Hey guys-

I am looking for help/advice on coaching someone that's totally new to poker, never played a hand actually. Basically wondering if anyone has a gameplan or layout on what to teach first etc.... Obv I can start her on basic poker hand strengths and such. I'm really interested in people that have successfully taught students such as my friend. Thanks in advance

step one: teach hand rankings
step two: teach starting hand guidelines (start very conservatively)
step three: play with all cards face-up. Use this to teach, pot odds, bet sizing and relative hand strength. Deal out 5 or more hands, not HU.
Step four: get some buddies over for a practice game for chips only. You deal and sweat her. Do four rounds. Round one you advise her during hands. Round two you comment on her play after she makes decisions. Round three you just take notes and critique afterword. Round four is for "real" but with a very small buy in, say a SnG for $10.

Tell them to read harrington's books. After they are done you try to fix their leaks. Teaching from scratch can be quite difficult.

Was driving with a friend who knows nothing about poker and she wanted me to tell her a little about this great game we play. I assumed that she knew about hand rankings (maybe a bad idea) and just jumped in starting hand guidelines. Just talking about playing the premiums like TT+ (value of overpairs) and AQ+ (value of a strong top pair hand). Then talked about playing 22-99 for set value and suited connectors for a potentially deceptive hand. I threw in what I believe to be a valuable caveat about trouble hands, like Ax and KTo ish hands and how when we make a pair it is often not good and expensive.

This is how far I got (you know girls and their attention spans). I'd imagine things like bet sizing, pot odds, and relative hand strength would be next and would take a while to teach. In college, a friend asked me to teach him some strategy so I just set dealt some hands faceup and explained what I would do in each seat. I like the idea of having a practice game. You'd probably have to entice them with some beer and food though haha. I would just have my friend sit behind me and sweat me while I played a low stakes game at a casino and we could discuss hands whenever. Haven't really thought it through haha.

This is like step 6, don't tell the novice to read Harrington right off the bat. That's like expecting someone to run under a 7 minute mile without ever working out

Depends on who you ask. I can run like a mother ****er.

However, I do think that having a novice read a decent beginner's book for the game she/he wants to learn is probably the best way to go. Why try to teach a novice how to play when there are some very good books out there, all of which will allow the individual to absorb the information on their own schedule and comfort level?

Then, after the novice has down the basics, you can begin to help him/her better understand the concepts and situations that arise.

I like to do an exercise with them where we play a game they already know. Like chess or basketball or something. If it's chess, about half the time they make a good play and I make a bad one they will lose a critical piece and I will get to keep my piece.

Same with basketball. Once in awhile when they make a good move and score. They will lose a point and I will gain one.

I will then tell them that this is what poker is like and if they still want to learn.

Rather than having her read a whole book at once pick out a chapter or 2 for her to read then discuss it with her afterwards.

i taught a total noob how to play and in my opinion it takes two to three iterations and will take about six months.

during the first iterations you go through all of the above, baby steps, teaching them, walking them through everything and then having them read a book or two. during this time you have them deposit $100 online and grind 2NL and then after they beat 2NL and grind up to 4NL and then you....

Start over from square one and go through all the lessons and concepts again. Its on the 2nd iteration that light bulbs start going off in their heads and they really start to internalize the concepts...

Without the context its impossible to properly understand the concepts. its like trying to teach someone who is deaf how to sing. there is a certain foundation that is required to properly learn poker, and without a few thousand hands under their belt, they will be unable to truly learn poker.

Of course, you can teach them correct +EV concepts and they can "parrot" okay poker but they will not properly understand what the hell they are doing...

Basically, it takes several iterations because they need to build up a foundation such that they can properly learn...

crash course

1. hand rankings
2. table positions
-late position = advantage
3. starting (preflop) hand range
-what to always raise with
-what to call with
-what to generally see a flop with
4. betting
-bet for value (want worse hands to call)
-bet as bluff (want better hands to fold)
5. tagging opponents
-TAG/LAG
-tight, weak, passive, gambooly etc
6. odds and equity
-draw equities
-preflop equities (ie, KK vs 88 = 80:20; AK vs AJ = 70:30)
-pot odds

This isnt a bad outline, you going to hafta add bet sizing, SPR and commitment thresholds tho, Key fundamentals.

I am currently trying to do this with a beginner. I think its important to drive home a million times why they are taking each action, because when they finally understand why that is knowledge, not just do this in this spot because i said so. <----- I need to do this better with my teaching.

It can be frustrating as some of these things came very easy for us, even as beginners, but not everyone gets it that easily. Patients is going to be key.

1. triple range merging
2. Pot committed
3. counterfeit pairs
4. board manipulation
5. hand rankings

I would teach the rules first.

Secondly I would just play for a little while so that she understands the rules.

I would then explain the idea of the long run vs. immediate results, and explain that poker is won by making correct decisions. I wouldn't explain EV as such, but rather the concept of long term expectation.

I think a lot of practice would be required in between explaining further new concepts though. Private practice on 2NL with some sweat sessions would help.

Other beginner concepts:

Tight vs Loose
Aggressive vs Passive
Odds, outs, pot size and drawing

This doesn't belong in this forum. Looks like a few people were helpfult though.