how to study poker

Garu98 · Feb 6, 2026

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum and I'm just starting out in poker.

I'd like to receive suggestions for study materials (books, courses, videos, or free content) for beginners.

Propane Goat · Feb 6, 2026

We have a great 30-day poker course to help you get started! It's completely free, developed by two poker pros, and can be found at this link:

CardsChat 30-Day Poker Course

Garu98 · Feb 6, 2026

Propane Goat said:
We have a great 30-day poker course to help you get started! It's completely free, developed by two poker pros, and can be found at this link:

CardsChat 30-Day Poker Course

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Phoenix Wright · Feb 6, 2026

I agree with the 30 Day course too. Once you have the basics like that down, a lot of study comes down to reviewing your own hands which you were unsure about what to do.

noprob · Feb 6, 2026

1/ do the 30day poker course
2/ you can train vs AI
3/ and analyze the mistake you did with the solver to learn and fix your leaks
4/ at this point you have started learning and poker still has not cost you anything, enjoy the rest of the journey !

hardongear · Feb 6, 2026

As mentioned I'd start with the 30 day free CC course. Also have a look at Jonathan Little's site https://www.mypokercoaching.com/. Lots of free info there and free preflop ranges that will get you started and keep you busy for awhile. Also fwiw I'd start off spending a lot more studying then playing as you're new to poker. I'd likely study most the week when you have the time and play on the weekends. Plus play the CC freerolls if you can. Great free experience at the very least. If you're work schedule allows

Cheers!!!

Kpaprince · Feb 7, 2026

Welcome to the forum! When you’re just starting out, I think the most important thing is to keep your study simple and structured, instead of trying to learn everything at once.

I’d suggest beginning with fundamentals like starting hand selection, position, and basic bankroll management. Once those concepts are clear, reviewing your own hands—especially hands where you were unsure—is one of the fastest ways to improve. Even asking yourself “why did I choose this action?” helps build good habits.

Videos and articles are great for beginners because they explain concepts visually, but I’ve found that combining them with actual play and short review sessions works best. Playing fewer tables and focusing on decision-making helps a lot early on.

Most importantly, don’t rush. Poker is a long-term learning process, and steady improvement beats quick results.

sibkaz · Feb 7, 2026

30 day courses and more freerolls...)

kunkgreen · Feb 10, 2026

Hello @Garu98 !

It depends a lot on your skill level... What's your poker experience?

The course mentioned here on Cardschat, besides being free, is really good for updating us on the most important topics in poker.
From there, I believe you'll know what to focus on when you want to study something specific.

Today there are many software programs that we can use to study GTO theory, among other topics like ICM, etc...
Are you familiar with these terms?

Garu98 · Feb 12, 2026

Phoenix Wright said:
Eu também concordo com o curso de 30 dias. Depois de dominar o básico, grande parte do estudo se resume a revisar suas próprias mãos, principalmente nas áreas em que você tinha dúvidas.

thank

Garu98 · Feb 12, 2026

kunkgreen said:
Olá @Garu98 !

Depende muito do seu nível de habilidade... Qual é a sua experiência com pôquer?

O curso mencionado aqui no Cardschat, além de ser gratuito, é muito bom para nos manter atualizados sobre os tópicos mais importantes do poker.
A partir daí, acredito que você saberá em que se concentrar quando quiser estudar algo específico.

Atualmente existem muitos programas de software que podemos usar para estudar a teoria GTO, entre outros tópicos como ICM, etc.
Você está familiarizado com esses termos?

I'm a beginner, thanks for the tips, I'm learning some of these terms, haha.

Garu98 · Feb 12, 2026

Kpaprince said:
Welcome to the forum! When you’re just starting out, I think the most important thing is to keep your study simple and structured, instead of trying to learn everything at once.

I’d suggest beginning with fundamentals like starting hand selection, position, and basic bankroll management. Once those concepts are clear, reviewing your own hands—especially hands where you were unsure—is one of the fastest ways to improve. Even asking yourself “why did I choose this action?” helps build good habits.

Videos and articles are great for beginners because they explain concepts visually, but I’ve found that combining them with actual play and short review sessions works best. Playing fewer tables and focusing on decision-making helps a lot early on.

Most importantly, don’t rush. Poker is a long-term learning process, and steady improvement beats quick results.

thanks

Nesehorn156 · Feb 12, 2026

Welcome to the forum. When I was starting out, I found free YouTube content really helpful, especially beginner series that explain hand strength, position, and basic strategy. CardsChat itself also has some good articles and discussions that are easy to follow. I’d suggest focusing on fundamentals first before jumping into advanced stuff. Playing freerolls while studying a bit on the side can be a good way to learn without pressure. Good luck on your poker journey!

Jyco · Feb 12, 2026

I think the first step should be to look for free content on YouTube. There’s a lot of it, and it usually covers everything from the basic rules to much more advanced concepts. Before going deep into studying, it’s important to really understand how the game works, such as positions, stack sizes, and opening ranges depending on how many big blinds you have.

In my opinion, the easiest and most effective way to improve is by analyzing your own hands. Review hands where you think you played badly, but also hands where you’re not sure if your decisions were correct. This helps you understand what optimal poker looks like, and at the same time you’ll learn that sometimes playing non-optimally can work against certain types of players. Good luck with your studies.

Matt_Burns88 · Feb 13, 2026

What buy-ins are you playing? What format? Cash, MTT's? No-limit Holdem, PLO?

I can give you some suggestions based on your answers. Some of the previous responses might well be good one's but could be completely inappropriate depending on the game you're playing.

antonis32123 · Feb 13, 2026

I like the free poker threads in some poker rooms , like cardschat , easily you get [he basics of poker . Also some strategy articles , some advanced theories or strategies . The web is full of such sites , articles , threads . Watching online tables while others playing to study their moves , their decisions ,how rng works , that's a good idea also .

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how to study poker

Garu98

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Propane Goat

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Garu98

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