what do you think ?

i m playing for a bit longer than one year now and have never read a book about poker. i started one a few weeks ago and stopped halfway because i found it boring and i didn t felt like it would help me that much.
actually i just became used to the game by playing freerolls and playmoney and finally found my way to the prizes so my bankroll keep growing and i m about to have enough to start playing ringgames, i wuch i haven t been "as successul" (plz don t call me a legend ) as in freerolls in wich i had some honorable results.
so i have no idea of stats and other theory about poker except what i experimented in freerolls and the stats i remember from school (that something though)
is it such a big handicap ? should i really study all that stuff ?
when i win (happenned twice) a freeroll am i just a lucky idiot ?

IMO Its like anything It depends on how far you want to go with it.

Remember the kids at school who were naturals at football in the playground?? doing tricks and making it all look easy?

Well without a lot of hard work and coaching none of them will now be playing for a career.

You dont need to read and study if you dont want to.. its a game .. if you are enjoying it then thats fine. But you will never become as good as you could be if you dont study.

I've really only been playing for 6 months or so. Now when I 1st started I just jumped right in and just played freerolls and play chips and did pretty good! 313k play chips the very 1st time I ever played (PS)--then went on to freerolls and usually wound up just bairley out of the money playin' against 10-12k players. Really pretty good for never reading a book or studying or anything! BUT!! I went into cash tourneys AND ring games for real money and, because I never as much as looked at a book or anything, I LOST MY ASS! And was contiually harrased and told what a donk I was and what a terrable player I was etc! And they were RIGHT! So now I have been going to ALOT of places right here at CC and FINALLY learning HOW to PLAY poker, not just muck around AND have become a REAL poker player--NOT A DONKEY! And I am waiting to get better BEFORE going back to real money games! I'm tired of looking like an IDIOT!

This is an excellent point. It does really depend on what the game means to you and where you want to take it.

For example I have been playing for years now. I have started HOH vol 1 and not finished it, have read some of the good strategy articles here and sometimes read HA threads. I got pokertracker and used it and HUD until I bought my new computer and my smalll efforts at transitioning to this computer have been in vain. My game has improved because of the few things I have picked up since joining CC.

But I will never be a really good player if I don't put more into it. I have several books I could read, I could somehow get my Poker Tracker working again and use it - some of my closest friends here are very skilled and profitable poker players.

I can't and don't make the time for it. I am relatively content to break even and play CC games for the fun of it and once in a while dabble in cash, tournaments or sng's.

So JM - if your goal is to improve your play and win at real money games you will need to exercise some discipline and work at it. (unlike me lol)

i probably will next winter, i prefer enjoy the summer right now
enjoy my chips till then lol