Dealer spreads cards on a poker table with red and black chips stacked in front.

Over the years, the game of poker has changed quite a bit. While you used to be able to pick up a copy of Doyle Brunson’s Super System and hit the tables with an advantage, the modern poker landscape is quite different. Now, many players have decades of experience under their belts, access to modern coaching and educational resources, and a keen understanding of how game theory optimal (GTO) poker solvers would handle each situation.

To help our readers catch up, we checked on some of the best poker player advice, tips, expert strategies, and more that we could find. Use this article as a jumping-off point for the next evolution in your game. Also, be sure to check out our recent breakdown of the best poker styles to see how each type of player approaches the game.

How has the game of poker changed in recent years?

Poker strategy changes have been quite obvious to any long-term players. The old “slow” way of approaching poker is no longer in line with best practice. With high-level poker education now available in online platforms, players have to be closer to the cutting edge of poker strategy.

  1. Difference 1 – the game is faster. Poker used to creep along with lots of little traps and limited pots. In fact, many players started out with limit because the betting was more controlled. The growth of no limit really sped things up. But now, with people looking to gain the edge of aggression, there’s far less checking and calling. Poker players want to lead the action or get out of the way. This can mean that there’s more 3bet bluffing as players try to take back control of hands that seem to be slipping through their fingers.
  • Difference 2 – it’s all about ranges. There seems to be an influx of players who find that the best poker player advice, tips, expert strategies, and more all revolve around ranges. If a player’s “range” beats an opponent, that player may feel entitled to win the hand. It can really get bizarre.
  • Difference 3 – players vary their game. Long ago, famed pro Dan Harrington said that he would check his watch to see if it was time to vary up his action. Let’s say you want an 80/20 distribution of folds to raises in a particular spot. Dan would look down and see if the second hand of his watch was in the final fifth of its rotation. If so, he would take the 20% action. Players today have taken this strategy to heart. Many will take an action that makes them quite uncomfortable (e.g. 4-betting pre with queens, or something else eyebrow-raising) and will perform it a certain percentage of the time. Boring, consistent play seems to be a thing of the past.
Poker strategy app on a phone with Daniel Negreanu featured on a MasterClass screen.

What are pros saying about new poker strategies?

The best poker player advice, tips, expert strategies, and other helpful content comes directly from the professionals themselves.

Daniel Negreanu says that playing GTO poker is “impossible” and nobody does it. But, in order to play at a modern table, you need to know how solver fans think. The solver may tell them to take an action, but the action will be correct “for the solver,” according to Negreanu. This is because the solver is also going to play the turn and river perfectly. But you’re not. And this means that you have to be careful not to let the solver get you into too much trouble. He says that it may be worthwhile to give up little bits of EV here and there to avoid making big mistakes.

Brian Rast said, “Patience is one of the dominant themes in how I approached the Main this year and in the last few years.” This quotation from Brain Rast signals that taking your time and picking your spots is not at all a dead concept. In fact, it may go hand in hand with more aggressive poker. You only want to play that way when the moment is right, after all.

Phil Hellmuth has reported that, “The most money you make from a bracelet is from people who think the champ sucks and want to tell their friends they beat you. That bracelet is going to make you money for the rest of your life.” Keep this in mind when you’re deep in a tournament. Having the big stack can paint a target on your back. When you’re big, people want to take shots at you. Use it to your advantage at tables by forcing opponents to be over aggressive. And if the opposite is true – if your stack is intimidating everyone – use that to your advantage. Bully people out of hands.

Liv Boeree explains the emotions of poker by saying, “It’s about risk, it’s about being cutthroat, it’s kind of psychopathic if you think about it.” Maybe the calculators and solvers don’t know everything. Maybe you need to tap into your inner predator and do what it takes to make the kill?”

Phil Galfond shared this thought: “As solvers were coming out, I was pretty scared about my place in poker… I assumed that the future of high-stakes poker would be the ‘best studiers’, and the ‘figure-outers’ would be left behind.” Doubtless, many of you have had this fear as well. But it’s not the be all and end all when it comes to winning in poker. Solvers are a part of the game, but there’s still a lot more to it. Don’t try to be the solver at the table. Incorporate some of the knowledge into your strategy, but don’t get lost in the sauce. Phil hasn’t (if this quotation is evidence), and it has gone quite well for him.

Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Phil Galfond with cards flying in a poker-themed background.

Where can I go to learn more modern poker theory?

There are so many players you can go online to level up your game. There are masterclasses, coaching, educational resources, and countless platforms.

Here are the best places to go online to learn modern poker theory, integrating the best poker player advice, tips, expert strategies, and more:

Online training at Run It Once is top-notch. There are courses, video tutorials, and quizzes, as well as advice from professional players. There, you can learn strategies and insights that will immediately improve your game from one day to the next.

Masterclasses are an outstanding resource. On this platform, you can go into the minds of Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and other top players. You’ll gain advanced poker techniques, bolster your strategic thinking, and definitely learn a ton of the psychology behind poker.

Want personal coaching? Head to PokerCoaching and Upswing Poker. There, you get one on one feedback, help with specific hands, and a set of customized strategies. A coach can help you identify and correct mistakes, which will be far more effective than reading generalized advice.

Discussions abound at TwoPlusTwo forums. There is such a treasure trove there. You can read articles, participate in chats, and review expert contributions. Topics go from basic fundamentals to advanced strategies.

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