Getting better at poker can feel overwhelming when you're juggling a full-time job, family responsibilities and other commitments.
You know you need to put in the hours to improve, but finding time feels impossible.
Watching a few YouTube videos here, reading a few strategy posts there, or running some random sims won't lead to any kind of consistent growth.
You start to feel frustrated as leaks remain unplugged and your game stagnates.
The good news?
You don’t need endless hours or a coach to see real improvement.
With a simple, repeatable 6-step system, you can maximise your limited time and build a personalised training routine that drives consistent progress in your poker game.
Today I'm going to share my 6-step system to programme your own poker training.
Let's dive in...
Step 1: Work Out How Much Time You Have Available to Study
How much time can you realistically dedicate to poker study?
Many players overestimate what they can do in a week, leading to burnout or missed study sessions.
Instead, aim for consistency over volume:
Be Realistic: Take stock of your weekly schedule. Consider your work hours, family obligations and personal time.
Find Small Pockets of Time: Could you dedicate 30 minutes in the evening or an hour on the weekend? Even short, focused sessions add up over time.
Prioritise Consistency: It’s better to study for 30 minutes, three times a week, than to cram for three hours once and risk fatigue.
Pro Tip: Use a calendar or app to block out your poker study time. Treat it like an important appointment, and protect it from any and all distractions.
Step 2: Identify the Areas You Want to Work On
Your study time will only be effective if you focus on the right areas. Instead of trying to learn everything at once, zero in on specific skills or leaks:
Review Your Game: Identify your biggest leaks by reviewing your database or analysing your marked hands. You can ask your study group/partners for help too.
Focus on Key Skills: Start with one or two focus areas each week. Examples include:
Pre-flop hand selection and range construction.
Post-flop decision-making in specific situations (e.g., out of position as the preflop raiser when the flop goes check/check).
Mental game improvements like tilt control or focus.
Set Clear Objectives: Define what you want to achieve. For example: “I want to improve my flop c-bet percentage in position against the Big Blind” or “I need to work on folding rivers against weaker players.”
Pro Tip: Write down your focus areas at the start of the week and review them before each training session.
Step 3: Map Out Training Sessions Across the Time You Have Available
With your time and focus areas identified, it’s time to structure your study schedule:
Break It Down: Divide your study into specific tasks that align with your goals. For example:
Monday: Watch a 30-minute video on 3-betting ranges.
Wednesday: Review 10 hands where you defended the big blind.
Saturday: Run post-flop simulations for common scenarios.
Vary Your Methods: Mix different training methods to keep things interesting:
Drilling preflop spots
Drilling postflop spots
Reviewing hand histories
Setting up and running sims
Watching training videos or Twitch streams of skilled players.
Make It Manageable: Avoid overloading a single session. Aim for a balance between study and practice.
Pro Tip: Use a simple spreadsheet or notebook to map out your week’s sessions and check off completed tasks.
Step 4: Work Through the Training, Scoring Yourself
As you work through your training plan, actively measure your progress. Passive study rarely leads to lasting improvement.
Score Your Performance: After completing a session, rate your understanding or execution on a scale (e.g., 1–10). For example: How accurately did you apply concepts when drilling?
Track Your Results: Keep a record of your scores to identify trends over time. This is easy with most drilling software. Then colour code your scores: I like green for 90%+, amber for 80%-90% and red for <80%.
Stay Engaged: Challenge yourself with questions during study. For instance: “What would I do if the villain raised here?” or “What’s the best play for my range on this board?”
Pro Tip: Gamify your training by aiming to improve your scores week over week.
Step 5: Reflect at the End of the Week
Reflection is a crucial part of the improvement process. Set aside time at the end of each week to review your progress:
Ask Key Questions: Use these prompts to guide your reflection:
What went well? Which sessions felt most productive?
What did I struggle with? Were there concepts I failed to grasp or execute?
How did my performance at the tables align with my training focus?
Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge even small improvements. Progress builds momentum.
Identify Adjustments: Pinpoint areas that need more attention next week.
Pro Tip: Keep a training journal where you record weekly reflections, key takeaways, and action items for the next cycle.
Step 6: Write a New Programme Based on the Previous Week
Based on your reflections, design a new training plan for the week ahead. The beauty of this system is its adaptability—it evolves with your needs:
Adjust Your Focus: If a particular area is still weak, double down on it. If you’ve made progress, shift to plugging a new leak.
Set Fresh Goals: Each week is a chance to refine your training. Make sure goals are specific and achievable.
Stay Flexible: Life happens. If you miss a session or need to adjust your plan, don’t be too hard on yourself—just get back on track.
Pro Tip: Keep your previous week’s training plan and notes handy. This creates a record of your progress over time.
Summary
Improving your poker game as a part-time player is entirely achievable with a structured, repeatable system.
By breaking the process into 6 simple steps—assessing your available time, identifying focus areas, mapping out sessions, scoring yourself, reflecting, and refining your plan—you can make meaningful progress, no matter how busy your schedule.
Start small, stay consistent, and enjoy the journey of continuous improvement.
Remember: even a little progress each week adds up to big results over time.
That's all for this week.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:
The Final Table: Play your best poker when the most is at stake. Detailed analysis of over 100 hand examples at different stages of play. Learn how to make great decisions every time and set yourself up for daily progress.
Poker On The Mind: Listen to my podcast with Dr Tricia Cardner as we discuss peak poker performance and tournament poker strategy.
MTT Poker Academy: Join the tournament poker community for part-time players with full-time lives. Learn the strategies to optimise your study time and boost your ROI around your day job.
Train & Play Like The Pros: Join my signature programme that will take you from amateur to training and playing like the pros in the next 12 weeks.
Purposeful Practice for Poker: Gain a clear theoretical understanding of the science of purposeful practice and how you can apply it to your poker study & training. Includes specific exercises designed to create an infallible plan for poker improvement.
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