[pooh74]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh My God!!! Did he really say that??? Listen, I've heard Harrington's books are good. I don't know, I haven't read them. Using "M" or "EV" or whatever, as a crutch can't be profitable.

"I didn't push with AQo and 4k b/c my M was 5.7 and you're only supposed to push if your M is less than 5."

"Which is the better cEV play, which is the better $EV play."

I'll tell you what, think about what you think is the better play, figure out for yourself whether you think pushing with 4k and blinds of 150/300 is the best play with AQo. Books are there for us to read and figure out how they fit into our game to create the most profitable situations. Only by experimenting and figuring out what style/play works best for you and for your particular situation is the only way to become a great player. Good players can recite their "M" and what TPFAP says to do in each situation. Great players read HOH and TPFAP and adjust what they say to fit to their game and develop themselves individually.


Flame away, and I'm sorry David.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the problem whenever there is any sort of instructional guide written on ANYTHING. What starts out as a way to make someone think about an issue (i.e. "I need to open aggressively when my stack is low"), becomes set in stone as some sort of rule of law.

IMO, whether its M, cEV, $EV, these are all simple descriptors that point to concepts that most of us playing the game already knew about. Even though they/we may not use this terminology, it is still ever-present.

In the tread you referred to, only one poster was harping on the "M" thing. But people starting out need the "system" sometimes, then as their game develops they leave behind the rigidity of what they first learned and it becomes instinctual.

Think of it like martial arts, a beginner does "forms". He/she cant use them in an actual fight and win usually...maybe theyll get lucky once in awhile and win, but if they keep practicing using the rigid construct first taught them, eventually they will be able to parce through it and become their own fighter, using the tools without even thinking about them. The same applies to poker. But I think its good you pointed it out, because, although obvious, it is irritating when posters give advice based solely on these guidelines.