anyone else NOT read poker books?

i just read a post that said, "where can i find written theory on when it's correct to bluff-raise the river?"

am i a big minority in thinking this question is a little nuts?

jesus, i always thought the game was basically obvious. i've never read a poker book. i mean the answer to when should I bluff?" is : you do what you gotta do! do you think the guy will fold? yes or no.

is there a whole other world of rote instructions the majority of poker players follow?

Are you serious?

Has somebody rote something?

Just in case you not being sarcastic, read my post "ATo is making me sick"

Some people learn better (and more cost efficiently) by reading how others would deal with a certain situation. I too started poker about 8 years ago without much knowledge of written theory...

However, I have found that reading books (even the bad ones) help fill small holes in my game.

[Dominic]

no, do NOT read any books. Books are worthless.

But I do have a question....where do you play?

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
Has somebody rote something?

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus CHRIST!!!!!!!

He MEANT do people follow a ROTE set of rules (i.e. a default
list which implies blindly adhering to without thought)

People will learn from different sources and have different
results...but knowing tough words, like four letters long, like
rote are rare.

-ZEN

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Has somebody rote something?

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus CHRIST!!!!!!!

He MEANT do people follow a ROTE set of rules (i.e. a default
list which implies blindly adhering to without thought)

People will learn from different sources and have different
results...but knowing tough words, like four letters long, like
rote are rare.

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]

Dag nabbit!.... So wez the unlearnded in this here sitiation?

[MikeBandy]

[ QUOTE ]
Jesus CHRIST!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
A pun is the lowest form of humor, and it wasn’t much of a joke – but lighten up. Sheesh.

[soko]

[ QUOTE ]
i just read a post that said, "where can i find written theory on when it's correct to bluff-raise the river?"

am i a big minority in thinking this question is a little nuts?

jesus, i always thought the game was basically obvious. i've never read a poker book. i mean the answer to when should I bluff?" is : you do what you gotta do! do you think the guy will fold? yes or no.

is there a whole other world of rote instructions the majority of poker players follow?

[/ QUOTE ]

Some of the best players of today, Doyle Brunson and Mr. David S. himself were making big money at the poker tables before any such literature was out.

The thing nowadays is the game has changed so much that if you are up agianst opponents who have "inside" information about the game that you might not be aware of you might be getting the worst of it.

The poker books help bring people up to a more level standard of playing, you may think of it loosely as a "rule" book, but I think of it more as a book of "tricks", the best way to defend agianst a trick is to understand how the trick works.

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
i mean the answer to when should I bluff?" is : you do what you gotta do! do you think the guy will fold? yes or no.


[/ QUOTE ]

No, that's not the answer (and your follow-up question isn't correct either).

But if you read Theory of Poker, you may figure out the correct question and answer...

[Paxosmotic]

The reason some of us read books and study the game is because we understand that the game is more complicated than "will he fold?" The question is "will he fold often enough to make this bet profitable?" which is a vastly different question. The first question requires some combination of being a mind reader or a home game champion who is a pompous ass. The second requires knowledge of game theory, pot odds, and bluffing frequency. So whatever your poison is, run with it.