Is a Poker Coach Worth It? How to Choose

Introduction: Is a Poker Coach Worth It?

So you want to up your poker game? Yes, you could watch YouTube videos, read poker strategy books, and listen to poker podcast. Have a look at the best sites to play poker. But maybe taking on a poker coach is the best means to take your game to the next level. There are plenty of players who say that having a poker coach saved their game for them. Likewise, there are also players who curse the day they paid someone to help improve their table game. Of course, it’s going to be problematic if a player has raw and natural talent. In that case, having a coach might lead to him feeling as if he’s being slowed down. It’s a difficult call.

How Much Does a Poker Coach Cost?

As with all things, the answer is “it depends”. But the general consensus is you’ll need to be paying someone for the time they could have been playing at the table and the money they could have been making. Obviously, they need an incentive to step away from the games table and teach your sorry ass the basics. Having said that, just like buying a secondhand car, it’s still a case of “buyer beware”. Sometimes, the showy player who you might think knows his stuff is nothing more than a barrel of hot air. Having said that, many poker coaches understand the problems associated with finding a coach worth their salt. To that end, many will offer a longer-term plan, and you can walk away whenever it suits you. In the long run, you’ll be paying less per hour for this set up than for a single “class”.

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Poker Coaches for New Poker Players

If you’re new to playing poker, then a coach isn’t really going to be of much use for you. Before seeking advice from a professional, you’ll need to learn all the basics, including the rules from the beginning. And you can only do that on your lonesome. We would suggest that you spend your time watching tutorial videos and reading books on basic strategy. And keep in mind that most of these teaching materials are actually coming from professional players themselves. You’ll need to have a good understanding of the game before reaching out for coaching. But you have to build your own foundation. Only when you have that, and it represents a broad and solid base, should you then look for one on one help.

For the Player That Has Hit a Wall

In real terms, this is the best situation for calling in the help of a poker professional. It’s not unusual to hit a wall at between three to six months. You’ve studied all the books and videos. You are thinking through your every move. And yet…you’re still bleeding money every time you hit the tables. Essentially you’ve reached a plateau and you’re stuck. You might read some cool jackpot winning tips and tricks, but still, you will feel like you’re drowning. It’s in this situation, that having the help of another set of eyes, is really going to be of benefit. Having a poker coach, someone who’s able to identify the weak spots in your game will make playing poker the enjoyable sport it should be. Sometimes, it’s frustrating to be continuously making the same mistakes over and over, and yet be unable to identify where you’re going adrift. You might feel as though you’re playing quality play.

A Good Coach Will Find Your Weaknesses

After all, you know what hands to play, the proper bet size, and how to range the hand size of your opponents. But something is missing in that you always seem to end up on the wrong side of your bankroll. In these situations, having a poker coach can really help improve your play. Remember that you can have a coach come for just an hour or five hours. It all depends on your needs. We suggest that you take a lesson, and then take a few days to learn to think and play with your new-found knowledge and skills. Then meet up again, play a few hands to evaluate your progress, and get much-needed feedback. A decent coach will be able to identify your weaknesses within minutes.

Though poker in itself is a very straightforwards game, there are a huge number of nuances involved in gameplay. Miss one or a couple of these, and your game is going to suffer. But having someone at your elbow to remind you of the correct strategy is a Godsend. You’ll discover aspects of your own gameplay and deficiencies that you never were aware of. Some of these will need to be discarded or adjusted in order to better your overall game.

Which Poker Games Are You Playing?

There are as many different coaches as thee are varieties of jackpot poker. A huge mistake we see time and time again is hiring a coach who has little knowledge of the type of poker you’re playing. You have to find someone who is an expert in your particular variant of the game. If you spend most of your poker games playing heads up cash games, then hiring someone who only plays 6 max is going to be a waste of time. Not only will you be paying for nothing, often times the knowledge he can impart is totally irrelevant to your particular game.

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First of all be sure of the type of game you’re wanting to improve upon. Only then take your time to find someone that consistently wins at the same variant. We also recommend that you stay away from coaches who teach too far above your pay grade. That’s because low stakes and high stakes are two completely different styles of game. You really want someone who has been playing your limits over the last couple of years.

Different Styles of Poker Coaches

The personality of your coach is pretty essential to learning anything. We have met coaches with the personality of a wet blanket. It was obvious that very little was going to happen as they lacked the basic skill of communication. You want someone who is a positive and active player. Someone who can bring real-world experience to the games table. A poker coach who can light the flame of interest and make the game exciting and involving. Someone who is going to show you how to win the jackpot. With today’s instant playback society, you’ll find that many coaches will actually record the session and send it to you as part and parcel of the course.

This is a massive help as you can constantly refresh your lessons. One important point is that, before you meet a prospective coach, you should rack your brains for pertinent questions. This will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Are Poker Coaches Worth It?

One thing is for sure….if you’re a total newbie, then coaching is most definitely NOT worth it! Conversely, if you’re a player who’s stuck in your poker journey, then a coach can be an absolute savior. But it’s important that before you take on a coach, you are certain that you actually want to improve. By this we mean that there are players who have become fixated with a certain playing style and find it difficult to move to something new. So, though coaching isn’t the be-all and end-all to your playing woes, it’s important that the student is willing to change. The coach will point out factors that he believes are holding back your game. But it’s for you to put these into practice.

How Much Does One Need to Pay for a Poker Coach?

As to how much you should be paying, that’s a difficult question to be able to give a definitive answer. Pricing for poker coaching goes from really serious money to someone who’s almost willing to give a class just because they love the game and want to help others. The main point here is that you need to find someone who you believe is competent. We can’t really find any reason to recommend the most expensive coaches, as that same information is available for much less and from an equally competent teacher.

Because you’re a for-profit gambler, then that’s where you should be looking in terms of improvement. Whilst taking coaching, is your overall take going up? Is your bankroll lasting longer? Do you feel that your coach helps increase your jackpot winning chances? Coaching is one thing, but you should always have a time limit as to what you’re learning and how quickly it starts bringing in results.

Profits for Coaching

Essentially there are two ways of playing. One is, as, with the normal life, you pay for classes as you take them. But not everyone has the cash at hand for this. And not every coach wants to accept this method. The other means of payment is a deferred payment, that sees all your profits over a certain time frame go to your coach. This is an interesting method because the coach is only benefiting from his own teaching. It’s a classic “put your money where your mouth is”. If he’s taught the player well, he gets to reap some of the rewards.

Such arrangements do require a certain level of mutual trust. We suggest that you work on establishing a good rapport with your teacher to be, before taking any classes.

Conclusion: Is a Poker Coach Worth It?

Before you hire a coach, learn all the basics of the game. This includes things like gameplay, betting limits, game strategy, and card control. Once you’ve been playing real cash games for enough period of time to fully comprehend your own weaknesses, only then reach out for help. You need to understand the knowledge being shared. Take your time to research a coach before taking the plunge. It’s a much better economy to spend hours looking for the right guy, than crying over your lost bankroll.

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