Should You Try Online Poker Training? 7 Reasons You Should!

Poker training is any type of research or practice in the game of poker (any variant). There are many different ways to train in poker strategy, including through books, recorded videos, virtual lessons, in-person lessons, and gameplay. The most common elements of online poker training include:

• Digital reading materials, like guides
• Strategy tools, including charts and GTO solvers
• AI tools, including simulated hands and gameplay
• Recorded video lessons, such as a poker coach breaking down a hand
• Podcasts
• Personalized feedback
• One-on-one coaching options

Before diving into an online poker training program, think about how you learn best and consider whether all the training’s features will help you.

7 Benefits of Poker Training

Poker training is for every serious player who wants to get better. Let’s explore some of the reasons why you should try poker training:

1. Improve Your Math Skills
2. Dive Further Into Poker Psychology
3. Explore Advanced Poker Strategy
4. Join a Community of Other Players
5. Boost Your Confidence as a Player
6. Get Better at Managing Your Bankroll
7. Spend Less Than on a Poker Coach

Improve Your Math Skills

Poker is about knowing the odds and making smart decisions based on those probabilities. The best players know which hands are worth pursuing before they get to the table — and you should, too. Poker training can teach you how to calculate implied and pot odds and estimate your hand strength. That way you can make more logical — not emotional — decisions at the table.

Dive Further Into Poker Psychology

Poker is also about observing your opponents and exploiting their weaknesses. Any poker training program worth its salt will explore the psychology behind poker, including:

• Reading body language and facial expressions
• Analyzing perceived strengths and weaknesses
• Identifying betting strategies
• Assessing emotional instability, play style, and intellect

You should also get more insight into your own psychology at the table. Poker training should have you assessing your own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to psychological stability at the table. Good poker training teaches you how to:

• Keep calm during tough hands
• Keep your cool after losing (or winning)
• Fight off the nerves
• Improve your focus
• Develop patience
• Mange your body language and emotions
• Avoid tilting
• Build your poker persona and maintain it

All of this can help you make better decisions at the table, no matter what situation comes your way.

Explore Advanced Poker Strategy

You can learn the basics of the game just by playing, but learning the different advanced poker strategies — and how to successfully apply them — requires more effort. Poker training programs explore strategies used by experienced and professional players to help you prepare for higher stakes, higher pressure table games and tournaments.

You can amp up your betting strategy, get better at bluffing, use game theory optimal (GTO) strategy and ranges to your advantage, and know how to play every position at the table. Understanding and applying advanced poker strategy is what helps you take your game to the next level.

Join a Community of Other Players

Many training programs have an open forum where players can connect to play games, talk shop, and swap tips. Other programs have loyal followers who you can meet on social media, in online poker rooms, or at in-person tournaments. When you have a community, you have more people from whom to get honest feedback and play more hands, both of which are important to getting the most from your poker training.

Boost Your Confidence as a Player

Poker training gives you valuable knowledge, boosts all your poker skills, and prepares you for practically any hand. The more knowledge and preparation you have, the more confident you can be. More confidence allows you to stay focused and calm in a game of poker, no matter who’s at the table. Confidence also helps you build a strong poker persona, keep your poker face, and manage your emotions.

Get Better at Managing Your Bankroll

Learning smart betting strategies helps you avoid sinking your money into hands that aren’t likely to work out in your favor. When you know the strength of your hand ranges and what betting strategies to apply in what situations, you can make more informed decisions with your bankroll to avoid losing money. Also, studying your own psychology helps you understand your triggers, and that information can help you figure out when to fold and walk away.

Spend Less Than on a Poker Coach

Not all poker training programs include poker coaching, which is when you have a poker coach to give you personalized feedback and teach you how to execute advanced plays. Poker coaching is usually a lot more expensive than a comprehensive poker training program. So if you’re new to the game or are an experienced player with a smaller budget, online poker training can be a cost-effective option to test the waters before jumping into a coaching program.

Where To Go for Online Poker Training

Not all online poker training programs are created equal. Here are some of our top picks for the best places for online poker training:

• Upswing Poker: This poker training website offers free resources, including charts and guides. But you can also get one-time-purchase training courses to improve decision-making, poker math skills, using exploits, and more.
• Advanced Poker Training: APT provides active learning via simulated poker games against lifelike AI, skills tests called “Beat the Pro” challenges, progress tracking, and real-time feedback.
• PokerCoaching.com: Poker pro and pro coach Jonathan Little offers “active learning without having to hire an expensive coach.” Learn by playing and getting feedback from a coach, playing “hand quizzes,” and watching video lessons with quiz components.
• YouTube: You can find thousands of free poker training lessons and hand breakdowns from pros (including Daniel Negreanu), poker streamers, and amateurs.
• Udemy: This digital learning site offers hundreds of cost-effective, single-purchase courses on poker basics to advanced strategy to specialized poker topics.
• Podcasts: You can find many FREE poker podcasts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Hear interviews with pros about tournament play and insights into the game. Some pros have their own podcasts, so you can learn in-depth strategy on your own time from the best of the best.

Online Poker Training vs. Poker Books

While reading the best poker books should be part of your overall poker training, poker training programs don’t usually rely on books. Here are the main differences between online poker training programs and poker books to help you decide which is the best training option for you.

Poker Books	Online Poker Training
More passive way to learn basics and advanced strategyDon’t usually include interactive resourcesCould be less engaging way to study	Offers more dynamic, active learning options, including quizzes, gameplay software, and video lessonsCan be easier for some players to focus and engage in their studies
Relatively inexpensive, ranging from a few dollars to up to $40 for a content-rich poker guideLower financial risk	Tend to be more expensiveLess content-rich courses could cost just a few dollars up to $15 or $20Many run on subscription models for 10s of dollars per monthContent-rich, single-purchase courses can cost hundreds of dollars
Access is forever	Subscription model programs may limit your access or completely take away your access once you stop payingOne-time-purchase courses usually provide lifetime access
Cost-effective access to knowledge, strategy, and tips from many professional playersMost poker pros write at least one book	Can be cost-effective access to knowledge and tools from professional playersNot all pros have their own training or coaching programs

Want to learn by playing? Read our reviews of the best online casinos in New Jersey that have online poker.