Cardrunners is one of the oldest Poker training sites on the internet - it led the way back when the concept first appeared. And what a concept it was - why have to slog your way through dense Poker manuals, when you can watch over the shoulders of seasoned Pros as they dominated the tables, and owned newbs and regulars alike. Back then Cardrunners founders Taylor Caby and Andrew Wiggins were trailblazers. Now, the scene is somewhat different and there are many other sites vying for a piece of the training pie. So, does CR still have what it takes to earn your monthly membership? Read on to find out…

The Community

Let’s start this review with a look at the Cardrunners community. This is a vital part of any training site. The community is where you turn when you have unanswered questions. The community is your comfort when suffering the ravages of variance. And the community is really what separates the top sites these days. So, I’m pleased to report that the Cardrunners community is thriving. You can have a look at the forums http://www.cardrunners.com/cr_forums/ - as a non-paid member you’ll still be able to view the public general forum. But paid members get access to the private forums, and that’s where the value really starts. There are thousands of posts across all levels and, unlike some places like twoplustwo, they are welcoming to newbies. This is the sort of place you can make your Poker home on the internet - a community upon whose knowledge you can draw on as you progress up the levels.

The Media

Where to begin? With 1927 videos, 22 podcasts, 83 articles and 32174 blog posts at the time of writing there is certainly no shortage of poker media to consume. In fact, this isn’t really a plus point because you can get somewhat lost in the sheer quantity of videos available. “Where to begin?”, you ask. Now, Cardrunners have gone someway to addressing this issue with an extensive search feature:

So if you’re just starting out you can set the stakes to Micro, if you like to play with 6 people on a table then you can set the game type to 6-max. There are also a variety of formats that the lessons come in. “Live Action” videos, for example, are often fun to watch as you can see the instructors make decisions in the thick of real play. Others might prefer to watch the “Classroom” lessons, which as the name implies take a more scholastic approach to the instruction.

Following the lead of other instruction sites, Cardrunners have also now produced some video “series”. Just like your favourite TV series - complete with cliffhangers and sub-plots - a Poker training series will have you on the edge of your seats waiting for the next episode. That’s the theory at least and I have to say that in practice it does work, most of the time. Some series are better than others but there are definitely enough goodies to keep you entertained for a while.

As far as working out which are in fact the goodies and which aren’t there is some room for improvement. There is a rating system, but it only goes up to 5. So when faced with hundreds of videos all with a 4.5 or  5 star rating, which do you pick? Personally, I’ve just selected at random and then when I’ve found an instructor I liked I’ve watched the rest of their videos. But I’d like to see an introductory section on the site for new members and some recommendations on where to start. Of course, this could be a perfect opportunity to go and introduce yourself in the forums and ask the experienced members for some advice on which videos to watch depending on your level and preferences.

The Instructors

You might also want to ask in the forums for some advice on who are the best instructors. Currently, there are 159 to choose from so deciding where to begin can be tricky. Of course, you can also start with the best known ones – the ones that are published authors or have appeared on TV. Have a browse here and see if there are any you recognise http://www.cardrunners.com/instructors/ Let’s see. There’s Collin Moshman, author of Sit N’ Go Strategy (only a few videos up so far though). There’s Cole South who’s now left CR but has plenty of videos up. There’s Ed Miller, again with only a few videos thus far but a well known author of many poker books. And there’s Brian Townsend (who you may have seen on the third season of High Stakes Poker), also no longer an instructor but with plenty of videos up there.  Cole and Brian are actually a big loss to the site – hopefully CR are looking to replace them with some other big names.

The Controversy!

Everyone like a bit of intrigue, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to finish this review without mentioning what those naughty now ex-CR instructors Cole and Brian got up to in 2008 and 2009. Brain admitted to multi-accounting – recording his videos using one account and then playing using a different one. It may not seem so serious but is against the Poker sites’ terms and conditions and got him suspended from Full Tilt. Even worse he, Cole South and Brian Hastings later combined their databases in an effort to gain an edge over Isildur1 (who they ended up taking for millions). This earned Brian his second Full Tilt suspension. You can read more about it all here: http://www.pokerlistings.com/full-tilt-suspends-brian-townsend-14503

The Price

The first thing you notice when looking at the membership plans is that Cardrunners has a $100 signup fee for the monthly or 6 month plan. For many, I imagine that would be an instant deal-breaker. Other Poker training sites have since abandoned this model and I personally think it’s something CR should drop too. There is a 7 day free trial but nevertheless it does somewhat force you into taking the 12 month plan to ensure value for money. See what I mean:

Pay Monthly	Pay 6 Months	Pay Yearly
$30 + $100 signup fee	$140 + $100 Signup Fee	$360 + No Signup Fee

Of course, it’s still great value considering the difference the site will make to your bottom line playing Poker, but I’d like to see them remove the signup fee.

Overview and the Bottom Line

Cardrunners is a fantastic poker training site.  The only niggles I really have with it are the signup fee and the lack of an introduction program for new members. The instructors are good (if a little geeky on occasions) and the community is great. If you’re reading this review because you’re struggling to decide which training community to join then I would advise you to jump straight in with the 7 day free Cardrunners trail. Go straight to the forums and ask the members where you should start. Watch a few of their recommendations and then make your final decision. I have a feeling you may end up staying there.

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