Online Poker

The World Series of Poker Academy has released two online poker IQ tests. You can test your skills at cash games and tournaments to see how your poker knowledge stacks up against everyone else who has taken the test.

You'll have to hand over your name, phone number, and email address to take these tests, but you seem to have to hand those over to breathe oxygen these days. In both of the tests, you play through a simulated poker tournament or cash game, and your actions determine your poker IQ.

In the tournament test, you first get a look at the payouts for the tourney and then begin to play. You are taken through 4 stages of the tournament: the early stage, the middle stage, the bubble stage, and the endgame stage. Once you have played through the full number of hands for the test, you receive a poker IQ score based on how you played and then a further report via email on your IQ at each of the different stages.

In the cash game test, you are told the rules of the game you're playing and then jump right into the action. Instead of playing through different stages, you just continue to play until all the test hands have been completed. At the end of the test, you receive your overall IQ score and an email report that tells you your IQ at preflop, the flop, the turn, and the river. You are also graded on bet size, appropriately aggressive play, adjusting to your opponents' style, knowing the odds, respecting previous action, timing your strategic moves, position, and bluffing.

Both reports also include suggestions for poker academies that you should attend. It's a very interesting test, and the suggestions it offers are quite helpful. I gave both a try and noticed that the areas that I've been trying to work on were strong, but that I'd probably weakened in others. Oh well, back to practice and I'll try the test again in the future.

Have you taken the WSOP Academy poker IQ test? If so, please tell us about how you went in the comments below, or tell us how you work to improve your game.

- Shad