02-07-2002, 03:30 AM
**this is a post i did in the book review section and got great responses that i think are worth reading also. i thought it might also apply in this section, as its not really a review of any book. its more of a review of a learning process.**
i just read some topics and responses in here...i dont usually read the 'book' section, but i was bored. what ive seen kinda amuses me a little...
holdem is not a poker by numbers game. there is no absolute way of playing it. too many outside factors make just about every hand different in a way. be it the players, position, betting etc.
i see players wanting concrete information but failing to grasp the idea of inspired thought process. if a column, book or article gives ya a different, fresh view on a certain idea, its worth it. if it makes ya stop and think, 'hmmm, maybe...' its worth the price. those little maybes can add up to alot. it keeps your mind thinking innovatively on your own game. if the concept is crap, youll recognize it. if its something ya forgot about, or didnt understand earlier in your career, that accounts for quite a bit. in my experience ive gone back and reread parts to find the light bulb going on in the noggin.
but some players want to be spoon fed. "well, in this situation you HAVE to do such and such!!!" its not that cut and dried.
i learned alot from S&M, feeney, and others, but the learning doesnt end there. to really grasp the ideas, ya have to play at least live. only then will ya see how the concepts really take shape and form.
it seems some people cannot fathom ever raising with a crap hand preflop. how about a stone bluff? its never mentioned really in any book, and the reasons for it arent necessarily for immediate monetary gain. i see it on posts where a guy calls with a weak hand, but plays the flop well. then the player wonders, gee he's gotta be a terrible player. never realizing ya gotta adjust for him when hes in a hand. the game doesnt end before or on the flop.
the books are a great start, but there's more to it than just the pages and whats written.
if ya want play by numbers, the Blackjack line starts to the left. starting with braun and ending with wong. its definitive every hand. and comes with the safety net of basic strategy if ya lose count.
anyways...just a little rant of ideas i needed to get out of my system.
btw....blackjack is damn hard work also...
thanks for your time...
b
addition: there are so many concepts its easy to be overwhelmed, we've all been there. remember, it is a patience game.
i just read some topics and responses in here...i dont usually read the 'book' section, but i was bored. what ive seen kinda amuses me a little...
holdem is not a poker by numbers game. there is no absolute way of playing it. too many outside factors make just about every hand different in a way. be it the players, position, betting etc.
i see players wanting concrete information but failing to grasp the idea of inspired thought process. if a column, book or article gives ya a different, fresh view on a certain idea, its worth it. if it makes ya stop and think, 'hmmm, maybe...' its worth the price. those little maybes can add up to alot. it keeps your mind thinking innovatively on your own game. if the concept is crap, youll recognize it. if its something ya forgot about, or didnt understand earlier in your career, that accounts for quite a bit. in my experience ive gone back and reread parts to find the light bulb going on in the noggin.
but some players want to be spoon fed. "well, in this situation you HAVE to do such and such!!!" its not that cut and dried.
i learned alot from S&M, feeney, and others, but the learning doesnt end there. to really grasp the ideas, ya have to play at least live. only then will ya see how the concepts really take shape and form.
it seems some people cannot fathom ever raising with a crap hand preflop. how about a stone bluff? its never mentioned really in any book, and the reasons for it arent necessarily for immediate monetary gain. i see it on posts where a guy calls with a weak hand, but plays the flop well. then the player wonders, gee he's gotta be a terrible player. never realizing ya gotta adjust for him when hes in a hand. the game doesnt end before or on the flop.
the books are a great start, but there's more to it than just the pages and whats written.
if ya want play by numbers, the Blackjack line starts to the left. starting with braun and ending with wong. its definitive every hand. and comes with the safety net of basic strategy if ya lose count.
anyways...just a little rant of ideas i needed to get out of my system.
btw....blackjack is damn hard work also...
thanks for your time...
b
addition: there are so many concepts its easy to be overwhelmed, we've all been there. remember, it is a patience game.