You must tackle your poker weak points and turn them into strong points. In this article and podcast, I give you the 3 key elements of doing exactly this.

But first…

Here’s what you need to do…

Choose your BIGGEST WEAK POINT and devote the next 2 weeks to improving it. All of your study sessions will be about learning profitable strategies and reviewing important hands related to your biggest weak point. Every play session will be focused on using the strategies in-game to turn your weak point into a strong point.

Start with one study and one play session right now where you target your biggest weak point. Then, return to this article to learn more.

Now stop reading, take action to begin your education, then return to learn more about this smart strategy.

Now that you've taken action, listen to the episode as you follow along below:

Poker Friends Don’t let Friends Limp Into Pots

Have you see these “Friends don’t let friends skip leg day” pictures on the interwebs?

Seeing these pictures reminded me of a story Arnold Schwarzenegger told in his book The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

On page 521 there's a picture of a younger Arnold posing with his calves submerged in water. He took pics like this because his calves were a weak point that he tried to hide. He eventually got fed up with this weak point, so he did three things to turn his calves into strong points:

1. He cut off the bottom of all his workout pants so he couldn’t hide this weak point anymore. He was really embarrassed by this.
2. He dedicated the next year to building his calves into a strong point of his physique.
3. He used the priority principle and tackled his calf workouts first before hitting any other body part that day.

Turning Weak Points Into Strong Points

Arnold went on to worldwide fame and fortune due to his dedication to the sport of bodybuilding. And not just bodybuilding, whatever he threw himself into, acting or producing or real estate or governing, he used that same dedication to excel everywhere.

Here are the 3 things you must to turn weak points into strong points.

1. DO NOT Hide From Your Weak Points

Realize that you have some poker weak points, everyone does. You're going to become a stronger player by facing your weaknesses and working to overcome them.

Hiding from your weaknesses won't help you become the player you want to be.

I recently wrote an article on CardPlayerLifestyle.com called “Know Your Areas of Weakness”. In the article, I discuss two ways to learn of your weaknesses: pay attention to times when you feel unsure as to the correct play to make and use PokerTracker 4 to track your stats and win rates.

Another way to find your weaknesses is to listen to your poker friends. If they tell you about mistakes you’re making, take note and follow up on it.

To borrow from an earlier line, poker friends:

• Don’t let friends skip study sessions.
• Don’t let friends limp into pots.
• Don’t let friends call more often than raise preflop.
• Don’t let friends call 3bets with crap hands.
• Don’t let friends defend their blinds cause “it’s suited!”
• Don’t let friends call rivers when they know they’re beat.

Maybe you don't have any poker friends pointing out your weak points. Well, if a poker article, podcast or video discusses strategies and you can’t wrap your head around them, that’s probably another weak point.

Lastly, listen to your coach. If he tells you to do something or to STOP doing something, fricken listen and do it!

2. Focus On Your Weak Points

Arnold made up his mind to “rectify the situation” and that’s what you need to do.

• You know you need to stop limping… Dedicate the next 2 weeks to cutting limping from your game.
• You know you need to find the fold more often… Dedicate 2 weeks to folding when you know you’re beat.
• You know you need to 3bet bluff more… Dedicate the next 2 weeks to turning yourself into a 3bet bluffing machine.

Hey, and if it takes longer than 2 weeks? So be it. It took Arnold 2 years of dedication to turn his calves into these boulders:

No matter how long it takes for you to turn your weak points into strong points, it’s totally worth it.

3. Use the Priority Principle

Arnold would work on his calves first thing in the morning, when his physical and mental energy were at their peak and before he worked on any other body part.

So, you know your weak point and you know you need to study strategies related to it. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than you do now, put on a pot of coffee, and get to work. You can do your studies however you want, but consuming content and taking notes or going through hands in your database are my top 2 recommendations.

And later in the day when you play your session, focus on putting into action the things you learned in your study session earlier.

Turning your biggest weak point into a strong point is your sole priority right now.

Support the Show

Jason Hinchey (1st time), Mandja, Nancy Johnson, Mike Paquette and Kristof all donated to support the show when they picked up the Online Poker First Steps Course. I created this free 7-day course to set you up for success in your online poker journey by building a foundation of purposeful study and action that will serve you well. This is the course you’re looking for if you’ve had a difficult time making money along your online poker journey.

Jason Hinchey (2nd time) donated when he picked up the Elevate Your Poker Mindset Program. This free 12-day program will help you get beyond any objections you have to the idea that online poker can be profitable and it will put you on the path to a profitable journey.

Jason Hinchey (3rd time, he's incredible!) and Adam donated to support the show when they downloaded the Get More From PokerTracker 4 Program. This free 9-day program will teach you how to use PokerTracker 4 to improve your game. You'll get 3 videos totaling 77 minutes along with action steps that get you working right away.