Reviewing hands is the process of analyzing your played poker hands to identify mistakes, reinforce good decisions, and learn patterns that improve future play.
Review is where experience becomes knowledge
| Benefit |
How |
| Find leaks |
See repeated mistakes |
| Confirm good plays |
Reinforce correct decisions |
| Learn patterns |
Extract general principles |
| Faster improvement |
Turn hands into lessons |
| Hand Type |
Why |
| Big pots you lost |
Biggest EV impact |
| Hands you marked |
You sensed something |
| Confusing spots |
Where you guessed |
| All-in pots |
High stakes decisions |
| Hand Type |
Why |
| Big pots you won |
Could you have won more? |
| Bluffs |
Right spot? Right sizing? |
| Hero calls |
Good or bad call? |
| Question |
Why It Matters |
| Stack sizes? |
Affects SPR and decisions |
| Positions? |
Ranges differ by position |
| Reads on villain? |
Context for exploits |
| Table dynamics? |
Relevant history |
Step 2: Street-by-Street
| Street |
Ask |
| Preflop |
Correct open/call/3-bet? |
| Flop |
Did I have a plan? |
| Turn |
How did card change things? |
| River |
What was villain's range? |
| Question |
Purpose |
| What was my range here? |
Range awareness |
| What was villain's range? |
Opponent modeling |
| What was the EV of my action? |
Decision quality |
| What would I do differently? |
Learning |
| Outcome |
Format |
| Found a mistake |
"In X spot, I should Y" |
| Confirmed good play |
"My logic was correct" |
| Still unsure |
"Need to study X more" |
| Tool |
Use For |
| Tracking software |
Replay hands |
| Equity calculator |
Range vs range math |
| Solver |
Compare to optimal |
| Study group |
Other perspectives |
| Timeframe |
Activity |
| Post-session |
Quick 10-15 min review |
| Weekly |
Deep dive 1-2 hours |
| Monthly |
Pattern/trend analysis |
Reviewing hands turns playing time into learning time. Focus on big pots, confusing spots, and marked hands. Go street-by-street, ask the right questions, and extract specific lessons you can apply. Consistency matters more than duration.