How to Learn Poker x10 Times Faster
How to Learn Poker x10 Faster (Based on Science )
The End of Wasted Effort
If access to training videos and courses were enough, the poker world would be saturated with elite players. Yet, despite using solvers, coaching, and bootcamps, many enthusiasts struggle to move up in stakes. The gap between professionals and break-even players is not the quality of information; most schools provide a strong theoretical foundation. The difference lies in synthesis: how effectively a student converts raw knowledge into a memorable, executable strategy.
The core premise of this guide is simple: increasing your winrate isn’t about grinding more hours, but about studying smarter. The most common techniques–passively watching courses and looking and preflop charts–are often the least effect. They create a dangerous "illusion of competence," where you mistake familiarity with a spot for true mastery of the strategy.
This guide delivers a data-backed approach based on how the brain actually retains game theory. It will teach you effective methods for maximizing retention and ensuring your edge holds up, even under the pressure of a massive pot. After all, what is the value of knowledge if you can’t apply it when you need it the most?
Why Your Old Habits Fail and How You REALLY Learn
When studying new, foreign material, students reach for familiarity, not effectiveness. Techniques like re-reading notes, re-watching lectures, and highlighting are “low-friction.” They feel like progress without requiring the difficult mental work that create durable recall and lasting comprehension. This creates a dangerous phenomenon known as “the illusion of knowing” or “false fluency.” This is when you mistake recognizing the material for understanding it. It’s knowing what hands to open on the Button, but still being bad at pre-flop play. Because you’ve seen the words and concepts before, your brain processes the information smoothly, leading you to believe you’ve mastered the material. In contrast, active learning requires deliberate effort to pull information from your memory, a process that is far more challenging but monumentally more effective.
Your Brain is Not a Static Organ
Every time you engage with a new concept, whether calculating pot odds or recognizing a betting trigger, you are not merely storing data, you are physically altering your brain's hardware. This process relies on a biological principle: neurons that fire together, wire together.
When you first learn a strategy, the neural signal is weak and slow. It requires immense conscious effort to push the information across the gap between neurons (synapses). However, with deliberate repetition, the brain responds by thickening the connection. It wraps the neural circuit in myelin, a fatty substance that acts like insulation on an electrical wire. This insulation prevents signal leakage and can increase the speed of information transmission by up to 100 times.
This biological reality explains the gap between the amateur and the professional. The professional hasn't just "memorized" charts; they have physically constructed high-speed circuits that allow for instant pattern recognition. Conversely, neuroplasticity is neutral. If you repeatedly practice bad habits—like clicking "call" when frustrated—you are reinforcing those pathways just as effectively. You are literally building a brain designed to lose.
When we learn new material, it goes through a three-step process:
Encoding: The initial registration of information. This is where you first encounter and process new material.
Consolidation: The process of stabilizing a memory trace after the initial acquisition. This largely happens during deep sleep, making rest a non-negotiable part of learning.
Retrieval: The act of accessing information when you need it.This brings us to a central paradigm shift. Effective studying is not just about putting information in, it is about actively working to offset the natural process of forgetting. Your brain is designed to discard most of the information it encounters.
As a student, your job is to signal to your brain which information is important enough to keep.
True retention only occurs when you force your brain to work for the answer. The more difficult the retrieval–the harder you have to strain to remember the correct check-raise frequency without looking at a solver–the stronger the resulting memory becomes. Effective study requires you to stop feeding your brain answers and start demanding them from it.
Learning Styles Aren’t Real
You may have been told you are a "visual learner" or an "auditory learner." However, extensive scientific research has demonstrated that the idea of fixed "learning styles" is a myth. While you may have a preference for how you receive information (e.g., watching a video vs. reading a book), people do not learn better when information is presented only in their preferred modality.
In fact, doubling down on one style is inefficient. Instead of focusing on a single "style," the science points to the power of Dual Coding, or Multisensory Learning. This principle states that combining verbal information (like text) with visual information (like a diagram) is more effective for everyone. Why? Because it creates multiple, redundant memory traces in separate brain systems. Engaging different senses creates a richer, more robust network of knowledge that is easier to retrieve later.
With these foundational principles clear, let's build on them with powerful, actionable strategies that put science into practice.
The Four Pillars Of Effective Learning
While there are dozens of specific study techniques, nearly all of them are built upon a few foundational, evidence-based principles. These are the four "pillars" that form the strategic core of any effective learning plan.
Active Recall --also known as Retrieval Practice or The Testing Effect--is the act of deliberately pulling information from your memory rather than passively re-reading it. Every time you successfully retrieve a piece of information, you strengthen its neural pathway, making it easier to access in the future. It also serves as a powerful diagnostic tool, instantly clarifying what you do and do not know. Instead of re-reading a chapter on starting hand ranges from the small blind, close the book and write down every hand you should play from that position. Then, check your work. The mental effort of remembering is precisely what builds the memory.
Spaced Repetition is the technique of reviewing material at increasing intervals over time. This principle is designed to directly counteract the "forgetting curve," a concept demonstrated by science which shows that our memory of new information fades exponentially over time. By reviewing material just as it's beginning to feel fragile, you force your brain to reactivate the memory, significantly reducing total study time while increasing long-term retention. After learning about a new poker concept, review the concept an hour later, then the next day, then three days later, then a week later. This is far more effective than studying it for three hours straight in one day.
Interleaving is the strategy of mixing, or interleaving, multiple related subjects or topics within a single study session. This stands in contrast to Blocked Practice, where you study one topic thoroughly before moving on to the next. While interleaving feels more difficult in the short term, it leads to better long-term retention and problem-solving skills. It forces your brain to constantly differentiate between concepts and choose the right strategy for each problem, rather than relying on rote familiarity. Instead of practicing only continuation betting scenarios for an hour (blocked practice), create a practice set that mixes continuation betting spots in various formations, both in and out of position. This trains you to recognize the subtle cues for each play, just as you would in a real game.
Elaboration is the process of expanding on new facts with related details, explanations, and–most importantly–connections to what you already know. Instead of treating new information as an isolated fact to be memorized, elaboration asks you to constantly question it. This deeper processing creates richer associative networks in memory, turning brittle facts into flexible knowledge with multiple retrieval "hooks. When learning a new bluffing line, don't just memorize the action. Ask: “Why is this line effective against this type of opponent? How does it connect to my perceived range? What past hands have I played where this would have worked?”
Creating Your Toolkit
I recommend three exercises for incorporating new information into your strategy, based on the science above:
The Feynman Technique: Learn by Teaching
Named after Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, this technique uses teaching as a tool to reveal gaps in your own understanding. The core idea is to explain a concept in the simplest terms possible, as if to a novice.
Step 1: Pick a Concept: Choose a single topic you want to master (e.g., "Expected Value in poker").
Step 2: Teach It Simply: Write or speak an explanation using plain language, concrete examples, and simple analogies. Avoid jargon.
Step 3: Identify Gaps: Pay close attention to any point where you stumble, get confused, or have to rely on complex terminology. This is where your understanding is weak.
Step 4: Review and Refine: Go back to your source material to fill in those gaps. Once you feel confident, try simplifying your explanation again.
The Feynman Technique is effective because it forces you to build a deeper understanding through teaching, questioning, and self-correction. The act of teaching itself triggers a psychological phenomenon known as the “protégé effect,” which shows that the process of explaining a concept to someone else improves your own brain’s processing and encourages the use of more effective learning strategies.
The Blurting Method: Say Everything All at Once
The Blurting Method is a rapid-fire form of active recall. You set a timer for a short period (e.g., 10-15 minutes) and write down absolutely everything you can remember about a topic without worrying about structure, grammar, or organization. Its power lies in forcing clean retrieval under time pressure, providing a quick and honest diagnostic of your knowledge. Simply choose a topic, set a timer, and write continuously. When the timer goes off, compare your "blurt" against your notes or textbook to identify gaps and inaccuracies, which will guide your next study session.
The Leitner System: A Fancy Way to Use Flashcards
The Leitner System is a powerful way to implement spaced repetition using flashcards. Instead of reviewing a single stack, you organize cards into multiple "boxes" based on your mastery.The mechanic is simple: all new cards start in Box 1. When you review Box 1 (which you do frequently), any card you answer correctly gets promoted to Box 2. Cards in Box 2 are reviewed less often. If you answer a card in Box 2 correctly, it moves to Box 3 (reviewed even less frequently), and so on. If you ever get a card wrong, it gets demoted all the way back to Box 1. This system automatically prioritizes the material you struggle with while saving you from wasting time on facts you already know.
ANKI is a powerful flashcard system that automatically builds the Leitner system into its algorithm. It is mandatory for any serious student looking to quickly learn new information. Download it today and create decks for every subject within poker (game theory, SRP BU v BB, etc.), and begin filling your decks with critical information. The act itself of creating flashcards helps reinforce new neural pathways, as you’re not only forced to weigh if information is critical, but you have to summarize it in a simple, understandable way using the Feynman technique!
Metacognition
Metacognition is, simply, "thinking about your own thinking." It’s the skill of learning how to learn. It’s like Abraham Lincoln's famous quote: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." Taking time to learn how to study is far more effective than jumping straight into inefficient work.
Metacognition involves three key skills, each with practical applications:
Planning: Actively planning your study approach. This isn't just deciding what to study, but how. Develop a plan with specific time allotted to activities, choose which learning strategies will be most effective for the material, and set clear goals for each session. If you’re trying to learn a new strategy, write some heuristics for the strategy, then drill the situation in GTOWizard.
Monitoring: Continually assessing your understanding as you are learning . Instead of passively reading, use tools like "minute papers" (writing for one minute on what you just learned) or identifying the "muddiest point" (the single concept that is least clear) to force an honest check of your comprehension.
Evaluating: Reflecting on the results of your efforts. After a session, write a short reflection sheet that asks you to analyze your preparation, identify patterns in your mistakes, and plan how you will change your strategies for the future. What worked? What were your big mistakes? Were your mistakes caused from a lack of knowledge, or a lack of discipline?
If you cannot explain why you should c-bet small on a monotone board without using jargon or referencing a chart, you do not understand the concept; you have merely memorized a heuristic. Metacognition is the awareness of that gap, preventing you from taking that false confidence to the tables where it will cost you money.
Take Better Notes
Most poker students treat note-taking as stenography. They watch a training video and transcribe the coach’s commentary verbatim. Later, they review by passively skimming these transcripts. This process is functionally useless.
It creates a dangerous false positive: because you recognize the words on the page, you assume you understand the strategy. You mistake familiarity for mastery. You have recorded the information, but you have not encoded it.
Effective note-taking is not an act of recording; it is an act of translation. To learn, you must force the information through your own cognitive filters. You must listen to the concept, deconstruct it, and rewrite it in your own language. If you cannot summarize the strategy in one clear sentence without looking at the source material, you do not understand it well enough to write it down.
Suppose a coach states: “On dry, disconnected boards like K63r or Q82r, the in-position player can bet 40% of the pot with their entire range.”
If you write down “On K63r or Q82r, bet 40% with range,” your note is brittle. It relies on rote memorization of specific textures. If the flop comes J72r, you will be lost because it wasn't explicitly listed.
A superior note translates the specific examples into a universal rule: “On static boards where the villain lacks sets or two-pair, bet range for a small size to deny equity to overcards.”
This note captures the underlying principle, allowing you to apply the logic to any similar situation. This method demands a pause between hearing the tactic and recording it. You must process the information, understanding the why before you ever commit the what to paper.
Putting it All Together
1. Setup
Download Anki and create an account with GTOWizard (or your preferred solver).
2. Active Study
During a video or coaching session, ignore the specific cards and hunt for the underlying logic. Do not write down what the solver did; write down why it did it. If you cannot explain the logic, pause. Do not continue until you solve the "why" or ask a coach for clarification.
3. Translation
Write notes that summarize the strategy in the simplest terms possible. Use the "Beginner Test": if your note would be confusing to a complete novice, your understanding is too hazy. Refine the explanation until it is crystal clear.
4. Creation
Convert your notes into Anki flashcards: place the strategic scenario on the front and the logic on the back. Whenever possible, compose your answers to rhyme. Rhymes act as sticky mnemonics, making the strategy significantly harder to forget.
Critically, never use a deck built by someone else. You must create the cards yourself. This process triggers dual-coding, forcing your brain to synthesize the information through multiple channels before you even start reviewing.
5. Retention
Review your flashcards every day. Trust the algorithm to schedule the reviews based on your performance. If you’ve run out of flashcards, your short-term goal is to find new foreign concepts that expand your skill set.
6. Application
Test your knowledge with GTOWizard drills. Follow this progression:
Isolate: Start with a single formation (e.g., Button vs. Big Blind) on a single street (e.g., Flop C-betting).
Expand: Add more formations (e.g., Cutoff vs. Big Blind, Early Position vs. Big Blind).
Interleave: Finally, practice full hands from pre-flop to river. This forces you to switch between different concepts rapidly, mimicking the reality of a live poker session.
The List of Ten
I learned this method from high-stakes professional Haseeb Qureshi (INTERNETPOKER). When asked how he ascended the stakes so rapidly, he revealed a ruthless prioritization strategy.
First, he listed the ten specific areas where he was losing the most money. Then, he ignored seven of them. He focused exclusively on the top three items, drilling them until the correct strategy was executed at a subconscious level. Only then did he move to the next three. When the list was finished, he wrote a new one. By the time he completed a few lists, he had effectively rebuilt his entire game from the ground up.
This methodology fosters rapid, thoughtful improvement because it requires an honest, objective evaluation of your current strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, this focused approach enables targeted practice, meaning you drill specific weaknesses to actively expand your skill-set instead of simply reinforcing existing knowledge. Compare this to simply watching a Youtube video and hoping to level up!