Best way to learn

[TexasGal]

How do you learn strategy? Do you learn that when you're still trying to figure out the game? Do you read books on it or is better to learn through watching? I know Holdem is the game to play now, but I still don't get it.

[The Professor]

I honestly believe that the only way to learn effectively and really improve your game is to learn new strategies and moves in chunks and then go and put them into practice.

That is why we have structured the Winning Poker Strategy Course on this site in that way - where you learn some new aspects of strategy and then go off and play on the tables for an hour or so.

Not only is it designed as a motivation tool by getting you to build a bankroll up from $20 into $1,000 or so and proving to you that what you are learning is effective, but it also cements what you have learnt in that section by getting you to implement it in YOUR game in real life situations.


Honestly when you sit and read a book - yes there is some really great information in there but by the time you have reached the end of the book you have forgotten what you learnt earlier on in the book and you will probably never ever put it into use. You have to re-read a book 2 or 3 times to really get a grasp on implementing new strategies in your game and it can usually be quite dis-jointed because of that.

[TexasGal]

Thank you, Professor. That is so true about books on poker stategy and needing to read them several times for the information to really sink in and be able to put it into practice.

That is a great course that you've written. It should really help me become a decent poker player.

[PokerPrincess]

Excellent advice Professor. I learned by the seat of my pants about 40 years ago. The strategy was learned the hard way at the tables by winning or losing. Also the being able to read people has become instinctive.

However, for newbies it is far better to learn something and then take it to the tables to practice it before you lose the lesson.

[pokergal]

I tried reading up on before I started playing and I could never get it that way. Texas hold 'em is the game that I play the most and I learned it from playig with friends, online, and a pc game that I bought. At this point I have managed the basics but still working on a good strategy.

[TexasGal]

I played holdem with friends and I watch it on TV. I've read some and it makes absolutely no sense to me. D'oh! I'm grateful for the courses and tutorials on this site. Very helpful.

[najdoyza]

It takes time. When I first started I played online. I kept a sticky note of the handd rankings (lowest on bottom) on the side of the screen and I played a LOT of freerolls just to get the feel for sites and bets and what sort of things some of the donks chase at.

I still think that's the best way to learn because you can look at what's on the board - then you look at what you have and what you need. That's counting your outs for each hand you are drawing to.

So if you have Ac, 10c in hand and 4c, Jc, 10h on the board you are drawing to the flush. There are 13 clubs and you can see 4 so you know that there are 9 more available clubs in the deck. You have 9 outs and 2 more chances. That's pretty good.

But if you have Ac, 5d and there is 2d, 3h and 10s on the board - then you have 4 outs. OK that still sounds pretty good. Til you factor in that you're on a 10 person table that's full. How many of those 4 outs have been chucked already. You need a 4, and chances are that at LEAST one of them is gone on a 10 person table. That is statistical odds vs. actual odds.

Still confused? Look at it like this. 52 cards in the deck. 10 players, so that's 20 cards gone leaving 32 cards and you need one of 4 cards. There is a good chance that since almost half the deck is gone before the flop - 2 of the cards you needed are mucked. 3 cards for flop and you are down to needing 2 of the 29 left and only 2 chances to catch it. That's why most players won't pay to draw to an inside straight. Drawing to a full house and other higher hands the odds drop.

The other note I kept was how many cards left in the deck for the table size:
10 players - 32 cards, 9- 34, etc. I always tried to keep in my mind that any time there were 5 or more players I should figure my outs and cut it in half. under 5 is more like only 10-15% chance one of my outs is gone - but more cards in the deck also increases the number of "other" cards that can come up. So for starting out I played like my outs were always half. That's really conservative (tight play) but it kept me in longer and I got to see more and then you get a feel and you start playing with strategies a bit at a time and slowly you just "get it" without too much thinking.

Does that help?

[redstar]

I learned by just playing the game. Ofcourse I made mistakes but I learned from them. I have read a little but I learn better with hands on. The only other thing I practiced on was like a pc game.

[pocketjacks]

I've been learning several ways. Playing and making mistakes is necessary. You remember your mistakes more than you wil lanything you read. I also am in a number of forums and the strategy and what would you do articles are very helpful. I also read some booksand incorporate some of thos things into my playing. All these different sources are great but you have to play and learn what works for you.

[MissCrissy]

Yep. I guess like everyone else said, you learn by doing. You can watch and read, but that won't make you a player. Going to the ballet doesn't make you a dancer.