23 Sep 2024 Intermediate This article is for medium-skilled players mindset moving up stakes stats winrate Hey, it’s Sky from Smart Poker Study! Today, I’m going to walk you through the three essential steps to take before you bring on your first poker coach. So let’s get right into it! #1: Analyze Poker Stats & Win Rates The first step is to dive deep into your statistics and win rates. By thoroughly analyzing these, you can pinpoint exactly where your weaknesses lie. For instance, let’s say your data shows that when you call flop c-bets, your win rate is negative, sitting at -220 big blinds per 100 hands. Essentially, that means every time you make a call, you’re losing an average of 2.2 big blinds. Now, when you eventually meet with your poker coach, they’ll immediately spot this issue and help you refine your calling strategies. But if you can identify this leak on your own, you’ll get a head start. You can find learning materials - like YouTube poker videos, podcasts, chapters from books, or online articles, and start improving before your coaching session. By addressing these simple issues beforehand, your coach can focus on more complex areas when the time comes. #2: Pick the Low Hanging Fruit Step two is to tackle the low-hanging fruit. After you've analyzed your stats, you’ll likely find some easy-to-fix problems. For instance, maybe there’s a big gap between your VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money in Pot) and PFR (Pre-Flop Raise). You might also notice that your win rates when defending the blinds are terrible. Let’s say you’re losing -230 big blinds per 100 hands from the big blind and -184 from the small blind. This is a major red flag because if you folded every big blind, you’d be at -100, and every small blind would put you at -50. You’re more than tripling the damage out of the small blind and doubling it from the big blind, which screams for immediate attention. Another issue could be your performance when calling c-bets on different streets. Maybe you’re losing -220 big blinds per 100 hands on the flop, -465 on the turn, and a staggering -1845 on the river. These are clear opportunities for improvement. When fixing your game, always start from the beginning: work on your pre-flop game first, as it directly impacts post-flop situations. And focus on the most frequent and costly errors. If you’ve spotted multiple issues, like the ones mentioned above, the priority should be to address your blind defense. Strengthening your blind calling strategy will automatically reduce the gap between VPIP and PFR, leading to a more aggressive approach. Once you get your pre-flop game sorted, it will naturally improve your post-flop play, such as when you’re dealing with c-bets on the later streets. If I were your coach, here’s the six-step game plan I’d recommend: Seek out content that covers blind calling strategies. Study the strategies and take notes. Apply those strategies in your games. Tag relevant hands during play and review them to refine your approach. After 3,000 to 10,000 hands, reassess your stats to measure improvement. Repeat this process until you start seeing positive results and develop winning habits. #3: Get the Most of Your Favourite Book The third crucial step before hiring a coach is to make the most out of your favorite poker book. Why? This process helps you get into the right mindset to follow a coach’s guidance. I’ve had students who, despite wanting to learn, struggle to take direction. They stick to methods they’ve picked up elsewhere, even though they hired me to help them. When you work with a coach, it’s important to trust their guidance and be open to new strategies. To prepare for this, pick up your favorite poker book and treat it as if the author is personally coaching you. Each chapter is like a one-on-one session. So, if the book has 10 chapters, that’s 10 weeks of coaching advice. For each chapter, take the following approach: Read the chapter as if the author is directly speaking to you. Take notes on the key strategies and advice offered. Break down the advice into actionable steps that you can implement throughout the week. Finally, take consistent action with these steps before moving on to the next chapter. Most authors won’t give you step-by-step instructions, so it’s on you to pull out the practical tips and turn them into a game plan. By doing this, you’ll train yourself to follow direction and act on it - skills that will help you get the most from a future coach. Final Words If you’re thinking about hiring a poker coach, try these three steps first. Even if you decide not to, you can still coach yourself by tackling the low-hanging fruit in your game and approaching your favorite poker book like it’s your personal guide. The work is laid out in front of you - now it’s up to you to take action and start making positive changes in your poker game!
