LiveHands Blog

Strategy guides, hand tracking tips, and insights for serious live poker players.

strategy7 min read

Hand of the Day: How to Learn from Notable Tournament Hands

Learn how to break down tournament poker hands for maximum study value. A step-by-step hand analysis example covering preflop decisions, stack depth, and bet sizing.

March 18, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy7 min read

How to Submit Poker Hands to Your Coach (The Right Way)

Learn how to send hands to your poker coach in the format they actually need. Stop wasting coaching time on incomplete hand descriptions.

March 17, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy8 min read

How to Set Up a Poker Study Routine Around Your Live Sessions

Build a poker study routine that fits around your live sessions. Practical scheduling, habit-building tips, and a weekly framework for consistent improvement.

March 16, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy6 min read

Quick Poker Study: How to Review Hands in 15 Minutes

A quick post-session poker study routine you can do in 15 minutes. Review key hands, spot patterns, and build a study habit that sticks.

March 15, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy7 min read

How Many Hands Do You Need to Find Poker Leaks?

Learn how many hands you actually need to identify poker leaks. Practical sample size guidance for live players working with smaller databases.

March 14, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy6 min read

Results-Oriented vs Process-Oriented Thinking in Poker

Learn why process-oriented poker thinking beats results-oriented thinking for long-term improvement. A mindset shift that changes how you review hands.

March 13, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy9 min read

Live Poker vs Online Poker: Why Tracking Matters More When You Play Live

Live poker players face a data gap online players don't. Learn why tracking your live hands pays bigger dividends per hand than online tracking ever does.

March 12, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides6 min read

Poker Hand Notation: A Quick Guide to Shorthand for Live Players

Learn standard poker hand notation and shorthand symbols for positions, actions, and hand descriptions. A quick reference for logging live hands at the table.

March 11, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament20 min read

WSOP Europe 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Complete guide to WSOP Europe 2026 in Prague—full bracelet schedule, Main Event structure, travel logistics, lodging in Karlín, and tips from WSOPE veterans.

March 10, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides7 min read

Card Room Phone Policies: Where Can You Use Your Phone at the Poker Table?

Card room phone policies vary widely. Learn the rules for using your phone at the poker table — from local cash games to WSOP tournaments — so you can log hands without issues.

March 9, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides7 min read

SplitSuit's Live Poker Player's Journal: Review and How to Use It

An honest review of SplitSuit's Live Poker Player's Journal — what it does well, where it falls short, and how to get the most out of paper hand tracking.

March 8, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament21 min read

WPT 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Your complete guide to the 2026 World Poker Tour season — WPT World Championship schedule, Wynn Las Vegas travel, tournament structures, and tips.

March 7, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides5 min read

How Many Hands Do You Actually Remember After a Live Session?

Most live poker players remember only 3–5 hands from a full session. Learn why memory decay works against you and how to capture the hands that matter.

March 6, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides6 min read

Poker Bankroll Tracker vs LiveHands: Session Tracking vs Hand Tracking

Session tracking tells you how much you won. Hand tracking tells you why. Compare Poker Bankroll Tracker and LiveHands to find the right tool for your game.

March 5, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament19 min read

MSPT 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Complete guide to the MSPT in 2026—full season schedule with all confirmed stops, Main Event structures, travel logistics, lodging tips, and advice from circuit regulars.

March 4, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides6 min read

Poker Analytics 6 Review: Is It Still Worth It?

An honest Poker Analytics 6 review covering features, pricing, and whether this veteran poker tracking app still holds up against newer alternatives in 2026.

March 3, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy14 min read

Tournament Poker Preparation: How to Use Hand Data from Past Events to Play Better

Learn how to prepare for poker tournaments using hand data from past events. Review by stage, position, and opponent to find your edge.

March 2, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament18 min read

WSOP Circuit 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Complete guide to the 2026 WSOP Circuit season—full schedule with domestic and international stops, Main Event structures, travel logistics, WSOP+ app setup, and tips from circuit regulars.

March 1, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy15 min read

Poker Coaching with Hand Histories: How Coaches and Students Can Work Better Together

Learn how structured hand histories transform the poker coaching process. A guide for coaches and students on submission formats, review workflows, and getting more from every session.

February 28, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides12 min read

Paper Poker Journals vs Hand Tracking Apps: Which Is Better?

Comparing paper poker journals and digital hand tracking apps across speed, data quality, export, and cost. Find the best method for recording live poker hands.

February 27, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament21 min read

WSOP 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Everything you need for the 2026 World Series of Poker — 109 bracelet events, schedule highlights, Main Event structure breakdown, Las Vegas travel and lodging, dining options, and practical tips from experienced attendees.

February 25, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides7 min read

Card Room Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Every Live Player Should Know

Learn the unwritten rules of live poker card rooms — from protecting your hand to tipping dealers. A practical etiquette guide for players new to live tournaments.

February 22, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides7 min read

Money Movement for Live Poker: BravoLive, LuxonPay, and How to Fund Your Buy-Ins

Poker tournament buy-in payment options explained. BravoLive, LuxonPay, cage procedures, wire transfers, and security tips for funding your live events.

February 21, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy10 min read

The 7 Most Common Leaks in Live Tournament Poker

Spot the 7 most common leaks in live tournament poker and learn how hand data reveals each one. Fix your biggest weaknesses faster.

February 19, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy8 min read

What Is SPR in Poker and Why Does It Matter for Hand Review?

SPR (stack-to-pot ratio) shapes every postflop decision in live poker. Learn how to calculate SPR, what the key thresholds mean, and how to use SPR to sharpen your hand reviews.

February 18, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides7 min read

How to Import Live Hands into GTO Wizard (Step-by-Step)

Step-by-step guide to importing live poker hand histories into GTO Wizard's HH Analyzer. Get your PokerStars format files uploaded fast.

February 17, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides8 min read

Fastroll vs LiveHands: Which Live Poker Tracking App Is Right for You?

Head-to-head comparison of Fastroll and LiveHands for live poker hand tracking. We break down speed, export formats, pricing, and analysis tool compatibility.

February 13, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides13 min read

Online to Live Poker: The Complete Transition Guide

Moving from online to live poker? Learn what skills transfer, what's different, and how to avoid the most common mistakes online players make at the table.

February 12, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides11 min read

Bankroll Management for Live Tournament Players

How many buy-ins do you need for live tournaments? Practical bankroll rules, variance reality, festival budgeting, staking, and when to move up or down.

February 10, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament13 min read

How to Read Tournament Structures Like a Pro

Learn to evaluate poker tournament structures before you register. Analyze starting stacks, blind levels, escalation pace, and plan your strategy by stage.

February 9, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy17 min read

The Complete Live Poker Study System: From Table to Improvement

Build a repeatable live poker study system from hand capture to analysis to implementation. Includes post-session routines for every schedule.

February 7, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides10 min read

How to Record Live Poker Hands at the Table (Without Slowing Down)

Learn how to record live poker hands between deals without slowing down the game. Covers what to capture, shorthand systems, phone tips, and common mistakes.

February 6, 2026Tom Sullivan
tournament23 min read

Irish Poker Open 2026 Complete Player's Guide: Schedule, Travel, Structures, and Tips

Everything you need for the 2026 Irish Poker Open — 86 events, €2.5M Main Event guarantee, schedule breakdown, Dublin travel, hotels, food, and tips from experienced attendees.

February 4, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy13 min read

How to Find Your Poker Leaks Using Hand Data

Learn how to use hand data from tracking apps and analysis software to find and fix systematic leaks in your live poker game.

February 2, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy16 min read

How to Review Poker Hands Effectively: A Step-by-Step Process

A structured, street-by-street process for reviewing poker hands — from when to review, what to focus on at each decision point, and how to turn analysis into action.

February 1, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides12 min read

The Data Gap: Why Live Poker Players Are Flying Blind

Online players get automatic hand histories. Live players get nothing. Here's how the live poker data gap hurts your game — and what you can do about it.

January 30, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides15 min read

Best Live Poker Hand Tracking Apps: A Complete Comparison for Serious Players

Compare every live poker hand tracking app—LiveHands, Fastroll, Pokerscope, Poker Analytics 6, and more—on speed, export formats, pricing, and features.

January 28, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides10 min read

How to Analyze Live Hands in GTO Wizard (HH Analyzer 2.0 Workflow)

Learn how to upload live poker hands to GTO Wizard's HH Analyzer 2.0, read your GTO scores, and build a study routine around decision-level analysis.

January 27, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides17 min read

How to Get Live Poker Hands into PokerTracker 4, HM3, and GTO Wizard

Learn how to import live poker hands into PokerTracker 4, Holdem Manager 3, and GTO Wizard—from format requirements to step-by-step import workflows.

January 25, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides17 min read

The Live Tournament Player's Guide: Everything You Need Before, During, and After the Event

A comprehensive guide covering tournament selection, bankroll management, logistics, and building routines that keep you performing at your best through long tournament days.

January 23, 2026Tom Sullivan
strategy20 min read

How to Improve at Live Poker Tournaments: A Data-Driven Approach

A comprehensive framework for improving at live poker tournaments through hand tracking, structured study, and data-driven leak identification.

January 21, 2026Tom Sullivan
guides22 min read

The Complete Guide to Tracking Live Poker Hands

Learn how to track live poker hands effectively, from choosing the right method to integrating captured hands into analysis software like PokerTracker 4 and Holdem Manager 3.

January 19, 2026Tom Sullivan