I have completed an analysis of the poker training industry and will submit my findings and conclusions via story format in this thread.

I hope you all read between the lines and enjoy this light-hearted bit of creativity.

How An African Snowstorm Shaped The Poker Training Landscape We See Today.

A quick walk through the park of the poker training world and aside from having no idea which poker training site is the best or which poker training course you should choose, the part of your brain that recognises patterns will start to scream.

After extensive research,

Time spent in old libraries filled with dusty books. You know, the libraries with a ladder that slides along the shelves.

After uncovering every stone and translating ancient scripts…

…I found a legendary story of a shepherd in Sub-Saharan Africa which explains why.

Conditions were harsh and the life of a shepherd was tough.

Long, hot days and cold, dark nights out with the sheep.

Water and food were scarce and the sheep were everything the shepherd had to keep his family alive.

One scorching day, a breeze picked up, the shepherd turned towards it to cool his face.

At first, he didn’t realise the clouds rolling in, but the drop in temperature made him shiver.

The shepherd sensed something was wrong. This was not a regular rain spell approaching.

However, rain was rain, and water and food for the sheep were all that mattered.

This was a blessing.

The rain fell, and so did the temperature.

Colder.

What were drops of rain, soon became flakes of snow.

Slowly they fell, instantly melting on the hard-baked ground beneath the shepherd’s feet.

He stood frozen in place, confused at this unusual sight.

Over the next hours, the snow started to stick, and the initial blessing of rain turned to dread in the shepherd's heart.

The snow continued to pile up.

What was once an orange landscape with patches of grass.

Became a soft white blanket up to the shepherd's knees.

The shepherd could do nothing about the disaster happening in front of him.

Standing in place, he was out of options.

How would the sheep eat now?

He had no extra food and didn’t harvest grass as the sheep could graze freely.

This had never happened in all of history.

The sheep would surely starve, and the shepherd and his family would also be in danger.

Hope was disappearing, and fast.

He heard a faint noise in the distance. Someone was shouting but the shepherd couldn’t quite make out the words.

A man came into view, pulling a wooden sled with a pile of long sticks on the back.

There was a sign written on the sled which read:
“Snow shovels”

“Hello There!” Shouted the man with the sled. “Some funny weather we’re having isn’t it?”

“You can say that again,” said the Shepherd with a sigh,

“My sheep need to eat but the grass is covered by a deep layer of snow!”

“It looks like you’ll be needing a snow shovel,” said the man, gesturing to his sled.

“Oh my friend, you are a saviour!” Shouted the shepherd.

“I don’t have a lot, just my sheep, some milk and cheese. After all, I am only a simple shepherd.”

“What will you take for this solution to all of my problems?”

“I have one price for my snow shovels, shepherd, you will find no other price in this land for the solution you require.”

“What might that be? I must have one or my sheep will surely starve”

The snow shovel salesman did not hesitate with his next sentence…

And at the same time, did not realise he would set the course of history.

A slight smile spread across his face as he named his price.

“Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Dollars,” said the salesman.

And so from that day forward, history was made and the magic price was born. Carried through time and still used everywhere today.

How was this price decided? That I cannot be sure.

Why was there a well-prepared snow shovel salesman in a place that had never required such a product? That I cannot be sure.

Why was the salesman charging Dollars before they were invented? That I cannot be sure.

But what I can be sure of…

$999 was a number picked out of the sky. It was completely made up.

Every poker course that you see out there today, whether it's to do with strategy, mindset, tournament, or cash games.

The price has absolutely nothing to do with the quality, content, or outcome you will get.

So when the part of your brain that recognizes patterns starts screaming:

“WHAT IS IT WITH EVERYTHING BEING $999?”

Just remember the snow shovel salesman

Remember how he completely made up his price and was probably just the same as what everyone else was charging for snow shovels.

PLUS, it's $1 less than $1000, so it looks a little bit cheaper.

Don’t be fooled by the price tag.

You’re just being sold a snow shovel in an African snowstorm.

The way value is defined within the poker training industry is backwards. And it starts with the prices of the material on offer.

Maybe after the story of the shepherd in the snow, you think the same too.

Why Access To All The Information In The World Still Won't Help You Improve At Poker (Or Grow Potatoes)

It was the year 1928.

On a chilly Spring morning in the South of England, a man whistled a happy tune as he stepped inside his local library.

He approached the front desk with an excited spring in his step. A librarian awaited his arrival.

“Good Morning,” He said with a smile.

“I have a small garden behind my house and would like to grow some potatoes to enjoy with my family.”

The librarian listened carefully.

“I’d like a book which covers the full cycle of potato growing, or a more general home gardening book if you don’t have that.”

The librarian paused before responding.

“I have an even better option for you,” said the librarian.

He slammed the largest book ever seen on the table which shook the room as it landed.

“Here I present to you every book ever written in the history of mankind”

“Every book…” said the gardener.

“Every book,” replied the librarian. “Isn’t it exciting!”

“Even Shakespeare and Plato and the Encyclopedia, all of those?”

“Every…”

“Book…”

“Tens of Billions of pages, with more books added every day!”

“But surely it will take years to read this book?” queried the gardener.

“Over three hundred thousand years actually” said the librarian with an excited smile.

“You'll have so much knowledge afterwards!” “The access to this information is a real privilege!”

“But I just want to know the best time to plant potatoes,” said the gardener.

“I can’t wait three hundred thousand years to eat dinner with my family.”

“Dont worry about it.” replied the librarian dismissively.

“The book you need is in there somewhere, but you also get exclusive access to every book ever written.”

“Can you tell me where the book about potato growing is inside?” Asked the gardener hopefully.

“Sir, I am a librarian, not an explorer, that is down to you to find for yourself.”

“Plus, like they say. The journey is the destination, right?”

The gardener looked around to see if he could spot a gardening section.

“You won’t find exactly what you’re looking for here sir, we only have copies of every book.”

The gardener turned and left the library.

On the way home he passed a shop front with the words “Gardening bookstore” above the door.

He chuckled to himself as he pushed inside.

Two months later, a steaming pot boiled away in the kitchen as the table was being set for dinner.

On the kitchen window ledge… “Home Grown Vegetables - An Easy Guide.”

The gardener smiled as he looked out across his thriving vegetable patch, which grew all of his family’s favourites.

Beyond the garden, he saw a young woman trying to teach her puppy how to ‘sit’. The dog barked and ran around in circles, not paying any attention.

She turned to a huge object on the floor next to her, cursing loudly.

The gardener eventually recognised what she was doing.

She turned the pages of a book rapidly, skipping large sections at a time, searching for something.

It was the largest book ever seen…


This story teaches us a valuable lesson about learning poker. Specifically about poker training courses.

Your decision of which poker training course to choose should not be made based on the amount of content a poker training site has to offer, but rather:
- Is the content relevant to the poker I'm playing or want to play?
- What can the course material help me to do?
- Are the outcomes aligned with my goals?
- Will I be able to complete the course material and extract value from it?

This can be difficult as poker platforms don’t speak much about what they teach within their courses and what you can do with the information besides “take your game to the next level”.

Are poker courses worth it? Absolutely.

If the value you receive from the course is worth the time that you spend consuming it and the money it costs for access.

Now you may have the question “How do I find the right poker course?”

My answer? “I am a librarian, not an explorer, that is down to you to find for yourself.”

Don’t Let Lewis Hamilton Teach You How To Drive

Why The Best Person At The Job Isn’t Necessarily The Best Person For The Job



When I was younger I dreamed of being able to drive my own car.

The freedom it would bring, all the places to see and adventures I could have.

Because of this deep desire, I wanted to make sure I learned properly.

To be the best driver I could possibly be, I needed the best of the best to train me right?

So, one day, when I was 9 years old I made a decision.

I would save up all of my money to get the best of the best to one day teach me how to drive.

So that I could drive just like them.

Fast forward and I’m 17, standing face to face with the seven-time championship-winning, countless world record-holding, greatest Formula One driver to ever race.

Lewis Hamilton.

This was the man who would teach me how to drive a car.

(Don’t ask me how I afforded this lesson)

“I can’t believe you’re here.” I said, star-struck.

“Me neither,” chuckled Lewis.

“You’re the best driver of a car the world has ever seen.”

“I want you to teach me exactly how you drive so I can be the best driver I can be too.”

“So you want to be Formula One champion? That’s great news kid.” Replied Lewis.

“No, I just want to get around town and go on trips with my friends to the beach and camping!” I said with excitement.

“But I figured if I’m going to learn, I better learn from the best.”

“Alright then, let’s get started.” Said Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One World Champion.

He walked around my 2010 Ford Fiesta, inspecting and muttering to himself.

“What tyres are on this car?” Said Lewis.

“Ermm, I dunno, Pirelli?” I didn’t have a clue.

“We’re replacing those, a new set of racing slicks for extra grip in the turns.”

“Brake pads?” He continued.

“I’m sorry?”

“What brakes are you running with?”

“Ermm I thi-”

“Gotta go,”

“What are your powertrain specifications?”

“Train? This is a car…” I was confused now.

“What shoes are you wearing?”

“Just my running shoes, I thought they'd be pretty comf-”

“Gotta go, you’ll need racing boots so you have optimal contact with the pedals.”

“Okay sit in the driver's seat.” Lewis motioned me towards the car.

“Get as close as possible and as low as possible so you can really feel the car on the road.”

“In fact, we’re gonna replace these seats altogether.”

“How is your left foot braking?” He probed.

“My dad said you should use your right foo-”

“Double clutching?”

“This car only has one I think…”

“How are your reaction times?”

“Pretty good! I played a lot of sports when I was a kid”

“Too slow, we’re gonna need to get those up.” I think he rolled his eyes at me.

This lesson didn’t seem to be starting well.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do here” Sighed Lewis.

“You are clearly not ready to drive a car.”

“Why do I need to make all these changes? I protested.

“We haven’t started the engine yet!”

“I am the seven-time Formula One world champion. The best driver the world has ever seen.”

I nodded back at him.

“I’m telling you what I know about how to be the best, so you can become that too.”

That’s what I wanted, so I couldn’t really argue with him.

For the rest of the lesson, Lewis Hamilton taught me the details of a clutch system and how to squeeze every last millisecond out of a gear change.

He also mentioned something about how I’d receive a drive-through penalty if I cut somebody off…

I didn’t take another driving lesson with Lewis Hamilton.

Mainly because my car didn’t move due to discussing high-level racing terms.

But also because of the £50,000 he charged me for the hour.

A second lesson was unfortunately out of my budget.



Lewis Hamilton attempting to teach me how to drive is a reminder that the best, most skilled person is not necessarily the most appropriate to teach you at your current level.

You don’t need the greatest poker players in the world to teach you how to play at micro- or mid-stakes.

And you certainly don’t need to pay the prices they charge for their coaching, courses and learning material when you’re not at the top level.

Especially when higher value-for-money options lie out there waiting to be used.

Think about that the next time you want to take on a coach with 5 WSOP bracelets and $10 million in winnings.

The big names and big price tags with all the fancy jargon might not be all they’re cut out to be.

Don’t Let Lewis Hamilton Teach You How To Drive!