NL Advanced Learning Path I: Junior
This Learning Path is aimed at players who have taken in the beginners' content and want to understand more complex thought processes. It provides you with an overview of the important basic principles and everything you need to know to be well equipped for your future progress.
Lesson 1: Basics - Bets and Their Purpose
Bets are incredibly important in poker. The articles below deal with the most important aspect of betting: why should you bother putting your chips into the middle at all? How much should you bet? Then you can put your knowledge to the test with the quizzes:
• Bet Types - Why Do You Bet?
• Bet Sizes – How Much Do You Bet?
Lesson 2: Game Basics from Preflop to the River
What is good preflop play? What options do you have on the flop? What are the possible plays on the river?
These are questions which can't be summarised in one article. However, the first step is often the most important, that's why you'll learn the fundamental basics and theories for each street in this lesson:
• Before the Flop - Basics
• On the Flop - The Basics
• On the Turn - Theory
• On the River - Theory
Lesson 3: Introduction to Playing with Draws
and Semi-Bluffs
Draws and semi-bluffs are closely related. A semi-bluff is in fact a bluff where you've still got outs up your sleeve, meaning you can turn your hand into a good made hand on one of the upcoming streets. It's worth taking a look at this subject area:
• The Semi-Bluff
• How Do You Play Draws?
• Quiz: Drawing Hands
Lesson 4: Introduction to Playing with Blinds
Poker is about the blinds. If there wasn't a small and big blind, players would hardly get into the game without very strong hands - why would you?
However, as two players post blinds in each round, there's a lot of interest in 'stealing' them:
• Blind Defence - How to Defend Your Blinds
• Quiz: Button Steals
• Quiz: Loose Open Raises from Early Position
Lesson 5: Introduction to Basic Concepts
It's just like in real life. It's not necessarily what you do that matters, but rather why you do it. That's why you should learn some of the basic ideas behind No Limit Hold'em. Understanding them, recognising the advantages and drawbacks and using this knowledge on future spots at the tables: not a bad goal at all!
• Way Ahead - Way Behind
• Protection
• Pot Control
• Slowplay
Do you want to conceal your strong hand or should you protect it? Are you going for a big pot, or is your hand more suitable for a marginal pot? These questions should really be tackled collectively.
Don't forget one basic principle: "In poker, the aim is to either get weaker hands to pay you off or make better hands fold." The sentence shouldn't stand for itself:
Lesson 6: A Few Tips
We're nearly done. Still, it's worth giving you a couple of more tips. You should realise that things don't just happen by themselves. Here, you can review all the things that can happen when you get started and the fact that you'll need patience. If you approach things with the right attitude and work diligently at your skill, things will go your way.
• Putting Theory into Practice
• 30 Beginners Tips (1)
• 30 Beginners Tips (2)
Lesson 7: The Graduation Quiz
You've made your way through the Learning Path, but have you really taken things on board? Test your knowledge now in the quiz and assess the different spots.
Which way now?
The next path is the Advanced Learning Path II: Intermediate. In this path, you can look more closely at a lot of topics and gain more insight. At the same time, you need to work actively at your game. You can use our hand evaluation and strategy forums to help you out.
You can actively work on your game there and comment on the the spots you've experienced and any difficult decisions that arose from them. You can also discuss with other users as well as PokerStrategy.com staff.