The promotion was simple – the 25 Tournaments of Christmas. PokerStars launched the promotion in 2022 and the idea inspired New Jersey’s Jeremy Sissman. He hoped to ramp things up even more and launched his own “25 Wins of Christmas” challenge.
As the name implies the 38-year-old married father of two boys hoped not only to play at least 25 tournaments, but win 25. Sissman met that goal in 2022, but came up just short in 2023. He’s now bringing the challenge back and is hitting the tables at Pokerstars, BetMGM, and Global Poker.
“Sadly, the tournament field sizes are even bigger this year, making it even harder, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” he says. “Basically, I just have to get first place in 25 tournaments before Dec. 26 and the field sizes need to be at least 25 players. Although, the smallest fields I’m playing in are typically 50 people.”
What is the 25 Wins of Christmas Challenge?
As any player knows, winning a tournament isn’t easy. It takes plenty of skill, but variance also plays a role and booking victories can depend on running well throughout an event. Finding so many wins in just 25 days isn’t easy.
So far, things have been going well and Sissman has been documenting his wins on Twitter. By Dec. 12, he was on pace to reach his goal and had notched 13 wins including a score of more than $2,900 on PokerStars. He’s hoping to keep up the winning and take some time off around the holidays.
“I really didn’t want to play any poker on Christmas Eve or Christmas, so I need to be a little ahead,” he says. “I think I can do it.”
All his play is on New Jersey regulated platforms, which also pool players with Michigan, as well as the Global Poker social gaming site. He plays No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), and PLO Hi/Lo at buy-ins generally under $500. Sissman also plans on playing online World Series of Poker Circuit events.
The challenge has mostly been received well by fellow players over the last three years, but Sissman has been surprised by the detractors. The 25 Wins of Christmas keeps him motivated.
“The reaction has been like 90 percent positive, but some people freaking hate me for it,” he says. “I can’t even explain it. I guess it’s just because it’s the Internet – people be mad. Honestly, the people supporting me and liking my posts on X, really helps keep me motivated. There’s a few guys who like every win I post and it doesn’t go unrecognized.
“I love posting a win late at night and waking up the next morning, getting my coffee and seeing a bunch of likes. It’s a fun way to start the day.”
It's stormy outside and on the tables tonight in NJ. Win #12 for the challenge and it's a banger. Wednesday Storm win on @PokerStarsUSApic.twitter.com/PxlZ0nqruF
Like many players, Sissman learned to play poker at an early age. He was betting and bluffing by age 9. He has always loved the game, but probably never thought he’d be playing for a living later in life.
“I kind of just fell into it in a way,” he says. “I graduated college in 2008 and of course the economy was a disaster at the time. People with 20 years experience were taking entry level jobs because no one could find work. After months of having no luck getting a job, I needed a way to make money. So I decided to take my slightly profitable hobby of online poker and try to turn full time.”
By October of that year, Sissman was grinding 40 hours a week and never looked back. Sixteen years later, he’s still at it. At times that has included streaming, and the online pro credits his time on Twitch with helping to connect with a large group of poker friends and making him a more confident speaker.
When not hitting the virtual tables, Sissman enjoys spending time with family, including playing hockey with his older son. He also loves playing guitar and writing songs. On Saturday nights, he usually takes time off to watch a movie with my wife. However, the “25 Wins” may require more weekend poker.
“I’ll be working most Saturday nights during this challenge,” he says. “I need every day I can get to have a shot at completing it.”
Looking Ahead
As the new year approaches, Sissman has even more in the works. He’s focused on starting a YouTube channel to showcase his play and help others with their own poker skills.
“It’s been a dream of mine to start a free poker coaching channel and I’ve already been working on it,” he says. “I’ll be pumping out a lot of free coaching videos. Beginner and intermediate players will learn a ton. Also, I think a lot of experienced players will learn a thing or two.”
The 25 Wins of Christmas will also be a key part of the new channel.
“A little secret that I haven’t told anyone yet, but I’ve been recording all of my wins,” he says. “So the plan is to turn them into coaching videos and release them on my channel. Hopefully, I get all 25 wins up by the end of January.”
Basics of Seven Card Stud: Learn the core rules, gameplay, and structure of Seven Card Stud, one of the most classic forms of poker.
Strategic Approach: Understand key strategies in Seven Card Stud, from careful observation of open cards to appropriately managing the betting rounds.
Memorizing Cards: Grasp the significance of remembering folded cards to evaluate your hand strength and predict the opponent’s moves.
Importance of Position: Appreciate the strategic importance of your position at the table and how it influences your betting decisions and outcomes.
Spotting Bluffs: Master the skill of detecting and executing bluffs, an integral part of the complex gameplay in Seven Card Stud.
While Texas Hold’em has become the most popular poker variant, that wasn’t always the case. Seven card stud was a popular version of the game for decades and was popular in the Old West with players like Wild Bill Hickok (he of Dead Man’s Hand fame), Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday, and other frontier gamblers no doubt playing plenty of stud poker (although probably of the five card variety).
The game can feature plenty of twists and turns with so many cards available to players and also the ability to see a certain number of opponents’ cards.
The game remains popular in live and online casinos, and can regularly be found in mixed game formats as well as in major festivals like the Word Series of Poker each summer in Las Vegas.
Keep reading to learn more about how to play this traditional poker game and some of the strategies involved in the game.
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
How to Play Seven Card Stud
Seven card stud derived from an earlier game that became popular during the Civil War, five card stud. As noted in the name, players could be dealt up to five cards and ante before the action starts.
The action starts with one card dealt face down and another face up. That is followed by a round of betting and a third card dealt face up with another round of betting. That’s followed by a fourth and fifth cards dealt and additional rounds of betting.
The original game had four cards face up, but that has been altered in other formats of the game. But this version of stud poker eventually brought about the seven card stud version as players sought more betting, more action, more strategic decisions, and higher hands. Stud poker is generally played using fixed-limit style betting.
The action now sees all players ante before the hand begins and then dealt two cards face down and one card face up. That is followed by fourth, fifth, and sixth cards dealt face up with a round of betting between each card dealt.
A seventh card is then dealt face down followed by the final round of betting.
Seven Card Stud Poker: Example Hand
Here’s a quick look at how a hand might play out in a casino poker room setting.
Players ante.
Each player is dealt two cards face down and one card face up.
The player with the lowest hand must make a force bet called a “bring-in,” a small bet that is often half of the minimum bet.
Other players can complete to a full bet and raise or fold as in a traditional poker game.
A fourth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
A fifth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
A sixth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
A seventh card is dealt face down and there is one final round of betting.
Any players remaining reveal their cards to see who wins the pot. Players make their highest hand using the best five of their seven cards.
There may be some slight variations as to how the game is played, particularly in home game settings. Some players don’t use the bring-in format and simply have the highest hand so far betting first in each round.
Other formats may even use blinds as seen in Texas Hold’em. There are also other popular variants (more on those below).
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Seven Card Stud Strategy
When it comes to strategy, a sharp memory of cards already played goes a long way. It’s important to recognize the cards on the table, know what cards have already been folded, and how all these affect your chances of drawing solid hands.
David Bach is a poker coach and three-time WSOP bracelet winner. Two of those came in HORSE, a nixed-game format that features the game, and one came in dealer’s choice, which also sees seven card stud as part of the mix.
He notes that paying attention to the table is critical. Unlike Hold’em, players can have more cards to remember and analyze.
“The upcards are super important,” Bach says. “Every hand is different because of the up-cards, and I think that’s what makes it a beautiful game. If your cards are dead, your hand’s not nearly as good. If your cards are live, it’s much better. If you can pay attention to what your opponents are likely to have, that’s important also.
“In hold’em you remember things that your opponent did in previous hands. But in stud you have to remember and adjust to the boards also, which is an extra factor.”
Players must be able to adapt and be aggressive, according to Bach, and the game can feature gambling than hold’em may be accustomed to.
“It’s also a really, really good game for the recreational player who likes to gamble because in stud you’re really not that far behind,” he says. “If someone has aces and you have kings, you’re not 20 percent like you are in Hold’em, you’re like 35 or 40 percent.
So the average recreational player’s going to win more often and enjoy the game. It’s a better game for an amateur than no limit Hold’em, and that’s why it was more popular before television. It’s just not that great on television.”
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Top Seven Card Stud Starting Hands
When it comes to starting hands, here are the main types that players can look for:
Three of a Kind – This is known as being “rolled up” and it’s rare to be dealt a hand like this. Players have shot at a big pot with this hand and getting quads or a full house is possible. Those players in early position may not want to raise if they believe other players may fold. This is an extremely strong hand and has a chance to win a big pot.
Big Pairs – Find pocket aces or split aces (one up and one down) is a great place to start and being aggressive may be the best option unless you suspect an opponent also has a larger pair. But aces, kings, queens, and other high pairs can be a great way to get the action going.
Smaller Pairs – Players may have to use more intuition and reads on opponents when deciding how to play these hands. Look at other players’ hands to see if more of your cards are still possibly available to hit three of a kind or that may possibly beat other pairs. Playing a small pair when another of those cards is already revealed or it appears another player has more solid holdings may not be the best plan.
Drawing Hands– Three cards to a flush or straight offer some real possibilities and can be worth playing, especially if none of that suit or cards needed to make the straight are visible on the table. These hands have major potential if the right cards come your way.
Popular Seven Card Stud Variants
As seven stud became more popular, players began looking for alternatives to keep the game interesting and create some more strategy considerations.
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo
Seven card stud hi-lo sees the pot split between players with the highest and lowest hands. You can also win the entire pot – known as “scooping” – when you have both the high and low hands. How is this accomplished?
Players can use any five cards for their best high hand.
They can also use any five cards to make their best low hand.
In this case, the lowest hand possible is A-2-3-4-5 (straights and flushes don’t matter when it comes to the low hand). It’s also important to note that the hi-lo version is usually played in an “8 or better format,” meaning that the highest card in your low hand can only be an 8, otherwise it doesn’t qualify.
For example, A-2-3-5-8 would qualify as a low hand while A-3-4-6-9 would not. This format is seen in Omaha hi-lo as well.
Hi-lo strategy often means looking for hands that have a chance to scoop the entire pot. Low starting hands can be extremely powerful at times.
If you make the low hand and still have players in the action that appear to be going high, you will be “freerolling” for half the pot, meaning you’ve locked up that share and can build the pot with early bets and raises.
Opponents with weak hands may even fold, handing you the entire pot. If they don’t you still may hit a high hand and have the best high and low hands at showdown. Those who have a high hand really have to pay attention to opponents and avoid a minefield if an opponent looks likely to take the entire pot.
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Razz
This is another version of seven card stud that has players hoping to make the lowest hand possible. In razz, the nuts (the best hand possible) is A-2-3-4-5 and straights and flushes are irrelevant.
So in this game, a hand like A-2-4-6-7 would beat a hand like A-2-4-8-9. If both players have the same highest card, such A-2-3-4-6 and A-2-3-5-6, the next highest card is taken into account. In this case, 4-6 is lower so the A-2-3-4-6 would win the hand.
Pairs don’t help your hand in Razz and you’re simply hoping to make the lowest hand possible. That’s what can frustrate some players, but the game has become more popular and can be found in many mixed games.
The World Series of Poker also features a couple razz events each summer, including the $10,000 championship. 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth captured a $2,500 Razz title in 2012 for $182,793.
When it comes to strategy, A-2-3 is the best starting hand and players should hope to avoid making pairs. Paying attention to other players’ upcards also helps in gauging the strength of your own hand. Players should avoid calling too much when their hand is weak and seeing face cards added to your holdings can really cripple a hand.
Common Mistakes in Seven Card Stud
There’s a lot to pay attention to when paying seven card stud. That not only includes your own cards but getting an idea of what others might have as well as remembering what cards may have already been folded. Here’s a quick look at some common mistakes players make.
Playing too many hands – This can apply to most forms of poker, but a drawing game with so many cards like seven stud often gives players the impression that they will eventually catch a winning hand. This is a misnomer and is a recipe for lots of second and third-place hands. Instead look for quality starting hands to play and see better results.
Not being aware of other players’ cards – Seven stud allows players to see several of their opponents’ cards and paying attention can help your own play. Look at opponents’ upcards and deduce what possible hands they might be holding or drawing to. Also look for what cards you need are in other players’ hands. This might help determine if it’s worth calling or folding.
Not knowing what cards have already been played – Make note of cards and suits as they are dealt so that you can gauge the strength of your own hand. This can help determine the chances of drawing a winning hand.
Seven card stud is a classic game that has its roots in the U.S. Civil War and Old West. There can be plenty of action and strategy in determining how your own cards stack up against opponents.
Whether in a cash game or in a poker tournament, seven stud can be a lot of fun and a great poker option to add to that next home game with friends.
Hopefully a few of those hands are rolled up!
Title Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Importance of Hand Odds: Learn why understanding hand odds is an essential part of a successful poker strategy, giving you insight into probability and decision-making.
Computing Hand Odds: Understand how to calculate hand odds based on the number of outs and the number of unseen cards.
Applying Hand Odds: Utilize your grasp of hand odds to decide whether to fold, call or raise in particular situations.
Hand Odds in Different Poker Games: Explore how hand odds can differ across various poker games and variations (e.g., Hold’Em, Omaha).
Practice and Patience: While calculating hand odds is mathematical, be patient with yourself as mastery comes from continuous practice and real game experiences.
Understanding Poker Hand Odds
Every poker player should have a strong understanding of poker hand odds. Knowing the probability of getting dealt certain hands or making hands like flushes and straights gives you an edge over players who don’t understand this basic poker math.
Our comprehensive guide to poker odds will teach you what your odds are in different situations and how they are calculated. Keep on reading and become an expert on poker hand odds in just a few minutes.
What Are Poker Hand Odds?
Poker hand odds, or simply poker odds, are a mathematical representation of making a certain hand. For example, imagine you hold a hand with two spades, and there are two more spades on the flop. You are looking to make a flush, but how likely is that to happen?
Poker odds can give you a very precise answer, and it’s simpler than you might expect.
Since there are exactly 52 cards in the deck, and an exact number of cards gets dealt, knowing the probability of a certain card coming is as simple as doing basic counting and division. But before you learn how to calculate your odds, let’s take a look at some basic poker probabilities.
Basic Poker Probabilities
Before we get into the nitty gritty of calculating poker hand odds, we can take a look at how probability works in some common spots in poker. Here is a look at the basic probabilities of various events that can happen at a poker table that might be of note:
Odds of getting dealt AA (or any other pocket pair): 220:1 – 0.45%
Odds of getting dealt a pocket pair: 16:1 – 6.25%
Odds of getting dealt AK: 81.9:1 – 1.22%
Odds of getting dealt suited connectors: 24.5:1 – 4.08%
Odds of flopping a flush: 118:1 – 0.85%
Odds of flopping a pair: 2.45:1 – 40.8%
Odds of a rainbow flop: 1.51:1 – 66.23%
Odds of two pair on the board: 95.4:1 – 1.05%
As you can see, there is a number that can be put to any situation you see at the poker tables. How you calculate such numbers and what they depend on is something we will learn in this guide.
The Importance of Learning Poker Odds
Whatever you may have learned about poker up to this point, we are here to teach you that you can’t win at poker without math. A strong understanding of the basic mathematical principles of poker is the only way to become a truly great player.
Poker odds are at the very center of poker math. Whether you are trying to figure out if your hand is good or how likely you are to improve, calculating your odds is essential. This is why mastering the concepts introduced in this guide is a key first step to poker greatness.
Skill vs. Luck in Poker
One of the biggest reasons that poker is a game that can be beaten is the fact so many poker players think it’s all about luck. Such players play their cards with the hopes of getting “lucky” and making the best hand. In the long run, such a strategy is destined to hit a brick wall.
Serious poker players, on the other hand, understand poker is all about skill. The skill in poker manifests in many ways. One of the key ways that knowledgeable players win consistently is through the application of poker math. If you can understand basic odds better than your opponents, you will already have a significant edge against them.
Strategic Advantages of Knowing the Odds
So, how exactly can knowing the odds of different poker hands help you? Well, there are quite a few ways.
For example, imagine you are facing a bet on the turn with a straight draw. If you know the odds of making that straight, you will be able to calculate whether you can make the call profitably. If you don’t know the odds, all you can do is guess and hope.
Similarly, imagine facing a big river bet from your opponent with a medium-strength hand. If you have a good grasp of poker mathematics, you will be able to estimate the likelihood your opponent is bluffing. If you don’t, all you can do is close your eyes, stick the chips in, and hope you are good.
Calculating Poker Hand Odds
Now that we have discussed why poker hand odds are important, it’s time to learn how to calculate them. There are two solid ways to calculate your odds. One of them involves using poker odds calculators, and the other one allows you to calculate your odds on the spot without any tools.
If you want to get the exact numbers, using an odds calculator will be almost inevitable for a while. On the other hand, the manual method can easily help you figure out your odds without any external tools.
How to Calculate Odds in Poker
Whenever you have a hand you don’t believe is best at a certain point in a hand, you will want to calculate the odds of improving to a better poker hand.
For example, if you are holding 9s8s on a board of As7d4s and face a bet, you know your hand is probably not good. But if you make your flush, your hand will win the pot more often than not.
So, how do you know how often you will win? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. You know several things that will help you calculate the poker hand odds:
There are 52 cards in the deck
There are 12 spades in the deck
Five cards are accounted for
Four spades are accounted for
Based on these simple facts, you now know that there are 9 remaining spades in the deck, and there is a total of 47 cards that have not been accounted for. Since you have only seen the three cards on the flop and your two hole cards, any of the remaining 47 cards could be spades.
Therefore, your odds to improve on the turn are 9/47 = 0.19 or 19%. Since there are still two cards to come, you can double that number and get 38%, which is the approximate chance you have of improving to a flush.
An alternative way of coming up with this same solution is to put your hand into one of the free poker odds calculators out there. These calculators will also reveal your odds.
Using “Outs” to Determine Odds
In the example above, we explained that nine remaining spades improve your hand. These nine cards are called “outs.” The concept of poker outs can be used in any situation when you are drawing to a better hand.
Whether you have a flush draw, a straight draw, or simply two overcards to the board, you can count out your outs and use that to calculate your poker odds.
The formula above always holds, as dividing the number of outs by the number of remaining cards in the deck unmistakably produces your poker hand odds.
Common Poker Odds and FAQs
The calculation we described above is the only exact way to calculate your poker odds. However, doing this calculation every time you are faced with a decision can be tedious. The best way to approach playing poker is to know the most basic poker odds by heart.
Fortunately, you can easily memorize the odds of most common poker hands in just a few minutes.
What Are the Odds of Different Poker Hands?
Here is a look at the basic poker odds you will have to improve your hand in some common poker scenarios:
Poker Hand
Total Outs
Odds on Flop
Odds on Turn
Open-ended straight flush draw
15
54%
33%
Gutshot straight flush draw
12
45%
26%
Flush draw
9
36%
20%
Open-ended straight draw
8
32%
17%
Two overcards
6
24%
13%
Gutshot straight draw
4
16%
9%
One overcard
3
12%
6%
Rule of 4 and 2 in Poker Explained
We have now looked at a few ways to calculate your poker odds. Yet, there is another very fast way to calculate your odds very quickly. This method is called the rule of 4 and 2, and it involves the simplest multiplication possible.
Whenever you are trying to calculate your poker odds, count out your outs first. If you are on the flop, multiply the number of outs by four. If you are on the turn, multiply the number of outs by two. The number you come up with will come very close to your real odds.
For example, if you have nine outs and multiply by four and two, the numbers you come up with are 36 and 18. A glance at the table above shows that the actual numbers are 36% and 20%, which is very close to the result you get by using the rule of 4 and 2.
One thing to keep in mind is that as the number of outs goes up, the calculation will be less and less correct. At a higher number of outs, multiplying by 4 on the flop will give you slightly exaggerated odds, while multiplying by 2 on the turn will give you slightly lower odds than the real ones.
Still, if you do the simple calculation and rely on those numbers, you will be very close to the real mathematical solution in just a couple of seconds.
Practical Application of Poker Odds
You have learned how to calculate your poker odds, but how do you put that knowledge to use? There are quite a few situations when knowing the odds is the thing that can give you an edge and allow you to improve your strategy. Let’s take a look at a few.
Best Strategies for Different Poker Hands
The best strategy to use in any given poker situation depends on a number of factors. These include the poker hand odds, which can be leveraged in different ways.
For example, imagine you are playing a poker hand where you flop an open-ended straight flush draw. With 15 outs to improve, you face a bet from your opponent. While your hand is not strong at the moment, you know you have 54% equity, thanks to the calculations we learned earlier.
This knowledge allows you to play aggressively and put in a raise instead of just calling. By raising, you can force your opponent to fold strong hands, increasing your overall equity in the hand even more.
In contrast, imagine having a strong hand on a board with many draws. In a spot like this, you can calculate how much equity your opponent might have with his different hands. With this knowledge, you can increase the size of your bets to price them out or make them difficult to call.
By setting the right price, you can make your hand more profitable and increase your expected value.
Using Odds to Improve Gameplay
Poker odds play an essential role in the overall poker strategy of any strong player. By understanding the math behind the game, you will be able to adjust your gameplay and make plays that other players simply don’t understand.
Some examples of poker odds helping you improve gameplay include:
Knowing when to fold a draw
Knowing when to fold a made hand
Knowing when to make a big bet
Knowing when to bet small for value
Knowing when to go all-in as a bluff
All of these plays, and many others, can be made thanks to a proper understanding of poker odds. However, don’t expect to be a master of poker odds right away, and allow yourself time and practice to reach perfection.
Tools and Resources for Calculating Poker Odds
You have learned a few ways to calculate your poker probability without using any tools. However, when you are not playing, you can use tools to get your results even quicker and more accurately. The best tools for calculating probability in poker are poker odds calculators, whose only function is to tell you the odds of your poker hand.
The Best Poker Odds Calculators
If you are looking for a good poker odds calculator to use, here is a look at a few popular tools:
Can You Use a Poker Odds Calculator While Playing Online?
While you can technically use a poker odds calculator while playing online poker, you should not. Using such tools while playing can be considered “real-time assistance” (RTA) and is forbidden by the rules of all major poker sites these days.
If you are planning on playing online poker, we highly recommend learning how to calculate your poker odds without a calculator. Feel free to use calculators while studying the game, but not while playing online poker.
The Match the Dealer Blackjack Side Bet: What You Need to Know
Get to Know the Side Bet: Understand that the “Match the Dealer” side bet in Blackjack involves wagering on whether your cards will match the dealer’s cards, either in rank, suit or both.
Understand the Odds: Learn the odds related to different card combinations, and comprehend that these odds can affect the payout of the side bet.
Calculate House Edge: Recognize that the “Match the Dealer” bet has a higher house edge than regular Blackjack, and consider its impact on your overall strategy.
Consider the Variations: Get to know about the different variations of the bet across various Blackjack versions, both in terms of rules and payouts.
Use Wisely: Use this side bet wisely and sparingly, as while it adds an exciting dimension to the game, it also increases the overall risk.
What is the “Match the Dealer” Side Bet in Blackjack?
As the name suggests, this is a wager where you’re betting that one or both of your initial two cards will match the dealer’s up-card. It’s a simple concept, but one that can add an extra layer of excitement to your Blackjack game.
How to Make the “Match the Dealer” Bet
The “Match the Dealer” bet is made in addition to your main Blackjack bet. It’s important to note that this side bet is completely independent of your main bet. You can win the side bet and lose the main hand, or vice versa. This separation is crucial to understand when considering your overall Blackjack strategy.
How “Match the Dealer” Differs From Other Side Bets
What makes “Match the Dealer” unique among Blackjack side bets? Unlike many other side bets that focus on your hand alone (like “21+3” or “Perfect Pairs”), “Match the Dealer” involves both your cards and the dealer’s up-card. This creates a different dynamic and alters the probabilities involved.
Another key difference is the simplicity of “Match the Dealer”. Many side bets involve complex combinations or specific hand rankings. With “Match the Dealer,” you’re simply looking for matching cards. This straightforward approach can be appealing to both novice and experienced players.
How to Place the Match the DealerBet
How do you actually make a “Match the Dealer” bet? It’s quite simple. Before the cards are dealt, you’ll see a designated area on the table for this side bet, usually near your main betting circle. To place the bet, just put your chips in this area before the dealer begins the hand.
The amount you can bet on “Match the Dealer” may vary depending on the casino’s rules. Some casinos may allow you to bet as much on the side bet as your main wager, while others might have lower limits for side bets. Always check the table minimums and maximums before playing.
Image Credit: Netfalls Remy Musser/Shutterstock
Possible Outcomes and Their Implications
What are the possible outcomes when you make a “Match the Dealer” bet? There are several possibilities:
No Match:
Neither of your cards matches the dealer’s up-card. In this case, you lose your side bet.
One Non-Suited Match:
One of your cards matches the rank of the dealer’s up-card, but not the suit. For example, you have a 7 of hearts, and the dealer’s up-card is a 7 of clubs.
One Suited Match:
One of your cards matches both the rank and suit of the dealer’s up-card. For example, you have a Jack of spades, and the dealer’s up-card is also a Jack of spades.
Two Non-Suited Matches:
Both of your cards match the rank of the dealer’s up-card, but not the suit. This is rare but possible in multi-deck games.
One Suited and One Non-Suited Match:
One card matches the rank and suit, while the other matches only the rank.
Two Suited Matches:
Both of your cards match the rank and suit of the dealer’s up-card. This is the rarest outcome and offers the highest payout.
Payouts for “Match the Dealer”
What can you expect to win with a successful “Match the Dealer” bet? The blackjack payouts can vary depending on the casino and the number of decks in play. However, here’s a typical payout structure for a six-deck game:
One Non-Suited Match pays 4 to 1
One Suited Match pays 11 to 1
Two Non-Suited Matches pays 8 to 1
One Suited and One Non-Suited Match pays 15 to 1
Two Suited Matches pays 22 to 1
Remember, these payouts can change based on the number of decks and the specific casino rules. Always check the payout table before playing.
House Edge and How it Affects Your Chances
So what’s the catch with these attractive payouts? As with all casino games, the house maintains an edge. For a typical six-deck game of “Match the Dealer,” the house edge is about 2.99%. This means that, on average, for every $100 you bet, you can expect to lose about $2.99 in the long run.
How does this compare to the main game of Blackjack? Well, with perfect basic strategy, the house edge in standard Blackjack can be as low as 0.54%. This means that “Match the Dealer” has a significantly higher house edge than the main game.
It’s crucial to understand that while you might hit a big payout occasionally with “Match the Dealer,” over time, you’re more likely to lose money on this bet than on standard Blackjack played with basic strategy.
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Strategy Tips for “Match the Dealer” – When to Place the Bet
Should you always make the “Match the Dealer” bet? From a purely mathematical standpoint, the answer is no. The higher house edge means that, in the long run, this bet will cost you more money than standard Blackjack.
However, gambling isn’t always about pure mathematics. Some players enjoy the extra excitement that side bets bring to the game. If you decide to make “Match the Dealer” bets, here are a few tips:
Set a separate budget for side bets. Never use bankroll allocated for your main blackjack bets.
Consider making the side bet only occasionally, not on every hand.
If you’re on a winning streak with your main bets, you might use some of those winnings for side bets.
Remember, the “Match the Dealer” bet should be viewed as entertainment, not as a reliable way to make money.
Common Strategies Among Seasoned Players
How do experienced players approach the “Match the Dealer” bet? Many skilled players avoid side bets altogether, focusing instead on optimal play in the main game. However, some players do incorporate side bets into their overall strategy.
One approach is to use side bets as a way to increase variance. If a player is willing to accept higher risk for the chance of a big payout, they might make occasional “Match the Dealer” bets.
Another strategy is to observe the cards that have been played and make educated guesses about the likelihood of matches. For example, if you’ve seen many 10-value cards come out, you might be less likely to bet on a match with a 10.
However, it’s important to note that these strategies don’t overcome the house edge. They might make the game more interesting, but they won’t turn “Match the Dealer” into a profitable bet in the long run.
Comparing “Match the Dealer” to Other Popular Side Bets in Blackjack
What other side bets might you encounter at a Blackjack table? Here are a few common ones:
Perfect Pairs: A bet that your first two cards will be a pair.
21+3: A bet that your first two cards plus the dealer’s up-card will form a poker hand.
Lucky Ladies: A bet that your first two cards will total 20.
Royal Match: A bet that your first two cards will be the same suit.
Super Sevens: A bet based on how many sevens you receive.
Each of these bets has its own rules, payouts, and house edge.
Pros and Cons of Each Sample Side Bet
How does “Match the Dealer” stack up against these other side bets?
Perfect Pairs:
Pros: Can offer high payouts for suited pairs.
Cons: Higher house edge (typically around 6%).
21+3:
Pros: The 21+3 bet is familiar to poker players, offers variety of winning combinations.
Cons: Complex rules, high house edge (usually over 3%).
Lucky Ladies:
Pros: Simple concept, potential for very high payouts.
Cons: Very high house edge (often over 20%).
Royal Match:
Pros: Simple rules, moderate payouts.
Cons: House edge varies widely depending on rules and number of decks.
Super Sevens:
Pros: Potential for extremely high payouts.
Cons: Very low probability of winning big, high house edge.
Compared to these, “Match the Dealer” offers a good balance of simplicity, reasonable payouts, and a moderate house edge. It’s not the best bet in terms of odds (that would be the main Blackjack game), but it’s far from the worst among side bets.
What Happens if you Match the Dealer in Blackjack?
If you match the dealer in Blackjack and you’ve made the “Match the Dealer” side bet, you win! The exact payout depends on whether it’s a suited or non-suited match, and whether you matched with one or both of your cards.
If you match the dealer but haven’t made the side bet, nothing else happens. The main Blackjack game proceeds as normal. This is why it’s crucial to place the side bet before the cards are dealt if you want to benefit from any matches.
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Are Blackjack Side Bets Worth it?
Are Blackjack side bets worth the cost? From a purely mathematical perspective, the answer is generally No. Side bets almost always have a higher house edge than the main live dealer blackjack game when played with basic strategy.
However, the “worth” of a bet isn’t just about mathematics. Some players enjoy the extra excitement and the chance for a big payout that side bets offer. If you view gambling primarily as entertainment and you understand and accept the higher risk, then side bets might be “worth it” to you.
Blackjack Side Bets FAQ
Q: Can side bets improve my overall odds of winning at Blackjack?
A: No – side bets generally worsen your overall odds. They have a higher house edge than the main game.
Q: Is card counting effective for side bets?
A: While it’s theoretically possible to count cards for some side bets, it’s generally not practical or profitable. The main game remains the best target for card counting.
Q: Can I make only side bets without playing the main Blackjack hand?
A: Usually not. Side bets are typically only available in conjunction with a main Blackjack bet.
Q: Do all Blackjack tables offer side bets?
A: No, not all tables offer side bets. Some casinos may offer them on some tables but not others.
Q: Can I use basic strategy for side bets?
A: There’s no equivalent to basic strategy for most side bets. They’re generally pure chance, with no decisions to be made after the initial wager.
Georgia may be known for its southern hospitality, but legal sports betting hasn’t been welcomed to the state’s landscape—yet. Despite repeated attempts from lawmakers to bring legal sports betting to Georgia, both online and in-person betting options remain off the table.
While neighboring states have embraced online sportsbooks and retail betting, Georgia has been slower in making the leap.
Gambling is prohibited in the Peach State’s constitution, although lottery games are permitted and daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators accept entries in the state. GA bettors currently cannot bet on sports in person, online, or through mobile apps.
For now, sports betting enthusiasts in Georgia have to wait until at least the 2025 session of the Georgia General Assembly for any new legislation to pass.
The likelihood that legal sports betting will require a constitutional amendment is yet another hurdle Georgia sportsbooks will have to climb. However, with strong public interest and growing momentum in the state legislature, legal sports betting could be on the horizon.
In this guide, we’ll look at Georgia’s sports betting landscape, the roadblocks to legalization, and what to expect when sports betting finally becomes legal in the Peach State.
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History of Sports Betting in Georgia
Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling overturning PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), Georgia has seen multiple failed attempts to legalize sports betting. Legislative efforts began in 2020 with bills like HB 378 and SB 403, but none passed.
Despite various proposals in 2021, 2022, and 2023, including the Georgia Lottery Sports Wagering Act and SB 57, all efforts stalled. In 2024, SB 386 briefly passed the Senate but ultimately failed, delaying legalization until at least 2025. Keep reading to discover the history of attempts to legalize GA sports betting.
May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court overturns the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which banned sports betting in the US. This means individual US states like GA can pass new legislation legalizing and regulating sportsbooks.
February 7, 2020: Representative Ron Stephens (R-164th District) introduces HB 378 to the Georgia House of Representatives. The legislation proposes a referendum to approve sports betting in GA but fails to pass the legislature’s two-thirds majority voting requirement on constitutional amendments.
February 21, 2020: Senator Burt Jones (R-25th District) introduces SB 403 to the Georgia Senate, legalizing sports betting through the Georgia Lottery with a $900,000 annual license fee and a 10% tax rate on operators. The bill fails to make it past the committee stage.
June 20, 2020: HB 903, a traffic law, is amended by Rep. Stephens to include provisions legalizing sports betting. It fails to pass after the Senate’s second reading of the bill.
January 26, 2021: Rep. Stephens introduces HB 86, also known as the Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Act, giving the Georgia Lottery the power to regulate sports betting in the state. The legislation permits professional sports betting but bans collegiate sports betting. Despite passing through the committee, it dies in the House.
February 20, 2021: Senator Jeff Mullis (R-53rd District) introduces SB 142 and SR 135 to the Georgia Senate. SB 142 legalizes retail and online sports betting in Georgia, while SR 135 proposes adding sports betting to the November 2022 ballot. After passing the Senate in March, neither is voted on by the end of the legislative session.
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March 31, 2022: Sen. Mullis reintroduces SB 142 and SR 135 with one week remaining of the 2022 General Assembly session. Despite both bills passing the Senate, SB 142 dies on the House floor, while SR 135 is heavily amended, with all sports betting content removed.
June 14, 2021: FanDuel, one of the largest sports betting operators in the country, opens a new technology campus at Ponce City Market in Atlanta.
January 31, 2023: Eleven Georgia State Senators, including Senators Billy Hickman (R-4th District), Clint Dixon (R-45th District), Ed Harbison (D-15th District), and Sonya Halpern (D-39th District) introduce a new piece of legislation, SB 57 or the Georgia Sports Betting Integrity Act, which allows up to 18 online sports betting licenses. It is accompanied by SR 538, setting a July 2, 2025, deadline for Georgia gambling legislation. State Senators reject the legislation by a margin of 19 to 37.
February 13, 2023: HB 380, a bill to legalize sports betting through the Georgia Lottery, is introduced to the House but fails to win the support of representatives.
February 14, 2023: A bipartisan resolution calling for a constitutional amendment for sports betting in GA, SR 140, is introduced to the Senate. The bill passes its first reading but fails to progress further. The same day, a further bill, SB 172, is introduced, again empowering the Georgia Lottery to operate GA sports betting.
February 15, 2023: HR 210, a resolution calling on a referendum on sports betting, is introduced to the House by six Democratic representatives, including Representatives James Beverly (D-143rd District), Stacey Evans (D-57th District), Billy Mitchell (D-88th District), and Karen Bennett (D-94th District). It fails to pass its second reading. The same day, a more comprehensive resolution proposing legal sports betting, pari-mutuel betting, and casino gambling is introduced by Rep. Beverly and Rep. Stephens. Both fail to pass.
January 10, 2024: Former Majority Leader of the Georgia Senate, Senator Bill Cowsert (R-46th District), introduces SB 172 to legalize sports betting in the state. The legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses and fails to pass.
January 24, 2024: Lawmakers introduce a new bill to legalize sports betting, SB 386, which doesn’t require a constitutional amendment.
February 1, 2024: Senate Bill 386 passes the Georgia State Senate with a 35-15 vote. Despite this, Senators subject the bill to a resolution requiring a constitutional amendment in SR 579, meaning the legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses. The package intends to permit up to 16 sportsbooks to operate in the Peach State with a 20% tax.
March 29, 2024: The Georgia House of Representatives fails to pass SB 386 and SR 579, meaning that bettors in the Peach State will need to wait until the 2025 legislative session for a GA sports betting bill.
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Legality of Sports Betting in Georgia
Georgia remains a pretty restrictive US state when it comes to gambling, with both retail and online sports betting currently illegal. While the Georgia State Lottery is the only form of legal gambling, multiple lawmakers proposed sports betting to the state in recent years.
Lawmakers and bettors alike are pushing for change, with numerous bills and resolutions introduced since the overturning of PASPA in 2018. Below, we’ve broken down the current status of retail and online sports betting in Georgia, highlighting key legal developments and potential future opportunities.
Retail Sports Betting
Retail sports betting is currently illegal in Georgia, and there are no land-based casinos or racetracks within the state. Plus, the odds of establishing land-based casinos with retail sportsbooks are slim in the near future.
Though horse racing is not prohibited in GA, there are no formal racetracks or off-track betting (OTB) locations. The closest horse races take place at local county fairs, but GA bettors looking for pari-mutuel betting options must travel out of state.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Georgia continue to focus on legalizing online sports betting, potentially using the Georgia Lottery as a future regulator. As other states utilizing the lottery as a sports betting regulator, like D.C. and Ohio, have offered sports betting kiosks in lottery retailers alongside online sports betting, this could be offered in GA in the future if legislation is passed.
For those eager to place retail wagers, North Carolina offers a nearby alternative. Caesars operates two land-based casinos there, with Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino located about two hours from Atlanta.
Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is not yet legal in Georgia, but there have been multiple attempts to change that. Legislative efforts in 2021, 2022, and 2023 aimed to legalize online betting, but none succeeded. If approved, these efforts would have allowed at least six online sportsbooks to operate in the state, making it the only legal avenue for placing sports wagers, as Georgia has no brick-and-mortar gambling venues.
Senate Bill 386 gained traction in 2023 when it passed the State Senate with a 35-15 vote. However, the bill hit a roadblock when lawmakers inserted a resolution requiring a constitutional amendment to permit sports betting.
The proposal, outlined in SR 579, needed a two-thirds majority in both legislative houses to move forward. If passed, it would have allowed up to 16 sportsbooks to operate under a 20% tax rate.
In the meantime, daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings operate in Georgia. Though not formally regulated, they continue to offer DFS services across the state. Lawmakers submitted legislation in the 2024 legislative session to legalize DFS but didn’t receive the necessary support to pass.
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Future of Georgia Sports Betting
The future of sports betting in Georgia remains uncertain but promising. Though sports betting is not yet legal, the state legislature has seen multiple failed attempts to pass bills in recent years, including Senate Bill 386 in 2024.
With strong public interest and growing support among lawmakers, many expect another push for legalization in the 2025 legislative session. If passed, legal sports betting would likely be overseen by the Georgia Lottery, potentially allowing up to 16 online sportsbooks. However, a constitutional amendment may be required, posing a significant hurdle.
If approved, Georgia’s sports betting market could experience rapid growth. As the 8th most populous state in the US and the home of major sports franchises like the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves, expect a flurry of major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings to offer sports wagering to bettors in the Peach State should legislation pass.
Mental Recovery Tips for Poker Players: What You Need to Know
Emotional Detachment: Learn to detach yourself emotionally from a bad beat in poker and understand that losses are part of the game.
Analyze and Learn: Review your gameplay objectively to identify where things went wrong and use this as a chance for improvement and learning.
Staying Positive: Embrace positive thinking and refrain from self-criticism to stay motivated and eager to improve.
Physical Wellbeing: Engage in physical activities or relaxation techniques post-game to help reduce stress and clear the mind.
Professional Consultation: Consider seeking guidance from a poker coach or therapist if consistent bad sessions lead to serious mental distress.
Every poker player has been there—leaving the table after a brutal bad beat in poker where nothing seemed to go right. Perhaps you were on the receiving end of a nasty bad beat, made a critical mistake in a big pot, or found yourself stuck in a spiral of poor decisions fueled by tilt.
You walk away feeling frustrated, defeated, and maybe even questioning whether on not this game is for you.
The truth is bad sessions are an inevitable part of poker. Even the best players in the world experience variance and can struggle to play their A-game consistently. The difference between successful players and those who struggle is how they handle these moments.
The emotional fallout from a tough session can be damaging if left unchecked. It can bleed into your next game, impact your decision-making, and even affect your personal life. That’s why learning to recover mentally and bounce back stronger is one of the most important skills you can develop.
In this article, I’ll guide you through a step-by-step process for rebounding from a lousy session. Whether you’re dealing with anger, disappointment, or self-doubt, these strategies will help you process what happened, regain focus, and get back to your A-game.
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Acknowledge and Accept the Experience
Losing sessions often generate intense emotions—frustration, anger, disappointment, and shame. It’s tempting to bury those feelings and distract yourself, but ignoring them can lead to lingering negativity that can affect you going forward.
The first step to bouncing back from a bad beat in poker is acknowledging and accepting what happened without judgment.
Why It’s Important
Surprisingly, suppressing emotions can amplify their intensity. Naming and accepting your feelings, however, can reduce their power over you. Please note that acceptance isn’t about liking or approving what’s happened to you; it’s about recognizing that it happened and allowing yourself to process it fully.
Actionable Tips: How to Acknowledge and Accept
Label Your Emotions
Ask yourself: What am I feeling right now?
Example: “I’m feeling frustrated because I lost three buy-ins,” or “I’m angry at myself for misplaying that hand.”
Simply naming your emotions this way clarifies and stops the emotional spiral.
Practice Mindfulness
Try this mindfulness exercise: Sit quietly for a few minutes and replay the session as if you were narrating it to someone else.
Describe what happened without exaggerating or assigning blame. For example, “I played a strong hand, and my opponent got lucky on the river,” instead of “I’m so unlucky—this always happens to me!”
Normalize the Experience
Remember that every poker player experiences losing sessions—even the top pros. Even Daniel Negreanu has openly shared stories about long downswings where he couldn’t seem to win.
Repeat this mantra to yourself: This is part of the game. I’ve faced it before, and I’ll face it again.
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Separate Facts from Fiction
After a bad beat in poker, it’s natural for your mind to spin negative narratives about what happened. Maybe you tell yourself, I suck, or This downswing will never end.
These stories often exaggerate reality and can make a bad situation feel worse. Separating the facts from the story is a powerful way to regain perspective and avoid unnecessary mental pain.
Why It’s Important
Our brains are wired to focus on the negative. This is part of a survival mechanism known as the negativity bias, and it can cause us to fixate on losses, amplify mistakes, and internalize outcomes as personal failures.
By distinguishing facts from the stories we tell ourselves, we can challenge irrational thoughts and replace them with a more balanced perspective.
Actionable Tips: How to Separate Facts from Story
Identify the Facts
Facts are objective and measurable, while stories are subjective interpretations.
Example: Fact: “I lost three buy-ins in this session.” Story: “I never win, and I’m terrible at poker.”
Write down the indisputable facts of the session—how you played, what you lost, and any key decisions. Avoid attaching emotions or judgments.
Challenge Cognitive Distortions
Common distortions after a bad session include:
Catastrophizing: “This downswing will never end!”
Overgeneralizing: “I’m always unlucky.”
Black-and-white thinking: “I’m either a great player or a donkey.”
Ask yourself:
Is this thought 100% true?
What evidence do I have to support or refute it?
If you think I’m a terrible player, challenge that belief by listing your recent successes or hands where you made solid decisions.
Reframe the Narrative
Shift your focus from the negative story to a growth-oriented mindset.
Instead of, I can’t believe I lost with AA again—it’s so unfair, try, Losing with AA happens occasionally. Did I play it correctly? If so, there’s nothing I could have done differently.
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Section 3: Rebuild Emotional Regulation
After a tough session, emotions can run high. Frustration, anger, or sadness can make it difficult to think clearly and prepare for your next session. Rebuilding emotional regulation is essential to reset your mindset and regain composure so you can avoid bringing emotional baggage to your next session.
Why Emotional Regulation Matters
Because poker is a mental game, unchecked emotions can derail your decision-making. By calming your nervous system and regaining focus, you set the stage for logical thinking and better performance in the future.
Actionable Tips: How to Rebuild Emotional Regulation
Use the ‘6-2-7’ Breathing Technique
This simple breathing exercise is an effective way to calm the fight-or-flight response triggered by stress.
How to do it:
Inhale through your nose for a count of 6.
Hold your breath for a count of 2.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 7.
Repeat for 3–5 minutes while focusing exclusively on your breath.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude can shift your focus from what went wrong to what’s going right.
Reflect on three things you’re grateful for, whether poker-related or not,a nd write them down.
Examples include:
I’m grateful that I played disciplined poker despite bad beats.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to play a game I love.
I’m grateful for my ability to learn from mistakes.
Create a Post-Session Ritual
Establish a short routine to signal the end of the session and help your mind transition. You could try:
Journaling for 5 minutes about what went well and what could improve.
Meditating or practicing visualization.
Listening to calming music or a favorite podcast.
You can end every session with a 10-minute meditation that focuses on letting go of the outcomes and reaffirming your commitment to continuous improvement.
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Section 4: Extract the Lessons
Learning from a bad beat in poker is one of the most critical aspects of bouncing back from it. However, there’s a fine line between extracting valuable lessons and falling into the trap of unproductive rumination. Spending hours obsessing over hands or questioning every decision can lead to analysis paralysis, which won’t lead to improvement.
Why Balanced Reflection Matters
Reflecting on your session helps you identify areas for growth while reinforcing what you did well. However, overanalyzing can amplify self-doubt and leave you feeling frustrated. A structured, objective review helps you learn without emotional interference.
Actionable Tips: How to Extract the Lessons
Focus on Decision-Making, Not Outcomes
Poker is a game of long-term probabilities, not short-term results. Good players assess their decisions based on whether they were correct given the information at the time, not the hand’s result.
Example:
Poor Review: “I lost with KK; I must have played it wrong.”
Better Review: “Was that a good spot to 3-bet? Did I size my C-bet correctly? Were there signs my opponent was strong?”
Shift your mindset to process over results.
Create a Hand Review Framework
Review a few key hands from each session, focusing on spots where you faced a challenging decision or made a mistake.
Framework:
What was the situation? (e.g., stack sizes, position, opponent type)
What was my thought process? (e.g., range analysis, pot odds)
What could I have done differently?
What did I learn?
Example: If you overbluffed a tight opponent on the river, identify what information you missed and how you’ll approach similar spots in the future.
Separate What You Can Control from What You Can’t
Recognize that variance, opponents’ decisions, and card distribution are out of your control. Focus on aspects you can control, like your strategy, mindset, and bankroll management.
Exercise: After each session, list one thing you controlled well and one area to improve.
Set a Specific Improvement Goal
Instead of trying to fix everything, choose one actionable improvement to focus on in your next session.
Example: If you struggled with bet sizing, your goal could be: “Pay extra attention to pot sizes and calculate bet sizes more carefully during today’s session.”
5. Avoid the Overanalysis Trap
Limit your review to 15–30 minutes to prevent mental fatigue.
If you’re obsessing over a specific hand, seek input from a study group or a coach
Remember: Not every session requires deep analysis. Sometimes, the best reflection is simply recognizing that you played well despite the outcome.
Quick Exercise: Post-Session Reflection Journal
After your session, spend 5 minutes answering these questions:
What went well today?
What could I improve?
What’s one goal I’ll focus on in my next session?
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Section 5: Reset and Refocus
After reflecting on your session and identifying lessons learned, it’s time to reset your mindset and refocus on the future. Being resilient in poker lies in your ability to let go of the past and approach your next session with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Why Resetting and Refocusing Are Critical
Carrying the emotional baggage of a bad beat in poker into your next game can lead to poor decisions, compounded frustration, and a destructive cycle of tilt. A proper reset ensures you’re mentally prepared to play your best, regardless of recent outcomes.
Actionable Tips: How to Reset and Refocus
Create a Mental Reset Ritual
Develop a simple, repeatable routine that helps you move on from a bad session.
Example: After each session, take 10 minutes to:
Do a quick physical activity like stretching or walking.
Write one sentence about what you’re leaving behind (e.g., “I’m letting go of frustration from losing with KK.”).
Affirm your intention for your next session (e.g., “I will focus on playing disciplined, patient poker.”).
Set a Clear Goal for Your Next Session
A specific, process-oriented goal keeps you focused and helps you avoid obsessing over results.
Example: Instead of “I want to win back my losses,” set a goal like “I will make disciplined decisions preflop” or “I will stay present and avoid distractions.”
Prepare a Pre-Game Routine
A strong pre-game routine is like a mental warm-up, and can help you start each session with focus and confidence.
Ideas for a pre-game routine:
Spend a few minutes reviewing your notes from the last session.
Practice 5 minutes of visualization, imagining yourself making great decisions at the table.
Use the ‘6-2-7’ breathing technique to calm and center yourself before logging in or sitting down.
Avoid Rushing Back to the Tables
Playing too soon after a bad beat in poker can lead to emotional decisions and compounding losses.
Example: If you feel tempted to chase losses, ask yourself: “Am I playing because I’m ready or because I feel the need to prove something?”
If you’re not ready, take a break. Whether it’s a few hours or days, stepping away allows you to return refreshed and focused.
Build Long-Term Resilience After a Bad Beat in Poker
Losing sessions are an unavoidable part of the game. Variance ensures that all players face setbacks, frustrating beats, and challenging days. What separates good players from the rest isn’t their ability to avoid these sessions—their ability to bounce back stronger.
Each time you recover from a bad beat in poker, you strengthen your mental toughness—a critical skill for long-term poker success. Over time, these recovery strategies become second nature, allowing you to stay focused, composed, and adaptable no matter your challenges.
Think of losing sessions as opportunities to develop resilience. They test your ability to regulate emotions, refine your strategies, and recommit to your goals. By approaching setbacks with a growth mindset, you transform what could be a roadblock into a stepping stone.
Mastering Blackjack Betting Strategies: What You Need to Know
Learn the Basic Strategy: The first step in mastering blackjack betting strategies is to familiarize yourself with the fundamental blackjack strategy, which guides players on when to hit, stand, split, or double down based on statistically ideal outcomes.
Understand Card Counting: Recognize the concept of card counting and how it can be used as an effective strategy to predict the likelihood of advantageous cards coming onto the table.
Mastery of Betting Systems: Explore and master various betting systems like the Martingale, Paroli, or Labouchère system, understanding their unique advantages and risks.
Bankroll Management: Learn the importance of effective bankroll management to ensure that your betting strategies result in long-term success and sustainability.
Practice: Enhance your skills by regularly practicing these strategies in various game situations, allowing you to make informed and confident decisions during actual gameplay.
Have you hit an Online Blackjack plateau? Are you playing the same way every time you sit down and getting the same results? If you’re looking for a way to take your Blackjack gameplay to the next level in the new year, maybe it’s time to look at advanced betting strategies.
Learning these strategies is a good way to approach the game with a plan and they give you control over your bankroll.
So read on and learn how to weave a betting strategy into your game. If the cards fall just right, maybe you’ll find your way off that plateau and start climbing the mountain of Blackjack success in 2025.
Units – the Key to Betting Strategies
Any bet-sizing Blackjack strategy talks about the amounts wagered in terms of units. A unit is standardized bet increment that depends on your bankroll, your appetite for risk, and – maybe most important – the table minimums where you’re playing.
Making your unit size equivalent to the table minimum bet is a logical place to start. Say you’re at a $10 Blackjack table, your 1-unit bet is $10, your 2-unit bet is $20, and so on. If you have a bigger bankroll (the amount of money you’re willing to risk and lose during a gameplay session), or prefer to play with higher variance Someone else with more tolerance for risk and a bigger bankroll might use $20 as a unit at the same table.
Betting strategies involve increasing and decreasing the amount you bet by a standard amount. Discussing that amount in terms of units rather than absolute dollars makes the conversation easier to understand for all types of players and game situations.
Due to variance in the game results, you shouldn’t sit down at a Blackjack table with less than 15 units to play with. We’ll discuss this in more detail with some of the strategies.
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What Blackjack Strategies Can and Can’t Do
ASIDE: Have a seat, get comfortable, and brace yourself, because what I’m about to say might shock you. There is no scheme of bet sizing that can beat a game with a built-in house advantage and maximum bet limits. It’s a mathematical certainty.
So why bother learning betting strategies at all you might ask? Because they still have benefits even if you’re not guaranteed to beat the game. In the short term, betting strategies can provide you easy exit ramps to a gambling session after you’ve made a profit. The right betting strategy also helps you tailor your gameplay to your preferred levels of variance and risk.
And for experienced players, betting strategies help them turn a lucky streak into a big chip-stacking win. Alternatively, it might make a losing streak less painful. Either way, a betting strategy puts you in the best position to make the most of your time at the tables.
Betting Strategy Basics
Let’s explore some common betting strategy categories:
Flat unit betting isn’t very sexy, but it is a viable strategy. While most bet sizing strategies vary the number of units wagered, flat betting – as you might expect – means every bet is the same size throughout your Blackjack session. It’s extremely simple to execute; just divide your bankroll up into 15 or 20 even stacks of chips and play. Flat betting also gives you the lowest possible variance of any strategy; you’ll minimize big swings by betting the same on every hand.
Progressive betting involves adjusting your bet size as you go. Most of the rest of this article will concern progressive strategies where you adjust your bet size after each hand depending on whether you won or lost.
Most players like progressive systems because there’s a feeling of ‘playing with house money’ in certain circumstances. But it’s also work to keep track of where you are in your bet sequence. And there is no system that can fully protect you from an ice cold shoe.
Positive and Negative Progressions
Progressive betting strategies can be further divided into two main categories, positive and negative. They always start with a 1-unit bet, but in positive systems, a player increases their bet size after a win, and in negative systems, they increase the bet size after a loss.
ASIDE: an easy way to think about it is that positive progressive betting systems are designed to exploit a favorable run of cards, while the goal of a negative system is to provide a way to recover from a loss.
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Blackjack Betting Strategies: Positive Progressive Systems
Let’s run through some of the most popular positive progressive betting systems:
The Paroli betting system might as well be called the let it ride system. Start with a 1-unit bet. Lose and the bet stays the same. But after every win? You’re doubling your wager.
Pros: Hey everybody! We’re going streaking! Winning streaks are like sunshine and a breath of fresh air, and with the Paroli system, you’re aiming for the stars. Take the profits from every hand won and roll those chips into your next bet. Doubling up means the unit progression is: 1-2-4-8 (and so on), and every win streak means your current bet has been funded by all the earlier wins in the streak. You’ll want to pocket your winnings eventually, so it’s common for Paroli players to restart the sequence after their third or fourth straight win.
Cons: Losing a bet late the sequence can be a gut-punch. In the previous scenario where you’ve won three straight, then lose on an 8-unit bet, you’re watching lots of chips evaporate.
The 1-3-2-6 system is in need of a catchier name given its popularity. Start with a 1-unit bet and follow the unit sizing as long as you’re winning. Otherwise start over with a 1-unti bet.
Pros: The sequence is designed so that losing the third bet (the 2-unit play) leaves you a profit of 1 unit and losing on the Fourth bet means you’ve broken even.
Cons: Losing the second bet (the 3-unit wager) means a loss of 2-units. This system’s unorthodox number sequence takes some getting used to for new players.
Blackjack Betting Strategies: Negative Systems
Don’t let the name fool you, the goal of a negative progressive betting system is to win money at Blackjack! Here are some of the more well-known systems:
The Martingale is the inverse of the Paroli system discussed earlier. Stick with a 1-unit wager as long as you win. Then double up after losses to try and recoup chips won by the house.
This is one of the oldest ideas in gambling; because Blackjack is nearly a coin-flip game, most winning and losing streaks don’t last very long. And all it takes is 1 win after a long losing streak to get you back to even.
So what’s the problem with the Martingale? Nothing if you have an enormous payroll and casinos didn’t put limitations on the maximum bet per hand. But unfortunately, neither of those things are true in Blackjack. Doubling your wager over and over quickly exceeds the maximum bet allowed at a typical Blackjack table. If you play at a table with a $500 maximum bet and start with a $10 wager, it only takes a six-hand losing streak to exceed the table betting maximum.
Pros: If you made it a goal to end every session once you’re up $100, that is exactly what will happen nearly 80% of the time at a $10-$500 table with an opening bet of $10.
Cons: Making $100 in profit four sessions out of five sounds good, but that fifth session is a bankroll killer. Once every 5 sessions you’ll encounter a six-hand losing streak, meaning you’re out $640, which blows away the $400 in profit you make during your winning sessions.
Another popular negative progression in Blackjack is the D’Alembert betting system where the gambler nudges their wager up and down by one unit at a time. Specifically, you’ll increase your bet by one unit following a loss, and decrease it by one following wins (until you’re back to 1-unit bets).
Pros: For short losing streaks this looks much like a Martingale, where your goal is to quickly recoup losses. But the bet increases aren’t as dramatic.
Cons: Winning after a significant losing streak won’t amount to enough profit to cover what you lost in the losing streak.
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Blackjack Betting Strategies: Advanced Strategies
Oscar’s Grind is a bet-sizing strategy that’s sometimes considered a mix between a positive and negative progression. With this strategy, you divide your play into sequences of hands. A sequence ends once you’ve secured 1 unit of profit, at which point you start over with your minimum bet.
Whenever you clear 1 unit of profit, the sequence is over. So if you win on your very first hand, that sequence is over, and you’re back to a 1 unit bet. Oscar’s Grind kicks in when you lose the first bet of a new sequence.
After every loss, your bet size stays the same, no matter how long the losing streak.
Once your losing streak ends and you win a hand, you increase the next bet by 1 unit, and – as long as you win – you’re increasing the next bet by 1 unit.
You never risk more than is necessary to make 1u of profit. That means you keep increasing your bet size to claw your way out of the hole, but then you might have to cap the final bet so your profit is exactly 1 unit.
A quick example will make this clear:
Hand 1: Wager $10 – Win; you’re +1 unit, so you start a new sequence with a minimum bet.
Hand 2: Wager $10 – Loss; since this was a new sequence you’re at -1u. Bet size stays the same.
Hand 3: Wager $10 – Loss; you’re now at -2u for this sequence; again, same bet.
Hand 4: Wager $10 – Win; you’re back to -1u. Since you won, you increase your bet size by 1 unit. If you win the next wager, you’d be exactly at +1 unit. But even the best laid plans…
Hand 5: Wager $20 – Loss; You’re now -3u. As always, bets stay the same size after a loss.
Hand 6: Wager $20 – Loss; you’re now down 5 units; stay the course and wait for a win streak to come along to get out of this hole!
Hand 7: Wager $20 – Win; you gained a little ground back; now you’re at -3u. A win means the bet increases by 1 unit.
Hand 8: Wager $30 – Win; you’re now at exactly even on the sequence. So for the next bet, you cap it to $10; never risk more than necessary to make 1 unit of profit for a sequence.
Hand 9: Wager $10 – Win; it was a long road, but you finally arrived at your 1 unit of profit. Your next hand starts a new sequence
The main appeal of Oscar’s Grind is that after the inevitable losing streak, the subsequent winning streak doesn’t have to be quite as long since you’re increasing your bet as you win.
Pros: Dividing the session into 1-unit sequences provides your gameplay a nice organizing principle. And it’s a strategy designed to help you weather losing streaks in the game.
Cons: You’ll need to keep a ledger of where you stand in your sequence. And of course, there’s nothing preventing a losing streak so long it eats through your entire bankroll.
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What About Doubling Down and Splitting?
In Blackjack, you’re often faced with a choice to double-down or split your hand, requiring you put an extra wager in play. That can throw you off your bet-sizing strategy, and in some cases can mean putting more money at risk than you might be comfortable with. For example, if you draw Eight-Eight versus a 9 while you’re on the fourth bet of a 1-3-2-6 strategy, you’ll have lots of money at risk.
ASIDE: The above example highlights two important points.
First: trust in Basic Blackjack strategy…splitting Eights is always the right play. Mathematically, you’ll get a better return in the long run from having two 1u bets on 8 versus 9 than you would from hitting or standing on a 16 versus a 9.
Second: pick a unit size and a betting progression that’s sized correctly for your bankroll. You’ll want to double or split once every 15-20 hands so bring enough money to the table so that you can afford it. If doubling up would put too big a dent in your bankroll, consider playing at a table with lower stakes.
Blackjack Betting Strategies: Card Counting
Counting cards is the only widely-used strategy to give the player a slight advantage over the house. It involves keeping track of certain categories of cards as they’re played, then pouncing on advantageous situations.
One popular card counting methodology is the Hi Opt II system, which assigns the following values to each card rank:
Small cards (2-6): +1
10-cards (10-Ace): -1
Neutral cards (7-9): 0
Every non-Ace adds or subtracts 1 from a running count that you must continue to track hand after hand (until the deck is re-shuffled). When a disproportionate number of small cards have been used up relative to 10-cards, it means the remaining deck is more favorable to the Player (due to the differing rules for the Player and Dealer).
Astute card counters take advantage of these situations by betting more the more positive the running count is. Experts even alter basic Blackjack strategy because the math works out slightly better depending on the composition of the deck.
In spite of the winning potential, there are real downsides to counting cards:
Counting cards is easy to be bad at. Effective card counters spend hundreds of hours practicing and studying certain situations just to get a point or two of advantage over the house.
It’s not illegal, but live-play and online casinos have the right to bar suspected counters. Avoid sudden and dramatic increases to your bet sizes.
Online casinos usually (but not always) host games where the cards are shuffled between hands, making counting pointless.
Counting is an intellectual chore. It requires concentrating for long periods of time to maintain that can sap any chance of enjoyment out of playing Blackjack.
Blackjack Betting Strategies: Maximizing Your Betting
If you’ve been a casual gambler up until now, maybe you should consider adding an element of strategy to your Blackjack game. We’ve touched on a handful of the most popular betting strategies here, but there are many more out there to be discovered.
Whichever strategy you choose, if you set a budget and stick to it, you just might come out a winner at the end of the year! Happy gaming!
Consistent Learning: Learn how to study poker by developing a routine of studying poker strategies regularly, extending your knowledge base over time rather than cramming all at once.
Game Analysis: Dedicate some practice time to analyze played hands or games, understanding where you could have made better decisions or where your strategy worked well.
Incorporating Feedback: Proactively seek feedback from more experienced players or coaches, and incorporate their perspective into your training routine.
Theory and Application: Balance your time between learning theoretical poker strategies and applying them in practice games to reinforce your understanding.
Mindful Playing: Cultivate the habit of mindful playing where you consciously analyze every move, its outcome, and possible alternative strategies – this will make your practice sessions even more productive.
You sit down to study poker, determined to improve. You watch a training video, review hand histories, and scroll through forums. Hours pass, but despite the effort, nothing seems to stick. Sound familiar?
Many players fall into the “random studying” trap—consuming information without focus or a plan. The result? Frustration, wasted time, and little progress at the tables.
Here’s the good news: your study time can become a game-changing advantage with the proper structure. A solid routine helps you learn faster, stay motivated, sharpen decision-making, and consistently build your edge.
In this article, I’ll guide you step-by-step to create the ultimate poker study routine. You’ll learn to assess your game, set clear goals, balance poker theory with practice, and avoid the common pitfalls holding players back. By the end, you’ll have a plan to make every minute of study count toward crushing the tables.
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Assessing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Creating an effective study routine begins with identifying where to focus your energy. An objective assessment of your strengths and weaknesses is essential. Without it, you risk wasting time on areas you’ve already mastered or overlooking the ones you struggle with most.
Consider it like diagnosing a car problem—you wouldn’t start replacing parts randomly without knowing what’s wrong. The same goes for poker: pinpoint the leaks first, then work on fixing them.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Analyze Your Data
If you’re playing online, tools like PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager are invaluable for identifying trends in your play. Look at key metrics like:
VPIP/PFR (Voluntarily Put Money In Pot/Preflop Raise): Are you playing too many hands or not enough?
C-Bet Percentage: Are you being too passive or too aggressive post-flop?
Showdown Stats: Are you losing too much at showdown by calling too light?
These stats can highlight patterns that might not be obvious while playing.
Step 2: Review Hand Histories
Find some hands where you felt uncertain or lost a big pot. Look for recurring mistakes, such as:
Misplaying certain hands in specific positions.
Failing to adjust to opponent tendencies.
Playing impulsively.
Step 3: Write It All Down
Create a list of your biggest strengths and weaknesses. For example:
Strength: I’m confident in my preflop ranges and 3-bet strategy.
Weakness: I struggle to know when to barrel the turn or fold to aggression.
Having this written down will give you a roadmap for your study routine. Focus on one or two weaknesses at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Setting Clear Goals for Your Poker Study Sessions
After identifying your strengths and weaknesses, setting clear goals for your study sessions is the next step. Without a clear goal, it’s easy to drift through your time, feeling busy but making little progress.
Effective goals act like a map, guiding your focus, keeping you motivated, and ensuring you work on what truly matters. To maximize your sessions, create specific, measurable, and realistic goals.
Start with the Big Picture
Ask yourself: What specific part of my game do I want to improve right now? It could be mastering turn barrels, exploiting recreational players, or sharpening your mental game. Pick one area and break it into clear, actionable steps.
Focus on Process Goals Over Outcome Goals
Outcome goals, like increasing your win rate, are motivating but hard to control directly. Instead, focus on process goals—specific actions to move you toward your outcome. For example:
Outcome Goal: Improve my turn play.
Process Goals: Review 10 hands from recent sessions to analyze turn decisions, study turn barreling ranges for different board textures, and practice decision-making using a solver.
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Write Down Your Goals
Before each study session, write down precisely what you’ll focus on. For example: “I’ll watch a 30-minute video on 3-betting and review five hands where I 3-bet but faced a 4-bet.” Clear, actionable goals keep your sessions productive and ensure every minute moves your game forward.
Building a Balanced Study Routine
A great poker strategy study routine relies on two pillars: theory and practice. Balancing these is key to effective learning. Too much theory without application overwhelms you, while practice without understanding reinforces bad habits.
Theoretical Study: Deepening Your Understanding
Theory is where you gain the knowledge and tools needed to improve your decision-making at the tables. Examples include:
Watching training videos.
Reading poker strategy books.
Studying solver outputs and optimal ranges.
The key is to focus on one concept at a time. For example, if you’re working on 3-bet pots, dedicate a session to studying positions, ranges, and post-flop play within this context. Take notes on key takeaways and write down questions to explore further.
Practical Study: Applying What You’ve Learned
Practice bridges the gap between understanding concepts and executing them in real time. This includes:
Reviewing recent hand histories to spot any poker mistakes and alternative lines.
Using tools like GTO trainers to practice specific scenarios.
Playing focused sessions where you actively implement a new strategy.
Playing Free Online Poker to practice without needing to spend money.
Finding the Right Balance
A good rule of thumb is to spend 70% of your study time on practice and 30% on theory. Practice ensures that theoretical knowledge is integrated into your gameplay, while theory keeps you refining and expanding your skill set.
Regular Review and Repetition
Schedule time to revisit previously studied concepts to make your routine genuinely effective. Repetition helps solidify knowledge and ensures it’s ready to be used under pressure.
By building a routine that balances theory and practice, you’ll create a steady cycle of learning, application, and improvement.
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Time Management: Maximizing Efficiency
Time is your most valuable resource, and how you manage it can make or break your poker study routine. Without a plan, it’s easy to waste hours on ineffective activities, like watching videos passively or jumping between topics. The key to maximizing efficiency is creating a schedule that prioritizes high-value tasks and eliminates distractions.
Create a Study Schedule
The first step to efficient study is carving out dedicated time in your day. Treat your study sessions like an important appointment. Whether you have 30 minutes or two hours, consistency is more important than duration.
Use Time-Blocking Techniques:
Break your sessions into focused blocks, like the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of focused work, 5-minute break).
For longer sessions, dedicate time blocks to different tasks (e.g., 30 minutes of hand review, 30 minutes of watching a training video, etc.).
Prioritize High-Value Activities
Not all study tasks are created equal. Focus on activities that directly improve your game, like:
Analyzing specific weaknesses (e.g., reviewing hands where you struggled).
Practicing decision-making with solvers or poker training apps.
Watching videos or reading materials on a concept you’re actively working to improve.
Eliminate Distractions
Distractions are study session killers. To stay focused:
Turn off phone notifications.
Close unrelated tabs or apps.
Create a dedicated study environment where you won’t be interrupted.
Reflect and Adjust Weekly
At the end of each week, spend 10-15 minutes reflecting on what you studied and how it impacted your game. Ask yourself:
Did I stick to my study schedule?
What progress did I make?
What adjustments do I need for next week?
By managing your time effectively, you’ll ensure that every minute of study moves you closer to your goals.
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Tools and Resources to Enhance Your Study Routine
A well-designed poker study routine becomes even more powerful when paired with the right tools and resources. The right setup can save you time, make complex concepts easier to understand, and help you track your progress. Here are the essential tools every serious poker player should have in their arsenal:
1. Hand Review Software
Tools like PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager are non-negotiables for online players. These programs allow you to:
Analyze your play with detailed statistics like VPIP, PFR, and win rates by position.
Review hand histories to spot leaks in your game.
Compare your stats to benchmarks for different stakes.
2. Solvers and Training Software
GTO tools like PioSolver or GTO+ help you dive deep into optimal play and decision-making. While these can feel overwhelming at first, they’re invaluable for understanding complex scenarios like turn barreling or river decisions. Pair this with interactive trainers like DTO Poker Trainer or GTO Wizard for hands-on practice.
3. Poker Content Libraries
Training Sites: Subscriptions to platforms like Run It Once or Upswing Poker provide access to top-tier video content.
Books: Classics like Modern Poker Theory by Michael Acevedo or Purposeful Practice for Poker by Dr. Tricia Cardner & Gareth James are timeless resources.
Forums and Communities: Engage with fellow players on forums or Discord groups for collaborative learning.
4. Study Journal
A study journal is a personalized roadmap for improvement. Use it to:
Log what you worked on in each session.
Note insights or “aha!” moments.
Track recurring leaks or areas of confusion.
Integrating these tools and resources into your routine will make your study sessions more productive and enjoyable. Next, I want to share some common pitfalls that can derail even the best-intentioned poker players—and how to avoid them.
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How to Study Poker: Avoiding Common Study Pitfalls
Even the most well-intentioned poker players can fall into traps that hinder their progress. To ensure your study routine is as effective as possible, it’s crucial to recognize and avoid common pitfalls. Here’s a guide to staying on track and maximizing your efforts.
1. Overloading on Information
A big mistake is trying to study too much at once. Watching hours of videos or diving into multiple topics in a single session might feel productive, but it often leads to overwhelm and poor retention.
The Fix:
Focus on one topic at a time (e.g., turn barreling, 3-bet pots).
Use the “learn, apply, review” method: Study a concept, practice it in-game, and review your performance.
Limit your study sessions to 1–2 key objectives to keep your focus sharp.
2. Not Applying What You’ve Learned
Learning without application is one of the fastest ways to stagnate. Watching videos or running solver simulations is helpful, but they won’t translate into results if you’re not using those insights in-game.
The Fix:
After studying, set a specific goal for your next playing session, like “implement a more balanced c-betting strategy on the flop.”
Track how often you successfully apply the concept in-game and review the outcomes.
Avoid jumping to new topics until you’ve practiced and feel confident with the current one.
3. Focusing Too Much on Results
It’s natural to want immediate proof that your study is paying off, but obsessing over short-term results can lead to frustration. Poker is a long-term game; progress often comes in small, incremental steps.
Celebrate small wins, like correctly folding in a tricky spot or making a good bluff.
Keep a long-term view: Consistently working on your game will result in bigger results over time.
4. Neglecting Reflection and Review
Studying without reviewing what you’ve learned can cause key insights to slip through the cracks. Many players consume content but fail to evaluate how it’s impacting their game.
The Fix:
Schedule weekly reflection sessions to review what you’ve studied, what worked, and what didn’t.
Use your study journal to track recurring leaks or concepts you need to revisit.
Regularly analyze your stats to measure progress and refine your focus areas.
By recognizing these pitfalls and implementing the solutions, you’ll create a study routine that avoids wasted effort and keeps you steadily improving.
Wrapping Up: Mastering The Art of Poker
A structured poker study routine isn’t about logging hours—it’s about making those hours count. By assessing your game, setting clear goals, balancing theory and practice, and using your time wisely, you’ll steadily sharpen your skills and build confidence at the tables.
Consistency is key. Focused efforts over time lead to significant gains.
Now it’s your turn. Reflect on your current game and pinpoint areas for improvement. Craft your first study plan using the principles in this article. Commit to it for a week, and see how much more productive and motivated you feel.
Cultivating an Effective Poker Player Mindset: What You Need to Know
Embrace Failure as a Learning Tool: Understand that missteps in poker, especially for a beginner poker player, are valuable learning opportunities, not just failures. By assessing what went wrong, you can use this information to refine strategies and improve decisions in future games.
Patience Is Key: Recognize the importance of playing perceptively and patiently. Successful poker is never rushed – hence, the need to evaluate every situation carefully before making a move.
Emphasize Skill Over Luck: Shift the mindset from believing poker to be purely a game of luck to understanding it as a game of skill as well. The most successful players heavily invest in enhancing their poker skills.
Develop Healthy Risk-Tolerance: Cultivate a balanced approach to taking risks. The ability to evaluate chances and take calculated risks is crucial in poker, while reckless decisions often lead to losses.
Maintain Emotional Control: Master the art of controlling emotions during the game. Poker can put stress on players’ emotions, but it’s essential not to let these emotions cloud judgement, thus improving decision-making under pressure.
Every online poker player wants to become a consistent winner, but the journey can feel like a rollercoaster for beginners. One day, you’re riding high after a big win; the next, you question whether you’re cut out for the game after a crushing loss. Success in poker isn’t just about mastering strategy. It’s about having the right mindset to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of the game.
Developing a winning mindset is as important for a beginner poker player as learning proper poker strategy. Without it, even the best strategies can crumble under pressure. Poker is a game where your mental approach determines how well you handle setbacks, make decisions, and grow as a player.
In this article, I’ll share five essential mindset shifts that every beginner needs to embrace to succeed. These shifts will help you focus on what truly matters, overcome the frustrations of mistakes, and set yourself up for long-term success.
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Mindset Shift #1: Focus on Process Over Outcomes
One of the most common mistakes a beginner poker player make is being results-oriented. Winning a hand feels terrific, while losing can hurt deeply—but here’s the catch: poker is a game of long-term decision-making, not short-term outcomes. To succeed, you must shift your focus from what you can’t control (the cards and immediate results) to what you can control (the quality of your decisions).
Why It Matters
Even a perfect play can lose, while a poor play might occasionally win. This is variance, and it can make short-term results misleading. When you fixate on outcomes, you’re more likely to fall into emotional traps like chasing losses or playing recklessly after a big win. Over time, this mindset creates inconsistency and frustration, eroding the confidence you need to grow as a player.
Focusing on the process of making sound decisions based on the information available builds the habits and skills that lead to sustained success. Winning sessions become a byproduct of solid decision-making rather than luck.
Key Insight
The goal of poker is to consistently make decisions that yield positive expected value (EV) over the long run. Embracing this mindset lets you stay calm and objective, even during losing streaks, because you know you’re playing the game correctly.
Actionable Tip
Start tracking your decision-making instead of your results. After each session, take a few minutes to reflect by answering these questions:
Did I play according to my strategy or deviate out of frustration or overconfidence?
Were my decisions based on solid reasoning and the available data (e.g., opponent tendencies, position, stack sizes)?
What could I improve next time?
Consider keeping a poker journal to log your reflections. Over time, you’ll notice patterns and gain confidence in your process.
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Mindset Shift #2: Embrace Variance as Part of the Game
When you first start playing poker, it’s easy to believe that winning consistently is simply a matter of learning the right strategies. While skill is a critical component of success, there’s another force you must come to terms with: poker variance.
Even the best players in the world lose hands (and even entire sessions) due to bad luck. To succeed at poker, you must embrace variance as an integral part of the game rather than a personal attack.
Why It Matters
Variance is poker’s natural ebb and flow—the unavoidable ups and downs of a game involving skill and chance. Beginners often struggle to accept this reality, leading to frustration, self-doubt, and emotional reactions (hello, tilt!). When you interpret bad beats or downswings as a reflection of your skill, it can derail your focus and prevent you from making the best decisions.
Shifting your mindset to accept variance will help you stay grounded and emotionally steady. It reminds you that your job as a player isn’t to avoid variance but to manage it effectively. Staying focused on making good decisions will help you maintain confidence, even through rough patches.
Key Insight
Variance doesn’t discriminate. Everyone experiences it, and it’s not something you can out-strategize. What separates great players from everyone else is how they handle it. Instead of fearing variance, use it as an opportunity to practice resilience and mental toughness, two skills that are just as important as knowing when to fold or raise.
Actionable Tip
Develop a ritual to calm yourself after a bad beat. For example, try the 6-2-7 breathing technique:
Breathe in through your nose for a count of 6.
Hold your breath for a count of 2.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 7.
This quick exercise helps calm your nervous system, clears your head, and allows you to reset before the next hand. You can use it anytime to manage emotional spikes caused by variance.
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Mindset Shift #3: Adopt a Growth Mindset
As a beginner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing poker is about natural talent or luck. You might look at experienced players and think, “I’ll never be that good,” or get frustrated when you make a mistake.
But the truth is, poker is a skill, and you can improve it with time, effort, and the right mindset. To succeed, you need to adopt a growth mindset: the belief that your abilities aren’t fixed and that every mistake is an opportunity to learn and improve.
Why It Matters
Poker is a complex game that constantly challenges you to think critically, adapt, and refine your strategies. A growth mindset is essential for navigating the inevitable setbacks of learning new poker tips and tricks. Without it, you risk getting stuck in frustration instead of working to identify areas to improve.
With a growth mindset, mistakes and losses become valuable feedback instead of personal failures. This perspective makes poker more enjoyable and accelerates your development as a player. When you embrace the idea that improvement is always possible, even small steps forward can compound into significant gains over time.
Key Insight
You don’t have to be perfect to be successful at poker; you just have to keep improving. Mistakes are a natural part of the process, and the sooner you start seeing them as stepping stones instead of roadblocks, the faster you’ll progress.
Actionable Tip
Create a post-session review habit. After every session, ask yourself these three questions:
What’s one thing I did well today?
What’s one mistake I made, and what can I learn from it?
What’s one action I can take to improve next time?
By consistently reflecting on your performance, you’ll see patterns and clarify what’s working and needs adjustment. This will keep you focused on growth rather than perfection.
Reframing Poker as a Learning Journey
Poker isn’t a game you master overnight; it rewards those willing to do the work and stay curious. Adopting a growth mindset will improve your skills and cultivate resilience and confidence. Remember, every great poker player started as a beginner. The difference is they didn’t let mistakes define them—they let mistakes refine them.
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Mindset Shift #4: Cultivate Discipline and Patience
Poker is a game of timing and self-control. As a beginner poker player, you might want to play every hand, chase every loss, or push for action to avoid boredom. But the truth is that the players who succeed are the ones who can sit back, observe, and wait for the right opportunities. Cultivating discipline and patience is non-negotiable if you want to build a solid foundation for long-term poker success.
Why It Matters
Discipline and patience separate impulsive players from strategic ones. Beginners often fall into traps like playing too many hands or deviating from their strategy after a few bad beats. These habits drain their bankroll and confidence.
You’re positioning yourself to make better decisions when you develop the discipline to stick to your plan and the patience to wait for the right spots. In poker, small edges compound over time, and disciplined players are the ones who reap the rewards.
Key Insight
Poker isn’t about constant action—it’s about calculated action. Sometimes, the best move is to fold and wait, even when it feels boring or frustrating. Learning to enjoy the process of observation and decision-making rather than seeking immediate gratification, will set you apart from most beginner players.
Actionable Tip
Create a pre-session plan to guide your decisions before you sit down to play. This plan might include:
A clear set of starting hand ranges for each position.
A stop-loss for how much you’re willing to lose in a single session.
A rule for how you’ll handle bad beats (e.g., taking a short break or practicing the 6-2-7 breathing technique).
Establishing these guidelines in advance can keep you from making emotional or impulsive decisions during the session.
Reframing Patience as a Skill
Patience is an active skill that requires focus and practice. Instead of seeing long periods without action as wasted time, use them to study your opponents’ tendencies, refine your reads, or simply remind yourself that poker is a game of waiting for the right moments.
By cultivating discipline and patience, you’ll improve your results and develop the mental toughness to stay composed and consistent. And in poker, consistency is the ultimate edge.
Poker is a game of highs and lows. If you’re not prepared for that, it’s easy to let frustration, anger, or disappointment take over. Emotional resilience is the skill that keeps you grounded, focused, and performing at your best, no matter what the cards throw your way.
Why It Matters
Tilt, the emotional state where frustration clouds your judgment, is one of the biggest threats to any player’s success. Beginners are especially vulnerable because they often take losses personally or feel the need to “get even.” But poker doesn’t owe you anything, and chasing losses usually leads to even bigger mistakes.
Emotional resilience helps you bounce back quickly from setbacks, stay calm under pressure, and focus on making good decisions. Resilient poker players don’t let one bad beat ruin their session—or their confidence.
Key Insight
You can’t control the cards, but you can control how you respond to them. Emotional resilience is about staying steady and composed, regardless of whether you’re on a heater or a downswing. The better you manage your emotions, the more consistent your game will become.
Actionable Tip
Practice self-talk to reframe setbacks in a way that keeps you focused and confident. When you think something like, “I always lose with aces,” replace it with a more constructive thought like, “Variance is part of the game, and I made the right decision based on the information I had.”
Over time, this habit trains your brain to respond to challenges with logic instead of emotion. To regain your composure, pair this with a simple reset ritual, like stepping away from the table for a few minutes or doing a quick breathing exercise.
The Resilience Advantage
Emotional resilience doesn’t mean you’ll never feel frustrated. Instead, it’s about how quickly you recover when emotions do surface. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes to let go of the things you can’t control and stay focused on making good decisions.
By strengthening your emotional resilience, you’ll become a better poker player and enjoy the game more. After all, poker is meant to be challenging—and rising to those challenges is what makes the journey so rewarding.
Creating the Right Poker Player Mindset
Success in poker isn’t just about knowing the right strategies or studying for hours. It’s about cultivating the mindset that allows you to perform consistently, learn from mistakes, and handle the ups and downs of the game. The five mindset shifts I’ve covered—focusing on the process, embracing variance, adopting a growth mindset, cultivating discipline and patience, and developing emotional resilience—are the foundation for long-term success.
If you’re just starting, don’t feel like you need to master all of these shifts at once. Instead, choose one to focus on this week. Start small—track your decision-making after each session, or take a moment to breathe deeply after a tough beat. These small actions add up; they’ll transform how you approach the game over time.
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If there is any way to describe Jake Paul, it is an enigma. Paul is one of the most dominant figures in popular culture this century. He has successfully transitioned from social media to sports and entertainment via a brief sojourn to the Disney Channel.
Paul began his career on the now-defunct Vine, which consisted of short, 6-second videos on a loop. His exploits with his brother Logan grew into a worldwide following today, with over 20 million subscribers.
Paul has always been the subject of controversy, which has followed him and his brother wherever they go. It’s no surprise that when he attempted to enter the world of professional boxing, he attracted the same level of controversy. Many have ridiculed his record, the fighters he faces off with, and his ambition to become a world champion boxer.
Throughout his career, Paul has always taken the unconventional route to stardom. He was one of the social media pioneers before briefly appearing on television. He started his boxing career through crossover matches and by fighting aging fighters, like his most recent bout against 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Stunts like his Tyson fight, one of the most streamed boxing events in history, have always been part of the reason Jake Paul’s fans have adored him for so many years. Whether it has been pulling stunts on his neighbors or calling out MMA fights on social media, Paul is captivating, but questions have always remained: Is it all a show? Is the Jake Paul boxing record worthless? Ultimately, is Jake Paul a fraud?
In this article, we’ll examine Jake Paul’s rise to fame, career, business ventures, and public persona to determine whether he is a fraud.
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From Vine to YouTube: Early Fame and its Fallout
Jake Paul is a product of the social media age. Paul rose to fame on the now-defunct social video site Vine and was one of the platform’s biggest stars. The platform allowed you to post short, six-second videos. Having gained nearly six million followers on Vine, his following was sure to move with him wherever he went after he left Vine after demanding payment from the app for his popularity.
Paul decided to move the majority of his content creation to YouTube, and from there, he became one of the first true Internet-era celebrities. Paul joined the video-sharing site a few months after the launch of his Vine account in May 2014 and began posting longer-form content on the site, quickly becoming one of the faces of the new era of content creators.
During this time, Disney attempted to cash in on Paul’s popularity by casting him to appear on the 2015 show Bizaardvark. However, he would last just under two years on the show as details emerged of his behavior at his Los Angeles property.
Neighbors had publicly complained about his stunts, like setting his backyard on fire, building a waterslide into his pool, and leaking his address online, leading to many fans arriving at the property. His landlord, learning of the behavior, sued him for $2.5 million, and his neighbors considered filing a class-action public lawsuit against him. He left in mid-2017 and was fired by Disney.
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Just under three years after his full-time migration to YouTube, Paul launched an entertainment brand and content agency called Team 10. This influencer and marketing agency slash management firm slash content farm featured several content creators with smaller followings and was launched on January 17, 2017, Paul’s 20th birthday.
In an attempt to capitalize on the growing perceived value of online video, several venture capital firms provided him with $1 million of funding. Many of the content creators lived with Jake Paul in his California home, and Paul used many of the creators associated with the Team 10 brand in some of his music videos, such as “It’s Everyday Bro,” which drew over 70 million views but also became the third most disliked video on YouTube of all time.
Team 10 quickly fell apart, however. Just ten months into the venture, twin brothers and content creators Ivan and Emilio Martinez left the agency and moved out of the content house. The two accused Paul, along with other agency members, of racism.
The two claimed that, among other things, members of the organization joked that they couldn’t be paid due to being immigrants. Paul claimed in a video with Shane Dawson, “Inside the Mind of Jake Paul,” that “nothing was off limits” during the time at the Team 10 house and that they “thought it was funny… at the time.” Finally, Paul claimed that the two were aware they were jokes, saying, “My vlogs are… lightly scripted.”
Controversy continued to follow him as he was filmed participating in protests at an Arizona mall in Summer 2020. During the protests, shops were looted, although, in June 2020, he denied taking part in any looting or criminal damage. He was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly for his role in the protests.
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Later, in August 2020, the FBI raided his home, reporting a “small militia’s worth of weapons” stored on site. High-powered rifles were among the firearms seized. The controversy of his YouTube channel, along with that of his brother, has continued to surround him and probably will throughout his career. Paul has never been one to shy away from being the center of attention and probably never will.
Jake Paul’s Boxing Record: Real Athlete or Smoke and Mirrors?
Jake Paul’s journey from social media prankster to professional boxer, drawing 65 million pay-per-view, has been remarkable. He made this latest pivot in the entertainment industry in 2018 when he began his boxing career with a white-collar fight against a fellow YouTube, Deji Olatunji.
Motivated to prove himself beyond his YouTube fame, he made his professional debut in 2020 against AnEsonGib to a chorus of criticism from the boxing establishment. Beating a well-known FIFA player and the self-declared “Pack King” didn’t do much for his reputation as a boxer. Still, the fight was backed by legitimate promoter Eddie Hearn and followed on the coattails of the eagerly anticipated fight between his brother Logan and KSI, the famous British rapper.
Since then, he has gone on to fight 12 times with an 11-1 record. Jake Paul’s boxing record features a mixed bag of crossover clashes, aging MMA fighters, and conventional boxers. In some quarters of boxing’s elite, ridicule punctuated his fights with retired NBA player Nate Robinson, former MMA champion Ben Askren, and, more recently, his much-hyped fight with 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Despite all this, Paul trained as a wrestler during his childhood and considers himself on a dual path to making significant financial gains and, in his own words, becoming the “greatest story in boxing history.”
The turning point for Jake Paul’s boxing record came with a split-decision loss to Tommy Fury, half-brother of Tyson Fury, in January 2023. A trained boxer, if an unconventional one given his fame for his appearance in the British series Love Island, Fury’s victory raised serious questions about the YouTuber’s true boxing capabilities.
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In response, Paul completely retooled his coaching team to emphasize boxing fundamentals. He then worked to establish credibility with a series of wins against lesser-known but experienced conventional boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland. Bourland, a former Golden Gloves champion, and August gave him much-needed experience against technical boxers.
His most recent bout has been, by far, his most controversial. The 27-year-old faced off against Mike Tyson, over 30 years his elder. Critics lambasted the fight as a cash grab on both sides and ridiculed it as uncompetitive. Still, Paul won, beating a former world champion and pulling in nearly 90,000 spectators to AT&T Stadium and almost 65 million streams on Netflix, proving his star power.
Supporters laud Paul for engaging younger audiences with boxing, a group that might have otherwise ignored the sport, and credit his mix of showmanship, business acumen, and athletic ability. Others argue that Paul’s opponents prove that he is no boxer and that he is purely an entertainment product, no different from professional wrestling.
Jake Paul’s boxing record will never convince some purists, but his ability to attract attention simply cannot be ignored. He has challenged the notion of success in the sport and has pocketed large amounts of money through his promotions brand, Most Valuable Promotions.
Whatever your thoughts on his ability or motivations, Paul is a significant player in the sport. Whether he becomes the “greatest story in boxing history” or a footnote in its long narrative remains to be seen.
Entrepreneurship and Side Hustles: Visionary or Opportunist?
Alongside his digital empire, Jake Paul has diversified his business assets beyond content. Forbes estimates that he has a net worth of $80 million in 2024, spanning merchandise sales, content creation, boxing promotions, and stakes in companies like Betr, a sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) product valued at an estimated $300 million.
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Paul’s various collaborations have also earned him large amounts and cemented his reputation as a savvy marketer. He works with brands like clothing manufacturer boohooMAN, sportsbook DraftKings, and fashion travel company Sprayground. The 27-year-old also runs a clothing line, RNBO, and co-founded the aforementioned Most Valuable Promotions, his boxing promotion company.
However, not all of his business dealings have been lauded. Early endeavors such as Edfluence and its successor, the Financial Freedom Movement, promised many of his younger, impressionable fans a roadmap to success and even a chance to join his content creation business but were criticized for high costs, vague outcomes, and labeled as exploitative brands.
Beginning in 2019, his involvement with cryptocurrency ventures, including his extensive involvement in the 2022 Safemoon fraud allegations, has also caused significant controversy. YouTuber Coffeezilla accused Paul of participating in a scam by promoting the Safemoon token on social media accounts with misleading information.
He was later named as a defendant alongside personalities like Soulja Boy and Lil Yachty in a class-action lawsuit claiming the token was a so-called “pump and dump” scam. Coffeezilla later accused Paul of using cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to scam his fans out of nearly $2.2 million.
Critics of Paul’s business dealings level the accusation that he is exploiting his young audience for profit. While his innovation and business acumen are to be sometimes admired, his business dealings as a whole have prompted a broader debate about the regulation of global internet celebrities and their influence on children. Much like Jake Paul’s boxing record, his business record is difficult to summarize.
Public Persona and Relationships: Genuine or Manufactured?
Jake Paul’s public persona is a carefully blended mix of controversy, showmanship, and sporadic acts of generosity. His public feuds with various figures, be it FaZe Banks, KSI, Daniel Dubois, or other sports figures, are part of his appeal rather than a distraction from it.
Everything surrounding Jake Paul can feel like scripted drama designed to dominate headlines and social media feeds. His relationships are no exception, with examples like his staged Las Vegas marriage to Tana Mongeau and his relationship with Erika Costell, which Costell later confirmed was nearly entirely staged.
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This is a common feature of Paul’s relationships: his first prominent relationship as a star, with fellow Vine creator Alissa Violet, was faked for content, and Violet claimed in Shane Dawson’s docuseries that Paul emotionally and mentally abused her during their time together.
Despite all the controversy, Paul’s fanbase remains fiercely loyal. His donations to organizations, charity boxing events, and public good deeds have softened his image and increased the love between him and his fans. Despite his misdeeds, he still has 20 million YouTube subscribers.
Skeptics argue that he is a calculated, talented person capable of balancing his public persona. Ultimately, he blurs the lines between reality and spectacle, keeping the spotlight firmly on himself.
Defining Fraud: Where Does Jake Paul Fit In?
Jake Paul operates in a grey area, blurring the line between authentic athletic ambition and calculated showmanship. While his staged relationships, self-promotional stunts, and the fights against handpicked opponents that litter Jake Paul’s boxing record might exploit audience expectations, these tactics align with the spectacle-driven nature of modern media.
Critics argue he misleads fans for profit, particularly in controversial ventures like cryptocurrency, his energy drink, Prime, which is facing its own range of criticisms and his questionable educational products, which may be construed as fraud. However, Paul’s transparency about his ambitions and ability to captivate audiences suggest he manipulates perceptions rather than commits outright fraud.
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Fraud or the Real Deal?
The evidence surrounding Jake Paul being a fraud is mixed. Critics point to controversies, such as his questionable business ventures and handpicked opponents inflating Jake Paul’s boxing record.
On the other hand, his entrepreneurial success, athletic commitment, and unmatched ability to draw audiences showcase his authenticity as a modern entertainer. Labeling him a fraud diminishes the cultural phenomenon he represents—a master of influencer-age spectacle, blending entertainment and ambition.
Ultimately, Jake Paul isn’t just a product of the influencer era; he’s a pioneer, redefining the boundaries of fame, success, and the ever-blurring line between authenticity and performance.
