flirting w/ the idea of joining training site

I'm a novice NLHE full ring microstakes player who has been playing sporadically on & off over the past year and am pretty much just breaking even at 10NL. I've read (well skimmed) a couple of the classic poker books out there, I participate a little bit in the forums, and I'm planning to do more of both going forward ... BUT I'm also intrigued by the idea of learning via training videos too (in addition to reading). Like many people I'm sure, I think I learn things best when the info comes from a variety of sources in multiple formats -- that is, through a combination reading, interaction w/ other people, visual observation, writing ... blah blah blah.

Anyhow, I think I've narrowed down the options to Deuces Cracked, Card Runners, Blue Fire Poker, and Drag The Bar.

My question is which one is best these days for a NLHE full ring micros player who is somewhat comfortable w/ the basics of the game, who wants to get better at and move beyond the micros ... and who's eager keep learning.

(Btw, I'm about to sign up for the free trials this week, and am aware of the different pricing plans, etc., but I figured I'd throw this out to you guys. Thanks!)

If you play on Full Tilt (which you apparently do), are signed up with trulyfreepokertraining.com, and earn a sufficient number of FTP points in a month, you can get free cardrunners membership. I believe cardrunners have some kind of deal going on with FTP.

It's 5500 points for one month of free training, but you can earn it in increments of 25% (so one week for every 1375 points). I was considering signing up with a training site as well, but am glad I discovered this in time. I find that getting one or two weeks of free access in a month is very doable for me.

You should be able to easily move past 10nl just by participating in the hand analysis section. And there are some great videos here, none recently though, but the analysis of hands up videos by Dorkus and Chuck are a must.


There isn't a lot below $50nl on DC or CR that I've seen, but you can find that out via free trials. And as above, if you play on Tilt you should be also registered on TFPT to have a chance at free time on CR.

All fine sites, but I cannot recommend highly enough Deepstacks University. Fantastic site. Awesome technology. Great instruction by a great bunch of instructors including Matusow, Mizrachi, Cloutier, Boeree, Outhred with a bunch more and all topical. Pop quizzes and stuff to insure you learn.

BTW, PokerVT - SUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKS IT

I like the idea of pop quizzies. Haven't heard of it, but I'll keep it in mind. I'm actually now thinking GrinderSchool as it's so inexpensive -- at least for a month to see if's helpful. Thanks.

So you're saying this has NO impact on the rakeback or any other promotions at Full Tilt? And you don't need to sign up/deposit through the site in order to get the credit? Huh. That's unusual, no?

Nope, no impact at all or other promotions. No need to sign up, or anything.

And it's with Cardrunners, which is one of the best sites out there.

IMO I would utilize some other resources more first. Books - I cant advise which ones are best for cash, being a tourney player - articles, analysis tools etc. I think a training site is a great idea, and you can use trial memberships on many to get a feel. But if the information is on a level you are not used to constantly being at, it can be helpful, but you will not actually be able to utilize anywhere near the full potential.

Dragthebar has a guy who has vids only for micro stakes, so that would be one place to consider.

Yes, it's very unusual, but that is indeed how it works. There are no payments involved. All you have to do is play your usual game and reach the point benchmarks they set (happy hour points don't count); these points are not deducted from you in way, shape, or form. I currently have full access to cardrunners' library till mid-March, and expect to have it again for the first couple of weeks in April. It's very comprehensive; has a lot of good material on non-NLHE games as well. For microstakes NLHE I recommend checking out Verneer's videos.

I've got to give Drag The Bar a shout out. I've been a member their for about a year now and paid for one month because they have some great deals for rakeback and free subscriptions based on MGR.

Excellent community over there.

I just want to quote this, because its probably the most important thing said in this thread.

Thanks for the shout out, we're constantly working to improve DTB.

OP, I'm biased since DragTheBar is my site, but I would encourage you to check out some of our free membership deals, our best one is almost 3x easier to earn a free membership than with the CR/FTP deal.

We also have a ton of micro-videos from all of our NL coaches, including Blackrain79, who is a huge micro-stakes winner.

We have a free 2-week trial for cardschat members, just pm dakota-xx for a code. You can also pm me with any questions you may have, I'll be happy to help.

Best, Hunter

Thanks for the input guys.