Do poker streams help you improve your game fast enough? Is it almost a waste of time?
TeUnit
Legend
Loyaler
I like to sharkscope them before I watch the stream, a lot of these streamers are losing players.
Aballinamion
Dark Lord of the Sith
Bronze Level
I have never learned anything from streamers or YouTube videos. On the contrary, they have just made me confuse and mix a lot of styles and lose a lot of value.
There’s no free meal in the market, if you really need to learn poker and be profitable you gotta make a solid investment on a poker course.
I made my poker course in a Brazilian serious school named PokerLab, the name of the course is Cash Elite, and the professor is Claudio “PeixeFeliz” Davino.
Plus, I never watched streamers or YouTube videos in my life and I seriously do not recommend any of them unless you are in the very beginning of the process of learning and you know only the rules of the game.
Eduard0Felipe
Visionary
Bronze Level
Streams even when I did it live I didn't see it more than two or three times, just watching them play doesn't seem very instructive, I started to learn by watching reviews on YouTube, I saw one, another, then I started to identify many mistakes that I myself had no idea I did, when I marathoned the entire channel, I started looking for more, since then I study a little every day, I bought a course, I intend to evolve more every day.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
I think, streams are mostly for entertainment, but of course some are better than others. I think, there is more to learn from watching games, where all the hole cards are shown, to see how a variety of players approach certain spots. For instance on pokerstars Youtube channel there are regular streams of day 2 of Sunday Million or other big online events as well as from live events. These are games, where people play to win, rather than to entertain the audience.
Igor G
Legend
Platinum Level
The learning process is very multifaceted and actually everything depends on you and how you can perceive and assimilate information. What works well for me will not necessarily work well for you. The question is individual.
dreamer13
Legend
Platinum Level
Poker streams as a phenomenon have become widespread in the modern digital world. Journalists stream directly from the biggest events, bloggers relay their daily lives for subscribers, gamers demonstrate their skills to the public. With the development of services like twich and youtube, streams have become a part of the life of poker players. The largest of them provide themselves perfectly only on donations from users. Poker streams on Twitch have long ceased to be a curiosity. More and more people want to try out as a streamer, but most of the mistakes are the same, and it doesn’t matter if you are a recreational player or a professional. I think they help.
M
mcbeaker
Rock Star
Silver Level
There are outstanding streamers. An essential characteristic is the sober, logical explanations with background thoughts during the hands. If they voluntarily claim to play even significantly better without streaming because they are then more focused, then you can also take them seriously.
Nevertheless, it is a crystal clear waste of time to watch hours of streams. Many streamers play several tables, so that it often happens live to be pulled from an interesting hand because something tournament-critical happens on some other table, which is strategically irrelevant: AA puts against KK preflop all in. The strong streamers and their teams, however, summarize streams partly ingeniously in videos. Some embellish them with analysis. If you want to catch a lot of fat content without spending any money, you are in very good hands here.
Nevertheless, it is a crystal clear waste of time to watch hours of streams. Many streamers play several tables, so that it often happens live to be pulled from an interesting hand because something tournament-critical happens on some other table, which is strategically irrelevant: AA puts against KK preflop all in. The strong streamers and their teams, however, summarize streams partly ingeniously in videos. Some embellish them with analysis. If you want to catch a lot of fat content without spending any money, you are in very good hands here.
bermejoga
Visionary
Platinum Level
I totally agree. Streames have to explain their plays and their thoughts, so we can learn from them! Otherwise is indeed a waste of time watching them...
Kinalha
Legend
Bronze Level
For me help a lot. A lot of plays what i never can imagine, i learn watching good streamers. If you don't play for a team, or not want to buy a course, it's a nice way to evolute your game. For example, i see my pos flop game in MTTs really better after i start watch NL cash game players...
S
Station_Master
Legend
Platinum Level
You need to be careful as well as some streamers are bad players, so even when they explain their thought process it may not be fundamentally sound. Also it can be difficult just watching to tell when they are making an exploitative play based on the opponent or a good theoretically sound play.
Bnobob
Visionary
Bronze Level
everything they know they convey in an easy to understand way online poker must have its school in these great masters in ancient times they weren't so easy to get so much information to perfect/improve/implement into your game
Poker Orifice
And Still...
Platinum Level
Many are a waste of time (as far as learning much goes)... but there are some who are AMAZING!
Lately, watching some streamers has been a huge boost to my game. They are all relevant to what I personally play.
I sub to 1 cash game streamer & I also sub to 2 MTT players (both for over 1year... neither of them are popular names that people typically view).
THey are all winning players. (2 were the the winning'est' players in the formats they previously played in but currently are playing & streaming in different format but both are successful).
The ones I choose are the guys who a) I like b) are constantly sharing their thought process c) have hooked up with me off the tables, (via discord, messenger, emails, Fb friend now and have intentions of hooking up in person at some Live events and just when I'm travelling through that part of the country).
Also, I believe 'it depends' (< one of my favorite poker expressions) on how you view the stream(s). The ones I view I like to take a proactive approach where I am thinking about what I'm going to do in HERO's spot and why, (along with bet-sizing, etc. etc.). I've also been working on PKO's as they are still fairly new to me so while watching streamer & thinking through what their action will be, I also try to calculate on the go (on the fly.. in real time) if Calls are +ev (I am very accustomed to calculating ev & cEV on standard format tournaments but PKO's are different. After a bit of studying and learning method for calculating calls in them (ie. using Bounty Factor method... re: Dara's book) I put it into practice while viewing. I will also mark hands (screenshot) and spots I find interesting/difficult and then do work away from the tables on those hands.
All is helpful for building up one's intuitive thought process.
Many years ago (when I played MTT's) I would do the same thing when watching some of the vids. on Training sites (ie. PokerXfactor).
Which streamers do I watch?
Well I've thought about sharing this and it would help out the streamer to build their following but to be honest, I'm too selfish for this. I want them all to myself! I feel as if I've sort of fluked out onto finding these people... or perhaps it was meant to be?? (< I do strongly believe in this stuff).
My advice for newer players and watching twitch streamers.... find a winning player who likes to share their thought process. Find one who is playing at the same stakes as you are (or just slightly above). It can be a huge fail to watch some mid-stakes MTT player (or cash) and try to put it into practice on some $2 tournaments. It doesn't translate over too well and they will likely fall victim to FPS (Fancy Play Syndrome).
So unless they can find someone doing a challenge or something, moving up from the micros, it will often be a waste of time... time that could be spent much more wisely and efficiently.
Luvepoker
Lost in the twilight zone
Community Guide
I personal like to watch streamers and play along how I would play. Its can be fun and sometime interesting depending who you are watching. as for learning, I can see the value in trying to learn from them but I dont believe its the best way. Some are losing playings just streaming for fun or break even players. There are some who are good but do they really explain what they are doing?
Poker Orifice
And Still...
Platinum Level
I've sent you a message.
