It's something that has been brought up before but is currently one of the more popular topics over at NVG on 2+2 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...guyen-1148903/) ... all of this really is sparked by a book by Tri Nyugen and probably has a lot to do with the marketing techniques as well. I'm a big fan of Tri as a person but not so in love with the way that he markets his products. I haven't read his books so I cant and wont comment on the quality of the products that he is putting out but I do believe that Tri is putting out the best products that he can and isn't trying to scam anyone as a lot of ppl over at 2+2 were kind of questioning. Someone said his marketing techniques were reminiscent of Tom Vu, a guy who made his fortune from some of his ads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K853GykeGH0

Its a funny clip the way it was edited together as well and the quotes are classic.

I find its extra funny cause it does kind of sound like Tri, not just accent but also the sound of his voice. I'm not hating or picking on Tri here for the record, I do like the guy!

Just noticed on the relevant videos section, apparently the guy also plays poker lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFphk...eature=related

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But anyways, on to the meat and potatoes of this post. Some interesting points were brought up throughout the thread about whether a coach needs to be a winner to teach others, the amount of money a coach should be charging per hour, whether almost all coaches only do so to make money since they can't win at poker and of course whether paying for coaching was a good idea in the first place.

Whether a coach needs to be a winner to teach others: Some people were making reference to basketball coaches saying how great coaches are teaching players but they never were that great players along with other analogies but poker can't be compared. I think the main difference is that for poker, knowledge and understanding is really the driving force between a great player and a good player. Whereas in sports, just having technique and knowledge isn't going to be enough. You need to have the physical ability to perform at a high level and be great. But for poker, as long as you can click a button before a timer runs out, your physical skills are just about as good as anyone else's. So I really think if you're looking for a coach, he has to be someone that is currently doing well in the games or has done well recently at the very least.

The amount of $ to be charged per hr by a coach: There seems to be a fairly common belief that the amount of money charged per hour from a coach should be equal to his hourly rate. I understand where the thought comes from, but it is just far too short sighted. I think the hourly for coaching should certainly be higher or lower than the hourly of someone playing poker. That rate will be different for each person and should be calculated based on the coach's hourly from playing, but altered based on how much he values a steady income, how much value he feels the student gains from lessons (If I plug a student's leak that will increase his winrate by 0.2bb/100 for example, over a year that could add up to well over the cost of a lesson), how much he values his time that could be spent doing other things in life, how much he enjoys teaching others etc...In the end, each coach is offering a service. He can charge whatever he likes for the service and it is up to the consumer to decide if it is worth it. Lots of people were upset that Tri was charging a lot for coaching, but if you go to the store and you see water selling for $25, you don't have to buy it.

There seems to be a lot of wild accusations that anyone involved in coaching is pretty much unable to beat games anymore and looking to make a quick buck or scam people for money. I definitely can't completely think these guys are fools as there has definitely been a lot of coaching scams in the news recently. The whole Girah scandal probably being the most prominent but there have been others as well. However, I think a lot of us coaches that are legit just enjoy teaching others. I loved tutoring in high school and thought about being a teacher before. I'd want to be a high school teacher though since its a lot more interactive rather than at university where you lecture and then say bye without ever really talking to students unless they are bugging you about whats on the exam. However the pay for high school teachers is pretty shitty so I wasn't feeling it too much. Anyways, point is there are definitely some positives to coaching others and it is something that I always enjoy doing and I'm sure there are others like me out there so not everyone is out to scam ppl or only teaching because they can't win in the games anymore.

I think coaching can be beneficial for those who are willing to put in work. Everyone learns at a different pace and results may not always be immediate. Students will have to not just listen to what a coach is saying but be able to put it into practice with the pressure of a timer counting down. Studying and reviewing hands with a coach and learning the proper thought processes will take time. Especially if its done during sweat sessions where the student is playing hands with the coach giving advice/theory at the same time since the brain can only comprehend so much information at once.

But if you are looking for a coach, finding the right one can also be difficult. Results are not the only thing one should look at. Coaching styles should gel with the way you learn and the coach needs to be able to express his thoughts to you well. I think that is one of the most interesting things about coaching or teaching someone. I tutored some kids back in high school and I noticed that teaching one kid with a particular style worked well but with another it wouldn't help the student absorb the information as quickly. By the end, I'd have a number of different styles that I would use for each individual student which really helped them grasp the materials. Results can often be doctored or photoshopped these days, so its tough to use that for a benchmark. PTR is probably the best indicator of results nowadays but I will say that my play on Ipoker is way off but it seemed pretty accurate for stars/ftp. I couldnt really imagine ever getting coaching from someone off 2+2 since there is such a lack of trust, personally I would stick to training sites since it's almost more of a regulatory body if anything ever goes sideways. For those considering coaching, I'd recommend trying out one lesson with a coach and seeing if his coaching style and personality would work well for you before buying into any bulk deals. With the right coach, it really can be very beneficial.

Let me know your guys' thoughts on the topic. Later
-Jma