Introduction

• your actions are dictated by patterns you have already learned
  
• how you can use certain patterns to retain control
• learning and using profitable patterns in poker
  
• performance review - how to check on yourself

You have decided that you want to learn a strategy that will make you a winner at the tables. You have read the basic articles and maybe watched some videos but you still don't feel confident at the tables.

Maybe you have learned the basics and worked your way through some bronze and silver articles but you don't want to get stuck. Maybe you are struggling to actually use the content when it comes to in-game situations.

Why is it so difficult to spontaneously make the right decisions? How can the PokerStrategy.com coaches play four tables, explain what they are doing and answer questions at the same time? How do they know what to do within a split second?

The coaches have seen any situation a countless number of times, even the ones that you think are a real challenge. They have seen many similar hands in the past. They use their past experience to make their decisions.

Nobody can remember every single hand that they have ever played. The human brain is unable to store such a vast amount of information. This is why our brains have developed a neat trick: instead of remembering every single situation we develop patterns that help us to make the right decision.

From the first hand you have ever played, your brain has started to develop patterns, whether you like it or not. It would otherwise be impossible to deal with the information that accumulates during the 60 to 100 hands per hour on any single table (online).

For example, you will remember that a set (three of a kind, as a result of a pocket pair and one matching card on the board) is a very strong hand. The more you use this pattern the easier and quicker you will be able to recall it.

The basic procedure at a poker table is always the same. 52 cards are dealt with the same rhythm. You make decisions that boil down to answering the same questions every time: Do I invest money and how much? Am I better off staying out of the hand?

However, you are never aware of all factors that would be required to make the perfect decision. You rarely have the time to even consider all the information that you do have. You don't have a choice. You have to make your decision based on patterns that you have learned in the past.

Your brain is very creative in recognising patterns. When trying to organise the apparent chaos into sensible patterns your brain can make mistakes. This leads to conclusions like: "You can't win with AK" or "If you try to get your bonus on XYZ-Poker you always get useless cards".

These errors are not always obvious. Maybe you have won a lot of money holding a flush in Texas Hold'em lately which is obviously a great experience. This might make you think that any suited cards are a hand worth playing. If you start playing any suited hands you will start losing money in the long run.

It's obviously not enough to just play a lot of hands in order to become more experienced. Many players lose money month after month. Sometimes they win money but usually they lose it. Granted, sometimes they learn a thing or two but they never make big improvements.