Hi guys,

I'm giving poker a serious shot this year and am currently playing better than ever but still costing myself money with the odd, shall we say, psychological mistake where I generally lose money making one or two consciously stupid calls or bets that lose me a stack or get me knocked out.

I'm still learning, and reading constantly. I've got all three volumes of Harrington on Holdem and worked through them all, the first and second volumes numerous times. I also have his two volumes on cash games which I am currently reading along with Tommy Angelos Elements of Poker.

Should I continue to buy books? I want some Sklanksy stuff and Super System but I'm wondering if it'll all be the same sort of thing and whether my best bet now is just to keep playing and working on my weaknesses when I spot them? Or should you never stop reading and learning?

Books never help to improve. Learn from your experience. learn by playing.

Yeah. Learn even from your bad beats.

Yeah bad beats are your best teacher.

Originally Posted by johan75

Yeah bad beats are your best teacher.

Thanks for supporting Johan75

Originally Posted by johan75

Books never help to improve. Learn from your experience. learn by playing.

I absolutely, wholeheartedly 110% disagree.

Originally Posted by allena

Thanks for supporting Johan75

Welcome. You said very well.

Trying to reply but this is a tricky topic I recommend post some hand histories of mistakes you have made. Do you take money off the tables long run? because if you do then you will know this, everyone plays a hand terribly once in a while and its nothing to be worried or unconfident about I laugh at some of the pots I have lost and why .

Those pots have been lost due to the psychological blip 'I know I'm beat but I'm calling anyway' its a form of fear of being bluffed but I go easy on myself putting the money in against my instincts from time to time I'm only human.

Your idea to understand your betting patterns and leaks is super important do it in earnest.

Just as important is having good notes on the other players this well help you learn what they are capable of and memorise it. I mean if you are not doing this you are only thinking at the first level you need to think about what your op has and how skilled they are and what their action patterns are.

don't bluff calling stations- do raise for value!

If you have made a fold based on instinct but are worried it was not correct, don't be, instinct in poker can be exceptionally valuable there is a video of johnny chan laying down aces post flop on a really good board for his hand without putting a penny over the line. Watch this video and if you feel that folding is right do it and think well done next hand please. Many opponents don't have it in them to make the really big bluffs and the ones that do often make it transparent in some way.

Learn your opponents patterns and capabilities once you discover a tell in their betting patterns your winrate will go up. So yes do make notes on your leaks and ops leaks very valuable

If you are tilting and playing J2 suited from early stop playing altogether anyone can become the worst of fish on tilt its time to finish session you can recooperate your losses when you are playing well next time.

Send some hand histories in there are loads of good hand analysis here so use it. also write down your thoughts in the hand.

Also just play get into situations and learn from them.

I say the reason you aren´t doing any progress is because that´s the way we all learn, sorry to say this but you are just on the same level as everybody else. we have all read these books, wee all use these startegies, only when you have had a year of expirience (or more) you start beating the suckers on youre level, because you´ve got something they don´t, EXPIRIENCE.

so my advice is not to continue buying books (after all why do you think there are so many on the market, it´s a million dollar business), but to start analysing you´re hands.

in the poker world of today expirence is alot more important than knowlegde.

i also think you should be working on youre self control.

Books are great, but a lot of people are reading the wrong books. There are alot of books with "big names" that contain concepts that aren't effective in today's games. There is a new video series Oldschool created that is awesome, for only $100 its definitely worth it. He has an book as well.