Jonathan Little Poker Coaching Review – Is It For You?
What you will learn:
- MTT and cash game basics
- Advanced strategy topics
- Best GTO approach for your games
- Profitable exploitative adjustments
Navigation
There are numerous sites with different poker coaching programs offering learning materials, with a promise to help you become a better poker player.
Having access to a variety of options is usually a good thing. However, if you’re looking to improve and find yourself having to choose the best one for you, it can be a bit of a challenge. You’ll have a hard time figuring out if a particular program is the best choice until you actually subscribe.
I will try to make this task somewhat easier and dedicate this Jonathan Little Poker Coaching review to show what you can find inside his training site and see if it is what you are looking for now.
Who Is Jonathan Little?
Jonathan Little is the founder and the main coach behind many videos and courses on the site. Over the years, however, the roaster of coaches has grown significantly, so there are now quite a few other names in the mix.
So, the first thing you might ask, and rightfully so, is who is this guy and why does he claim he can teach you how to play poker?
Jonathan Little was born in Florida in 1984, and, according to his biography, he learned poker rules and started playing this game from a very early age. As soon as he turned 18, Jonathan focused on online poker and managed to run up his initial deposit of $50, starting with $0.25/$0.50 Limit games and to move up to $15/$30 tables.
After a couple of years, he decided to quit college and his full-time job to play poker full time. Since $30/$60 were the highest Limit Hold’em stakes at the time, he turned to sit and go tournaments. Once again, he had to face a learning curve as playing sit and goes was quite different to limit cash games.
Eventually, though, he mastered this format as well, ending up as one of the top sit and go players around, playing 16 tables simultaneously.
Once he turned 21, Jonathan Little decided to test his skills on the live tournament circuit and has since posted a decent number of good results, accumulating $7,000,000 in live cash to date, with two seven-figure paydays in the mix.
So, the man behind this poker coaching program has the credentials required to teach, and you can learn a lot on the way.
Jonathan Little Poker Coaching Platform Overview
With the introductory part out of the way, let’s move to the actual Jonathan Little poker coaching program.
The first thing you will notice once you log in to your account is that the platform Jonathan Little uses has a nice, modern feel to it, with the main menu on the left giving you quick access to main sections of the site.
Everything is divided into several main categories:
- Classes
- Quizzes
- Challenges
- Homework
- Tools
- Store
- Discord Community
I will go into more detail about these sections throughout this Jonathan Little Poker Coaching review.
What I found very interesting and engaging is the fact all of these different pieces actually work together. They’re not standalone entities, and the entire program is set up in a way that pushes you to learn more and improve your knowledge.
Classes: Your Source of Knowledge
As you’d expect, the Classes section is where you’ll find different lessons covering all sorts of strategy (and non-strategy) topics. Once you’re inside, you’ll see there are well over 100 videos for you to watch, covering many different aspects of the game.
Featured at the very top of the section are multi-part series devoted to a particular game or game variation, such as:
- High Stakes Tournament Secrets by David Peters (5 videos)
- Master PLO Cash Games by Adam Hendrix (8 videos)
- Crushing Tough Cash Games by Jonathan Jaffe (20 videos)
- WSOP & 100k Buy-in Review by Jonathan Little (9 videos)
Beyond these series, you'll find many individual videos distributed into relevant categories, like:
- Preflop
- Postflop
- Technical
- Hand reviews
- Mental game
- Exploits
There is also a filter feature that you can use to further refine the type of videos you're looking for, with filters for game types, particular subjects, and level.
These filters can help you really fine-tune your search and easily find the videos covering the particular area of the game you want to focus on.
Courses
In addition to standalone videos, Little also offers courses covering specific topics, which could be a good option if you’re looking to learn a particular segment of the game.
There are more than 60 different courses available, covering topics such as:
- Online & live cash games at various stakes
- Single table satellites
- Advanced deep-stacked strategies
- Mindset courses by Jared Tandler and Elliot Roe
- Top Tournament Tells by Zachary Elwood
These courses are more akin to coaching programs offered by sites like Upswing, where they cover a specific theme in detail by a person that has ample experience in that particular segment. Those who like a more structured and narrower approach will probably find these courses quite helpful.
The Classes section requires a bit more effort on your part in the sense that you’ll need to figure out what videos you want to watch and when.
Of course, you’re still getting a lot of guidance along the way, but it does require a more responsible approach to your learning path.
Homework Assignments to Keep You Sharp
About once a month, Jonathan Little puts out a new homework assignment for the members to solve. These assignments can be somewhat complicated, but this is intentional.
It is designed to make you think and teach you how to effectively build ranges for various scenarios.
The poker tool used to complete these assignments is Range Analyzer, and it might take you a little while to get the hang of it. There is a detailed video in the Homework section explaining all you need to know, though, so you won’t be left high and dry.
I won’t go into detail on how to use this tool as Jonathan explains it all in his video. What I will say is that these homework assignments can feel like a bit of pain at first, but it could be the best thing you can ever do to learn poker if you dedicate yourself to it.
A usual homework assignment will layout a scenario starting with the preflop action and ask you to provide your answers from the start of the hand to the final bet.
Everyone posts their answers and ranges on the forum for others to see, and you can discuss your strategy with others. Eventually, Jonathan Little posts his analysis and provides in-depth answers for every single question from the assignment.
If you’re ready to put in the time and effort into solving these homework assignments, they’re guaranteed to help you improve your decision-making process.
If you want to make most out of the Jonathan Little poker coaching program, you shouldn’t skip your homework as it can give you a huge boost. I just loved this part!
Educational Quizzes Featuring Special Rewards
Many poker training programs feature poker quizzes, where you can test your newly acquired knowledge and skills. However, people often tend to skip these or do a few here and there.
These quizzes are an excellent way to test your understanding of newly acquired concepts, but finding the motivation to do them isn’t always easy.
Jonathan Little, in his poker coaching site, has found a smart way to give people an extra reason actually to spend time answering quizzes.
Every time you complete one of these, you’ll receive a certain number of points, depending on how well you do. Every 200 points you accumulate will turn into one Star. These Stars can then be used to purchase course bundles described earlier.
These usually cost anywhere from $50 to $100, but you can get them for free while taking full advantage of everything the course has to offer.
These quizzes are very interactive and provide nice explanations for every step along the way, so you’ll learn a lot from them.
The added value is they’re a lot of fun to do so you can take a few of these when you’re having a cup of coffee and treat them as a little challenge to keep your poker mind in shape.
Getting 200 points isn’t hard at all, as you can easily get anywhere from 30 to 40 points per quiz, so you’ll have no problems unlocking the additional content.
If I had to pick a single thing that makes Jonathan Little poker coaching stand out from the rest, it would be these quizzes.
If you love poker (and you probably do if you’re looking into ways to get better at it), you’ll enjoy doing it. And you’ll get handsomely rewarded for your efforts, which makes this program engaging and interactive.
Useful Charts & Tools
Rounding up the range of educational materials are various charts found in the Tools section as well as the Range Analyzer software I’ve talked about in the Homework section. As for the charts, you’ll find a decent variety of them, such as:
- Preflop charts for various stack depths (15, 25 & 40 BBs)
- 6-max preflop charts
- Push-fold charts
If you want to take your charts with you on the go and have them handy in the live games setting perhaps, the program also offers a Push Fold App. The app is available for Android devices as well as iPhones and iPads, making it a super convenient tool you can always have in your pocket.
There are a few more tools that you'll get access to, such as Range Analyzer and PKO Bounty Calculator, adding a bit of extra value for those who decide to join the program.
The Community Aspect
One final thing I’d like to talk about before wrapping up this Jonathan Little poker coaching review is the community aspect of this program.
The man behind the site has put in a lot of effort towards building a loyal community of poker players and fans through his active engagement on YouTube and social media.
By signing up, you’ll get full access to a very active forum and a Discord server where you’ll be able to post your questions and get involved with strategy discussions started by others.
Unlike many random and free poker communities out there, this one gathers likeminded people who are all set on improving their game.
What this means is that you’ll usually get quality advice and useful insights every time you post something or get involved with someone else’s thread or conversation.
Jonathan Little, as well as some of the other coaches, are quite active in the forum, and they’ll often share their thoughts and ideas about particular poker hands or general concepts.
In addition to the forum and an active Discord community where you can chat with people in real-time, there are also Twitter and Facebook accounts where you can get even more involved, ask your questions, and chat poker as much as you want.
Jonathan Little Poker Coaching Review: MTTs
The Pokercoaching.com site has grown a lot since its early days, and the search and filtering system has improved quite a bit, too.
If you're looking to improve your tournament game, you can use individual videos / video series, or you can go for full-scale courses. This will mainly depend on your particular needs and what it is that you want to achieve.
In the ‘Classes' section, there are many videos covering MTTs and addressing different topics, from preflop play to outside factors, such as the mental game and bankroll management. Use filters to find specific videos that cover the topic(s) you're most interested in.
If you’re new to the game, whatever your preference may be, you should start with videos in the section entitled Technical.
Videos contained in this group talk about some fundamental concepts like pot odds, stack to pot ratio, some common mistakes, etc. You want to learn and understand these concepts before moving on.
For the MTT play specifically, you’ll find several useful charts in there covering GTO play at different stack depths (15, 25, and 40 BBs) alongside general preflop charts for the full ring and 6-max.
Whether you’re an experienced player or someone just getting started, preflop charts are a great way to refresh or build your fundamentals from scratch. (You can always grab my poker cheat sheets)
The Preflop section contains several videos covering things like defending blinds, 3-betting concepts, handling loose players, combating limpers, etc. I’d say these videos are more general in a sense they apply to both cash games and tournaments.
The biggest difference between these two formats is the average stack depth, and in his lessons, Jonathan Little tries to tackle different poker games scenarios, so MTT players can definitely benefit from these.
Similarly, the Postflop section addresses things such as how to build your continuation betting ranges, how to deal with check-raises and donk bets, when to lead in a hand, how to play sets, etc. Again, these concepts apply to both formats.
In the Inner Circle section, you’ll find many webinar lessons addressing MTT play specifically taught by several high-profile pros such as David Peters, Matt Affleck, Justin Saliba, and Tristan Wade.
These Webinars cover specific topics but also offer hand reviews from various tournaments played by these pros or their students, offering valuable insights.
MTT Specific Courses
If you opt for the Premium Membership, you’ll also get full access to the Courses section. As mentioned, this section contains videos that address specific topics, and they can help you improve your play in certain areas. Some of the MTT-specific courses you’ll want to look at include:
- Advanced Tournament Course
- Tournament Masterclass
- Building a Big Stack Deep in a Tournament
- Various WSOP videos
- Advanced Deep Stacked Strategies
- Chipping Up Without Risking Going Broke (Live seminar)
- Top Tournament Tells by Zachary Elwood
On top of these MTT-specific courses, you’ll also find some videos that deal with the mental side of things.
These are worth watching regardless of what form of poker you’re into as they tackle general ideas about setting your goals, dealing with downswings, and achieving a good balance between poker and life.
Taking all of this into consideration, PREMIUM membership is a much better option for anyone looking to improve.
Jonathan Little Poker Coaching Review: Cash Game
As I explained, many of the videos in the Classes section are more general, so they’re equally valuable to cash game and tournament players.
One specific video you might want to check out first if cash games are your cup of tea is the “Cash and Tournament Betting Differences” lesson found in the Adjustments section.
The Courses section contains a variety of videos covering cash games specifically, and once you finish more general concepts, you can turn to these. Some of the courses worth checking out if you’re an aspiring cash game player include:
- Jonathan Little’s Cash Game Master Class
- How to Beat Wild Games
- Live at the Bike with Jonathan Little
- How to Beat 6-max Cash Games
- Live No-Limit Cash Games
- Crushing Tough Cash Games
- Combating Limpers
This coaching site started off more as a resource for tournament players. Over the years, however, it has significantly improved the cash games side of things, too, so there are now many valuable resources available for ring games as well.
Cash Game Master Class
Due to popular demand, Jonathan Little has added a special course aimed specifically at cash game players called Cash Game Master Class. It contains 29 different lessons, covering everything from very fundamentals to advanced concepts.
The Master Class begins with the explanation of some of the basic concepts, such as how rake influences your win rates and how the game changes as you move through the stakes.
What I find refreshing is that Jonathan doesn’t make big promises that he can’t meet as he emphasizes there is no magic bullet that will make you beat poker overnight.
First, several videos are somewhat short as they go over some fundamental concepts such as ranges and equity.
Now, you can learn more about these from lessons in the Classes section, so if you are still struggling with these ideas, you should go back and check out some of the videos from the Technical part.
Following on these fundamental lessons, Jonathan Little continues explaining a number of important preflop concepts. These videos address some of the ideas you’ve already encountered in the Classes section but with more of a cash game focus, meaning with deeper stacks and without MTT dynamics.
The next few videos cover flop and turn plays, wrapping up with the river. None of these videos are particularly long, which means that Jonathan Little provides tools and guidelines for those wanting to learn, but there is still a lot of work required to adopt this new knowledge and put it to good use.
For those willing to learn, though, there are additional resources such as quizzes and homework assignments, which represent a great opportunity to test your newly found knowledge.
The rest of the videos in the course covers several important and interesting topics, such as:
- Shallow & deep stack play
- Bankroll management
- Straddled pots
- How to find & recognize profitable games, etc.
Overall, this is a very solid course for new and intermediate players. Like the rest of the program, Cash Game Master Class doesn’t target advanced players as you won’t find high-level GTO discussions, game trees, and similar stuff you’ll encounter in many lessons on Upswing Poker, for example.
That being said, if you enroll in the PREMIUM membership, you get all of the extra bundles, including Cash Game Master Class for free, so it is actually a good deal.
Value for Money: How Good is Jonathan Little Poker Coaching?
Before moving on to other areas of the site, I want to address the quality of Jonathan Little poker coaching videos themselves, as this is primarily what you’re paying for.
Even though I didn’t get to watch all of them (there are tens and tens of hours worth of content), I believe I’ve seen enough to make a fair review of the Jonathan Little coaching program.
A majority of videos are tailored around particular questions from members, so they deal with very specific topics.
This provides a rather personal touch and also gives you a chance to get solutions for certain situations that you may have encountered at the tables.
- Defining 3-betting ranges in general
- How to adjust against a liberal raiser
- Dealing with limpers
- Squeezing
- How to deal with donk bets
- And much more
Jonathan Little, and other coaches like Matt Affleck and Justin Saliba, take time to answer every question in a video that usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.
The explanations are easy to follow and easy to understand, which is something you don’t get with all coaching programs (be it because of a language barrier or the coach simply not putting enough effort to speak clearly).
If there is one thing I didn’t like about the videos is the lack of “visual action,” i.e., they are mostly static with images and slides with text on them. You’ll still get to learn a lot, but if you’re more of a visual learner, you won’t get to see much movement on the screen.
Apart from this, Jonathan Little's videos specifically are really good for those who aren’t already super-experienced with poker. If you want to move up from lower stakes and beat your current games, this is an excellent program that will give you everything you need.
BANNER
However, if you are already beating mid-high stakes, you may want to find a more advanced option for your particular game and choose one of the other poker training sites.
Summary + Bonus: Is Jonathan Little Poker Coaching For You?
After checking out the entire course and going through all the different sections, I’d say that this program is aimed primarily at new and semi-advanced players looking to get better.
If you are new to the game or looking for a way to raise from lower stakes, this Jonathan Little poker coaching is a great option. It has very engaging content with plenty of quizzes and homework, so it makes the whole learning process much easier to follow.
That being said, I think the most value lies in the Premium membership option because you get a lot of extra content, and both MTT and cash game players will benefit from that more than from standard membership for sure.
Of course, if you are on a tight budget, you can even start with a free membership and then decide how you like it. You can easily upgrade your subscription when and if you feel the need to do it, but I still think that the Premium option is the way to go here cause it gives you more advanced content.
Pros:
- A versatile coaching program aimed at new and mid-range players
- 200+ video lessons covering various topics
- Great filter system to find specific lessons you're interested in
- Homework assignments to keep you sharp
- Engaging & entertaining quizzes unlocking access to more free content
Cons:
- Videos are a bit static at times
- Learning how to do homework assignments is a bit complicated
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