Hand review, results review and playing experience or formal training.

I think all of these things can help someone improve their game. I'm wondering how much of each is important.

I've heard that for low level players, once they have strong fundamentals playing experience is the most valuable form of training, and only when they start getting more advanced does it make sense to devote larger periods of time to formal training? Do you agree?

How often, and for how long do you think a person should spend doing hand reviews? Does it change for more or less advanced players?

How often should you review your overall performance (BB/hr or that sort of thing)? Can reviewing it too frequently/infrequently cause problems?

All of these things can indeed help improve someone's poker game. In terms of the importance of each aspect, it depends on the individual's current skill level and goals. For low level players, building strong fundamentals is essential, but playing experience is also valuable. Once players start to advance, they may benefit from devoting more time to formal training, as it can help them refine their skills and stay up-to-date on the latest strategies.

The frequency and duration of hand reviews should also be tailored to the individual's skill level and goals. For newer players, reviewing hands more frequently may be helpful to identify and correct mistakes. As players become more advanced, they may not need to review hands as frequently but may benefit from reviewing more complex hands for longer periods of time.

It's also important to review overall performance regularly, but the frequency may vary depending on the individual's goals and level of play. For example, a professional player may want to review their performance more frequently than a recreational player (like me). However, it's important not to review performance too frequently or infrequently, as this can cause problems. Reviewing performance too frequently can lead to overthinking and anxiety, while reviewing it infrequently can make it difficult to identify patterns and areas for improvement.

In summary, while playing experience, formal training, and hand reviews are all important for improving one's poker game, the frequency and duration of each should be tailored to the individual's skill level and goals. It's also important to review overall performance regularly, but not too frequently or infrequently.

I think one way that hand reviews can be great to learn from for spots that you keep finding yourself in where you frequently lose. Post those up and see what people say. You will usually find that there will be a general approach to the hand that may help you improve your results.

Dobbler1 said:

I've heard that for low level players, once they have strong fundamentals playing experience is the most valuable form of training, and only when they start getting more advanced does it make sense to devote larger periods of time to formal training? Do you agree?

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Yes and no. On one side there is no substitute for practice. But on the other side how do you get "strong fundamentals" without formal training? There need to be some balance and interaction between study and practice for the best results. If we are honest, then most of us enjoy playing far more than studying, so the most common mistake is to study to little rather than to much. I definitely fall into that camp myself.

Dobbler1 said:

How often, and for how long do you think a person should spend doing hand reviews? Does it change for more or less advanced players?

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I dont know, what the perfect balance is. But as you get more experienced, that will be more spots, which are pretty automatic, and which you therefore dont need to review again and again. But on the other side you might want to dive deeper into some spots and finetune your lines and ranges.

Dobbler1 said:

How often should you review your overall performance (BB/hr or that sort of thing)?

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When you have a large enough sample, that its meaningfull.

Dobbler1 said:

Can reviewing it too frequently/infrequently cause problems?

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The most common mistake by far is for people to review there results way to often. This lead to focus on meaningless short term variance rather than on finding leaks and improving our game. But of course you do want to keep some sort of track of your results as part of the game selection process. If you constantly win in one game format but lose in another, then its probably a good idea to focus on the one, where you are winning.