Fearless Poker is all about teaching you how to win. more pots without the best hand.
Anybody can play good poker when they pickup A♥️A♦️ or flop a straight. Play Fearless Poker teaches you instead how to win when you have nothing.
You also get access to my exclusive private community with thousands of serious players.
Get your questions answered quickly, get direct feedback on your hands and stay accountable. Many students say this has been a game-changer for them.
My Elite Poker University teaches you the core Tight and Aggressive (TAG) strategy foundation you need to dominate today's poker games.
Play Fearless Poker takes it to the next level with more advanced training aimed at beating strong players in higher stakes games.
Therefore, this course is the perfect addition if you have already gone through my Elite Poker University and you have mastered the basics.
If you're serious about taking your poker game to the next level, enroll now.
Enroll in Play Fearless Poker
Get $100 off use code: 100OFF
Me recently in Koh Samui, Thailand
How It All Began
I started this blog originally back in 2007 as a personal journal of my success and struggles in the small and mid stakes cash games.
This was a place to track my progress and rant about my downswings in complete obscurity.
I did not reveal my online poker screen name - BlackRain79 - for many, many years because I didn't want any readers. I wrote this blog for myself and myself alone.
But then a few years later a certain infamous (and now defunct) website started tracking and publishing the results of all online poker players without their consent.
I was really mad at first.
Who on earth were they to publish my poker results publicly for everyone to see? The bottom line though was that I could no longer remain anonymous.
When people started to see that I was making tens of thousands of dollars just at the micros alone...
I quickly started to gain legions of fans (and a few haters too) almost overnight.
My website suddenly started getting hundreds of visitors a day and so I decided to start blogging about how I was achieving these results.
I also started making videos about how I was achieving these results as well.
For example, here are my 9 PREFLOP Poker Tips For Beginners
Never miss my poker videos, join 100,000+ who are already subscribed.
My Free Poker Cheat Sheet Teaches You How to Make $2000+ 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 poker strategies I have used as a 10+ year poker pro to consistently make $2000+ 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.
Chasing a Dream
It was about 10 years ago that I also decided to sell everything that I own and hop on a one way 17 hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
I'm not going to lie, I was absolutely scared out of my mind.
I had never traveled anywhere before except to America, which is basically the same thing as Canada in many ways.
But I knew that I was completely all-in with this poker thing at that point. And since I could do it from anywhere in the world, there was simply no reason not to go.
I immediately fell in love with Asia, and Thailand in particular, where I now spend the majority of the year living.
Yes, that's me in Bangkok in the pic above by the way. This was the craziest condo I ever rented there with an Olympic sized infinity pool and 2 jacuzzis on the 50th floor!
South East Asia in general has a year round warm tropical climate, amazing beaches, friendly people, great food (especially Thailand and Vietnam).
So it's almost a what's NOT to like kinda thing. And that is why there are so many other online poker pros and digital nomads also living here.
I have also spent considerable time in a few other countries in the region, such as the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam, which are all awesome as well.
One of the most beautiful beaches on earth, Boracay, the Philippines (I love this place!)
Gangnam District, Seoul, Korea (Gangnam Style!)
My office from the Old Quarter in Hanoi, Vietnam
In short, traveling is absolutely amazing and life changing and I highly recommend it to anyone. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner!
And this is truly one of the best parts about being an online poker pro. You can literally make a living from anywhere on earth.
You can also choose to live in a country where your cost of living is considerably lower. For instance my expenses in Thailand are about 1/3 of what they are in my home country of Canada.
This is an absolutely massive help if you are a small stakes poker player like me.
If you want to get an inside look into my life as an online poker pro and all of my travels, make sure to follow me on Instagram.
Expanding Vision
It was back in about 2011 when this website that you are on right now really started to take off.
I write articles every week that give you an inside perspective on what it really takes to succeed in the small and mid stakes games and even turn it into a full time career like I have.
That is why blackrain79.com now gets huge amounts of traffic every day and it is one of the most popular poker strategy websites in the world.
I would recommend checking out my "Start Here" page for a complete list of all my top poker strategy articles and resources.
I have also coached over 100 students to success at the lower limits, I am a lead instructor at a major poker training site and I write for some of the biggest poker publications in the world, including pokernews.com, where I have a monthly column.
Lastly, I have written 3 strategy books on the game now including Crushing the Microstakes which some people have called "the bible" of small stakes poker.
I am glad that you found my website and I hope that my story above was inspiring to you in some way.
Look, no matter how cliche it might sound, I am living proof that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to in life.
And it doesn't matter how unrealistic it might seem or what they say.
Also, please understand that it doesn't take some sort of super genius intellect or raw talent to excel in poker.
Also, please understand that it doesn't take some sort of super genius intellect or raw talent to excel in poker.
I started from the very bottom, 1c/2c. $50 and a dream.
To get started I recommend that you pick up a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.
Ready to take it to the next level?
BlackRain79 Elite Poker University
BlackRain79 Elite Poker University is my flagship training course.
This includes 17 hours of advanced poker lessons along with hundreds of step by step example hands and "cheat sheets."
I actually just made a new video to give you a complete walkthrough of everything that is included in my new BlackRain79 Elite Poker University.
You are going to learn the proven strategies to beat good players in today's poker games.
For example:
Do you struggle with a hand like A♥K♣ when the flop comes 8♣7♥4♦, and an Aggressive player raises you?
In my Elite Poker University training I show you the proven formulas for making the most profitable play here.
What about those "wild and unpredictable" fishy players?...
For example:
When you have K♦K♥ and the flop comes A♠5♦3♠ and the loose fishy player makes a big bet.
I have dozens of step by step video lessons showing you exactly what to do in difficult spots like this.
But here's the gist:
There are over 50 video lessons and hundreds of example hands in my new BlackRain79 Elite Poker University which cover cash games, tournaments, Zoom, live poker, online poker, 6max and full ring.
I explain everything from the most basic strategies for beginners at small stakes all the way up to advanced multi-street floating strategies for advanced pros at high stakes.
I also included two massive bonus sections covering Zoom poker strategy and Tournament poker strategy in particular.
Learn how to start dominating the Bubble and the Final Table no matter as a short stack (10bb), mid stack (30bb) or a big stack (50bb+).
And learn my wildly profitable 3-bet and 4-bet bluffing strategies to beat tight/passive and tight/aggressive players in Zoom poker.
And learn my wildly profitable 3-bet and 4-bet bluffing strategies to beat tight/passive and tight/aggressive players in Zoom poker.
You will also learn the specific strategies I use to read wild and unpredictable "fishy" players and put them on a hand right away.
BlackRain79 Elite Poker university is all about getting you winning right now, and finally getting world class results at the poker table.
Watch one or two videos per day and take the strategies to the poker table right away.
My Elite Poker University training is the most practical advanced system for winning at poker these days because it provides you with the simple strategies you need to know to win now, not later.
You also get access to my exclusive private community with thousands of serious players.
Get your questions answered quickly, get direct feedback on your hands and stay accountable. Many students say this has been a game-changer for them.
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.
I have a flash sale going on right now for new students.
Get $100 OFF Use Code: ELITE100
Play Fearless Poker (Brand New)
Play Fearless Poker is all about teaching you how to win. more pots without the best hand.
Anybody can play good poker when they pickup A♥️A♦️ or flop a straight. Play Fearless Poker teaches you instead how to win when you have nothing.
- 12+ hours of advanced poker lessons
- Over 100 step by step bluffing examples
- Cheat sheets below every single video
- Bonus sections on live and online tells
You also get access to my exclusive private community with thousands of serious players.
Get your questions answered quickly, get direct feedback on your hands and stay accountable. Many students say this has been a game-changer for them.
My Elite Poker University teaches you the core Tight and Aggressive (TAG) strategy foundation you need to dominate today's poker games.
Play Fearless Poker takes it to the next level with more advanced training aimed at beating strong players in higher stakes games.
Therefore, this course is the perfect addition if you have already gone through my Elite Poker University and you have mastered the basics.
If you're serious about taking your poker game to the next level, enroll now.
Enroll in Play Fearless Poker
Get $100 off use code: 100OFF
