The Endless Task of Studying the Game of Poker

Professional poker training is an eternal commitment to further education.

I have to wonder, if Sir Isaac Newton were alive today, would he be among the world’s greatest poker players? His first law of motion states:

“An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”

This theorem could easily be applied to the success of a dutiful poker player who continuously studies the game. A player who merely studies the rules of a game, then takes a rest from studies to pursue a professional poker career, is unlikely to succeed. Conversely, a player whose studies continue throughout the entire course of their career will continue to progress—to stay in motion with the same speed, and in the same direction; that being an upward climb in the poker rankings.

Professional Poker Training an Endless Commitment

There is so much more to the game of poker than learning the rules. Knowing how to play will allow you to play, but it won’t do much for your ability to win—at least, not among other players who’ve studied the game at length.

The mathematics behind the poker are critical. Can you calculate the odds of winning with pocket Aces when the Flop brings a trio of Hearts to the table? What if you have a 9, and the board shows 10-J-K-Q. What are the odds your opponent, who just snap-shoved a full stack into the pot, has the Ace for the better straight? Knowing the math behind the game will teach you how to react. But it won’t solve everything.

Psychology is another crucial part of any professional poker player’s arsenal. If that last player got excited and raised when the 10-J-K Flop came down, one could deduce he does not have the Ace, but rather Two Pair, likely with Kings on top. If he opened with large bet pre-flop, he’s more likely to hold a set of Kings, paired underneath. The ability to observe and correctly judge the actions, reactions and betting behavior of each opponent adds an element of psychological warfare to your bag of tricks.

Math may or may not come easy to you, but picking up on poker tells takes practice—in some cases, years of practice. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out—when you think you can stop learning and apply all of the intellect you’ve already acquired—someone with greater knowledge of more in-depth poker strategies will come along to snatch the lush red carpet from beneath your feet.

This happens more often than you might think. Every few years, the ecology of poker changes. It evolves into something completely different. Where pot odds and expected values once reigned supreme, an enduring focus and state of calm now triumphs.

Today, the most prominent players of the last 20 years are still studying, undergoing professional poker training in things like mindfulness and hypnotherapy. They’re doing yoga, drinking herbal teas, and crushing the competition like never before. Ten years down the road, that won’t be enough, either.

Anyone has the potential to become a one-hit wonder of the felt. Only those who are truly committed to a life-time of studying the game of poker will find long-term success.