18:13
22 Feb
It’s a wonderful world out there on YouTube for poker fans right now, with so much golden content that you might never even get round to playing the damn game itself! However, since we ARE all poker players as well, let’s try to narrow down the best of the YouTube vloggers with regard to how much they can help our own game…
Poker vLog Journey. Wanting to one day play professionally I’m logging 500 hours at 2/3 then moving up in stakes if I show long term winning results. Poker Vlogs is where you can locate all Poker Videos that feature a specific VLOGGER.
Daniel Negreanu
Improving our poker skills
Poker Vlogger Matt
Of course, improving our play is one of the main reasons we watch a lot of the guys on YouTube, and picking just one is a tough task, but it’s hard to see past the all-time leading money-winner Dnegs when it comes to hand reading, analysis and tournament tips.
A natural in front of the camera, Negreanu has decided to take on the new breed of vloggers with a resurrection of his own channel – and it contains some mightily impressive fare already.
As with many viewers, ‘incredible poker hand’ videos are fun (quads vs Royal Flush! Who hasn’t watched this?) but what we really need are some specific pointers on how to play better, so one of his vlogs from last week caught my eye – value bet or check-call – which is a perennial problem for myself and no doubt countless others…
Pre-flop thoughts, bet-sizing on the flop, stack sizes – Negreanu rattles quickly through the lot, so it pays to pause the video and think for yourself at times. And the nuggets of wisdom are always worth noting down!
“In tournament poker, when we’re out of position, our goal is to avoid as many bad spots as we can!” says Negreanu on the turn, and if we could write a list of ‘important thoughts’ for our play, Negreanu’s nuggets would fill a book!
I won’t spoil the video for you all, but I’ll leave you with another gem:
'When you’re value-betting the river, you want to make sure that you actually beat some hands, so there’s VALUE in the bet!”
Alec Torelli
Lifestyle
Although Alec Torelli is also a high-class player with plenty of hand analysis on his YouTube channel, I tend to visit him for the non-playing aspects of poker – the lifestyle choices approach to the game which are almost as important as knowing heads-up theory or hand ranges!
His ‘Poker Life’ series sees the high-stakes expert answering viewers questions, and a couple of weeks ago he focused on the financial aspects of the game - how to avoid money-mistakes, how to build your bank balance, etc.
The ‘three things Torelli would tell his 18-year old self’ starting out in the game are invaluable - “spend less, save more, invest!” says Torelli – too simple, huh?
Well, everything is simple when an expert lays it out on the table for you, but that’s part of the reason why we’re watching these vlogs! We’re not really doing things right, and we want not only entertainment, but advice.
Toreli’s vlog is, like most of the best guys out there right now, well-produced and easy-to-watch. He’s a likeable and knowledgeable poker pro, and you can tell he believes what he’s saying and wants to help you too!
Truth be told, he could sometimes shorten his vlogs a little, but that’s a petty complaint as overall this guy is dynamite for getting you to think clearly about the wider approach to your poker life!
Andrew Neeme
Enthusiasm
It might just be me, but somehow it’s the droller vloggers are the ones who get me wanting to visit the casino and actually play poker!
Jeff Boski with his slow, southern drawl almost made the cut for this top 3, but I eventually plumped for Andrew Neeme as his own adventures mirror my own a bit more closely – and this is a good way to choose your vloggers, find someone you can copy and learn from at the same time.
So why does Neeme make me want to play poker? Well, he plays at stakes I understand – no $million pots for Neeme, he’s usually found at $5-10 No Limit cash games, grinding out a good living – a place many of us would like to be at and can achieve with hard work.
Anyway, one of his vlogs this week – Revenge Poker at Ocean’s Eleven Casino – sees our man a bit chipper than usual, although be warned – the first hand of the night he messes up in ‘editing’, so read the comments!
Again, it’s important that we can relate to certain players and their lives in order to fully appreciate what they are doing and how we can improve our own enjoyment and poker skills.
The three I’ve chosen are only a handful from among the dozens out there in YouTube poker-vlogger land, so feel free to pick your own!
God First in Everything
Born with an analytical mind and a high aptitude for math seemed like the perfect gifts for playing poker. Giving credit where credit is due!
Husband, Dad, Photographer
Married with 5 boys we own a photography business. We live a busy life and enjoy our family time together.
Poker vLog Journey
Wanting to one day play professionally I’m logging 500 hours at 2/3 then moving up in stakes if I show long term winning results.
Happy Face Holdem YouTube Channel
