How to Review Poker Hands

Most people don’t realize that much of a poker player’s improvement actually takes place away from the table. One of the ways that players do this is through reviewing hands that they’ve already played.

Hand reviews are meant to help players take a methodical and logical approach to the game. Because there is so much information to process in the heat of the moment, reviewing hands after the fact can reveal insights that the player missed the first time around. Reviewing your hands regularly will also help you to process information at the table more quickly and accurately.

When reviewing a hand, it is important to include as much information as possible about what occurred. If you are an online player, most online poker sites give you the option to save your hand histories.

If you are playing at a brick and mortar casino or at home, you should carry a notebook with you and jot down all the details of any interesting hands that occurred during your session as soon as you are finished playing for the day.

Example of a Hand History

Here is an example of what should be included in a hand history:

12/13/07
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament, $20 Buy-In
Big Blind is t60, Small Blind is t30 (8 handed)

*Villain was somewhat loose but no other real reads

Cut-off (t2750)
*Hero (t1555)
Small blind (t570)
Big blind (t2070)
Under the gun (t1445)
Under the gun +1 (t1520)
Middle Pos 1 (t2225)
Middle Pos 2 (t1365)

Preflop: Hero is on the button with 5diamond , 5spade .
UTG+1 calls t60, MP1 calls t60, 2 folds, Hero calls t60, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t300) 5club , Qclub , Tclub (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 bets t300, Hero ?

*Note that players often refer to themselves as “hero” and their opponent as “villain” when documenting a hand history.

In this case, I would shove all of my chips into the pot, but what I would do isn’t as important as the thought process that leads me to this decision.

Hand Reviewing Tips

  1. Give yourself time to forget the hand before revisiting it for a review. This will allow you to see it with fresh eyes.
  2. Keep the actual results of your hand hidden. Knowing how it ended will taint your analysis.
  3. Show your hand histories to players that you respect and get their input as well. They may have a different perspective that you can learn from. You can also post your hand histories to online poker forums for further input.
  4. Don’t just review hands that you lost. Whether you won or lost has no bearing on whether or not you played the hand correctly.

If you have any questions about how to play a hand, feel free to email me.

Done with Hand Reviewing?


Finished with Hand Reviewing? Return to Beginners Guide to Poker