Books

[venom]

How many of you have read poker books? I have been playing a long time now, have never read one book. I am not a reader, don't enjoy it. Did thses books help? I think you learn by playing, I am sure there are some tips you can pick up, but hands on experience has always been my mode of learning.

[Only1JA]

Sure I read poker books and yes I have learned things.
If I am having a hard time at the tables I often revisit certain strategies to see if I can work my way out of a hole. Currently, after "advice" from Borgo I am looking at small-medium suited connectors to see if I can find a way to make them pay off more often for me. Not being a mathematician (and old) plus the need to act more quickly in internet games (and trying to manouvre that damned betting slide bar) I never seem to get enough time to calculate proper pot odds before having to bet. This is something else I am reading about to find a way to do this more comfortably.
I am glad you don't read poker books Ven, if you did and found a few more tricks, I have to change Leagues!

[User]

Good to hear youre trying suited connectors JA, they can be very profitable when you learn how to play them.

To Ven. Yes, I have read poker books. I currently have 4 under my belt, and bought 2 more last week, "Killer Poker, No Limit: A winning strategy for Cash Games and Tournaments" by Vorhaus and "Mastering No-Limit HOldem; A Guide to Cash Games" By Fox and Harker.

Browsed them while in Barnes and Noble. And yes, they will be very helpful. Books are a great way to bring to the forefront what you already know, yet havent 100% realized or admitted. I am learning this is as big a factor in cash games as tournaments, if not MORE so. I highly suggest at least picking up one good book, probably Harrington's for you tournament players.

[MainStick]

They have an additional use:

If you are running bad, some of the books you've used in the past can be good to re-read in order to open your mind up to your recent play. *Can help ya figure out if it is you who has gotten too far away from the basics and are to blame for your recent bad luck or if help rebuild your confidence in the fact that your game seems to still be solid and it is truly just a bad run of luck/cards.

Either way, if you are willing take an open minded look at yourself, you can usually break a bad streak.

[BiggDawgg]

Shameless Plug time *:DrogarWink

Be sure to pick up your books in our Book Store

[venom]

I really beleive so much of the game is in the moment. There are so many different situations out there, and yes I guess you could pick up some tips from books on how to play them out, but almost every table and situation is different. I don't know how many times I have heard Helmuth say, " I played that hand perfectly" but yet he lost. My true feeling is gut instinct and hands on play is the best teacher. I have fairly cut and dry strategy and it has worked for a long time, I go through slumps, but the ydon't seem to last all that long. I don't play real high stakes stuff so I guess it probably isn't that improtant for me, playing my game, to mess it up with all these theories and tips. Who knows, the one book I won here I flipped through but it wasn't anything I didn't already know, was basic book. I have never been real coachable, never liked practicing, yet excelled come game time. I am not knocking books, and I wish I knew more math about the game, like pot odds and stuff, but I have been playing long enough that I think I know when to hold em and know when to foldem. Poker is a game of skill, but I also see luck as beign a major factor. I mean when you hit that river being a huge dawgg its awesome, and hey, thats why there is percentages becasue it happens. I have seen so many sick things that it hardly fazes me anymore (stick might disagree, he is a good one to vent to) but its poker, most hands are never over till the river hits. Just wanted to spark some conversation on books ,the last one I read was (about 4 years ago)working on the edge by spike walker, if any of you watch the deadliest catch, this would be a good book as it is about King crab fishingin Alaska.

[User]

Originally Posted by MainStick

They have an additional use:

If you are running bad, some of the books you've used in the past can be good to re-read in order to open your mind up to your recent play. *Can help ya figure out if it is you who has gotten too far away from the basics and are to blame for your recent bad luck or if help rebuild your confidence in the fact that your game seems to still be solid and it is truly just a bad run of luck/cards.

Either way, if you are willing take an open minded look at yourself, you can usually break a bad streak.

Very very good point. I was running very bad late last week (had a couple -300 sessions in a row). Went through these books I picked up, got a grip on my game, took a couple days off, and am now back in it. 4 tabling 1/2 on PS...have won it all back today with my focus renewed. Books are a great way of recentering and refocusing your concentration towards the game, even if you dont use them for learning, I always suggest them for focus.

[MainStick]

I get what Ven is saying. *I also consider myself a very instinctive player. *Now if I would just pay more attention to that voice in my head. *(well the sane voice in my head)

I do think that getting people's perspectives from reading books or reading posts in forums like this one, or just talking about hands with other players helps you sharpen those gut feelings.

In regards to books specifically, there are so many of them out there right now, I don't think you can take any one book as a BIBLE on how to play. *I've found in a few cases that I have a book that preaches something totally in the opposite direction of what I am comfortable with in my game. *Now, it was still a good read for a few reasons.

1 - It helps me with insight into players who play like this and understanding and getting a feel for how they will react to certain moves I make or don't make.
2 - If I find myself in a situation that my style of play doesn't adhere to well, I have some insight into how to handle it with another style of play.

This came up in our last league game at Cake. *Due to the cards I was getting and who I had in the seats to my left and who was on my right, I never got a chance to do what I feel comfortable with. *But instead of just panicing and being totally out of control, I abandoned my normal approach and went with a totally different decision making guideline to hand selection and how to play my seat position.

Sadly, it didn't help me cash, but I think I got a LITTLE closer and picked up a few more points than I would have, had I gone with my normal play which didn't fit the situation.

Okay - this got long winded.

[gthorn]

I'm in the same boat as Venom, I to have never read a book on poker. All my "learning" to be a better player has come from posts and articles on various forums.

I recognize i have problems in certain areas of my game and being mainly a tournament player i will probably pick up Harringtons book.

Stick mentioned Instincts & gut feelings. *I think these are a big part of the game, maybe i can find a read on how to trust mine more.

[Only1JA]

Improving one's game is not an easy task but finding a level I can play at comfortably has been the secret for me. Stepping up is a big call.
Like Mainstick says, whenever I have tried to incorporate other peoples play I don't feel comfortable and end up not doing as well but understanding the other guys play and understanding his motives is a valuable asset. Like Borgo's raising out of position with small-medium suited connectors, I can't comfortably incorporate that into my style of play (not until the final 3 or heads-up) but learning how to recognise and counter this play is the goal.
I don't have any favourite books or even one to recommend but I often revisit one I have that talks about Actual Odds versus Pot Odds and has all 169 hands ranked and provides their relative strengths (and weaknesses). It it amazing how, whenever I look again, just how many hands have crept back into my game that I should not really be playing.
I guess it's all about confidence and discipline but confidence is fickle and takes a beating a lot at the tables. Revisiting my starting principles and strategies helps to refocus, just like Borgo said, (shoot I hate to agree with the brat) and taking a day or two off and reading helps to reaffirm the style of playing which falls inside my own comfort zone.
But sure Venom and Gthorn are right, there is no substitute for experience and practise. I'd hate to think those two are going to get better!