We’re excited to launch a brand new “Ask the pro” section that takes you behind the scenes with some of the most successful poker players.
In each edition, Justin Saliba will sit down with accomplished players to explore how they study, evolve, and stay sharp in one of the most demanding games in the world.
From navigating early setbacks to mastering solvers and balancing life on and off the felt, these conversations aim to uncover the lessons that can accelerate your own growth.
We’re kicking things off with none other than our own Jonathan Little – legendary pro, founder of PokerCoaching.com, and newly minted WSOP bracelet winner.
Jonathan opens up about his early days grinding micro-stakes, his transition from competitive Magic: The Gathering to poker dominance, and how his passion for teaching sparked one of the most respected educational platforms in the game.
The Strategic Foundation
Jonathan Little’s background in Magic: The Gathering proved to be more than just an interesting footnote in his poker origin story. The skills he developed in that complex card game became the bedrock of his poker success.
“Magic definitely helped me with poker,” Little explains. “It taught me from a young age that variance exists. It also taught me to calculate my outs, because sometimes you have to adjust your strategy substantially in order to give yourself the best chance to win, even if it will only happen a small portion of the time.”
Perhaps even more importantly, Magic conditioned him for the mental and physical demands of professional competition. “Magic tournaments, which take all day, conditioned me to sit in my chair and play my best all day, which I still do today.”
Building From the Bottom
Little’s poker journey began modestly, with just $50 deposited at age 18. But what set him apart wasn’t natural talent or lucky breaks; it was his disciplined, methodical approach to bankroll management and skill development.
“I initially started playing limit hold’em. I worked my way up from .25/.50 to 15/30. I eventually moved to sit n’ gos,” he recalls. When he hit his first significant downswing in $200 buy-in games, rather than chase his losses or quit, Little made a decision that would define his career.
“Since I was not ‘sure’ I was excellent at poker yet, I decided to move all the way down to the $10 buy-in games. I made a point to win 100 buy-ins at each level—the $10s, $20s, $30s, $50s, $100s, and $200s—before eventually reaching the $500 buy-in games.”
This conservative approach wasn’t just about protecting his bankroll; it was about proving his edge at every level. “I have always been cautious with my bankroll and wanted to be sure I had an edge, because even from a young age, I realized that a surefire way to win at poker was to find a game you can beat, play it a lot, and keep a proper bankroll. If you do that, you will win. If you don’t, you are gambling.”
From Player to Educator
Little’s transition from successful player to poker educator happened organically. His frequent contributions to poker forums caught attention, leading to private coaching opportunities and eventually a book deal with D&B Publishing.
“I was a frequent poster on various poker forums and people seemed to learn a lot from my posts,” he reflects. “I started taking on private students and was eventually asked to write a book by D&B Publishing. From there, I made a training site and have continued creating content until today.”
What drives his continued passion for education goes beyond financial incentives. “I started making content as a hobby and slowly ramped it up. I have found that when I actively want to do something, I tend to do it well. I do not force things and I certainly do not make content ‘for the money’. I do it because I enjoy helping people enjoy poker better.”
The evolution of Little’s educational platform reflects both his personal growth and the changing landscape of poker training. What started as SNGIcons (focused solely on sit-n-go content) evolved into FloatTheTurn (tournament content) before becoming the comprehensive PokerCoaching.com we know today.
“Before I had my children, I knew I wanted to stay home a decent amount to help raise them, so I made a point to focus more on PokerCoaching.com to make it the most comprehensive no-limit hold’em site available,” Little explains.
His approach to building the platform was characteristically methodical, focusing on quality over quick growth. “I have made a point to continue adding to the site by hiring many of the best players in the world to create content and by releasing my GTO poker program, PeakGTO.com, to my followers.”
One of PokerCoaching.com’s defining features is its impressive roster of world-class players turned coaches, including Justin Saliba, David Peters, Shannon Shorr, Chris Brewer, and Matt Affleck. Little’s approach to building this team is refreshingly straightforward.
“I hire pros who I want to learn from,” he says. “If I am overly impressed by them, if I like their attitude and vibe, I ask them to make content. I have been fortunate that many of the best players in the world have said YES.”
As poker continues to evolve with advanced solver technology and AI, Little sees integration rather than replacement as the future of poker education.
“I see GTO/solver content being integrated into educational courses, which I am actively working to make happen,” he explains. “While seeing a GTO output is nice, it is much more implementable to know why the solver does what it does, so you can replicate it in your games in similar situations.”
The Daily Grind
Despite managing a major business, Little maintains an active playing schedule and continues to produce content. His daily routine reflects the same adaptability that served him well at the tables.
“My schedule is all over the place. Simply put, I wake up, have coffee and breakfast, go to the gym, then do whatever I need to do for the day,” he says. “Potential tasks include studying poker, recording videos, writing books/articles, coaching students, reviewing other coaches’ content, or playing poker. I am pretty good at putting in long work days whenever it is required, probably because I love the job.”
For players struggling with information overload in today’s poker landscape, Little advocates for structured, comprehensive learning rather than scattered consumption of content.
“I strongly recommend you initially learn from a concise course designed to teach all the common spots you are likely to encounter,” he advises. “That is why I recommend everyone go through either the Tournament Masterclass or Cash Game Masterclass on PokerCoaching.com, which are 40-hour-long courses broken down into 10-minute-long videos with quizzes after each to ensure you are actually learning the content you are consuming.”
Having worked with players across all skill levels, Little has identified clear patterns that separate successful students from those who plateau.
“The most successful students put in the hours to get good. This often means spending a lot of time studying away from the table to the point that the right plays are close to automatic in-game,” he observes.
Conversely, he notes that unsuccessful players typically fall into predictable traps: “Those who fail to reach their potential usually care far too much about short-term variance, or they simply do not want to work hard to get better at poker. They treat poker like a gambling game instead of a skill game that has a lot of variance.”
Looking Forward
At a stage in his career where many professionals consider stepping back from active play, Little shows no signs of slowing down. His recent WSOP bracelet victory and PokerGo Cup win serve as proof that his skills remain sharp.
“I plan on playing high stakes poker until my results prove I am no longer good enough to win, which will hopefully never happen,” he states confidently. “Given I recently won a WSOP bracelet and I was the PokerGo Cup winner, I have no plans of stopping anytime soon.”
Little’s story serves as a masterclass in building sustainable success in poker, not through shortcuts or lucky breaks, but through disciplined study, conservative bankroll management, and a genuine passion for both playing and teaching the game. For aspiring players, his journey offers a blueprint: start small, study hard, manage your bankroll carefully, and never stop learning.
As poker continues to evolve, players like Jonathan Little prove that the poker basics of disciplined play and continuous improvement remain as relevant as ever. Whether you’re grinding micro-stakes or competing at the highest levels, his approach offers valuable lessons for anyone serious about long-term success in this challenging, rewarding game.
