11-12-2001, 03:25 PM
Dear forum members,
In our "symposium" on "little fish" there were 3 questions that I got concerning my technique on repetitive recorded listening as an aid to learning poker fundamentals. I didn't receive them earlier so I am going to try to answer them now, and would value any comments.
Sitting Bull asked "How is it possible that as you say "you can learn even when you aren't paying attention."
In our hypothetical example we took some 90 minute tapes and recorded(by reading the text of a poker book, into a hand tape recorder) Tape no. one for example might be pages 34 (Pot odds) to page 59 (the value of deception) from Sklansky's text "The Theory of Poker" Then during the day ,any time when we had some free time on our hands (for example during the 30 minutes that we drove to and from work) we would repeatedly listen to the tape.
Now the first time that we listened to our tape we would find it very interesting, and probably as well the second time.But by the third listening, we would find that we are not actively listening as closely and by the fourth listening we would only be conscious of hearing certain portions of the text. But that doesn't mean that our minds are not possessing the material. As we listen our subconscious is still overlaying the material onto our memory neurons.
The way the human mind works is that each time we hear or think a thought ,as the thought passes through our memory neurons a peptide trail is laid down. And with each passage that trail becomes more and more fixed in our memory. Until it reaches a stage of learning that we can easily remember the thought with accuracy.
That is why you will often hear a friend tell you that he has just read a poker book ,that you know to be one of the best and most informative ever written. Then your friend will say "Hell not only did that book not help me, it damaged my game. Now the reason for that is that by simply reading or listening to the material one time, he really knew the material in the book in the first place. And what he does remember are only portions of the concepts, which when not understood in their entirety only get him into trouble.
There is the story of the Jewish student that told his teacher that he knew the Torah so well that there was nothing more that he could learn from it. What does it mean to know thew teacher asked" Well it means you understand a concept how much more thoroughly could any one know something?" The teacher said if I were to take a knife and drive it through the scroll of that Torah I could tell you the letters that the blade passed through on all sides without looking. That son is knowing"( a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing)
Some years ago a good friend of mine said "Doc I love to play stud, and I've read some good books, but I just can't seem to beat the game. Would you please help me" "Well since you have read good books, maybe you have a learning disability I said" "You know full well that I was a professor of medicine at a famous medical school, how could I be learning impaired." "All degrees of fame are relative I replied." "Cut the BS and tell me what to do"
"OK" I said I am going to give you 50 hours of audio tapes on to which I have recorded what I believe to be a the best material ever written on how to play stud, from the collected world literature" Then I said " You are to listen to those tapes every day when you have free time" "That's it" he said "That's all I have to do" "That it " I said.
In two years Prof went from a consistent $3-$6 looser to a consistent $15-$30 dollar winner, which was the highest level stud game that they posted at his Casino .(during the time of day that he played.) "Thanks" he said to me. "All I ever did was to listen to those tapes, but I did listen to them most every day"
"You have cost me literally thousands of dollars, from monies that I would have won from you ,and monies you took out of circulation in my games, and all that you are going to do for me is say thanks you" I responded.
"If I take you to lunch will that appease you, and stop your constant whinnying he said"
"This is the first and only time that I have ever brought the topic up" I said. " But yes I would appreciate it if you took me out to lunch"
The Prof then turned in his chair and yelled at the floor man "Larson bring a couple of lunch comp tickets over here for Doc and ME."
"Sure thing" Larson said.
Now some where there is a moral in that story, I just haven't found it yet.
Most sincerely,
Doc AZ
I am sorry that I got to only one question but I can hear the felted table calling to me now. "I miss you Doc, Come to me,I'm sorry about the beat, trust me ONE MORE TIME , it will never happen again" Hope burns eternal.
In our "symposium" on "little fish" there were 3 questions that I got concerning my technique on repetitive recorded listening as an aid to learning poker fundamentals. I didn't receive them earlier so I am going to try to answer them now, and would value any comments.
Sitting Bull asked "How is it possible that as you say "you can learn even when you aren't paying attention."
In our hypothetical example we took some 90 minute tapes and recorded(by reading the text of a poker book, into a hand tape recorder) Tape no. one for example might be pages 34 (Pot odds) to page 59 (the value of deception) from Sklansky's text "The Theory of Poker" Then during the day ,any time when we had some free time on our hands (for example during the 30 minutes that we drove to and from work) we would repeatedly listen to the tape.
Now the first time that we listened to our tape we would find it very interesting, and probably as well the second time.But by the third listening, we would find that we are not actively listening as closely and by the fourth listening we would only be conscious of hearing certain portions of the text. But that doesn't mean that our minds are not possessing the material. As we listen our subconscious is still overlaying the material onto our memory neurons.
The way the human mind works is that each time we hear or think a thought ,as the thought passes through our memory neurons a peptide trail is laid down. And with each passage that trail becomes more and more fixed in our memory. Until it reaches a stage of learning that we can easily remember the thought with accuracy.
That is why you will often hear a friend tell you that he has just read a poker book ,that you know to be one of the best and most informative ever written. Then your friend will say "Hell not only did that book not help me, it damaged my game. Now the reason for that is that by simply reading or listening to the material one time, he really knew the material in the book in the first place. And what he does remember are only portions of the concepts, which when not understood in their entirety only get him into trouble.
There is the story of the Jewish student that told his teacher that he knew the Torah so well that there was nothing more that he could learn from it. What does it mean to know thew teacher asked" Well it means you understand a concept how much more thoroughly could any one know something?" The teacher said if I were to take a knife and drive it through the scroll of that Torah I could tell you the letters that the blade passed through on all sides without looking. That son is knowing"( a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing)
Some years ago a good friend of mine said "Doc I love to play stud, and I've read some good books, but I just can't seem to beat the game. Would you please help me" "Well since you have read good books, maybe you have a learning disability I said" "You know full well that I was a professor of medicine at a famous medical school, how could I be learning impaired." "All degrees of fame are relative I replied." "Cut the BS and tell me what to do"
"OK" I said I am going to give you 50 hours of audio tapes on to which I have recorded what I believe to be a the best material ever written on how to play stud, from the collected world literature" Then I said " You are to listen to those tapes every day when you have free time" "That's it" he said "That's all I have to do" "That it " I said.
In two years Prof went from a consistent $3-$6 looser to a consistent $15-$30 dollar winner, which was the highest level stud game that they posted at his Casino .(during the time of day that he played.) "Thanks" he said to me. "All I ever did was to listen to those tapes, but I did listen to them most every day"
"You have cost me literally thousands of dollars, from monies that I would have won from you ,and monies you took out of circulation in my games, and all that you are going to do for me is say thanks you" I responded.
"If I take you to lunch will that appease you, and stop your constant whinnying he said"
"This is the first and only time that I have ever brought the topic up" I said. " But yes I would appreciate it if you took me out to lunch"
The Prof then turned in his chair and yelled at the floor man "Larson bring a couple of lunch comp tickets over here for Doc and ME."
"Sure thing" Larson said.
Now some where there is a moral in that story, I just haven't found it yet.
Most sincerely,
Doc AZ
I am sorry that I got to only one question but I can hear the felted table calling to me now. "I miss you Doc, Come to me,I'm sorry about the beat, trust me ONE MORE TIME , it will never happen again" Hope burns eternal.