Do you think watching streams helps improve your game?

[Nesehorn156]

A lot of players watch poker streams and videos for entertainment, but they can also be useful for learning.

Sometimes you pick up ideas just from hearing good players explain their thought process.

Do you think watching streams actually helps improve your game, or is studying hands more effective?

 

[puzzlefish]

It's very dependent on who you are watching, but yes it can help a lot. Some people learn better from watching others. Some don't absorb any of the benefits and just focus on the wrong things. For example, is the player rationalizing a poor choice or play to make it sound like they are printing money in that spot in the long run? Videos are way easier to consume than text of hand review, but it's always important to be critical of the sources involved.

 

[TeUnit]

Training videos are probably better, but some streamers explain why they are doing things.

The other thing to be careful of, is that some streamers are losing players. If their sharkscopes are bad, you are better off not watching them.

 

[dannystanks]

You can use them for study and take notes as long as you are mindful of what level of play you are watching. If you are watching high stakes cash games, it will do you no good in a low stakes tournament for example. Try watching “Inside The Mind Of A Pro” it’s on YouTube and there he/she explains exactly their thought process for each hand, from the beginning of a tournament to the end.

 

[ztibor72]

Certainly not for me. I prefer learning videos.

 

[anbu210]

Yes, watching streams can help — but only if done actively.

You can learn thinking processes, hand reading, and decision-making from good players.
It also helps understand different styles and adjustments.

But passive watching won’t improve much — you need to analyze why plays are made.

Best use is combining streams with your own study and hand reviews.

 

[Cooking]

Unless it’s a really good player playing, I think it’s more worth it to study. Of course, sometimes it gets tiring, so watching becomes much easier than reading.

 

[Happy Bobi]

A lot of players watch poker streams and videos for entertainment, but they can also be useful for learning.

Sometimes you pick up ideas just from hearing good players explain their thought process.

Do you think watching streams actually helps improve your game, or is studying hands more effective?

I think it would be much more useful if you, for example, recorded your game and then tried to analyze it in detail. At least for me, it would be more useful than any broadcasts or streams of professionals.

 

[Goggelheimer]

Watching poker streams can help a bit, but only in a very specific way.
You mostly see the big hands, the dramatic bluffs, and the all‑ins — basically the highlight reel, not the real grind.
That means you miss the quiet folds, the marginal spots, and the long stretches of disciplined play that actually define winning poker.
Streams can inspire you or show you how top players think in high‑pressure moments, but they don’t teach the full decision‑making process across an entire session.
If you rely only on streams, you end up learning the action, not the story behind the action.
They’re great entertainment, but real improvement comes from studying full hands, reviewing your own play, and understanding the boring but essential parts of the game.

 

[TheniT]

I believe it is important to always be up to date with the game and watching good players play I think it helps. Many days I spend my session watching a player I like playing.

 

[10gerka]

You can also learn to play poker well by watching videos, but it depends on who you're watching, but in the end it does help a lot.

 

[frost234]

So I watch streams of some good players and training videos on YouTube, you can find good tips there.

 

[gravii2011]

Poker streams help, with their help you can see how another player thinks.