How can I tell if I'm improving at poker? Looking for clear signs

[villa1306]

Hi everyone! I'm still fairly new to poker and trying to improve my game. I study, watch videos, and play regularly—but sometimes I wonder if I'm actually getting better or just spinning my wheels.

What are some clear signs that a beginner is truly progressing in poker? Are there specific habits, results, or decisions that show real growth?

I’d love to hear from more experienced players—what helped you realize you were improving? Thanks in advance for any insights!

 

[Goggelheimer]

This depends on many factors, as mostly in poker.
Factors are game type (cash game, spins, SNG, MTT, and so on), number of hands you played (this relies on that you track), do you track your results.
So you can use the BB/100 as mesure. You take it when you reach different milestones in your handcount history.
You have to compare the value after for example 25k hands (note that in excel), than 50k hands (another excel note) and so son for other milestones 100k, 150k and so on.
If the BB/100 gets bigger, perhaps from -2BB/100 (50 k hands) to lets say 1BB/100 (150k hands) then you see a progress in your game.
It is not a pure measure because downswings can influence this value heavily. So a deep insight study of your game is advised.
Trackers are your friend there, they are absolutely needed to measure your performance.
What is not helping is to see your pure bankroll ups and down (this sometimes measures only if you are in an upswing or downswing if you don’t change your play style).
All these measures are long-term, in poker you don’t see many short term effects.
If you change play style or any other strategy, these changes need time to be applied correctly and to see effects in your improvement curve.

It is, like all things in real life, evolution (like evolution of life) requires enormous time spans.

 

[wushibala]

I think the best sign that you’ve really improved your game is when, over the long run, your bankroll keeps going up. That’s the clearest proof that you’ve grown as a poker player.

 

[Goggelheimer]

I think the best sign that you’ve really improved your game is when, over the long run, your bankroll keeps going up. That’s the clearest proof that you’ve grown as a poker player.

This is false positive.
It is result orientated thinking.
You can lose despite you are playing A+ game in matters of bankroll increase or decrease.
Think deeper.
Not every AX hand is a winning hand.

 

[eetenor]

Hi everyone! I'm still fairly new to poker and trying to improve my game. I study, watch videos, and play regularly—but sometimes I wonder if I'm actually getting better or just spinning my wheels.

What are some clear signs that a beginner is truly progressing in poker? Are there specific habits, results, or decisions that show real growth?

I’d love to hear from more experienced players—what helped you realize you were improving? Thanks in advance for any insights!

If you find that you know what the correct decision is more and more often as you play then you know you are improving. Results may not happen -variance- but you know- yes, I should have called- yes, I should have folded- yes, I should have raised. As well if you are thinking about your V's range in the hand not just your actions then you are growing from study.

 

[villa1306]

Yes, you're right, sometimes I'm doing well, other times I'm doing poorly, so sometimes I think it's not that I'm getting better, it's just luck, but I don't know, this game is quite complicated.

 

[Mig32]

One way I can tell if I’m improving at poker is by looking beyond short-term results. For example, I notice I’m making fewer “automatic” mistakes, like calling too wide out of position or chasing draws without the right odds. Another clear sign is when I can explain why I made a certain decision, even if the hand didn’t go my way — that shows I’m thinking through the process, not just the outcome.
I also track my bankroll and results over time. If I’m surviving longer in tournaments, cashing more consistently, or seeing steady growth (even small), that’s a big indicator. Lastly, I pay attention to emotional control: if bad beats frustrate me less and I can stay focused, I know I’ve made real progress.

 

[TeUnit]

If you are reviewing your hands for ICM errors you should see less errors.

Eventually you should see it in your ROI.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Yes, you're right, sometimes I'm doing well, other times I'm doing poorly, so sometimes I think it's not that I'm getting better, it's just luck, but I don't know, this game is quite complicated.

this ^ actually sounds like you're improving

 

[villa1306]

Esto ^ realmente suena como si estuvieras mejorando

Well today I was #15 in the global wpt frerrols and due to a bad decision with AK in early position I went all in thinking my hand was good and I was surprised by the button with pair of Q. I hit the straight but the system hit the full house and I still had like 20 big blinds left but wanting to double down I rushed with that AK.

 

[wushibala]

This is false positive.
It is result orientated thinking.
You can lose despite you are playing A+ game in matters of bankroll increase or decrease.
Think deeper.
Not every AX hand is a winning hand.

No, I don’t agree with you. If you’re losing in the long run, it means you’re doing something wrong. And yes, in poker you do play for results — how else could it be?

 

[primrose]

Hi everyone! I'm still fairly new to poker and trying to improve my game. I study, watch videos, and play regularly—but sometimes I wonder if I'm actually getting better or just spinning my wheels.

What are some clear signs that a beginner is truly progressing in poker? Are there specific habits, results, or decisions that show real growth?

I’d love to hear from more experienced players—what helped you realize you were improving? Thanks in advance for any insights!

Post your hands for review and see if people have fewer things to criticize over time. The only thing that actually counts is how you actually play your hands; everything else is spinning your wheels, as you put it.

Well, results also work of course, if you have a large enough sample.

 

[Goggelheimer]

No, I don’t agree with you. If you’re losing in the long run, it means you’re doing something wrong. And yes, in poker you do play for results — how else could it be?

Wrong mindset.
In downswings (and this can last very long, so long that you can think you are a long-term loser) you might play A+ game with best decisions and lose money.
Think deeper.
There are so many spots where players put money/chips in a pot with only a weak holding (much less than a 40% chance of winning the hand) and they win the hand by pure luck/variance.

A simple example.
AKo vs A6o on an A4Q flop A6 wins because of hitting a 6 on turn or river and so on. AK guy played perfectly the A6 guy gambled for luck.

 

[DarkSage]

Can I track my results without having to pay for a private tool? I mean, can I study my mistakes and evaluate my performance without Pocker Tracker?

 

[sibkaz]

Results and confidence)

 

[Kenzie 96]

Regularly withdrawing from your poker accounts to contribute to the family budget would seem like a clear sign. Telligng the wife that you can see her maybe giving up that 3rd job in a year or so would be another.

 

[Aliraza41306]

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