CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

OFF-FELT TRAINING

“
A combination of work away from the table, study,
and practice is just as important as actually playing and
getting the experience that you do at the felt.
“

MASTE RCL ASS

 CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

off-felt training

SUBCHAPTERS

• PLAY ONLINE TO ACCELERATE • LEARN THROUGH DRILLS AND • EXERCISE

YOUR LEARNING
• UTILIZE SOFTWARE TO AID IN
YOUR LEARNING PROCESS
• CREATE A BRAIN TRUST
REPETITION
• MASTER NEW CONCEPTS BEFORE
BRINGING THEM TO THE TABLE
• GET SLEEP AND EAT WELL
• USE MEDITATION AND
VISUALIZATION

CHAPTER REVIEW

orld-class poker players reach the pinnacle dangerous to apply new concepts in a live game before
W of their careers by working incredibly hard away
from the poker table. You have to take the time to work
your knowledge is solid. Work through your weaknesses
in practice, but make sure you understand enough before
through new concepts and drill the fundamentals of how making real moves across the felt.
a certain situation is played, in order to be able to apply
that knowledge at game speed. This grind in the lab is just The world’s best players—including Daniel—now
as important as gaining experience over the felt. approach poker like athletes. To perform well over the
course of a grueling tournament, in which days can be
Daniel encourages you to make the most of the digital 16 hours long, you have to prepare your body and mind.
resources available to poker players today. Playing Physical exercise and meditation will help you to achieve
online or watching skilled players on Twitch.tv is one your potential.
of the best ways to speed up your learning process.
Online play is much faster than live games and you’re
able to play multiple tables at once—and for lower stakes.
As such, online experience adds up extremely fast: you
could accumulate as much experience by age 23 as
legendary player Doyle Brunson did in 60 years.
Simulation software also allows you to advance
your understanding of how to play various hands.

Daniel also recommends gathering a group of poker

players who you can bounce ideas off and learn from.
A study session can be as simple as analyzing a single
hand—you can spend hours breaking down all of the
variables and possible outcomes. Brainstorming with
other players is one of the best ways to push yourself to
think differently about the game. Remember: It can be

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 CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE / OFF-FELT TRAINING / DANIEL NEGREANU

UP YOUR GAME

Read The Mental Game of Poker by Jared Tendler and
Barry Carter. This modern classic covers in depth the
adult learning model and instructs the reader how they
can learn in the most efficient way.
Daniel mentions his time at ChoiceCenter Leadership
University. You can investigate the kind of training he
went through on their website.
If you’ve never tried meditation before, try popular apps
such as Headspace or Simple Habit to get an introduction
to the practice.
Consider the poker techniques you have learned so
far in your experience with the game through the lens of
Daniel’s four-stage learning process. Evaluate which stage
of knowledge you’re at for each. Can you recall hands you
have played that highlight concepts that are not yet at
stage four?
Think through specific areas of your game that would
benefit from drills in your study time. List them out and
prioritize them, creating a study program for yourself.
Follow Daniel’s advice and create your own “brain
trust,” either with other players in your area or via The
Hub. Set up an initial study session to discuss past hands
and share information. Compare notes on the amount
of time you each spend studying versus how much you
spending playing. Try to identify the ideal ratio based on
your experience level.

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