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As practice shows, most players cannot realize their potential not only due to lack of information, but also largely due to insufficient implementation of existing knowledge, an unprofessional approach to the game and work on the game as a whole. Many players cannot prioritize game skills correctly and are sprayed on minor nuances of the game. Being unable to independently organize high-quality work on the development of basic skills that affect the result.
In addition, the vast majority of players do not know how to comprehensively approach the learning process. Under these conditions, their growth is very slowed down, since the unreached aspects of the game become a load that prevents them from making a leap to a new level. One of the most useful and effective ways to get up-to-date knowledge, fill in the gaps, structure the accumulated information and correctly prioritize further development is individual poker training with a coach.
1. Formats of individual poker training
Individual trainings can be conducted in various formats, both universal in structure and related to more specialized topics of interest to the student. Let's briefly analyze the possible options.
Base disassembly
The most common format of poker training is a detailed analysis of the base of student hands accumulated in the Holdem Manager or Hand2Note poker statistics programs. The purpose of the analysis is to identify weaknesses (faces) in the student's strategy. Using various statistical indicators and filters, the coach quickly finds in the student's game the most critical deviations from the optimal strategy on preflop and postflop, gives recommendations for eliminating errors, as well as homework to consolidate the information received.
Qualitative analysis is possible at a distance of 10,000 hands played, but it is better to rely on a more solid base of 50,000-100,000 hands.
Analysis of a separate tournament
Sometimes it makes sense to disassemble not the abstract base of hands, but the entire tournament played by the student. Analysis of this kind gives an idea of the correct strategy of the game in different stages of the tournament and with different stack sizes, the influence on the decision-making of ICM and the bubble factor, the mathematical components of poker. Emphasis can also be placed on optimal work with statistics, errors in determining the ranges of opponents and the sizing used. Deviations from the optimal lines of play on the post-flop are understood.
Analysis of the final stages
Playing in the late stages of tournaments, on the pre-final and final tables is a stumbling block for many novice players who lose a lot of profit at this point. Often, players note that the style of their game in the final stages of the tournament can change against their will. Players narrow their range of discoveries, they have increased doubts about the decisions made (even in obvious situations), in general, the game becomes more passive, which leads to missed opportunities and a decrease in profits.
To understand the reasons for such negative changes, to identify and eliminate the psychological faces in the game in the late stages of the tournament, a specialized training will help, in which the strategy of playing at tables with an incomplete number of participants (3-6 people) is given, the differences of the game in the final stage with a chip-leader, medium and short stack, as well as ICM adjustments on the prefinal and final tables are explained.
Heads-Up MTT
The game in the final stage of the tournament - heads-up (one-on-one game) - stands out. Being a natural completion of a long tournament road, such a game requires specific knowledge and maximum concentration. In training, both global concepts of one-on-one play and special adjustments can be understood, which will be useful in a practical game. Student's mistakes at this stage of the tournament are analyzed.
Analysis of relegations from tournaments
Specialized training (or part of the training) aimed at analyzing the student's departures from tournaments. The situations in which departures occur are analyzed, the most typical mistakes in the hands associated with playing for large pots or "on the stack" are searched. Distributions can also be identified where the student makes decisions rashly, on emotions or under the influence of a particular tilt.
Disassembly of marked giveaways
A separate workout or part of it can be devoted to the analysis of marked hands, that is, the analysis of situations that the student specifically notes during the game (or self-analysis). Often, players are faced with situations in which they make decisions without being sure of their correctness. It makes sense to mark such complex distributions for subsequent analysis with the coach. Such an analysis is also useful because it reveals the student's thinking and allows the coach to diagnose and correct mistakes in this area.
Working with psychology (Mental Coaching)
For professional poker players, it has long been no secret that the optimal mental attitude during the tournament session is an aspect no less important than the constant work on the game strategy. One way or another, work with psychology is affected in all types of training.
However, if necessary, the training can be entirely devoted to the psychological state of the student, working on emotions during the game, analyzing the causes of tilt and methods of getting out of it. The level of motivation and discipline of the student is analyzed, advice is given on the organization of the optimal workflow.
2. Results of poker training
What result do we expect from the training? How do we know if our money is wasted?
As a result of a quality training, the student receives:
- A comprehensive analysis of your game (within the framework of an overall strategy or a given topic) with a list of typical mistakes;
- Recommendations for the elimination of these errors (in writing, for further work and control);
- Video recording of the workout for subsequent repetition;
- Answers to all questions asked on the subject of the training;
- Homework (in writing, for subsequent work and control), which is a plan for further independent work.
3. How to choose the optimal training format
A novice player will benefit more from universal training (on the analysis of the base, a separate tournament or games in the final stage).
More experienced players who have both big winnings and (possibly) training experience can independently decide which topic to devote individual training to. The most useful for the player's development will be a series of trainings with one qualified coach. In this case, the coach has the opportunity to more comprehensively assess the level of the game and the skills of the student, not only identify mistakes in his strategy and psychological faces and give advice on how to eliminate them, but will also be able to accompany and control the great work on self-development that the student will have to do independently in any case.
4. Which is more profitable: a game from yourself plus the payment of an individual coach or backing and education from the fund
One of the students asked me the other day for advice on the fund account, and I explained to him the mathematics of this question. After that, I decided to add this text to this article, because many are probably thinking about it. If the player has absolutely no bankroll and the possibility of independent development with the help of an individual coach, everything is obvious: the player goes to the fund to get the opportunity to play and learn. But if you have the opportunity to try to play from yourself and learn with a coach, how to calculate which is more profitable?
I will give you an answer from the standpoint of 7 years of experience in different funds both as a player and as a coach.
Mathematics clearly says that trying to develop independently with a coach will be more profitable both in terms of finances and in terms of professional growth. Let's take the example of a player who is going to play abi10 for calculation. We will not take beginners and minus players, because no one will take them to the fund anyway. We consider just such an example of a player who has the choice to go to the fund or develop himself. Such a player must be able to play 500 tournaments per month with a 5-day weekly load. Take even a fairly low ROI - the lower bar for this 20% limit. You can really show twice as much with a good selection and discipline.
- 20% ROI from 500 tournaments per month with abi10 = $1000 profit
- That's $12,000 a year.
Playing in the fund, the player will give him 50% - this is $6,000 per year. At the same time, he will receive a mediocre coach with low experience and qualifications, because experienced coaches for abi30+ players. And the best in general for abi70+. Playing from himself, and paying for an individual coach with a regularity of classes 1 time per month + self-study, which the coach will give, like homework, and video courses, the player will spend even on a coach like me (Exan13) a maximum of $2000-$3000.
And this is at full constant load, and in practice it often turns out even less. At the same time, learn from an experienced highly qualified coach who would train the highest limits in the fund. That's all simple mathematics: it is much more profitable to play from yourself. But if this is not possible, then only the fund remains. Read more about this and other options for independent development in the game in this article.
5. Memo to future students
- Be ready for painstaking independent work - training only reveals your mistakes, you will have to work on their elimination yourself.
- Approach the choice of the coach responsibly: collect information about the coach and his activities, study the feedback of other students.
- Carefully follow the received recommendations and homework - this is the only way the knowledge will be assimilated and transferred to the category of game skills.
- Remember: individual training is the most useful training format, focused on you!
6. Summary
Continuous training is an integral part of the development of a poker professional in modern realities. Not all players can develop independently: build a training system, identify topics that need to be worked on first, separate valuable recommendations from insignificant ones in the flow of free information.
Individual training is the most productive, useful training format aimed at the student personally.
Despite the fact that the price of individual training can be significant, remember that such investments bring the maximum profit and pay off most quickly.
