by: Lou Krieger ©

Poker Lessons: sarcasm, cynicism, or a darn good idea?
If you’re new to the game, the phrase poker lessons may seem innocent enough to you, akin to dancing lessons, music lessons, or any other instructional process designed to teach a newcomer something about a particular endeavor. But let a player make a comment at the table about how someone else played his or her hand, and someone else is likely to say, “Do you always give poker lessons at the table?” And it’s usually uttered with sarcasm dripping from every syllable. Or if someone makes an obvious bonehead play, an opponent might cynically say, “Still taking those poker lessons, huh?” But none of this should distract players who want to improve their game from working to improve. Poker lessons run the gamut from one-on-one lessons ? either in-person, on the phone, or online ? to perusing online poker schools for information, to books, magazines, videos and other media aimed at improving one’s game, as well as discussing poker with other players in formal or informal poker discussion groups. The same player who eagerly seeks out golf lessons can be notoriously reluctant to seek help for his poker game. Perhaps that’s because an errant golf swing is visible to all while a series of bad poker decisions and poor results they lead to can always be written off to bad luck. But if awareness is the first step in learning to correct a problem, then perhaps this overly macho attitude needs some adjustment before seeking poker lessons to revitalize a losing game.