Become a Poker Student to find success

 

Introduction:

 

A few decades ago, people just played poker. He was thinking of his own hands and maybe he was reading some of the poker books out there at the time. They could only play a few hands a month, and it took them a long time to learn the fundamentals of the game.

 

Today it is much easier to learn to play poker and improve. While things can be much worse for lazy people, since the level has grown so much, it is definitely better for people who are eager to work hard and improve.

 

Are you eager to work hard and improve your game but don't know how to do it? This article is for you.

 

Reasons to study:

 

Poker is a game of mistakes in which your goal is to make fewer mistakes than your opponent, or at least make them less expensive. To make fewer mistakes you need to spend a lot of time studying. It is a process that never ends because most of your opponents are also working on their game to try to make fewer mistakes. Anyone who studies less, or does it less effectively, will lose that battle of mistakes.

 

If all you do is keep playing, you will most likely end up doing the same things over and over again, creating a lot of reps, and you will most likely get stuck at one level or have to step back. Whereas if you study, you will keep learning new things and keep your game fresh.

 

If during a losing streak you find yourself asking yourself if you're playing poorly or just negative variance, that likely means you need to study. By getting solid arguments / data to support your game, you will be more confident in what you do and find yourself more focused on improving your game and less on daily swings.

 

To be honest, starting school can feel like going for a run on a rainy day. You rarely feel like leaving the house, but when you do, it's amazing.

 

Since you will need different study methods as your career progresses, I am going to divide the article into two parts to keep things organized and try to share with you what I have learned in my years as a professional poker player:

 

Study for low limit players

 

When you start there are many options to learn, and I think it all depends on what best suits your personal style.

 

When I am learning a new format, I personally like to read a book about the game, play a bit on my own to test some concepts, and then review some hands that I have played. Later, when I feel like I have all the concepts in the book, I like to move on to the videos that tend to be a bit more advanced.

 

I try to spend 50% of my time studying and 50% playing, but if I don't feel good playing, I will spend most of my time studying poker.

 

But that's as far as I'm concerned. You will need to find what works best for you.

 

You probably need at least two of the four methods below to optimize your learning process.

 

1. Read books

 

2. Watch strategy videos

 

3. Participate in forums

 

4. Discuss hands with your friends

 

Read books

 

Reading a good book can speed up the learning process.

 

When I started playing, fixed-limit games were the most popular and I remember the first book I read ("Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies for Full-ring and Short-handed Games" by Matthew Hilger). I learned a ton from that book, and began to see consistent benefit from reading.

 

Nowadays, fixed-limit games aren't as popular as they used to be, so I highly recommend starting with a No Limit Texas Hold'em book, so I'll give you my personal book suggestions depending on the format you choose:

 

• Cash Games: "Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em" by Ed Miller, Matt Flynn and Sunny Mehta.

 

• Tournaments: "Secrets of Sit'n'Gos" by Phil Shaw.

 

Both books are very well organized and will really give you a good structure to start learning either game.

 

Watch strategy videos

 

Videos are my next option, since most people tend to retain information better when watching a video than when reading a book.

 

One of the things I have to warn you about is that I am not telling you to watch live tournament or live cash game videos. While these videos have their value, they will probably be more confusing for first-time players, who will try to play a regular high-stakes game in the wrong context and either fail or become the type of player who says:

 

"I don't like to play at the lower limits. People never fold! If I had more money, I'm sure I could win at the higher levels. To win poker you need money!"

 

While there is some truth in those words, these players fail to understand that to win at poker you always need to adjust your game to the level you are playing, and if the players in the lower stakes are clueless and their biggest mistake is easy to stack, so you should try to get into those kinds of spots as much as you can with a strong hand, and build your bankroll.

 

That said, what kind of videos should you watch?

 

1. Explanations of the theoretical concepts

 

2. A good low-level player and his explanations about his reflection process

 

We want to see players who can win at the higher levels by playing lower levels, and explaining the lines of thought behind their game. These videos will allow you to learn the basics in a structured way and you can often leave a comment on the video page asking your questions and creating a very interactive way of learning.

 

Participate in the forums

 

Studying poker through reading books or watching videos can be a lonely path.

 

By participating in forums at the same time I can add a social component to the study and make it more interesting, while everyone who is involved learns.

 

Keep in mind that forums work for give and take.

 

Feel free to post hands and ask questions about the subject you are studying. You have to read the feedback you receive carefully so that you don't take everything people say for granted. Listen to everyone and think about what people are saying, but deep down use your own head to decide what makes sense and what doesn't. I guess that's true in books and videos too, but since you're learning from a professional it's less of a concern. You can also follow the threads that interest you and if you can help someone, do so.

 

Discussing hands with friends

 

If you have friends who are interested in the same games and levels, you can discuss hands with them. Nowadays, with the Boomplayer it is very easy to hang up a hand, share it on Facebook / Twitter or Skype and ask your friends how they see it. I suppose it's similar to forums, but you can choose who sees your hands, while forums are open communities.

 

You need to choose carefully who you want to listen to, because there is more bad advice surrounding good advice, and if you have a successful friend in the high stakes, ask him / her as much as you can as they will probably be a great source of advice.

 

Balancing game with study

 

Most of the people who play the low stakes are not playing poker full time. With limited time devoted to poker, the most common question is: How many hours a week should I study?

 

I think at this point you want to study for at least as many hours as you play, because you don't have to worry about paying your poker bills, so there is no pressure when it comes to playing.

 

On the other hand, you want to test what you are learning and see if it works, so you have to find the balance and not just study.

 

I would suggest studying 50-75% of your poker time and playing 25-50%.

 

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