Phil Ivey was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017 — his first year of eligibility.
Phil Ivey became the second professional card player to teach a Masterclass in poker this week. Daniel Negreanu Masterclass debuted last year. Phil Ivey Masterclass’s official trailer hit YouTube in which he promises to “show his keys for success”.
The intro video suggested Phil Ivey’s Masterclass would contain stories from Ivey’s long career as a top level poker pro. The introduction included a brief anecdote about Ivey’s discovery of poker at age 8 (in a barber shop), as well as the inside scoop on his legendary all-in call
The basic package includes 11 lessons, a downloadable class workboook (with advanced terminology), and the ability to access the content with any device. Learn on your terms using a desktop, mobile, or Apple TV device on your tv.
The sales copy on the Phil Ivey Masterclass says, “Now the man known for his enigmatic table presence — and widely regarded as the world’s best all-around poker player — gives you unprecedented access to his mental game. Learn poker strategy, pick up new poker tips, and review hands with the player who’s won more than $26 million in live tournament earnings.”
What is Masterclass?
Of course, those new to online classes might be wondering what Masterclass is. Masterclass is an American online education platform which allows users to buy a particular class or a yearly subscription. The list of classes is intriguing. David Lynch teaches creativity and film, while Gordon Ramsey teaches cooking. If you prefer competition, you can learn chess from Gary Kasparov or Stephen Curry on shooting, ball-handling, and scoring (in basketball).
Carlos Santana teaches the “art and soul of guitar“, while Neil Gaiman teaches “the art of storytelling”. The full list of Masterclass instructors include Natalie Portman, Penn & Teller, Timbaland, and Billy Collins. At present, Masterclass has over 55 different classes. The average number of lessons per course is 24, while the average time length of each lesson is 12 minutes.
Phil Ivey Masterclass Lessons
For Phil Ivey’s course, you can buy a single lesson for £85 ($108) or all 11 lessions for a total of £170 ($215). Ivey’s course includes a variety of strategy tips, including instruction on betting tactics, bluffing, developing mental toughness, how experts spot tales, deep stack play, preflop defense, and improving your table image.
The full list of the Ivey poker lessons can be found below. Read through the list for an idea of whether you want to buy a single lesson or the full package.
Phil’s Jouurney
Strategies for Success
Betting Tactics
Preflop and Blind Defense
Postflop Part 1
Postflop Part 2
The Mental Game
Bluffing
Table Image and Tells
Deepstack Play
Closing Lesson
Should I Buy Masterclass Poker Lessons?
Past Masterclass lessons are a mixed bag. Some of the celebrity instructors offer great insight into their subjects. Others ramble or don’t commit fully to handing over their secrets. Some simply want to talk about how great they are.
People should remember that these are not teachers or professors, but masters of a particular craft. If you take that into account and you do your research on what others think of the lessons, then Masterclass might help your poker skills.
Genius Advice from Poker Players
When I hear about seminars, tutorials, and expert books on poker, I often think back to a sports writer discussing Magic Johnson’s shortlived and failed coaching stint with Los Angeles Lakers (1994: 5-11 record). The journalist said Magic Johnson was such a prodigy at basketball, his instructions were essentially, “Do what I did when I played.”
The same could be said of Ted Williams’ book on hitting the baseball. For instance, Williams’ advice for beating the infield shift wasn’t to learn how to hit the other way (where no one stood), but to laser-point your hits in-between the shifted infielders. As the old saying goes: those who can’t do, teach.
Phil Ivey Masterclass Reviews
With that in mind, early reviews of the Phil Ivey Masterclass suggest it’s a good introduction for beginning players. Poker players with a bit more experience might gather tips from Ivey, but advanced players aren’t likely to glean a lot of new information from the tutorials. In short, it’s what you would expect and want from a Masterclass — a solid introduction to the game.
Here are snippets from a Masterclass conversation on a prominent video sharing site.
Cindy M: “Well done, I’ve already started this Master class. I love it so far! His delivery is very genuine and gives us all a deeper look into the kind of person Phil Ivey is.”
Dany Hermawan: “I think experienced player is more appropriate term, who wanna take other playing perspectives. There is no advanced player in poker without experience. You learn by doing. Only reading poker books doesnt make u any better.”
Mony Chahal: “Phil Ivey’s master class definitely much better than Danial master class.”
MostlyLoveOfMusic: “I’ve heard from other reviews that the Phil Ivey lessons are LESS advanced than the Negreanu ones.”
Andreas Froehli Poker: “Whereas this way of thinking might get you started at the lowest stakes, you need way more to succeed over time. From a poker players perspective, this is rather a documentary about Phil Ivey that is enjoyable to watch.”
Most players will learn something valuable from 11 poker lessons given by Phil Ivey. Whether it’s worth the $215 price tag is up to you. Phil Ivey Masterclass is most valuable for beginning players. If you learn the basics and do well in your live poker sessions, you might consider the Daniel Negreanu Masterclass.
Note: This site doesn’t earn money from shilling Phil Ivey’s Masterclass. New poker players might learn from the resource, though.
