May 29, 2010

Poker Training Sites: GrinderSchool

If you remember my older entries, you’ll recall that I introduced a number of key poker tools that will help you improve your game. I suggested that you should take advantage of a hand converter, always use bankroll management, and try to keep a poker odds table open on your desktop. I also wrote that it’s a good idea to find a few free poker videos because they really help you to become a better player, plus they come at no cost to you. If you’re especially enthusiastic, though, it might not take you long to get through all the free videos on the internet. Most players will have earned a couple bucks at the table by now, so it’s time to invest a bit of money to grow even more as a player. Over the next couple months, I will feature some of the poker training sites that you have the option to subscribe to if you’re eager for some new videos.

I’m going to start with GrinderSchool because it targets players at low stakes. For as little as $10/month, you are allowed access to 600+ online poker videos produced by players that have the profits to demonstrate they can beat the levels they play. The site releases seven videos per week, and while almost all of them show No Limit Hold Em, at least four each month are videos for other games like Omaha or Razz.

The cash game coverage for No Limit Hold Em is excellent at GrinderSchool. They feature several short-handed and full ring poker videos of a variety of stakes that new players can really benefit from. Heads-up players and Limit players might need to wait a little bit longer to see more videos catering to their games. There are, of course, a few videos for Limit and heads-up play, but it might not be sufficient for those that specialize in those types of poker. This is also true for players that are looking for videos for Omaha or other less common types of poker like Stud.

Are you as addicted to Rush Poker tournaments on Full Tilt as I am? Videos are also abundant for tournament players, and most of them are by some really excellent players. The videos feature buy-ins from a paltry $2 to a healthy $55, and several of them are part of a 3 to 9 part series. Those that have the goal to play outside of their bankrolls can also watch the instructors win some satellites.

If you dislike MTT poker but enjoy Sit-N-Go’s, GrinderSchool is an excellent choice for you. You’ll find that a large percentage of the SNG videos were made by the site’s owner, but you’ll also find a couple new respectable instructors. These videos feature stakes between $1 and $33, and both beginner and advanced concepts are covered.

I give a big thumbs up to GrinderSchool as a site for beginner players making their start at real money poker sites. We’ve already seen how low the monthly cost is, and with no sign up fee, it’s almost a no-brainer! If you play mostly Omaha or Stud, you probably should be looking elsewhere, but there isn’t a better training site out there for low stake No Limit Hold Em players.