should I even be studying HPFAP at this Point?

[aargh57]

Hello all,

I work on a merchant vessel and spend 4 months away from home and then get 4 months vacation. While aboard ship I've got a lot of time to myself. Last trip I read (actually re-read) WLLH quite a few times. Making notes, and nearly memorizing the book. When I got home I played on Pacific Poker for about 3 weeks (average about 30hrs/week) at the $1/2 tables and then my wife went on vacation so my poker time came down considerably. Anyway, I ended the summer with a net gain of $200. When I get back I plan on playing the $2/4 tables and my wife will be working the entire time so I'm hoping to play my 30 - 35 hrs/week for the entire 4 months. Now to my question.
Before coming out for this trip I purchased HPFAP and planned to study it before going home again. I'm now wondering if I should even do that (I'm finishing reading it for the second time(although the first time was a few months ago)) or just go back to concentrating on WLLH. I know that HPFAP is written for higher stakes games and I'm afraid of getting bogged down with "fancy play". Please don't read this as laziness, I plan on reading it again but I don't know if I should try to incorporate the ideas into my play. Also, some posts I've read here discredit the "Loose Games" section which I was a little weary of using that strategy to begin with. I'm thinking of just incorporating the starting standards into my game and playing Turbo Texas Hold 'Em and literally memorizing WLLH. By the way, I know that WLLH is no longer considered the best low limit book but that's all I have right now. I will try to look for one of the recommended books when I get to port but that will be doubtful. Anyway, is my strategy sound, considering what I have to work with?

[ghostface]

I'm a college student and I started playing about 14 months ago to make some spending money. I bought WLLH and HPFAP before I even made an account. Before I started playing I read WLLH twice and then started in the .5/1 rooms and gradually moved. Then last summer about a year after I started I read HPFAP. It seemed to pertain a little less to the 2/4 I am currently playing at but there were some topics that I also found very helpful in term of winning when the pot gets large. I would say that it definitely cant hurt to read HPFAP but you have to keep in mind that when the players you are playing are generally horrible (pacific poker), you dont need to play well (employ deception and other trickery) because the pot will usually be big enough for you to want to do anything to win it outright if you can. Don't focus so much on the starting hands in HPFAP as I still use WLLH as more of a guidline for myself. But I have made 3k in about 4 months of solid playing time over the last year, yes just using WLLH, no SSH here, yet anyways.

Good Luck

[Nemesis]

Read small stakes hold'em... much more applicable to the games you're playing... when you move up a little more read HPFAP.

[benfranklin]

It sounds like you are ready to move up beyond WWLH. You should read either HPFAP or Small Stakes Holdem, depending on the type of games you will be playing. The advice in HPFAP is intended for play against players who generally play correctly. The advice in SSHE is intended for playing against opponents who play too many hands, who stay too long after the flop, and who do not play aggressively enough. This is the kind of player you will generally be seeing in lower limit games. Therefore, you should read SSHE, and save the HPFAP until you are ready to play at higher limits. The general opinion here seems to be that the preflop strategy in WLLH is OK, but post flop it is too weak.

[aargh57]

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely try to pick up a copy of SSH if I can. Otherwise, I'll bone up on WLLH and keep playing Turbo Texas Hold Em until I get back home.

[As Zehn]

On 10/14 there is going to be a discussion group on Internet Texas Hold Em on this forum. If you have access to the net and can get this book before this Thursday, it might be a good next book. If not, a subsequent group will be starting on Small Stakes Hold Em. B&N, Borders, Yahoo, this site(for SSH) & www.internettexasholdem.com (http://www.internettexasholdem.com) might be able to get the books to you. Best of luck.

[theghost]

[ QUOTE ]
On 10/14 there is going to be a discussion group on Internet Texas Hold Em on this forum. If you have access to the net and can get this book before this Thursday, it might be a good next book. If not, a subsequent group will be starting on Small Stakes Hold Em. B&N, Borders, Yahoo, this site(for SSH) & www.internettexasholdem.com (http://www.internettexasholdem.com) might be able to get the books to you. Best of luck.

[/ QUOTE ]
You can get ITH as part of a sign-on bonus - details at their site. Mine came signed /images/graemlins/laugh.gif