The game of poker has been growing and changing throughout the years, and the poker being played at high levels today looks nothing like the game just a couple of decades ago. While it is still possible for brand-new players to become successful at poker, it is very hard for that to happen without some form of poker coaching being employed.
Whether we are talking about watching top-level players play on PokerGO, paying for video poker coaching sessions, or doing one-on-one poker coaching with top-level coaches, all of these methods can be employed to improve your poker strategy to the level you want to be at.
But what form of poker coaching is best for you? How do you choose the right poker coach? How do you optimize the value you are getting for your money?
In this article, we take a look at the different forms of poker coaching available today and consider what sort of poker coaching will work best for the different types of poker players out there.
Getting Started with Poker Coaching
The online poker community looks a lot different today than it did back in the day, and there are way more resources you can find for free than you could in 2005.
Today, many poker coaching sites offer some or even all of their content for free. You can even grab free 3-day access to our entire premium here.
If you are just starting in poker, you don’t necessarily need to pay someone to teach you advanced concepts or go through hand simulations to solve very particular spots.
Instead, you need to learn the broad strokes, basic math, and elementary strategy that will allow you to understand any poker coaching you might get in the future.
Without understanding these basic poker concepts, you will never be able to go to the next level and master the game at the level you want to get to.
So, before you let someone talk you into paying for poker coaching, make sure you spend enough time learning from all the free poker coaching that’s available out there. Soak in the readily available knowledge and only look for the next steps when you feel like you aren’t learning anymore from the free stuff out there.
Learn Poker with Friends
If you want to learn poker, having poker friends to learn with and from who are either at the same level you are at or are more experienced than you can be critical.
While it is entirely possible to learn poker without collaborating with other players, doing so will allow you to learn faster and spot your mistakes with more ease.
If you are willing to share with your poker-playing friends and listen to constructive criticism, your poker-studying sessions could become a whole lot more productive.
The truth is we all have a blind spot for our own mistakes sometimes, and having someone point them out without prejudice can be the right thing to nudge you in the right direction.
Also, working with your poker friends to learn new poker games makes expanding your skills a lot more fun and exciting the next time you play.
There are plenty of poker communities on the internet these days where you can meet like-minded players and share your poker experiences to mutual benefit, so I highly recommend you take a look at these and make some poker friends you can grow with.
Buying the Right Poker Coaching Course
If you have already been playing poker for years or have spent hundreds of hours going over all the free poker coaching material out there, it may be time to get into the more advanced stuff.
Elite poker coaching programs are available at a price but are usually produced by some of the very best poker players in the world, making them well worth the price. As an example, we have impressive coaches here at pokercoaching.com, so make sure to check it out.
Yet, you are only going to get that value if you are ready to learn what’s being taught and if you choose a program that’s right for you.
The online poker coaching space is very wide today and involves dozens of different courses, all of which are aimed at different types of poker players.
The two main elements you want to look at are whether the coaching course is dedicated to cash game or tournament poker and which level of play it is created for.
If you are looking to play $0.25/0.50 cash games, don’t buy a high-stakes cash game course. This course will not teach you the skills that are best applied in your low-stakes games.
Likewise, if you want to go to the next level of tournament play, don’t buy a course that deals with low-stakes tournaments and is not advanced enough for your level.
Before you purchase any course or subscription, make sure to do your due diligence, read some reviews, and try to figure out if the course hits the targets you are looking to hit.
If so, buy the course and start learning from it, but don’t expect miracles overnight. After all, a course can teach you how to play, but you will need to apply that knowledge in-game on a consistent basis to get the full value.
The Value of One-On-One Poker Coaching
Most poker coaching these days is done via video courses that players can purchase from the coaching sites and use at their leisure. However, one-on-one coaching is still very much a thing, and it may just be the most valuable type of poker coaching out there.
What one-on-one poker coaching can do for you, provided you find the right coach, is help you plug leaks in your own game you never knew existed.
A great poker coach will look over your hand histories, review your poker stats, and quickly realize where your biggest mistakes are coming from, allowing them to lead you the right way and fix those mistakes.
Even a few hours with a top-level poker coach can be invaluable, especially if you feel like you are struggling despite having a good understanding of the game overall.
One-on-one poker coaching can come at a high premium, which is why you should do a lot of research before paying for it, ensuring that you get the right coach for the game you are playing and the level you are currently playing at.
Once you land the right coach, talk with them to figure out how to approach your sessions and how best to optimize your time together.
The best thing about one-on-one coaching is that it is completely bespoke, allowing you to focus on anything you prefer and get the exact insights you were looking for.
Poker Coaching for Profit
I mentioned that poker coaching can be a bit expensive, and if you find yourself unable or unwilling to pay for it, there may be an alternative.
There are plenty of poker coaches out there who are willing to teach students for a cut of their profits, and some of them will even be willing to stake you.
If you are already a decent poker player, you may be able to find a poker stable (staking group) that will stake you for the games and provide coaching on a regular basis.
This kind of deal is the most affordable option, as it requires no investment on your part other than your time and commitment.
Of course, you will have to pay a cut of your profits to your coaches, but considering the fact you would never have made that profit without proper poker coaching, it is well worth it.
If you are interested in this kind of deal, do some research, and you will notice that there are plenty of people in the poker community who are willing to coach people on a deal like this, provided you are the right candidate.
Poker Coaching Never Stops
While nobody expects you to continue paying for poker coaching your entire life or constantly buy every poker coaching course that comes to market, you should never stop learning poker either.
Once you have reached the level you were hoping to reach and are happy with the poker coaching you have received, you will want to become your own poker coach.
By this time, you should be comfortable with using poker tools like PeakGTO, PIOSolver, ICMizer, or Poker Tracker, and you should continue using these tools on your own time to continue improving as a player.
If you allow yourself to become complacent, what will most likely happen is that players who continue investing time and money into poker coaching will get better than you.
While this does not mean you won’t be able to beat the game necessarily, it does mean your edges will fade over time until eventually they are gone altogether.
Always keep studying poker and improving, whether on your own, with your friends, or with occasional coaching sessions, if you want to stay relevant in poker and be able to crush your opponents.
