Poker Guides
Free educational guides to help you understand poker fundamentals, from basic rules to advanced strategy concepts.
Texas Hold'em Rules
12 min readFundamentalsComplete guide to playing Texas Hold'em poker. Learn the hand rankings, betting rounds, blinds, and showdown rules from scratch.
Poker Odds Chart
8 min readFundamentalsEssential odds every poker player should know. Preflop matchups, drawing odds, and the Rule of 2 & 4 explained with examples.
Poker Positions Explained
10 min readFundamentalsMaster table position in Texas Hold'em. Learn why position matters, what each seat is called, and how to use position to your advantage.
10 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
15 min readStrategyThe most costly mistakes new players make and exactly how to fix them. Stop bleeding chips and start playing winning poker.
Poker Betting Guide
12 min readStrategyMaster bet types (value, bluff, c-bet), sizing strategy by position and board texture, and when NOT to bet.
Poker Tilt: Causes & Cures
14 min readMental GameThe 7 types of tilt, their triggers, and how to control them. Pre-session prevention, in-the-moment fixes, and long-term solutions.
How to Track Your Results
10 min readImprovementWhat to track, key metrics (hourly rate, ROI), tools for live and online players, and how to analyze your data to find leaks.
Reading Opponents: Live Tells
13 min readLive PokerReliable tells (timing, betting, physical), myths to ignore, establishing baselines, and hiding your own tells.
GTO vs Exploitative Poker
11 min readAdvancedWhen to play balanced, when to exploit, and how the best players combine both approaches for maximum profit.
Practice what you learn with our free poker tools: hand calculator, pot odds, EV calculator, and more.
Learn Poker the Right Way
Whether you're completely new to poker or looking to sharpen your fundamentals, these guides cover everything you need to know. Each guide is written to be comprehensive yet accessible, with clear explanations and practical examples.
Start with the Texas Hold'em Rules guide if you're learning the game from scratch. It covers hand rankings, betting structure, and how a hand plays out from start to finish.
Once you understand the basics, move on to the Poker Odds Chart to learn the math behind profitable decisions. Understanding odds is what separates winning players from losing ones.
Finally, master table positions to understand why acting last is such a huge advantage and how to adjust your strategy based on where you sit.
Guides + Tools = Faster Learning
These guides pair perfectly with our free poker tools. After reading about pot odds, use the Pot Odds Calculator to practice real scenarios. Study hand matchups in the guides, then verify them with the Hand Calculator.
The Hand Rankings tool provides a quick visual reference, while the Poker Glossary defines any term you encounter in these guides.
Related Resources
- Poker Tools — 11 free calculators for odds, equity, EV, and more.
- Hand Rankings Reference — Visual card examples of all 10 poker hands.
- Poker Glossary — 180+ poker terms defined in plain language.
Track your progress as you learn with the PokerLog app. Log sessions, monitor your bankroll, and see your improvement over time.