Poker Articles

StoxPoker.com is one of several poker training web sites that have risen in popularity over the last couple of years.  It has garnered an impressive following over a short period of time and deservedly so, based on what we have seen.

The site is named after its founder, Nick Grudzien, who plays online under the handle Stoxtrader.  A former institutional trader in New York, Grudzien has developed into a top high-stakes online player and author, having penned the poker book, Winning in Tough Hold'em Games. He has recruited a group of excellent, down-to-earth poker pros to contribute to the site via instructional videos, blogs, and articles.  Casual poker players may not have heard of most of them, but they are all very qualified to instruct.  The two newest additions to the team are also published authors.  Matt Matros, who placed third in the 2004 WPT Championship, wrote The Making of a Poker Player, and Collin Moshman penned Sit 'n Go Strategy.  Each member of the team has posted a bio on the StoxPoker website, and each is refreshingly straight-forward and honest about how they arrived at the current point in their lives.

Beyond their bios, the StoxPoker.com pros contribute to blogs on the site.  They are very informative and contribute to the personal feel of the site through their candidness.  While poker content is abundant in the blogs, the pros also share what is going on in their lives, giving everyone a “peek behind the curtain.”  This is a nice touch, as it gives everyone a chance to see them as more than just guys who click away at their computers, multi-tabling until dawn.  The blogs could be organized better, though, as in order to read past the few entries on the first page, you have to click through page after page after page.  It would be nicer to see some sort of index, listing entries by date or title, so that navigation is easier.

The articles section is new as of around the beginning of October, so there is not much to read there, yet.  What is available is good, though.

The message forum is solid, although not nearly has well-trafficked as some of the bigger poker forums on the internet.  The obvious reason for this is that most of the forum boards are for paid customers only.  This does not mean, however, that the quality of participation is lacking.  On the contrary, because people come to StoxPoker for serious poker instruction, the discussions on the board are of high quality.  The site’s pros answer questions frequently, particularly in the threads devoted to their training videos.  A unique section was added recently, called “The Poker Gut Check,” which is a sort of support group for members who want to lead healthier lives and get more physically fit.

Finally, the primary reason StoxPoker is so popular is the library of training videos.  All are recorded by the StoxPoker instructors, and all are fantastic.  The vast majority show Stoxtrader and the gang playing Texas hold’em games online, and those are split fairly evenly between no-limit and limit cash games.  Sit-and-go’s are covered, as well, as are other games, such as Omaha and stud.  Most of the hold’em games are short-handed.  Video run-times range from about 20 minutes on up to an hour and a half.  They are very well organized, as well, grouped by game type, although not by stakes (it is easy to skim the list of videos to find the stakes in which you are interested).  Don't miss out on your chance to receive Free Training by signing up for our promotion through our Stox Poker Page.

The wisdom imparted in these videos is second-to-none, and is valuable for people of all skill levels.  While the pros play very high stakes, they have devoted several videos to low stakes games and basic strategy in addition to the many advanced strategy lessons.  And like the blogs, the videos have a very personal feel, as they are quite obviously narrated as the instructors play and are thus unscripted.

Videos can be downloaded straight to your computer, although if you cancel your membership to the site, you will lose the media rights and will not be able to watch them again.  They can also be streamed if you do not want to wait for the large download. 

Membership to StoxPoker.com is $30 up front and $20 per month.  The site has a referral program, where members can receive either three months free or $45 cash for each new, paid member they bring to the site.  StoxPoker is also giving away a free copy of Winning in Tough Hold'em Games or The Making of a Poker Player for members who renew for six or twelve months.

To waive these membership fees and obtain a year long membership free, take advantage of our Free Training Promotion by visiting our Stox Poker Page.