why the disparity between knowledge and results?

by the way I read a similar study done on "In Search of Excellence" and it said 14% so you are right on the money there.

[DrPhysic]

I think that of those who do read the book, many read it like a novel, not doing the problems, thinking out the answers, learning to do the analysis, and especially taking the time to read the important books a second or third time.

("Important": I have read TOP 4 times, Positively Fifth Street and Killer Poker once. Maybe I am guilty, there may be something in KP that I just didn't get the first time, but I wasn't impressed.)

Doc

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Playing winning poker is boring.

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Yeah I second that. I have been playing a lot of SNGs lately and people play great for the first say 2 levels then something bad happens they let there emotions get involved and next thing you know they are calling to the river with only top pair.

Knowing what to do is one thing. Having the discipline to do it is another.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think the best poker I've ever played was live when I went up 10 times the buy in with no cards: playing ultra aggressively and reading every opponent all the time, the exact opposite of boring, I got burnt out quickly. But for online i'd have to agree, I counter by multi tabling. But then again i suck, so take my advice with reservations.

[Niediam]

I also only read Killer Poker once, and this was over a year ago, but I thought the book was garbage.

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I'm sure that most of the people who do read books like these get nowhere near the potential benefit. You don't read a book like HOH like you read a novel. You study it like you study a text book in a tough college course.

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In my own personal experience, I almost took 3 months to read HOH2. I would read a chapter (or part of a chapter) and then go back and read what I had highlighted. Then the next day I would read the highlighted areas of the area I read the day before and then read the next section.

This might be overkill for many, but it helped me to retain the ideas in the book. I'm sure very few people who buy such books (except 2+2'ers [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]) put this much effort into learning from books (and not just reading the book).

[benfranklin]

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I have read TOP 4 times, Positively Fifth Street and Killer Poker once. Maybe I am guilty, there may be something in KP that I just didn't get the first time, but I wasn't impressed.

Doc

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Forget Killer Poker. You'd be better off rereading PFS for some relaxation and entertainment.

[benkahuna]

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Why, in your opinion can literally hundreds of thousands of players buy proven how to poker books and not translate the knowledge into consistent cash results?

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1. Incorrectly applied knowledge.
2. Reading the wrong books.
3. Variance (it takes very long term to be assured of winning with strong play--read Gambling Theory and Other Topics)
4. Discomfort in situations leading to tactical mistakes (such as used to online play, but playing live, distractions, etc.)
5. There are often topics not covered in books that people need to know and understand. Many sites have different trends and playing styles at the same limits. Books often have a more cookie-cutter approach to a game that doesn't adjust for playing styles. Those that do a good job of discussing adjustments to different playing styles are often difficult to apply and it may take time to assess the game one is in.

[roueful]

A poker book is like a cookbook, it's got directions, it's not too complex, most people can do it, but you have to pay attention and have some idea what you're doing.

Otherwise you end up with a flat poker souffle.

i think it comes down to one thing - majority of players don't know how to apply what they've learned/read (incorporate it into their gameplan... that is, if they even have one in the first place).

they either overdo it or underdo it. or, they apply what they've learned/read at the wrong time. the trick is not following what you've read/learned to the letter... BUT understanding *WHY* the book told you to do a certain thing in a certain situation. you have to understand the *IDEA* (the reasoning) behind it and not just blindly do what a book tells you to do.

[jj_frap]

[ QUOTE ]
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Playing winning poker is boring.

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Yeah I second that. I have been playing a lot of SNGs lately and people play great for the first say 2 levels then something bad happens they let there emotions get involved and next thing you know they are calling to the river with only top pair.

Knowing what to do is one thing. Having the discipline to do it is another.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hahaha...While I was playing the middle stages of a PokerStars $3 MTT yesterday, some dunce took a bit of a bad beat right after being moved to my table but still had a reasonable stack.

For the next few hands, he played like a complete donkey and ended up -- while still having a reasonably middling stack -- calling AA's raise with K7o and pushing against flopped quad aces on the turn.