Many players review hands incorrectly, wasting time and sometimes reinforcing bad habits. Avoiding these mistakes makes review much more valuable.
Bad review can be worse than no review
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| "I lost, so I played badly" |
Focus on decision quality |
| "I won, so I played well" |
Good results can hide mistakes |
| Judging by outcome |
Judge by EV at decision time |
Example: Calling all-in with AA and losing to 72 is a good decision, regardless of result.
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| "I should have known he had it" |
You didn't know at the time |
| Using information you didn't have |
Only judge with available info |
| Seeing cards changes analysis |
Cover hole cards during review |
Tip: Review the hand as if you don't know the outcome.
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| Ignoring winning hands |
Review big wins too |
| Missing lucky wins |
You might have made mistakes |
| No positive reinforcement |
Confirm good plays |
Example: Winning a big pot doesn't mean you played optimally.
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| Jumping to "what should I do" |
First understand the situation |
| Ignoring stack sizes |
SPR changes everything |
| Forgetting position |
Ranges are position-dependent |
| Missing reads |
Context matters |
Mistake #5: Shallow Analysis
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| "I should have bet" |
WHY should you have bet? |
| No range thinking |
Consider full ranges |
| One-sentence conclusion |
Extract deeper lesson |
| Skipping streets |
Analyze street by street |
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| Spending hours on one hand |
Time-box your review |
| Seeking perfect answer |
Accept "close enough" |
| Overthinking simple spots |
Focus on impactful decisions |
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| Review but don't change |
Implement lessons |
| No notes |
Write down takeaways |
| Same mistakes repeat |
Track patterns |
| The Mistake |
The Fix |
| Only your perspective |
Get outside opinions |
| Blind spots persist |
Others see different angles |
| Echo chamber |
Study groups or coaching |
| ✓ |
Good Review Habits |
| ☐ |
Focus on process, not results |
| ☐ |
Use only information available at the time |
| ☐ |
Review wins and losses |
| ☐ |
Consider full context |
| ☐ |
Think in ranges |
| ☐ |
Extract actionable lessons |
| ☐ |
Get other perspectives |
Avoid results-oriented thinking, using hindsight, and shallow analysis. Review both wins and losses, consider full context, think in ranges, and extract actionable lessons. The goal is learning, not just rehashing what happened.