How to improve your win rate in whatever format of poker you play + is poker for you
I will share list of some of my own advice that helped and still helps me advance my game after doing poker for over 5 years going. So here are some of the key things that helped and help me daily and I hope they will help you as well.
1) Area you think you are unsure about should be among your priorities to fix and stop leaking. If you feel in HU that you have no clue how to defend vs x/r or donk betting for example, it probably means that you have a huge leak there and need to fix it. If you are not sure how to read stats, it means that you need to look into it heavy. If you don't know how much you should bet on certain texture, you are likely missing both value and bluff spots etc.
2) Check stats and compare to winning players and regs. If you are leaking somewhere big, tackle that 1st and then all the rest. Working on c- game is best way to move your average game up (b game). You can find info about other winning players via forums, skype, coaching videos or working with a coach. A game improvement will come as you play more and build your grind and mental stamina + confidence.
3) Prioritize using 80-20 rule. If you play 6 max CG, work on BTN vs blinds, bvb and blinds vs BTN because majority of VPIP and hands played will happen in those positions hence your win rate will skyrocket if you learn to play those positions well. If you play Spins, focus on HU because you play most VPIP there and you need to beat opponents post flop which is combination of range vs range, textures, bet sizings/pot odds and stats. Also in Spins, focus on BVB play 3 way because you will play highest VPIP there as well.
4) Track your progress. Every 10-20-50-100k hands or so check your win rates for each position and compare them to what they were vs where you are aiming to be with them. If some win rates decreased a lot then its time to look into that area again and improve it + evaluate variance effect on such sample. If some win rates are higher then you expected ask yourself how much variance affected that and what did you change in your game that may have resulted that.
5) Focus on finding optimal level of stress that will keep your focus high and make you recall your game plan constantly when you play. This way, you will actively learn and improve in each of your grind sessions. If you play too little number of tables and feel you are bored, then you are not doing things right. If you play a lot of tables but can't recall range vs range, sizing, texture and run outs change, your and opponents game plan in such spots then again you are doing things wrong by auto piloting and missing tons of spots.
6) Variance in poker is huge part of the game. Beginner and intermediate players have no clue what real variance is and most time they miss place their bad plays (or lack of knowledge) for variance. Accept that you will be rapped and gang banged by 2-3 outters pre flop as well as outdrawn and sucked out on post flop. This is what keeps poker as open game for every type of player out there - otherwise only Doug Polk and likes of him would be in the games!
7) Learn to calculate your hourly pre and post RB and always aim to improve it. Poker is a game that allows you unlike most regular jobs to increase money you make per hour. Sometimes that can mean just improving some position that you leak a lot in, sometimes its about adding or dropping table(s) in your grind and sometimes its about switching the site that you play on for more reg or recreational infested ratio.
8) Learn to play both vs recreational players and vs regs. Your win rate comes playing both categories of players and learning basic game plan vs each of the 2 categories will make significant change to your overall win rate.
9) Learn and focus on stats reading and proper HUD usage. Having sick HUD means nothing if you don't understand how to interpret each stat and meaning of exploiting stat leaks. Start small with HUD, learn basic things and how to exploit them then add stats accordingly until you feel you have gained tremendous edge thanks to it.
10) Poker requires a lot of time (if you are not in it full time!). If you don't study and don't play daily, things that were learned will go out from your mind. This is especially true for super specific strategy spots in Spins pre flop as well as specific post flop textures as initial aggressor or caller. Knowledge gets displaced if its not applied daily so the more that you study hard and grind, the better you will become faster. It is similar to going to the gym or working out - if you take a month long break, it becomes very difficult to come back to it while when you are going steady, every challenge becomes winnable!
11) Treat poker like a business. Yes, its very difficult to do so but if you don't do it this way you will end up being the fish at the tables. Invest in your education. Whether its purchasing subscription for videos, getting new HUDs, getting coach to help you, posting hands on forums, finding study partners, joining some coaching and staking stable - do whatever it takes for you to get to where you want to be.
12) If you are not obsessed with poker, chances of you becoming professional are very slim. People overestimate their ability at 1st and think that they can do it. Once they try they see that variance and study process is exactly that - long and hard process that everyone in poker goes through but not everyone will accept it as reality! So only the obsessed ones maintain cool and calm, trust the process and endure.
13) Be honest with yourself! Ask yourself these questions: 1) Why do I want to play poker? 2) Do I love this game and if so why? 3) Do I find myself constantly wanting to learn to become better player and to play or not? 4) Is poker my only source of income and if so how will I endure tough periods of downswing and variance? 5) What am I willing to give to get what I expect from poker? 6) What are my expectations from poker? 7) What kind of support system for both good and bad times do I have set for poker? 8) Do I want to play poker my whole life or just until I reach certain amount of money won from it? 9) Am I willing to invest unlimited amount of money in my poker education until I reach my goals with poker? 10) How much do I value what other people think of poker as profession - will that affect my social interactions and time spent with friends with family, if so how will I deal with it all?
Answering these questions will give you strong sense of whether or not you should play poker for a living or not. It will also revile your true intentions and expectations with poker and you can use your answers as your mission and vision with poker in both hard and easy times.
14) Run a blog. Post your progress, share your thoughts and connect with like minded poker players. I can't express how many cool and wonderful people I have meet in real life thanks to my blog here on PS!
15) Learn to manage your time well. Poker as a game can take over your whole life in a way that you do it 24/7 and become addicted to it. I don't see anything wrong with that approach if that is what you truly wish and intend on doing in the 1st place. However, if you want to have life outside of poker, have girlfriend, go out with friends, travel the world, spend time with family, have your own family, have time for other things you value in life - it becomes super important to set boundaries and schedule when you are studying and grinding. Those times should be non negotiable if you treat poker as business and your sole income depends on it. Life can't and won't wait for you to make such and such money and then you do this or that - life happens now and every day so make most of your time!
16) Have fun and enjoy the process. Do whatever you can to make both studying and grinding fun. I have found for myself that studying in silence is the way to go but for example I find it super easy and flowing to grind with TV Shows in the background on my laptop now. Time flies and I use it as trigger for grinding sessions as well. If you are not having fun, you will find it very difficult to do something. Break it down to simplest task and build up from it until you reach level that you require of yourself.
17) Push yourself and embrace to be outside of comfort zone. If you are in comfort zone always, chances are you are missing huge chance on making more money from poker. Whether its playing 2 vs 4 or 5 tables or whether you play 100 vs 120 hours per month, these decisions can affect your hourly tremendously. If you are comfort zone seeker, you are very likely in the wrong line of work. Poker is best suited for hard working individuals who always require and aim to be the best version of themselves.
18) In today's games, having proper nutrition and energy levels is key not to get burnt out. So focus on eating right macronutrients and aim to have right amount of sleep (7-8 hours) as well as work out.
19) Learn to ask for help. Accept that wherever you are, you are always beginner to some others masters level. Embrace growth mindset and work on constantly improving. Don't be ashamed to ask for help - you will be surprised how much people enjoy helping others, its what keeps our planet and lives more enriched and meaningful!
20) Learn from different materials, coaches and formats and then prioritize where it makes most sense to you. Learning from different areas will improve your both strong and weak game. For example, for all ins short stack play, you can learn a lot from SNG type formats or MTTs while for range construction pre and playing post flop you can learn a lot from CG! So each format has its advantages and disadvantages, trying them out and picking what suits you the most will guarantee you to stay in it for a long run.
This is all for now and I think it is more then enough advice. 20 things that came instantly from my head onto this post. Hope you find them of value and use for both you, your friends that play or are interested to play as well as all future readers who are contemplating whether or not they should play poker professionally.
Have a great weekend on and off the tables!
So 10k for a month in Vegas should be OK considering that I expect to turn profit at live CG there. 
