---
title: "If you are a beginner who wants the math"
url: "https://georgelipoker.com/stories/beginner-math-first.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelipoker.com/stories/beginner-math-first"
last_updated: "2026-10-20"
type: "guide"
summary: "A coaching plan for a new player who wants to learn the numbers behind poker alongside the rules."
related: ["https://georgelipoker.com/stories.md"]
---

# If you are a beginner who wants the math

A coaching plan for a new player who wants to learn the numbers behind poker alongside the rules.

You are new to no-limit Hold'em and want to learn the numbers alongside the rules. This plan starts with how a hand works and the math that decides it.

## Who this is for

- You are new to no-limit Hold'em, or you have played only a few home games.
- You like to know why a play is right, and numbers make sense to you.
- You want a first session that starts with how a hand works and the math behind it.

## The situation

Hold'em has a small set of numbers that explain most decisions: hand rankings, outs, pot odds and equity.

Learning them early makes every later idea, such as position and ranges, easier to place.

The free calculators let you test each idea yourself, so every session ends with something to try.

Starting with the Game Assessment keeps the plan matched to where you are today.

## The plan

The package for this plan is Ten Sessions: 10 sessions of 60 minutes for $1,500 in all. Your Game Assessment counts as the first session if you buy the package within 14 days of it, and the package then costs $1,350 for the other 9 sessions.

Each session ends with something to try on the free calculators before the next one.

1. **Game Assessment.** How a hand plays out, the hand rankings, and the 3 hands you send ahead, reviewed gently against the numbers.
2. **Cards and combos.** The 169 starting hand classes, such as AKs, and how many card combinations each one has.
3. **Outs and the rule of 2 and 4.** Counting outs, turning them into a percentage, and checking the shortcut against the exact figure.
4. **Pot odds.** The price of a call as a percentage, using the pot odds calculator and a bet size table.
5. **Position.** Why acting last helps, with simple opening ranges by seat.
6. **Equity.** How often a hand wins against one hand or against a range of hands, using the equity calculator and the matchup pages.
7. **Betting and sizing.** Value bets, bluffs, and how often a bluff has to get a fold to break even.
8. **Putting a hand together.** One full hand from preflop to river, with the number that drives each decision.
9. **Bankroll and variance.** Why short runs mislead, and a plain rule for how much to bring to a game.
10. **Your study plan.** A short written plan, a list of pages to reread and a drill routine.

## What you leave with

- A one-page written plan from the assessment.
- A one-sheet cheat card for outs, pot odds and combos, which you build during the sessions.
- A starting hand chart by position.
- A drill list that pairs each calculator with a set of practice hands.

## Related tools

- [Hand ranking calculator](https://georgelipoker.com/tools/hand-ranking-calculator.md)
- [Outs calculator](https://georgelipoker.com/tools/outs-calculator.md)
- [Pot odds calculator](https://georgelipoker.com/tools/pot-odds-calculator.md)
- [Combination counts](https://georgelipoker.com/combos.md)
- [Outs by street](https://georgelipoker.com/outs.md)

## Keep reading

- [If you are a player returning after a long break](https://georgelipoker.com/stories/returning-after-a-break.md)
- [If you are a home-game player who wants confidence at a casino table](https://georgelipoker.com/stories/home-game-to-casino.md)
- [If you are a live cash player moving up a stake](https://georgelipoker.com/stories/live-cash-moving-up.md)

Not sure which plan fits? Start with the Game Assessment, and the plan follows from your own hands.

Questions before you book? Write to hello@georgelipoker.com.

[Book your Game Assessment](https://georgelipoker.com/book.md)

## Related

- [Who the coaching is for](https://georgelipoker.com/stories.md)