question If you had to teach a mate poker in one arvo, where would you start?

I’ve been around cards long enough to know most new players get buried way too early in stuff they don’t actually need yet. People start throwing ranges, solver chat, fancy lines, all that... and the poor bugger still isn’t folding junk from bad spots.

If you were helping someone properly fresh to poker, what are the first few things you’d drill into them?

For me it’s usually starting hand selection, position, and just learning when to get out of the way instead of paying off every pair because they’re "curious". Bankroll stuff too, because heaps of beginners play stakes they’ve got no business touching after one half-decent session and reckon they’ve cracked it.

Curious what more seasoned players here would prioritise first though. Do you keep it dead simple for a while, or chuck them into the deep end with c-bets, pot odds, player types etc straight away?

Also keen to hear if you teach cash games and tourneys differently from day one. I’ve got a mate asking me for help and I’m trying not to overload him with too much theory in one hit.

What actually clicked fastest when you were learning?

I learned way faster once I stopped trying to win every hand. First bloke who helped me just made me fold heaps preflop and say out loud why before I clicked anything. Sounds dead basic but it cured the hero-call disease pretty quick. He also had me play one table only for a while so I could actually watch who only wakes up with a big bet when they've got it.

Maybe dumb question, but do you ever find the whole tight-first approach makes people too passive later? I’ve seen newer players sit around waiting for monsters, then completely lose the plot once they finally hit something because they never learned how to read the board.

I’m a bit skeptical about throwing pot odds and c-bet talk at someone straight away. New players grab one idea and start mashing it into every spot. I’d rather get them asking simpler stuff first, like who is supposed to like this flop and what worse hand is even paying them if they bet. If they can’t answer that, checking is usually fine.

I’d disagree on leaving the rough maths too late. Not solver stuff, just enough so they stop calling with any old draw because it feels live. They don’t need exact figures, only the habit of looking at the price and asking if the chase makes sense. Saves heaps of money early and it helps in cash games and tourneys both.