Poker is a game that combines skill and chance, and people who are interested are often looking to improve their knowledge of the game as well as understanding things like odds, and the meaning of the rules of the game, as well as body language and people’s “tells”.

Mentorship and coaching are interesting topics in the world of poker, as it is such a competitive game – people who are good at it may not want to give away their skills and show others how they read people, for instance.

What Can People Learn With a Mentor?

Aspiring poker players have a lot of ways in which they can try to gain knowledge of the game. While there is always an element of luck in what cards are dealt, skill is still important, and there are ways to play their hands and skill in bluffing, for example.

Poker mentors can help with the very basics at least, so even if people are just looking to understand the rules of the game, this can be a big leg-up to help to get started in the game. Players should at least understand the rules of the game and the best starting hands in poker so that they can know if they are in a strong position.

Mentors and coaches can also give a more advanced understanding of the rules, and the way things work in poker in terms of betting, calling, and raising. Absolute beginners may even need to know things like how the cards are drawn and terms in the game like the “flop, turn, and river”.

Poker mentors can also teach people about the more advanced elements of the game, such as bluffing and the psychological side of the game. Poker is unique in that it requires a level of reading people, something that has become even more complex as poker has grown and become more of an online game.

Benefits of Mentorship

You may not be able to find a mentor who is top of the money lists in poker, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good option for reaching the next level of skill.

Top of the list of benefits is the option for personalized feedback, which you may not get if you are simply playing the game and trying to learn and you definitely won’t get if you are just reading the books and trying to pick up poker skills.

Mentors can look at a player’s skills and weaknesses and help them to build and become a better poker player. They can’t make them lucky, of course, but they can ensure that a player knows the best ways to play a hand, for example.

Coaching and mentorship can also help a player avoid silly mistakes – it is amazing how often players in poker, particularly in low-value cash games and tournaments, make mistakes. For example, they may bluff when another poker player can easily work out what is going on, making it far less likely they’ll win the hand. Success in bluffing can be a really difficult thing to try and master.

Potential Downsides

Working with a coach or mentor isn’t necessarily 100% positive, and there are some downsides. For a start, it is hard to find a mentor or a coach, and how do you know that they have the sort of quality and knowledge that you need? Checking their level of ability might be impossible so there’s a level of trust. There are many online platforms to find tutors in pretty much anything you can imagine, but anyone can sign up and offer their services.

Even when someone finds a great mentor, how do you know they’re sharing all their skills and techniques? Poker players want to win so it is possible that they might not share everything.

When you find someone on TakeLessons or a similar platform, you need to pay them for their services, too. Poker coaching isn’t free, so the question is whether it is worth it for you.

Conclusion: Other Learning Methods

Learning the basics of poker as well as some of the more advanced skills doesn’t have to be done in person. There are loads of online resources that can build knowledge and allow people to establish more knowledge of how poker works.

• YouTube – YouTube is a hub of activity for poker including tuition videos and resources for people to learn, you can pick up the basics like the values of the hands or even learn from pros who give their own opinions and tips.
• Masterclass – All-time great Dan Negreanu has a Masterclass course on poker where people can learn from one of the top players of his time.
• Books – Poker is a game where there are plenty of strategy books that can also have gems of knowledge for newcomers.