Improving your poker game doesn’t end when the session does. In fact, some of the most meaningful growth happens after you log off or leave the table. Post-session reviews give you the opportunity to reflect on your decisions, identify patterns, and fine-tune your strategy. For both online and live players, reviewing hands is a powerful habit that separates casual players from those who consistently improve.
Why Post-Session Review Matters
Poker is a game of long-term decisions. Winning or losing a single session doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of your play. Post-session reviews help you shift the focus from results to decisions. By looking back at your choices with a clear mind, you can recognize what you did well and what could be improved.
This process allows you to catch recurring mistakes, understand tricky spots, and gain clarity on your overall strategy—without the pressure of being in the moment.
How to Track and Record Hands
To conduct an effective review, you need accurate records of the hands you’ve played. Online platforms often provide hand histories, making it easy to revisit specific situations. If you’re playing live, take notes during or after key hands to reconstruct them later.
Focus on hands that were:
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Large in size or had big impacts on your session
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Confusing or difficult to play
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Lost despite seeming strong
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Won but may have been misplayed
The goal isn’t to rehash every hand but to analyze the ones that teach you the most.
Break Down Key Decision Points
When reviewing a hand, go through each street (preflop, flop, turn, river) and ask yourself:
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What information did I have?
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What range did I put my opponent on?
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Was my bet size appropriate?
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What were the alternatives?
Treat each hand like a puzzle. Try to think from your opponent’s perspective and understand how your actions may have been interpreted. This exercise builds your hand-reading skills and decision-making discipline.
Identify Patterns and Tendencies
Over time, your reviews will reveal consistent patterns. Maybe you’re losing money from the blinds, overvaluing top pair, or bluffing too often in multi-way pots. Spotting these habits gives you specific areas to target in your improvement.
You may also uncover emotional leaks, such as playing too loose after a bad beat or chasing hands when short-stacked. Recognizing these behaviors is the first step toward fixing them.
Set Goals for Future Sessions
Each review should end with at least one actionable takeaway. This could be as simple as “play tighter in early position” or “don’t call 3-bets out of position with marginal hands.” Small, focused adjustments can add up to big long-term gains.
Write down your goals and revisit them before your next session. This ensures your practice is intentional and goal-oriented rather than reactive.
FAQ
1. How often should I review my poker sessions?
Ideally, after every session—especially if you played a long game or encountered several tough spots. Regular reviews help reinforce good habits and correct bad ones faster.
2. Do I need software to review poker hands effectively?
While tracking software is helpful, especially for online play, it’s not essential. You can manually note important hands and break them down using basic tools like pen and paper or spreadsheets.
3. What’s the most important thing to focus on during a review?
Focus on the quality of your decisions, not just the outcomes. Analyze your reasoning, opponent tendencies, and missed opportunities for better lines of play.
