The training sites, solvers, trackers and free YouTube channels actually worth your time, from a player's point of view. Each one gets who it's for, what it costs and when to skip it.
Starting price = cheapest paid plan on the official site, checked Oct 17, 2026. GTO Wizard's higher tiers are only shown after you log in, so we don't list them.
Solver study tool · Intermediate+ Online grinders Cash & MTT
A browser-based library of pre-solved spots, a practice mode where you play against GTO strategy, and one-click hand history analysis. Higher tiers add an AI solver for custom spots.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Free | $0: up to 100 preflop solutions a day, 1 postflop spot a day, 10 practice hands a day |
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| Starter | from $39/mo |
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| Premium, Elite, Ultra | see site (prices are shown after you log in) |
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Plans are bought per game format (for example cash or tournaments).
Free option: Yes: free tier (limits above).
✅ Why invest: The quickest way to check what theory says about a hand you actually played, and the practice mode turns that into reps.
⏭️ Skip it if: You are still learning the basics, or you mostly play live low stakes against recreational players, where simple exploits matter more than solver frequencies.
Source: GTO Wizard blog: new pricing and Free plan limits (Mar 31, 2026) · GTO Wizard help: payments
Structured course + community · Beginner to advanced Rec & serious NLH cash & MTT
A step-by-step No-Limit Hold'em course rebuilt by coach Uri Peleg with Doug Polk and a team of pros. A placement quiz drops you in at your level, and you get the Preflop Prodigy chart app, a private Discord and weekly Strategy Specials.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Monthly | $99/mo |
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| 6 months | $399 |
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| Annual | $699/yr |
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Free option: No free trial. First-time Lab members get a 30-day "Fair Play" guarantee (refund at Upswing's discretion). Upswing's preflop charts are free (see the free tools below).
✅ Why invest: A clear path from fundamentals to advanced play, if you want someone to tell you what to study next.
⏭️ Skip it if: You mainly play PLO, or you want a solver tool rather than video lessons.
Source: Upswing Lab 2.0 page
MTT course + drilling app · Rec to pro MTT specialists
Benjamin "Bencb" Rolle's tournament school: the Tournament Masterclass video course, the Pairrd drilling app (including ICM spots) and a Discord community. The teaching leans exploitative: how real player pools play at each stake, and how to punish it.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Crusher | $797/yr: Tournament Masterclass Apprentice + Pairrd Pro |
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| Champion | $1,297/yr (listed down from $1,497): Masterclass Expert, Pairrd ICM, plus Bounty Beast, Unchained Mindset and 6-max hyper SNG courses |
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Free option: Yes: free 5-day "Win Your First $1000" course, 10 free Pairrd questions a day and a free Discord. The plan page lists a 14-day money-back guarantee.
✅ Why invest: One of the most practical tournament curricula around, built from population data rather than pure theory.
⏭️ Skip it if: You play cash games, or you don't want to pay for a year up front (the plans are annual).
Source: RYE membership plans (TMC 2.0) · RYE homepage (free course, Pairrd)
MTT training platform · Small stakes to serious MTT
A tournament-focused platform: preflop ranges, a GTO trainer, ICM and final-table drills, The Vault (reviews of how top players play) and Academy courses with Matt Hunt.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Community | Free |
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| Personal | $25/mo or $200/yr |
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| Professional | $75/mo or $750/yr |
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| Champions | $300/mo or $3,000/yr (your own coach) |
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New users: 90 days of Professional for $90, including 4 Academy courses.
Free option: Yes: free Community plan (preflop ranges, GTO trainer button spots, Discord).
✅ Why invest: Personal is one of the cheapest serious MTT study plans, and the $90 / 90-day Pro offer is a low-risk way to try the full thing.
⏭️ Skip it if: You only play cash games.
Source: Octopi pricing page
Video library + forum · All levels Cash, MTT & PLO
Phil Galfond's training site: thousands of videos from a large roster of pros, forums, seminars and mini-courses. Its PLO coverage is unusually deep. The Vision GTO trainer and standalone courses are sold separately.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Basic | Free |
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| Essential (low stakes) | $24.99/mo |
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| Elite (high stakes) | $199.99/mo or $1,400/yr |
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Free option: Yes: free Basic account, plus free NLHE and PLO equity calculators.
✅ Why invest: Essential is one of the cheapest quality video libraries, and Elite is a deep bench of high-stakes coaches, especially for PLO.
⏭️ Skip it if: You want a guided step-by-step curriculum (it's more of a library), or you play low stakes and are tempted by Elite.
Source: Run It Once plans and pricing
Courses, quizzes + GTO drills · Beginners Recreational & live players MTT & cash
Jonathan Little's site: courses, interactive hand quizzes, live coaching webinars and study plans. PeakGTO is its solver-backed drilling tool, sold alone or bundled.
Pricing (checked Oct 17, 2026)| Free tier | $0 |
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| Standard | $49/mo or $499/yr |
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| Premium | $147/mo or $999/yr |
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| PeakGTO | $599/yr |
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| Premium + PeakGTO bundle | $1,299/yr |
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Free option: Yes: free tier with sample lessons, limited PeakGTO drills and community access, no card needed. 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
✅ Why invest: Very beginner-friendly, and the quiz format makes you decide before you see the answer, which sticks better than passive video.
⏭️ Skip it if: You are already a winning online regular looking for cutting-edge theory.
Source: PokerCoaching pricing · Monthly/Standard prices (store page) · Free tier FAQ (homepage)
Free YouTube that actually teaches, grouped by what you're working on. Every link was checked on Oct 17, 2026.
18+/21+ only. Minimum age depends on the site and your state. Play responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up. That doesn't change the listings or the order they appear in.
Not legal advice. Online poker and sweepstakes laws vary by state, so check your local laws before you play. Only PokerStars (US) and WSOP Online are licensed in the US, and only in the states they list (NJ/PA/MI and NV/NJ/MI/PA). Offshore and crypto sites (Ignition, ACR, BetOnline, CoinPoker, Phenom) are not licensed in the US. GGPoker doesn't accept US players. CoinPoker accepts US players even though its terms list the US as restricted. Sweepstakes sites exclude some states.
Schedules come from each site's public pages, and each listing shows its source and the date we last checked it. Items marked unverified conflict across sources or are out of date. Always confirm in the poker lobby. SC (Sweeps Coins) and CHIP are treated as about $1 for stake tiers.