
Kerryjane Craigie, PokerStars Ambassador and Director of Poker on the Hippodrome On line casino is in poker motion this week at EPT Monte Carlo, and as all the time she’s eager to advance the trigger for ladies in poker.
Her most important takeaway? By fostering an environment of inclusivity and fervour, you possibly can create the optimum area for everybody to be taught and make their means within the poker world.
Nicely, Spring is definitely within the air, and so are the playing cards at many poker tournaments to select from – simply attain out and seize one to fit your bankroll and talent.
Having simply returned from a superb few days in Dublin on the vastly profitable, stuffed with enjoyable and record-breaking Irish Open, I used to be fired up for EPT Monte Carlo and I couldn’t wait to get in my seat and get my crown out!
Enjoying within the EPT Monte Carlo Ladies’s Occasion highlighted simply how important these tournaments are for advancing feminine participation in poker. The sector was numerous, representing a variety of nationalities, talent ranges, and expertise.
Whereas I say this with full respect, it was clear that some gamers had restricted publicity to dwell poker. That’s not a criticism – all of us begin someplace. However extra skilled gamers had been in a position to decide up on sure tells, akin to bulletins and wager sizing and capitalised on them, as is anticipated at a poker desk.

A Place to Study
The important thing takeaway is that this: a decrease buy-in, women-only surroundings fosters studying. It creates an area the place gamers can develop their abilities with out the added depth or stress that always is available in combined fields. I firmly imagine that the identical studying curve in a combined occasion would doubtless be way more daunting, and doubtlessly discouraging. And that perception isn’t rooted solely in gender; it’s about expertise, consolation, and alternative.
I really feel my recreation has developed just a little over the previous couple of months, and I actually really feel that’s reliant on the dwell poker I’m enjoying and the extent of expertise I’ve been challenged with while on the tables.
So, what has occurred for me to make that daring assertion? They are saying that the most effective type of coaching relies on the next key ideas:
- Observe: Be interactive and engaged within the recreation, watch your opponents’ strikes and play to achieve priceless info.
- Constructive Reinforcement: Mentally playback and acknowledge a profitable transfer or motion made by your self or an opponent
- Imitate/ Repetition: Assessment and retain reminiscence of constructive key outcomes, and repeat at applicable intervals to enhance long-term retention of higher play
- Peer Studying: Essentially, we be taught from these round us. Use each alternative to be taught in actual time, on the recreation and apply it to your personal
We now have all been in a scenario the place we have been placed on the spot to make an important determination. Maybe we’re going through a tough river wager, or making an attempt to find out the optimum wager sizing. Are you deciding to go for worth or make a bluff to say the pot. The reply to all of those eventualities depends on you calling on these 4 factors above. Take time to assume and make your transfer primarily based in your reminiscence financial institution.

Confidence is Key
I watched a participant within the Irish Open Foremost Occasion in Dublin, and famous how he gained all of his pots with out attending to showdown. Certainly he couldn’t have related so effectively on each hand? May he? Nicely, we are going to by no means know, as a result of he didn’t allow us to get to that.
There was no ultra-aggression in his play, nor did he have a excessive VPIP. Nevertheless what he did was play with confidence, with a deliberate and constant betting vary and, extra importantly, had constructed up an important desk picture that inspired his opponents to fold on an early road.
I learnt one thing from him and I pushed myself by making use of only a fraction of what I had witnessed. And I consciously made an effort to play extra confidently. Listed below are a few of my memorable ones, nothing excellent, however credibly, steps in my development.
Hand #1: Confidence in Aggression
After an early increase, motion was on me. I used to be going to three-bet however thought-about my sizing much more earlier than doing so. I stayed within the hand and, after connecting on the flip, I turned up the warmth on my opponent. I wager simply sufficient for him to name and once more on the river to take the pot.
Not such a giant deal, proper? However with this pot, I felt my recreation develop just a little the second I made these manoeuvres.
Hand 2: Do not Be Afraid of Jacks
Being out of place, I test raised on an Ace-high flop while holding a pair of jacks. Once more, I had witnessed my opponent’s earlier fashion, I believed out my sizing, and I took down a substantial pot. While including it to my stack, I felt my posture change and positioned the hand in my reminiscence financial institution.
Hand #3: Seizing a Second
Generally, it pays to concentrate. I had defended my massive blind to a really lively participant with suited center connectors. I check-called on the flop with a flush draw and a gutshot, and check-called once more when the board paired on the flip.
On the river, my opponent acted out of flip, the board had double paired and I had missed each my attracts. The one technique to win this hand was to take advantage of the out-of-turn wager – so I did. I wager pot and he folded.
Study From Each Hand
For those who learn again all these palms, they had been all winners. Far too usually, it’s the beats we memorise and recall – and we should equally be taught from these too, however I’m staying true to my positivity in poker for 2025.
And it’s made a distinction.
Not everybody has the time, the funding, the entry or the arrogance to check or interact a coach. Nevertheless, all of us have eyes and recollections and in case you are sitting at any poker desk, you’re in a classroom. And you’ve got a possibility to be taught from these round you and that session of play.
So I encourage you to select up a tutorial, be taught ‘one thing’ the following time you’re enjoying, and are available inform me about it.
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