I hesitated to even put this on my blog but I just can't resist...

I started with a new student today and as part of my normal Q&A with a new student I asked about his poker background, stakes, what he hoped to get out of coaching, etc, then I asked him if he had ever been coached before. What did he like/dislike? Standard stuff I ask about everyone before I start coaching them so I can get a feel for how advanced or basic I need to approach the session.

So our first session went pretty well, ran sort of cold but nothing major. Then I get this email from my new student which reads:

"Thought you might like to see this. Starting hand chart for 6 max by XXXXXX. A lot tighter than how we played today!" (name has been changed to protect the guilty)

Here's the hand chart in question.

To anyone that knows anything about online 6max NLHE this hand chart is the biggest L..O...L I've seen in a long time. I mean seeing this hand chart, from a guy who charges money to coach people is simply criminal.

So the point of this blog post is that I encourage everyone who is interested in coaching to please ask around and find at least one or two good references before hiring a guy. If someone does a good job coaching it should not be hard at all for him to have one of his students send you an email saying something positive. Like everything, buyer beware. Do your homework. Poker coaching in general is a pretty expensive thing to do... so don't just trust anyone with a website. Check around...get second opinions.

The sad part is that most people who are just trying to learn the game and don't have any "inside connections" in the poker world have no way of knowing whether or not the guy they are hiring is any good. Seeing a pretty pokertracker graph isn't enough either. It's absolutely crucial you ask around and hear good things from people he/she has coached before.

If you're thinking about getting a coach, you should also ensure that the coach is professional and is willing to spend time "off the clock" helping you out, whether it be a quick hand history check on AIM or maybe once a week you send an email with a few general questions/hands. In many cases you guys are paying a lot of $ for coaching, so find a coach that is willing to go the extra mile for you.

For instance, I've got a students-only forum where my dedicated students (3+ hours per month) can post hands and help each other out, and I try to respond to every thread. I've posted videos and homework assignments for them there too, as well as other perks. As far as I know no one else on the internet offers these things as part of their coaching program. The point, (besides all this blatant self promotion) is that you should really find a coach that isn't just there for 60 minutes on the dot and out the door, you should find someone who cares about your progress and is committed to doing what he can to help you achieve your goals.

Again I won't out the guy who made this, but my goodness I feel truly sorry for those who have spent their money with this guy... He must be crazy like a fox...

Aaron