02 Feb 2024 mental game studying A-game discipline motivation It is never too late to learn. And nowadays it’s available from anywhere — you don't have to adjust your schedule and spend time traveling back and forth. The remote method allows you to learn how to play poker or improve your current skills at any time. You don't have to look for a special class near your home or across town. It can all be just right around the corner — in online format that is convenient for you! And today we are going to take a closer look at the benefits and other aspects of online poker training and how this approach is more effective than usual poker classes. Poker Lessons Near Me vs. Distance Learning Development and knowledge are two basics that will be relevant at all times. Education, scientific progress, availability of information and globalization are closely related and directly affect each other. And the story of the world quarantine is almost the most interesting proof of this. For example, the recent situation with WSOP (World Series of Poker), which was widely held year after year in the casinos of Rio in its time, received a number of restrictions, and many bracelet poker tournaments were held online. School as an institution arose long before our era and since then its form has been transformed and the context of knowledge has changed, and the need to learn has become basic for humans. Distance individual or group studying was invented by society because of the dire need for it. Today we observe learning from the comfort of our homes — via online format. For the last few years, the sphere of online learning in the world has been growing by 20-25% annually, unless a lazy person has registered for courses, master classes and webinars. However, only 3% of knowledge and skills people acquire remotely. The world leaders in the market are the USA and China — 43% and 21%, respectively. Virtual universities and schools, individual distance mentoring, augmented reality, the effect of presence in any corner of the world, groups of students from different countries. Everything from this list was just a fashionable trend not so long ago, but today it has become a necessity. For higher education, specialized poker courses for beginner, as well as other areas of self-development, the distance learning format has long been familiar and its popularity is constantly growing. Pros of online learning During the quarantine period, we have, for the most part, moved into an online format. This has its pros and cons (which are also presented offline). To understand what will suit you better and which training to choose for best poker results, you can read our comparative list. Let's start with the first point, namely the advantages of studying Hold'em online: You don't have to waste time on the road. A primary point that is important for many people — especially residents of large and medium-sized cities. Time is not only money, but also a resource that allows you to recover your strength and spend it more effectively — on those things you have long dreamed of or the goals you have long sought. With a poker tutor you can schedule a class at a time that is convenient for you. A privilege that used to be lacking for anyone who has a tight work schedule and therefore missed out on a lot of useful poker courses. This approach allows you to choose a time that is convenient for students and coaches. Mobility. Training in any place where there is access to the Internet (at work, at home, on a business trip, etc.). Thanks to this, the learning process of professional poker becomes more regular, which means that the result will be better. You won't have to worry about missing a lesson, for example on the basics of a cash game, with a complex topic and then quickly catching up. Any qualified online tutor will take care of that. Diversity of online resources. There has been an increase in the number of online poker platforms that will come in handy during training. Their significant advantage is interactivity, which includes the lessons through videos, online games and tests. It's happens for reason than many modern people have a predominant interest in the interactive format. Development of self-organization and discipline. For those who suffer from procrastination or seek to comprehend the rules of time management, online poker training has become a chance to test their abilities. Or finally get closer to the goal: to become more disciplined and self-organized. Psychological comfort. Even a professional poker player may find it difficult to speak up, especially in the presence of a group. Distance learning format allows to get rid of this fear (at least temporarily). According to research by psychologists, people feel more confident and free during online classes. Indeed, you can take training from real poker pro anywhere and at any time. Even when everyone is asleep, you will need headphones, a monitor and a simple desire to get and learn useful information. Cons of online learning Above we have looked at the advantages, and now let's move on to some negative sides, as online learning has disadvantages that are also worth knowing about. They include: Lack of personal contact with the private tutor. For some people this is really a problem, because the physical presence in the classroom is more familiar. And the format of remote communication sometimes seems inconvenient. In addition, you have to be constantly in front of the monitor and concentrate on what is happening in it. Poor quality of internet connection. Bad quality internet has ruined quite a few poker lessons, which after all affects the rate and quality of learning. Good news is that such cases are exceptions rather than the norm. Technical support. A lot depends on the availability and quality of the players hardware. In particular — the convenience of online lessons. If you communicate with the trainer using a smartphone or a tablet, it will be more difficult than doing the same thing on a computer. Lack of self-organization and self-control. Distance learning exposes weaknesses. If a person is used to putting things off for later, it's hard for them to stick to a learning schedule and motivate themselves to take regular poker lessons. For example, even to read a short poker book recommended by your tutor. We have looked at a few major pros and cons of online learning. As practice shows, there are actually way more pros, and interest in this format will increase in the coming years. Mobility, interactivity and flexibility are the strong qualities that make distance poker education more convenient and demanded. Poker classes near me — what’s good about offline learning Among the significant advantages of offline learning are the following: Visual contact. It has been proven that information and getting poker knowledge is more memorable in person than on a screen. Visual contact makes the brain concentrate on the information as much as possible. Such an approach gives a greater effect of learning poker than the same learning through a screen. Speaker energy. It is much more difficult to energize the students and set the right tone distantly. In person we simply feel the energy of the mentor and the group itself, so the quality of engagement and receptivity of the material increases many times over. Self-discipline. If we talk about offline learning, everything is clear here. When you come to class, or have an individual lesson with a professional poker player, you are already maximally submerged in the process. Remote learning, vice versa, requires much more self-discipline, but it also has its advantages: saving time, the ability to learn when and where it is convenient, a chance to revise the course of study again, etc. Quality of learning. In the typical classroom, from the first lesson the atmosphere itself maximizes the learning of content. Learning at home, we are often distracted by cleaning, phone calls, and social networks. Offline learning of Texas Hold'em or any other poker discipline allows us to be in the process here and now, which leads to a more successful understanding of the material. Cooperation. We are more open in person than we are on social media. When people meet in live classes, they get new contacts and share their experiences much more openly. Of course, for offline use, this is a huge advantage. Practice in groups, pairs, etc. The best way to reinforce the poker material you've learned is to practice it in pairs or groups. Besides sharpening our skills, we get immediate feedback and work on our mistakes again. This format is very effective in offline training. Q&A. The number of questions in online and offline training differs significantly. In online training, about 6 questions out of 10 that the audience would like to ask are ignored. Every question is an experience that comes in handy in future, so at this point offline is better. Poker coach near me or online: make a right choice In today's world, despite the powerful development of technology, education has remained a conservative field. People are often eager to communicate in person, and many of them have a stereotype that online learning of poker game is less effective than in a classroom or auditorium. But life is an unpredictable thing and challenges any stereotypes. Finally, it should be noted that despite the words of experts and training specialists, the concepts of "better" or "worse" are always subjective. This means that what is "better" for somebody, will not necessarily be the same for you. Among other things, individual coach the specific poker school that is being compared to, as well as its advantages and disadvantages, are of serious importance. GL, player!