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Online Poker Legality, Plugging LIVE Leaks and Poker Pro Study Habits | Q&A | #75

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Online Poker Legality, Plugging LIVE Leaks and Poker Pro Study Habits | Q&A | #75

I answer 3 listener Q’s about the legality of online poker in the US, plugging LIVE leaks and the study habits of the pros.

In episode 74 I discussed having a growth mindset within poker and when practicing hand reading.

Online Poker Legality, Plugging LIVE Leaks and Poker Pro Study Habits

Question 1 from Wendy (1:20)

Hi Sky!
I want to start playing poker online but I’m really scared to start. I want to start at the smallest level possible and work my way up. I’ve been listening to your podcasts and doing extra research on things like poker software and, as I told you before, various different ways to calculate the math. The thing I most appreciate about your approach is you emphasize the value of studying and testing one thing at a time. 😉
I don’t really understand the legal stuff either since I’m in Virginia and I don’t know if I can play for money if I log in from this state?
Thanks so much, Wendy

  • This isn’t legal advice, just informational for you
  • Also check out UnitedStatesofPoker.net for more state specific info
  • This isn’t legal advice
  • If you decide to play some online poker, I recommend starting on Americas Cardroom (ACR) with just $100, or even $50.  There are $.01/$.02 games and tourneys as low as $1.  And risking just $50/100 isn’t really that much of a risk.

Question 2 from Gerald (5:10)

Hi Sky,
I have a question that could, maybe, be a podcast discussion.
I hear a lot about fixing leaks but my question is, how do we find our leaks? I am, primarily, a live player so I don’t have stats, numbers, HH or spreadsheets to look at.

Any help with pin pointing leaks as a live player would be GREAT!!
Keep up the good work. Love your podcasts,
Gerald

  • It can be difficult to fix leaks when you’re a LIVE player.  Having a database to work with and thousands of hands to pour through really helps to find where you’re losing money.  When it comes to figuring out LIVE leaks, there are three ways I recommend doing so:
  1. Knowing which spots give you the most difficulty. 
  2. Taking notes on the hands where you voluntarily played but lost or folded before the river. 
  3. Visit forums and learn from the leaks of others. 

Question 3 from Jim (8:55)

Sky,
I’ve read where Pro Poker players spend most of their time studying poker, not playing
What exactly are they studying?
Thanks, Jim

  • I don’t think they’re spending more time studying than playing.  Poker pros (and rec players) love playing more than studying, so most of them study maybe 10-20% of their poker time.  There are some pros that spend 50% or more, but they’re few and far between.
  • They’re constantly running through hand histories and looking for leaks.
  • Many of them have coaches that they discuss poker with.
  • They’re constantly running through the poker maths of different spots.
  • Thinking about ranges and ranging opp’s through hands is another thing they study quite a bit.
  • They watch training videos from better poker players.
  • A huge part of their study time is spent in Skype discussions with their poker friends.
  • They also spend time on forums discussing poker hands with others they aren’t necessarily friends with.
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