Most people probably developed their current poker skills from watching others play the game. As poker players gear up for the New Jersey WPT, some people are thinking on how best to equip the player to receive the guaranteed millions. The partypoker US Network recently announced that it will be educating players on poker.
In a program dubbed “For The Player” and run in partnership with LearnWPT, players will be exposed to an insider view of poker. By the end of the program, players will not only be aware of the various strategies they can use to win a game of poker but they will also be able to develop a signature poker playing style. The partners of this program are dedicated to the wellbeing of players, eager to have them sharpen their poker skills and at the same time teach them to enjoy the game.
What we cover
How will the program be structured?
The World Poker Tour has already set up an online education platform dedicated to official poker education. It is though this platform, the LearnWPT that interested players will receive content related to poker strategy. Some of this content is in text form but a lot of material is also practical; players can have mock plays with WPT Trainer hands.
The LearWPT team is comprised of poker professionals like Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Nick Binger, Tony Dunst, Jared Tendler and Vanessa Selbst. These poker pros will teach strategy with video in various episodes. At least players can choose which trainer to stick with or watch all to borrow a tip from each.
Players who will participate in the “For The player” program will stand a chance to win extra training time with the team of trainers from LearnWPT. These additional sessions in training will involve LabDay sessions and interactive workshops happening in tandem with the partypoker tournament in New Jersey.
For The player program will not require players to pay for any content provided to them. In fact, the organizers will hold special tournaments and events in which the players will be drawn from their trainer list to demonstrate just how to apply different strategies. One such event that players in the poker education program by LearnWPT will be free to participate in is the progressive Knockout (PKO); a bounty event that is facilitated by partypoker US Network. To watch this event, players should stay tuned for the kickoff which will happen on 21st February 2021.
February 21 through to 28 will be the duration through which the online series of the progressive bounty knockout by partypoker US Network is slotted. The team at Learn WPT is expected to provide the strategy content to use for PKOs before the event day comes. LearnWPT will also provide players with an analysis of significant hands across social media platforms.
The journey to “For The player”
When the directors of partypoker and LearnWPT met in person, eac one of them had just started out in the poker business. For Nick Binger of LearnWPT and Ray Stefanelli of partypoker, their New Jersey meeting would be revolutionary. Binger who is today the lead instructor at LearnWPT was just a player.
Stefanelli was at that time a director in a casino. By the time the two met, Binger had already been on a WPT tour event. It was during the second WPT at Borgata that was held in 2007 that stefanelli noticed Binger playing; he paid attention to his moves and appeared to be mentally aware of his needs.
According to Binger, Stefanelli was even in those days overly concerned with the welfare of players. At the WPT, although most of the players were far from home, Stefanelli was reported to go out of his way to ensure that they were comfortable. Looking back at his journey to becoming a poker instructor, Binger credits Stefanelli for being such a huge motivating factor.
While teaching poker comes naturally for Binger, it is the facilitation of a partner like Stefanelli that makes the experience worthwhile. As an accomplished poker player, his achievements include high profile tournament awards, two bracelets from WSOP and a countless hours playing at the tables. Binger finds great fulfillment from teaching others how to win a poker game and have fun in the process.
Enjoying the winning process
As the founder and head trainer at LearnWPT, Binger is in a constant search for new ways to spice up the poker mastering experience. Of late, and based on the uptake of online poker technology, Binger is demystifying the digital poker versions in the market. For players taking the “For The player” program the study curve is not smooth all the way; tools such as WPT GTO Trainer and Solver Study have been explored to simplify the training.
Free for all players in various levels, the vision for Binger and Stefanelli is to create a community of poker players who value winning as much as they value the process of getting there. This is why the program will teach strategy combined with attitude.
Putting together a poker community
Depending on where a poker player learns the skill from, one may feel lacking in some aspects of the game. “For The player” embraces all levels of expertise in the game and especially builds on what the player already knows. To keep up with the wave of legalizing sports betting in different parts of the United States, poker players must sharpen their art to be able to play professionally.
A community of well-seasoned poker players resembles a well-structured sports academy; all a player needs is to show interest and potential. With more and more markets yearning to open up their online spaces to legalized betting, a lot more Americans will turn to online poker both as a sport and as a pass time.
Conclusion
For the many years that Stefanelli has been in poker operations leadership, he has witnessed first-hand the rate at which the public is picking it up as a sport. There is therefore need for poker-focused education to support the unwavering public interest. Currently, players who require guidance on poker tactic and strategy can access lessons through partypokerNJ, BetMGM, partypoker US Network and BorgataPoker.
