I'm ready

Having read...Theory of Poker...Inside the Poker Mind...Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players....The Psychology of Poker...Middle Limit Hold'em Poker....Improve your Poker....Shut up and Deal....The Biggest Game in Town....Caro's Book of Tells.....Zen and the Art of poker...7 Card Stud for Advanced Players.....and every post on this site for the last year....


.....I think I'll take the plunge into a card room for the first time this weekend.


I will start at 4-8 and play until I feel I can beat this game on a regular basis before I decide on moving up. Maybe 200 hours or so.


I'm ready.

Btw....my next 3 books will be Malmuth's Poker Essays.

Eb,


I'm just a little nostalgically jealous, like I am of everyone's first lay.


I hope you can overcome the influence of those books and not be consumed by the "play poker and make money" message. Then you'll win for sure.


Tommy

Have you not played a hand of poker all the while you were reading those books? Did you not even venture online and play mirco limit games just to get a 'feel' of what you were learning and how to use it.


There are so many other variables when playing at a live table and the distractions can detract from playing your best game. I'd highly recommend playing online - even for very low limits just to get 'in the groove'.

I've never played on-line except on play money tables at pokerroom.com.


The extent of live play is no more than maybe 30-40 hours of home game action where a few people buy in for $20.00 and play until one person has it all.


For me ...reading about poker theory is just as enjoyable than actually playing.


I'm not naive enough to think I'm going to walk all over these games, even at the lower limits where I will begin to play, however, like most players that put a lot of thought and study into the game, I'd like to think that I have a good chance of coming out a head in the long-run.

gl man... I wish you had more "real" experience but I guess there always has to be first time.


Keep in mind all those little things which until now have only been theoretical considerations- ie, what it's like to physically sit with chips in front of you, how to protect your cards, what to do about the pretty blond on your left, etc. They all factor into the game and it might all be a little overwhelming at first. My first 10 sessions in a cardroom my hands would literally shake for the first 30 min. It's just too much, having to bet/raise with confidence, all the while keeping track of the pot, reaching for chips, trying to chip shuffle like a pro, etc. It could have been construed as a tell but given that it was constant, the only tell that I was giving off was that I was nervous (no shit).


Then you've got the "book knowledge clashes with real world experience" coming. An example- you read the books and know you shouldn't be playing KJo UTG. Then, after folding for 3 hrs in the cardroom you pick up the same hand and it starts to look pretty damn good, trust me. Real world experience of having your head cut off and handed to you will prevent this play, but I'm not sure how good discipline will be based on "theoretical" knowledge only.


In any case, go get 'em. Let us know how you do.


Leon

EB- Here is my only advice: Look Good, Play Good. [img]/images/wink.gif[/img] Babe

wow. you are meticulous. I skimmed through Sklansky's Hold'em book, spent about 5 minutes trying to memorize the starting hand tables (wasn't able to) and headed straight to the nearest casino. I was hooked. In my experience, alot of the stuff in the books didn't make much sense until I had some live game experience under my belt.


Theory of Poker is a great example. I agree that it's a great book but I would say its fairly worthless for the rank beginner.

Despite your exhaustive preparation, I suspect you did not fully grasp a lot of the material in those books. That's unavoidable.


So, after you've gained some experience, reread all those books again. I think you'll be surprised how much better you understand the material once you've played at the tables. I know it was that way for me.