Kerryjane Craigie: The Accidental Student - Learning Poker Without Realising It
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PokerStars Ambassador and Hippodrome Poker Director Kerryjane Craigie has always been a driving force behind women’s poker, whether that's creating opportunities, championing community or celebrating other women who make the game special. But behind the tables and live streams, she’s also on her own journey of growth.
In her latest column, Craigie opens up about what it really means to learn the game. Not through solvers or study sessions, but through experience, conversation, and curiosity. Here, she shares how commentary, connection, and a few lightbulb moments have changed the way she sees poker and the poker world around her.
Here’s something I probably shouldn’t admit in a column like this, but here goes:
And this may surprise you, or maybe not, especially if you’ve seen my play (ha ha). But here’s the truth:
I’ve never really studied poker.
And when I say not really, I mean… I just haven’t!
- I’ve never read a poker book.
- I’ve never taken a coaching lesson.
- I find graphs impossible to read, it’s an alien language to me let alone retain the details.
The Power of Talking
There was a time I thought hope was enough. That if I just kept showing up, stayed patient, worked hard at the tables, and waited my turn… the results would come. But poker doesn’t really work like that.
And here’s the contradiction, in reality, I’ve been studying all along.
Every pot I’ve played, every hand I’ve talked through with friends, whether that was out of curiosity or frustration. Every stream I’ve watched, and every table I’ve sat at has been a lesson in disguise. Without pinpointing why, I’ve improved. My game has evolved. Because it had to. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t been learning, whether consciously or not.
Co-hosting commentary on PokerStars Live @ The Hippodrome each week has become one of the most unexpectedly powerful tools in that education. I sit alongside seasoned pros, offering colour and conversation while they break down the action with analysis that regularly leaves me nodding in awe. And honestly? Sometimes I feel a little dumb asking questions that might seem obvious. But it’s in those moments that I grow.
Watching top-level players think through hands in real time is like being handed the answers to a test you didn’t even realise you were sitting.
The truth is, you don’t improve your play by accident:
- You improve because you decide to do something about your play
- You improve because you watch the play of others
- You improve because you replay the hand that hurt
- You improve because you try it differently next time
A Lightbulb Moment
Recently, I found myself hungry for more. So I decided to check out some of the free content from BBZ Poker, and it changed things for me.
It wasn’t the typical “study grind” I’d avoided for years. It was clear, digestible, and practical. Lightbulb moments went off. I immediately applied concepts to hands I’d played recently, and they fit. At the next live event I played, I made the final table. I cashed. I came fifth. I was giddy, not just of the result, but of the process. I’d applied something new. I took different lines. I made considered decisions. I’m genuinely proud of how I played (except that last hand, because, well… Jacks, right?), but it felt like a real breakthrough.
As part of my commitment to my roles with PokerStars and the Womens Poker Association, I’m streaming replays of the PokerStars Women’s Sunday Final Table every Monday at 8 p.m. UK time. We break down key hands, offer insight into player decisions, and invite the finalists themselves to discuss their thought processes. It’s been brilliant, not just for viewers, but for me too. There’s something special about watching a hand unfold and dissecting what the player was thinking in the moment - and sometimes hearing them tell you it all!
The chat’s open. Everyone’s welcome. It’s poker, but it’s also community—and that matters just as much.
Next Stop? Manchester
Next stop for me is the PokerStars Open Manchester, where I’ll be working behind the scenes. Take a look at the schedule if you’re nearby - there’s something for all bankrolls and experience levels. It’s one of those events that makes the game feel truly inclusive.
Then it’s off to Las Vegas for the North American Poker Tour (NAPT), and this one feels like a milestone. Off the back of a record-breaking year for women in poker, 2025 sees the introduction of a Women’s High Roller, standing proudly alongside the regular women’s event. A new addition to the schedule, and another statement of just how far we’ve come in the past twelve months.
So let this be your reminder! If you’re looking for an opportunity to learn, start where you are. It doesn’t have to be books and charts and solvers (unless that’s your thing). Ask questions. Watch hands. Talk poker. Study the hand you just misplayed.
The game you want won’t just land in your lap. You have to go after it. There’s learning in every seat at the table, you just have to sit down.
One hand. One bold move at a time.
