Poker Training Frequently Asked Questions

Advanced Poker Training

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there detailed instructions on how to use the site? ^Top

We have two options for detailed instructions. The first are detailed instructional videos that describes how to use the site.

Alternatively, we have a list of features with screenshots.

Can I view a sample training report? ^Top

Our members receive training reports and weekly training plans summarizing where they should be focusing their training efforts. They also receive a detailed analysis every time they finish a playing session. You can view a sample report and training plan here and a sample session report here.

What is a "Beat the Pro" Challenge and how do I play one? ^Top

Our exclusive "Beat the Pro" Challenge pits you against the best of the best, and uses proven methods shown to be the most effective way to stimulate the brain’s learning functions. There are currently over 25 challenges, with topics ranging from "Playing Ace-Queen in 9-player Cash Games" to "Playing the Short Stack in a Multi-Table Tournament". In each challenge, you'll play 20 poker hands that fit the category, and then afterwards you can watch a replay of an APT Pro playing those exact same hands you just played. While watching this replay, you will hear audio commentary from the pro, explaining the logic behind his or her actions. You'll need an all-access pass to get to all the Beat the Pro Challenges, but for free members, the Pocket Jacks challenge is available as a sample.

I'm having trouble with the poker game on my computer or mobile device. What can I do? ^Top

Please see our page of Supported Devices for complete details on how to fix this problem.

How Do I Become a Member? ^Top

You may join by clicking the Start Training button at the top right of any page. If you are already a member, you can log in.

What are a RealPokerIQ™ Score and a RealPokerSkill™ rating and how are they calculated? ^Top

The short version is that both our RealPokerIQ™ Score and our RealPokerSkill™ Rating are luck-adjusted measures of how closely you played to a perfect game if all the cards were face up. We take a lot of things into account and we provide this rating to our members for every session they play, both overall and on each street. We also provide many other statistics that can help you pinpoint the precise areas of your game where you can improve the most. For more detailed information, including a discussion of the meaning of the specific numbers given, check out our detailed description of our Poker Training Skill Ratings.

What are the different game levels I can play? ^Top

Here is a listing of the tables for 9-max and 6-max games, with a brief description. You can select the table from the main game menu that shows up when you first start the game, or by clicking "Change Tables" at the top middle of the game screen.

Free members can only play the beginning levels. To play higher levels with higher quality opponents, you must be a full member.

Table Name Number of Players Typical Blinds Game Level Description Setting Description
Phil's Garage9 or 61/2This is your typical home game with poor, loose players.Phil is having his friends over to play poker in his garage, and you've been invited too. They all think they're great because they watch poker on TV, but they still have a lot to learn. You should dominate them.
Chips on the Beach9 or 62/5This game is typical of what you would find from tourists who don't play much poker.This game is held in Maui, Hawaii and many of the opponents seem to have been served one too many drinks. Kick back, relax, and take their chips.
Mile High Summer9 or 65/10Another vacation crowd, this one slightly more serious, but still with a number of weaker players.You travel to the mountains to get away, and you read about a poker game at your resort. Many of the people at the game have played poker before, some of them seriously. Overall, it's a fun crowd, and some of them don't mind donating to your vacation fund.
A Poker Party9 or 610/20Players here know what they are doing mostly, although you would probably call most of them intermediate players.It's the weekend and you were looking around for something to do. You called a few friends and found out about a game taking place in the rich part of town. Some of the players have some money to throw around, but there are a few sharks in the tank. The noise level is high, there's a party going on around you, and at the table the chips are changing hands fast.
Big City Lights9 or 620/40An aggressive game, with many solid players, some maniacs also.There's nothing like a game of poker in the big city. After a hard day's work, these players like to get together and match their wits with other strong competitors. Do you have what it takes to match up with these aggressive players, many of whom think they are the next Phil Ivey?
Dumpster Alley9 or 640/80Tight, tough game, with many aggressive players. This is the kind of game where you certainly want to be sitting with your back to the wall. You know you're in for a tough game when you see a broken down car sitting behind the table, stripped of almost everything but the radio.
Stranded in the Sahara9 or 650/100An advanced game, with almost all very solid players.You've been invited to play a tough game in the middle of the Sahara Desert. There are no weak players in this game. After playing a few rounds at the table, your mouth will be dry and you'll feel like you need a drink - probably not water either.
The Swiss Alps9 or 6100/200This game is limited to professional-level opponents. Very high skilled game.The world has heard all about you now - they know how good you are. You've been invited to the Alps to play against some of the best unknown players in the world. These opponents don't play games - they are in it to take your money and leave you wondering how you're going to get back home.
Vegas Championship9 or 6200/400There are no weak players at this final table, these are the best of the best.Hosted at the world-famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, this game will be tougher than any you have ever played in. An incredibly wide variety of opponents, it's like sitting at a table with Hellmuth, Ivey, and Doyle.
KGB's Dungeon9 or 6500/1000Enter if you dare.The skeletons tell the story - few enter, almost none get out. Deep in a dungeon in the former Soviet Union, a group of oil moguls, Russian Mafia, and former KGB agents get together and play in the world's richest poker game. No one outside even knows the game exists. From their occupations, these players are all skilled in reading their opponents. Mere mortals don't dare set foot in this game or they will read you like a book and take all your chips.

Who are the different opponents I may face? ^Top

Here are pictures of some of the opponents you may face, from weakest to strongest. Mouse over their pictures to see their name, click on them for a biography and a full description of their playing style. There are also up to 8000 additional opponents you can face in our Multi-Table Tournament trainer.


  1. Joe "The Punisher" Ferguson
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Nicknamed "The Punisher", Joe inflicts most of his punishment on himself by being too aggressive at the wrong times.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  2. Dorothy "Bad at This" Hart
    Louisville, KY
    Southern girl who loves to play the game, just not very well. She likes to bet and doesn't like to fold.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  3. Stu "The Underminer" Feldman
    San Francisco, CA, USA
    Stu likes to throw his chips around and often undermines anyone who wants to keep the stakes low.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  4. Leonie "Crazy Playa" Abend
    Sunnyvale, CA
    Possibly one of the craziest players you'll ever meet, she acts like a gangster but has nothing to back it up.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  5. Mary "The Slot Machine" Bennington
    Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    She likes to chase her hand to the river. If you're lucky, you'll get her chips.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  6. Samuel "Wayne Gretzky" Marshall
    Edmonton, Ontario
    This guy spends most of the game talking about hockey and how he wants to play professionally. He certainly seems to have the aggression to do it.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  7. Michelle "The Enthusiast" Lyons
    Paris, France
    When she hits a big hand, she lets the whole table hear about it. Fortunately for your chip stack, she lets her chips go easily.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  8. Markos "Midwest" Hermanson
    Oak Brook, IL
    He hasn't been playing the game long, and it shows. One time he went all-in with 72 offsuit just because he felt like it.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  9. David "The Hold'em King" Bishop
    Pascagoula, MS, USA
    He likes to think he has a good game. He tries to mimic the pros, but just doesn't have a good feel for the game.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  10. Julia "Amazing Grace" Szanto
    Lubbock, TX
    She is constantly praying for a good flop, and usually it would take some serious praying for her to win.
    Loose, Aggressive Beginner

  11. Anne "The Princess" Malone
    London, UK
    Her looks may distract the guys at the table, but she is far too likely to call your bet.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  12. Benigno "Al" Capone
    Manchester, MO
    His name sounds scary, but this guy plays very passively and is not someone you should be afraid of at the tables.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  13. Billy "The Straight-Faced Kid" James
    New York City, NY, USA
    Opponents often think he resembles someone they've seen playing poker on TV. After a few minutes, they realize that it definitely wasn't him.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  14. Danielle "HORSE" Hudson
    SanAngelo, TX
    She likes to play just about every type of card game. But has not mastered any of them yet.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  15. Becky "Two-Faced" Newton
    Joliet, IL, USA
    She looks like a good player, but appearances can't always be believed.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  16. Leslie "Quotable" Mullner
    Clinton, OK
    Nothing out of this player's mouth ever makes any sense. She's as loose with her chips as she is with her mouth.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  17. Cathy "Chatty Cathy" Ramirez
    San Antonio, TX
    She is just out to have fun at the tables. She likes to talk, and she doesn't pay all that much attention to the game.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  18. Marilyn "Acey-Deucey" Miller
    Winter Haven, FL
    They call her Acey-Deucey because she never met an Ace she didn't want to play - even with deuce.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  19. Lacy "Telephone" Smithers
    Las Vegas, NV
    She likes to sit around the table and call all day.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  20. Hardouin "X22" Daoust
    Paris, France
    He used to own an old "Thinkpad X22", only his processing is not nearly as good. He plays too many hands.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  21. Adam "The Gambler" Baker
    Albuquerque, NM, USA
    A newcomer to poker, he mostly plays when he doesn't have much else to do. A very relaxed player, just there for the fun.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  22. Jacob "The Madman" Sanders
    Rue de la Rulles, Belgium
    Very loose with his chips, but not nearly as much aggression as you would expect from someone nicknamed "The Madman"
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  23. Pat "The High Roller" Bigsby
    Atlantic City, NJ, USA
    He likes to pass out chips to his opponents.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  24. Tony "Bullet Proof" Diaz
    Andalucia, Spain
    He likes to think he can win with any hand. Someone once asked him if he thought he was bullet proof, and the name stuck.
    Loose, Passive Beginner

  25. James "The Closer" Jenkins
    Newark, NY, USA
    This kind older gentleman doesn't bet very often, and when he plays a hand, he's probably got something.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  26. Isabelle "Lucky" Hobbs
    Miami, FL
    Doesn't play all that many hands, and doesn't play them very strong when she does. Many people think she is lucky because they only see good hands from her.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  27. Leslie "The Queen of Hearts" Miller
    Atlanta, GA, USA
    She doesn't play many hands, and doesn't much seem to like the game much. You can't figure out why she's at the table.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  28. Franc "The Kid" Asonovic
    Split, Croatia
    The call him the kid because winning chips from him is like taking candy from a baby. Have you ever tried taking candy from a baby? This guy whines a lot also.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  29. Sue "Crazy Eights" Matthews
    Saginaw, MI, USA
    Spends more time talking about her days at Saginaw Valley State University, and sitting around playing Crazy Eights. Doesn't play many hands, and doesn't play them well when she does.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  30. Adam "Tricky Dog" Pataky
    Yuba City, CA
    He'll just sit there for a while and then suddenly limp in. You never know what he's got because he tends to play most hands the same way.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  31. Ali "Big Talker" Kitchson
    Roanoke, VA, USA
    On vacation, just sitting around for the company. Not a serious player, but very talkative.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  32. Peter "Angleton Slim" Dalley
    Angleton, TX
    Any resemblance between this guy and the great Amarillo Slim is in nickname only. This guy is weak and tight at the table.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  33. Kevin "The Thinker" Clemens
    Houston, TX, USA
    Always thinks a lot before putting chips into the pot, and doesn't talk very much.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  34. Ronnie "Mini Grinder" Lee
    Flint, MI
    The nickname has nothing to do with the pro with a similar nickname. This guy is just always ordering small sandwiches at the table.
    Tight, Passive Beginner

  35. Dan "The Iceman" Williams
    Cape Town, South Africa
    This opponent has ice in his veins. He's been known to push his stack with 7-2 off suit at times.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  36. Angus "Dot Com" Veliz
    Roanoke, VA
    Spends a lot of time talking about how he wins in online poker games. Plays fairly aggressively, and he's not terrible.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  37. Addei "Double Down" Akua
    Accra, Ghana
    One of the most aggressive players you will ever meet. When she isn't playing hold'em, she likes to play black-jack and will double down with almost anything.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  38. Gelasio "The Matador" Fuentes
    Alcala, Spain
    Throws chips at the pot like he is trying to go after a bull. A solid player, but plays a few too many hands.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  39. Joe "Solid" Pham
    Hai Phong, Vietnam
    A solid player, like his nickname states. Plays a lot of hands, but pushes his good hands strongly.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  40. Jonas "Poker Kid" Scherer
    Barbers Point, HI
    Spent a lot of his childhood looking for the toughest waves, now he tries to play in the toughest games. He's an aggressive player.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  41. Tyrese "The Stingray" Simpson
    Tampa, FL, USA
    Likes to play at the Hard Rock in his hometown, and has built up some solid skills. His heroes are some of the more aggressive pros on TV.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  42. Bao "The Orient Express" Hsueh
    Quaker Gap, NC
    She is worth watching out for, she'll try to chase you off your hand like you are a car sitting on the railroad tracks.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  43. Tim "The Triple Threat" Stevenson
    Kansas City, MO, USA
    He's slow to act, he never pays attention, and he's always running back to the table for his hand. He'll also try to scare you away with his huge bets.
    Aggressive Intermediate

  44. Enrico "The Hammer" Alejandro
    Wichita, KS
    They call him the hammer because he likes to slam down big bets for fun. Another solid player, but still learning.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  45. Nicolette "Diamond Girl" Ahlquist
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    She comes to the states to play poker often. She will try to charm you at the table, and also push you around.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  46. Brian "The Owl" Grant
    Los Angeles, CA
    He likes to stare down his opponents to try to read them. He hasn't gotten very good at it yet, but he's certainly not a bad player.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  47. Gene "The Sweeper" Yeo
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    He'll try to sweep your chips off the table with his wild style. Learned his aggression on the basketball courts in New York City.
    Aggressive Intermediate

  48. Rudolf "Giant" Koch
    Savannah, GA
    One of the most obnoxious people you will ever play with. He loves to bet just to irritate his opponents. It sometimes works, because he is a decent winner.
    Loose, Aggressive Intermediate

  49. Stacy "The Study" Miller
    Ames, IA, USA
    The typical farmer's daughter, she joined a sorority at Iowa State University and learned to play poker watching her boyfriend. She studied well, because she's skilled at the game.
    Loose, Passive Intermediate

  50. Andjelko "The Dream Crusher" Fiorelli
    Serbia
    Crushes your dreams of stealing the blinds. This player tends to play a lot of hands, but plays them fairly well.
    Loose, Passive Intermediate

  51. Carlos "The Marksman" Castro
    Aragon, Spain
    He hasn't been playing poker long, but his instincts are excellent and he has learned the tools to be a pretty good player.
    Aggressive Intermediate

  52. Stojka "The Mouth" Priverseck
    Komarno, Slovakia
    Nicknamed "The mouth" because she can't stop telling bad beat stories. Doesn't play a ton of hands, but plays fairly well when she does.
    Tight, Aggressive Intermediate

  53. Leslie "The Trainer" Richards
    Encino, CA, USA
    She makes it very clear that she didn't get her nickname from working in a gym. She doesn't play many hands, but when she does, she isn't afraid to put a hurting on you.
    Tight, Aggressive Intermediate

  54. Christa "The Queen" Thomas
    Armour, SD
    She won a beauty pageant in South Dakota. Poker clearly wasn't her talent, but she isn't that bad.
    Aggressive Intermediate

  55. Rebecca "The Hypnotist" D'Laurent
    Dijon, France
    She hypnotizes you to sleep by just watching everyone else play. But when she does play a hand, it's usually a good one.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  56. Nima "Big Slick" Lundberg
    Stockholm, Sweden
    Nobody likes playing with this guy. He just sits around waiting for the right hand, and then plays it really weak. But he wins. Got his nickname when the only 4 hands he showed were AK.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  57. Lenny "The Investigator" Jensen
    Copenhagen, Denmark
    Likes to know what his opponents are doing before he plays a hand. A thinking player, with a good knack for reading opponents.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  58. Arcelia "Spyder" Arreola
    Cadiz, OH
    The game slows to a crawl when she plays a hand. Fortunately, she doesn't play very many. A thoughtful player who makes mostly good decisions.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  59. Juan "El Catedratico" Martes
    Sevilla, Spain
    They call him the professor because of his thinking style of play. The only thing keeping him from being an excellent player is his calm manner and play.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  60. Emma "Poison" Ivey
    Grand Rapids, MI
    She won't scare you away from the table, but she possesses some skill and will not be the worst player you face.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  61. Joey "The Peddler" Lu
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Delivered newspapers for many years, but when the Internet wiped out his delivery routes, he took up online poker. He was always cautious with where he left his customer's papers, and he's still cautious with his money.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  62. Natalie "Painted Rouge" Frappier
    Beaver Creek, OR
    Wears bright red lipstick and talks a lot about Oregon. But she doesn't play many hands and doesn't bet a ton. An average player.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  63. Rebecca "The Magician" Michaels
    Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
    She is known as the magician for fooling her opponents with her play, and she picks her places well. She is just a few steps from being an extremely solid player.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  64. Diederik "Thunder" Hermansen
    Faroe Islands
    Makes really loud noises when he wins a hand, often scaring his opponents. Doesn't play a lot of hands, so you don't have to hear it very often.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  65. Bonnie "Hallmark" Henderson
    Billings, MT, USA
    Loves to annoy the table with bad beat stories. One guy told her she was a walking Hallmark sob card. She liked it and took it as her nickname. She knows which hands to play, but tends to be too passive to scare away opponents.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  66. Ernie "Jesse James" Gonzales
    Los Angeles, CA
    They call him Jesse James because he tends to win the hands when he plays them. But he doesn't play as many as other players.
    Tight, Passive Intermediate

  67. Vince "The Bomb" Elliot
    Birmingham, AL, USA
    Seems like he plays far too many hands, but pushes his stack often and scares away his opponents.
    Tight, Aggressive Intermediate

  68. Antje "The Rambler" Schmid
    Los Angeles, CA
    Frequently leaves the table to take a walk around the room. Someone joked about it, and she proceeded to win the rest of his chips. An excellent player.
    Tight, Aggressive Intermediate

  69. Tammy "The CEO" Simpson
    Basel, Switzerland
    Travels the globe running a multi-national company, she is also a brilliant poker player, choosing the right hands and pushing them strongly.
    Tight, Aggressive Expert

  70. Zhen "Phone Home" T'ang
    Monroe, IN
    Seems to always be leaving the table to talk on his cell. But when he's there, he is a tight aggressive player who knows what he's doing.
    Tight, Aggressive Expert

  71. Cami "The Jokester" Styles
    Bismark, ND, USA
    Tells everyone that she is from North Dakota, but no one knows for sure. She's always got something funny to say, and she distracts her opponents from realizing that she's winning all their chips.
    Tight, Aggressive Expert

  72. Richard "Grave Digger" Brown
    Las Vegas, NV
    Digs graves for a living, and has dug many opponents' graves also. An excellent player with a good sense for the game.
    Tight, Aggressive Expert

  73. Sally "Quick-Study" Yang
    West Covina, CA, USA
    First played poker about a year ago. She generally dominates every game she plays.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  74. Patrick "Flash" Gordon
    Fosoria, MI
    Doesn't play a lot of big hands, but plays an extremely solid game while trying to keep the pot reasonably low.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  75. Kevin "The Wiz Kid" Fieldman
    Raleigh, NC, USA
    Looks like he isn't old enough to be playing at the table, but clearly has been playing for years. Doesn't get overly aggressive, but is a highly winning player.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  76. Paul "Jack Benny" Turner
    Hartford, CT
    Has been known to start quoting old TV shows while taking your money at the poker table. Not overly aggressive, but very solid.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  77. Stuart "The Mastermind" Jefferson
    Manhatten, NY, USA
    Has played poker his entire life, and only plays hands he thinks he can win. Excellent at getting out of trouble, and rarely goes home with less money than he started with.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  78. Alviso "#1 Lucky One" Bergamaschi
    New York, NY
    Everyone thinks he is very lucky because he acts like a beginner, but wins most of the time.
    Tight, Passive Expert

  79. Blake "All-In" Olsen
    Bergen, Norway
    A chip-slinging pro, he admires Gus Hansen and tries to play just like him. In most games, he is successful.
    Loose, Aggressive Pro

  80. Reece "Sharpshooter" Kerr
    Portland, OR
    A solid professional player, he is very good at picking the right situation to steal your chips.
    Loose, Aggressive Pro

  81. Randy "Ace" Malone
    Puyallup, WA, USA
    Plays one of the loosest games you'll ever see, but knows exactly when to do it. A huge winner at most tables, recently turned pro.
    Loose, intricate strategy

  82. Archie "Broderick Crawford" Wall
    Newport News, VA
    One of the looser players you will face, he also is one of the better ones. Plays very aggressively and tends to win in most games.
    Active, consistent winner

  83. Svetlana "Queen of Diamonds" Lebedeva
    Beloretsk, Russia
    Grew up on a small farm in Russia. Her father taught her to play poker as a child and she is now a well-known professional player with a very solid style.
    Strong, experienced pro

  84. Julia "The Flying Dutchess" Szolos
    Gulfport, MS
    An imposing figure at the table. She also has a fantastic and aggressive poker game.
    Intimidating, versatile game

  85. Callie "The Chip Thief" Yang
    San Francisco, CA
    You think she's just there for fun. But she only plays big games, and she usually wins.
    Tough, deceptive pro

  86. Nelda "Double Deuce" Menchaca
    South Bend, IN
    Once went all in on the river with an unimproved double deuce. Very unlike her style, so her opponent folded the winning hand.
    Solid, but occasionally tricky

  87. David "The Godfather" Kowalewski
    Warsaw, Poland
    He has played some shady games in his day, and you notice quickly that no one ever messes with him. He plays on the professional circuit and plays a tight, solid game.
    Strong, disciplined pro

  88. Larry "Maverick" Williams
    Metairie, LA
    Another excellent professional player. Plays a solid style that is generally a winning one.
    Solid, Balanced Game

  89. Vlad "The Crusher" Karpov
    Novosibirsk, Russia
    He does not waste his time playing professionally - he's made enough money the old fashioned way. Plays only the biggest games, and is probably better than most professional players.
    Skilled, complex amateur

  90. John "Fish" Horton
    Cleveland, OH
    Got his nickname because everyone thinks he plays way too many hands. However, he is an expert at picking his spots and beats almost every game he plays.
    Loose but resourceful

  91. Paul "The Razor" Mitchell
    Bronx, NY, USA
    Not someone to mess with either at the table, or otherwise. Someone made fun of his name and hair care products once. Once. A very loose and aggressive game makes him a devastating opponent to face.
    Challenging, tricky pro

  92. Tatiano "Texas Wrangler" Sevilla
    Houston, TX
    He'll wrangle up your chips if you aren't careful. A dominating player who throws chips around like they are cow chips.
    Wild, dangerous player

  93. Jenny "The Widow" Lee
    Hong Kong
    Many consider "The Widow" to be the greatest poker player in the world. She has sent many a player to an early demise.
    Brilliant, talented pro

  94. Petri "Devastator" Hautala
    Espoo, Finland
    One of the best players in the world, he is known to devastate many opponents with his aggressive style.
    World-class pro

  95. Boris "The Driller" Novikov
    Moscow, Russia
    Made his fortune in oil and has never backed down from a tough poker game. A cool million is a small stack in his mind.
    Fearless high stakes player

  96. Maria "In Control" Natale
    Cincinnati, OH
    She is in control of her chips at all times. You will be extremely lucky to walk away with any money.
    Disciplined, crafty pro

  97. Andre "No Mercy" Kamanev
    Kiev, Ukraine
    Only plays the biggest stakes games. A rumor follows him around that he has only lost one session in his life. After it, he shot all of his opponents because he thought they were cheating.
    Intimidating, relentless

  98. Elizabeth "LosersWin" Majors
    Salineville, OH
    With the baseball cap and a friendly style, you think she's easy money. Think again. She seems to be able to win with any hand and is definitely one of the best players you will ever face.
    Deceptive, versatile pro

  99. Guillermo "Billy the Kid" Villegas
    Mexico City, Mexico
    He will rob you blind of your chips. His instincts are the best in the world.
    Instinctive, deceptive pro

  100. Kyle "Harry Potter" Anderson
    Lamington, England
    Got his nickname because his opponents thought he must have some sort of magic wand. Rarely loses a session and seems to have the ability to defeat any player he faces.
    Successful, tricky player

  101. Steve "Steamin" Stokely
    Somewhere
    Stokely is the best poker player you've never heard of, and he likes it that way. Does everything he can to keep his name and skills unknown - until now.
    He IS poker

  102. Daylian "Raising" Cain
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Ivy-League professor by day, Cain plays 1000BB deep in underground "executive games." He has unearthly hand-reading abilities and, scoring 150-160 on poker IQ tests, Cain is a genius on the felt. Rumored to coach for $1600/hr.
    Deep Thinking, Loose Aggressive

  103. Ron "The Champ" Rose
    Cincinnati, OH
    Ron is a 2 time World Poker Tour Champion and has won a World Series of Poker Gold Bracelet. He is recognized worldwide as an outstanding poker coach, and has trained several top players.
    Tight, Aggressive Pro

  104. Tom "Titan" Braband
    Huntington Beach, CA
    A tough, street-smart pro from Southern California, Tom has nearly $3 million dollars in lifetime winnings.
    Deep Thinking, Tight Aggressive

  105. Mike "The Mad Genius of Poker" Caro
    Denver, CO
    Guru to top professional players, author, pioneer in poker theory and computerized poker intelligence. An opponent to be feared in any game.
    Deceptive; Wild image, but beware!

  106. Jonathan "JCardShark" Little
    Las Vegas, NV
    After playing online for two years while attending the University of West Florida, Jonathan decided to focus on poker full-time. In 2008, he earned his second WPT title, becoming the youngest person to ever do so. Jonathan now has over $5 million in lifetime tournament earnings.
    Deep Thinking, Solid Pro

  107. Doug Hull
    Las Vegas, NV
    Doug Hull wrote the very popular book "Poker Plays You Can Use", and is also the co-founder of RedChipPoker.
    Solid, Aggressive Pro

  108. Ed Miller
    Las Vegas, NV
    Ed Miller is the author of 8 poker books, an MIT graduate, and a columnist for Card Player Magazine.
    Aggressive, Unpredictable Pro

  109. David "DW" Williams
    Las Vegas, NV
    David Williams has over $8 million in career earnings. He holds a WSOP Gold Bracelet, WPT Title, and a 2nd Place WSOP Main Event finish.
    Unpredictable, Aggressive Pro

  110. Scotty "The Prince of Poker" Nguyen
    Las Vegas, NV
    Scotty Nguyen is a true legend in the poker world. A five time WSOP bracelet winner with nearly $12 million in tournament earnings, including a win in the Main Event and the $50,000 buyin Players Championship.
    Erratic, volatile play...it seems

  111. Qui "TommyGun" Nguyen
    Las Vegas, NV
    Qui Nguyen became an overnight poker sensation with his dominating victory at the 2016 WSOP Main Event, with Advanced Poker Training in his corner. He won $8 million dollars and the coveted gold bracelet!
    Hyper-aggressive, Exceptional poker instincts

  112. Alex "Assassinato" Fitzgerald
    Newark, NJ
    Alex Fitzgerald is a full-time poker coach and the author of 'The Myth of Poker Talent'. His poker consultancy has served thousands of clients.
    Aggressive pre-flop; unorthodox

What do my statistics mean? ^Top

On some pages, such as the "My Hands Played" and "Session Report" pages, you may find your statistics listed. If you've never looked at poker statistics before, the names may be unfamiliar to you. The statistics calculated and stored are as follows:

VPIP - Voluntarily Put $ In Pot (%) - This is the percentage of hands where you either called or made a raise preflop. A check from the big blind or fold from the small blind does not count, because the bet was mandatory. This statistic determines whether you are a loose or tight player. Good players have a wide range of VPIP figures - within the range of 15-27% in a 9 player game. Sometimes there are very tight players, "rocks", with VPIP 10% and lower. Against such players it is necessary to try to steal the blinds by raising much more often, but if they have entered into a hand, especially with a raise, you should only play with the best cards. If a player is especially loose, it is possible to play more hands against them.

PFR - Pre-Flop Raise (%) - The percent of hands in which you raised preflop (to call another player's raise does not count). This characteristic often divides players into passive/aggressive. A good rule of thumb is that this value should be 1/2 of your VPIP figure or more. Raises from passive players should be respected, whereas raises from maniacs with high PFR can be counteracted with aggressive play back.

AF - Aggression Factor - This is calculated as the total number of bets and raises you made after the flop, divided by your number of calls. It compares how often you bet and raise, versus how often you just call. The higher the number, the more aggressive you are. The average factor of aggression for winning players in a 9 player game is 2.5 (with a range of 1.7 to 3.5).

WTS - Went to Showdown (%) - The percent of times you went to the showdown after seeing the flop. Average figure is 20%, with a range of 17-25%. This statistic helps define tight/loose play after the flop. It also is good for determining the effectiveness of a bluff against a player. A player with high WTS is often a “calling station”. A player with a lower value is afraid to lose, on dangerous flops they might fold any cards except for the nuts. Against these tight players, a bluff is an effective play.

W$S - Won $ at Showdown (%) - The percent of times you won money at the showdown, out of those times you went to the showdown. For example, if you went to the showdown 10 times, and you won 8 of those, this number would be 80%. This number tells you how often you are showing down the best hand, and you certainly want it to be at least 50%. Note: "Winning money at the showdown" is defined as ending the hand with more chips than you started it with. Sometimes in split pots and all-in situations, you might win some chips at the showdown, but lose money overall.

CBET - Continuation Bet (%) - This is calculated as a measure of aggressiveness on the flop when you were the pre-flop aggressor. It is calculated as the percentage of times you bet on the flop when it was checked to you and you had also raised pre-flop. In most 9 player games, winning players CBET about 75% of the time, however the range can vary from 70% to 90%. In a particularly loose game, the CBET% will decrease substantially, and in a particularly tight game, good players will CBET nearly 100% of the time if the pot is not defended regularly.

Did not fold BB to steal - this is the percent of hands when you were in the big blind and you defended against someone attempting to steal the blinds (an attempt to steal is defined as any raise from the Cutoff, Button, or Small Blind if no other player has entered the hand first). The best 9-max players on APT average 39%, but as low as 27% is acceptable. This gives you a good idea about how tight someone plays from the blinds, and is often used as a guide for whether to attempt a steal. Note that at lower stakes games, this statistic is rarely meaningful because it is rare to have no one in the pot by the cutoff when the game is loose. However, if you find your percent falling to a low range, you can be sure other players will notice and try to take advantage of your tight play.

Attempts to steal blinds - How often you attempted to steal the blinds when given the opportunity. The previous statistic showed protection of blinds, this is the attacking side of it. The best 9-max players on APT average 40%, but as low as 27% is acceptable. The higher this number is, the more it is necessary to protect against such a player more actively, because he can attack with hands much worse than yours. This is not as important in a low stakes game, again because opportunities are not as common.

BB/100 - The average number of big blinds won (or lost) per hundred hands. This is often used as a measure of the success of a player at a given level. It is important to note that there are huge amounts of variance in this number, and even large numbers of hands cannot accurately tell you your precise win rate. For example, even after 20,000 hands, your true long term BB/100 might be only 1/2 as much, or on the other hand it might be double. It really takes a long time to get an accurate assessment of this one.

Chips/100 - The average number of chips won (or lost) per hundred hands. This is the same as BB/100, only it is measured in total chips, not big blinds.

Do you have a suggestion for a statistic that would be great to store? If so, just contact us and we'll respond to your suggestion.

How do I view my statistics? ^Top

Statistics are saved for all registered users, but they can only be viewed by full members. If you are not a full member, you can sign up for a membership package.

If you are a member, your statistics can always be viewed on your My Hands Played and My Sessions Played pages. However, the My Reports and My Training Plan pages are the best ways to track your progress!

Do you have any partner sites? ^Top

Yes! Please check out our partner sites and you'll find some great deals, offer codes, and bonuses.

How much does membership cost? ^Top

Please see our Prices and Guarantee page for a list of package prices.

How do I change my password or update my email address? ^Top

Visit the My Account page and click on "Change Password, Email, or Name"

Can I export and download all the hands I've played on Advanced Poker Training?^Top

Yes! Please see the Export FAQ.

How do I use the "What's The Nuts" training game?^Top

The object of the game is the find the best possible hand (The "Nuts") given a set of board cards. You'll find a link to the game on your member page. Some technical questions, such as what counts as the nuts, are covered in the What's The Nuts FAQ.

My tournament reports are separated by "stages". How do you define the stages of a tournament?^Top

Most poker references will tell you that tournaments, including Sit-N-Go tournaments, occur in stages, and different skills and playing techniques are needed in each stage. Therefore, on the Skills Page of your report, and in your weekly Training Plan, we evaluate your performance based on the stage of the tournament. Please see a more detailed discussion of the stages here.

I just configured the game to deal me only pocket aces for a session. Won't this affect my reports?^Top

When viewing your reports, you'll notice a checkbox that says "Show randomly dealt hands only". This box is checked by default, meaning a session such as the one you described (where you were only dealt pocket aces) would not influence your reports. Please see a more detailed discussion here.

I played a Beat the Pro Challenge, but the buttons to view the Pro's replay are still greyed out. Why?^Top

Occasionally when you play a challenge, one or more of the hands you played will fail to save to your database due to an intermittent internet connectivity problem. When that happens, you won't be able to view your results or watch the comparision of your play to the pro's actions, because we don't have a complete set of hands to work with. Try taking the challenge again. If you have this problem more than once, please contact us and we'll do our best to resolve it. You can help us narrow down the source of the problem by trying any of these suggestions:

  1. Try taking the challenge from a different computer or device
  2. Try using a different browser (Firefox or Chrome for example)
  3. Try from a different location (from your office, library, etc)
  4. If you're using our Universal (mobile) game, try using the Flash version of our game from your desktop or laptop computer.