Do you find it difficult to consistently make enough profit at the poker tables? Are your results best described as “somewhere around the break even line”? If the answer is YES, then poker coaching is what you need. First of all, don’t worry because you’re not alone. This describes the results of most poker players. However, often just a few small adjustments to your poker strategy can turn your game from average to profitable.
What’s the point of poker training?
It’s the most effective way to improve your skills as a poker player. Simply put, the best way to improve your skills as a poker player is through learning. When playing a game with small edges, it is crucial to carefully consider numerous complex decisions you face and learn how to effectively evaluate them all.
Don’t get me wrong: experience is also highly important. However, it’s impossible to consider all the nuances and subtleties of poker while playing – when you have to act under time pressure.
Types of poker training
With the abundance of resources available online, it has never been easier for beginner poker players to learn how to play poker or for experienced players to improve their game. Here is a list of various ways you can learn – each of them has its advantages, so choosing what suits you best is a great way to start learning.
Poker Training Videos
One of the most popular ways to learn poker is by watching instructional poker videos. For those of you who struggle to concentrate for extended periods of time, they can be helpful as they are often short and engaging to watch.
Try to watch poker training videos recorded by experienced and well-known players to ensure that the material is accurate and of high quality.
Poker Articles and Books
Another popular way to improve your poker game is to read relevant poker training articles. Such sources can be a great resource, providing you with prepared notes that you can refer back to later.
Possible options include:
- Poker training articles for cash games
- Tournament poker training articles
- Articles for live poker players
- Articles for online poker players
When it comes to books, pay attention to the publication date and be cautious about selecting material that is too outdated. Poker strategy evolves quickly, so you want to make sure you’re not falling behind it. While there are excellent poker books out there, be aware that strategies advocated in older books may become outdated.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t good poker books. For example, Matt Janda’s “Applications of No-Limit Hold’em” is a masterpiece.
Poker Forums
If you have a strategy-related question or want to get another opinion, posting in a poker forum can get you an answer. Additionally, by answering other people’s questions within the community, you can test and prove your own knowledge.
Small Study Groups
Participating in study groups is one of the best, if not the best, ways to become a better poker player. Having a circle of friends allows you to share ideas and discuss past mistakes. The mental challenge that comes from interacting with someone of similar or slightly higher skill level is an amazing growth factor.
Such groups usually form through forums and continue communication via Skype or Discord.
Discussing strategy with friends who play poker can make learning even more enjoyable. It can be a fun way to learn. Just make sure to be honest with each other, as it is a crucial part of constructive poker discussions.
Poker Streams on Twitch and YouTube
Watching streams can be both entertaining and informative as a poker training tool. If you go on Twitch and search for “poker,” you will always find streamers playing poker and commenting on their actions.
Some streams are more educational than others, and in general, it seems that Twitch poker streams mostly focus on tournament play. Finding the best poker training streams will require you to experiment with various options.
