How do you improve your poker game when you're not playing?

I've been thinking about how much of poker improvement actually happens away from the tables. Some players review hand histories, others watch training videos, use tracking software, or discuss hands with friends.

I'm curious what has made the biggest difference in your own game. If you had one hour to spend improving, how would you use it?

For newer players, what study methods would you recommend that give the best results without costing a lot of money?

For me, reviewing hands I've actually played has helped the most. It's easy to remember the big pots, but going back and figuring out where I made mistakes has improved my game more than just grinding more volume. If I had one hour, I'd spend 30 minutes reviewing hands and 30 minutes watching a good strategy video or discussing spots with other players. That's probably the best value, especially if you're on a budget.

I'd review hands or study ranges in tricky spots, a mix of both actually

Good morning, everyone.

I started playing poker in 2018, and when I compare the technical knowledge I had back then to what I have in 2026, the difference is huge. When I first started, I knew absolutely nothing. I didn't even know that pocket Aces (AA) are the best possible starting hand preflop.

Over time, I made a point of learning as much as I could. I watched videos about which ranges to play from each position, followed profitable players on Twitch and YouTube, studied final tables of high-stakes MTTs with the hole cards revealed to understand how the best players think and make decisions, and, most importantly, put in thousands of hours of practice.

Since 2018, I've played poker five to six days a week on average. Some days, I played for as long as 10 hours. In my opinion, if you dedicate yourself to any activity for nearly eight years, often spending that many hours practicing, you're naturally going to become good at it. There is no secret—it's the combination of studying, observing, gaining experience, and putting in volume that makes the difference.

An hour isn't enough!

Reviewing hands is important, but it’s not enough if you lack the tools to spot the mistakes you've made.

Of course, you need a solid foundation regarding pre-flop opening ranges and 3-bets; beyond that, you have to study various post-flop scenarios and learn to adapt based on your opponents' profiles...

With so much smoke sold today, it is very difficult to learn something good, most people charge for their courses and many copy all the information that exists from Google, for that reason I wouldn't pay for a course, that's throwing money away, the best way to learn is to lose, there is one who quickly realizes mistakes, that's how the best players out there today were formed and that's how it should be, discipline, perseverance and improvement. There's nothing better than doing it your own way so you create your own traps so your rivals will be more confused, so one day you'll be the best 👍

Interactive studying. By simply reading the learning process is hard, because if you are not extremely gifted at remembering, sorting and utilizing the right information, you are just enjoying the book while the memories fade.

By interactive studying, taking quizzes, actually playing with training tools, charts, solvers, you learn by experience, which is far easier to remember. Easier to take notes for particular spots too.

For me, reviewing marked hands has always given the biggest return. I also like comparing my decisions with solvers or training content to understand where my thought process can improve.

If I only had one hour, I'd spend most of it studying hands I actually played instead of watching random videos. That makes the lessons much easier to remember at the tables.

I think reviewing hands is the biggest one. I'll go back through a session, especially the spots where I wasn't sure about a decision, and try to figure out if there was a better line. I also like watching strategy videos and discussing hands with other players because sometimes they notice leaks that you completely miss. Even 20 or 30 minutes of study between sessions adds up over time.

crasure said:

I've been thinking about how much of poker improvement actually happens away from the tables. Some players review hand histories, others watch training videos, use tracking software, or discuss hands with friends.

I'm curious what has made the biggest difference in your own game. If you had one hour to spend improving, how would you use it?

For newer players, what study methods would you recommend that give the best results without costing a lot of money?

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Watch the live stream of any big poker event happening on YouTube!
I’m strictly recommending the live stream only because watching top professionals play every orbit is more helpful instead of watching highlights of only good hands dealt!