Almost the vast majority of poker players do not have coaches. We may ask our friends for advice or their opinions on a certain play, and we may read books and blogs for strategy and analysis, but at the end of the day the only real way to improve our play is from our own self-evaluation. In other words, the best coach at the poker table has to one’s own mind. You have to learn to coach yourself. In order to be able to coach yourself you must learn to objectively observe and critique your own play.
Break down each facet of the game and ask yourself how you feel you rank in each category. If you can compartmentalize the game and rate your play in each category you will be able to monitor progress more efficiently and make adjustments where necessary. People who neglect this type of self review tend to have huge holes in their game that they overlook due to neglect or stubbornness.
You may have a very aggressive style and an accurate ability to make solid reads but how is your temper? Do you lose control and tilt away chips? How about your stamina? Is your memory sharp? Do you mash rash decisions? How often do you stop to calculate pot odds and bet sizes? If you don’t put your opponent on plausible hand ranges then you are neglecting a very valuable area of the game.
Compare this to an NBA player like Shaquille O’neal. If poker was basketball it would be clear to see that he has areas of tremendous strength yet other aspects of his game are lacking and mediocre. Even with years of coaching he struggled with foul shooting. The same can be said for any texas hold em poker player. No one’s game is perfect and complete. Everyone has areas they can improve on and some more than others. It is up to us as poker players to find our own weaknesses and focus specifically on them in order to improve that part of our game and become better overall players.
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