B
Blown01Cobra
Rock Star
Silver Level
I've been reading a variety of strategy books lately both online and offline. Most of the ones available at the local library are written before online poker, so the strategies are mostly poker in general - but I've read a few that are more recent, like one written by Phil Gordon, another called Insider Secrets of Online Poker, and most recently Decide to Play Great Poker by Annie Duke.
The problem is, a lot of them seem to have very conflicting objectives. One book strongly disapproves check-raising and another says it's a valuable tool. Some say always raise or fold, others say it's best to just call sometimes because the flop can quickly turn strong hole cards into terrible hole cards. I mean, it just seems like every writer has developed their own tools for the job, and so each time I read another book it changes my perspective entirely on how I should use those tools for a certain situation - and needless to say there are an infinite number of situations in which I try to memorize a books thoughts when I'd be better off just using my own experience. Obviously every strategy is only relevant for certain circumstances, but it seems like a lot of what I read is starting to affect my overall game because now it's not a matter of if I feel like I'm making the right decision, but rather of if I'm making the correct "right" decision for the circumstance.
Sometimes I find myself trying to analyze a situation based upon what I read in a book rather than just using my own developed strengths and knowledge and find myself doing something that ends up hurting me in the long run. I'll never go out and say I'm one of the most amazing players, so I definately feel like I should take a few words of advice from the "pros", but the more I read the more I find myself questioning which book I should be following for that particular strategy.
I feel like before I was simply playing from experience and using my own subconscious level of decision making and somehow everything was working out (in the long run) positive. Now, I find myself trying to conciously be aware of the decisions I'm making, pressed against an ever ticking countdown, and trying to desperately remember what all the books had to say...and it just isn't working as well. But now, I've become so rooted in borrowing their strategies, that finding my own personal edge is a very slow process. Anyone else find themselves attempting to match someone elses strategy and have it negatively affect their game?
The problem is, a lot of them seem to have very conflicting objectives. One book strongly disapproves check-raising and another says it's a valuable tool. Some say always raise or fold, others say it's best to just call sometimes because the flop can quickly turn strong hole cards into terrible hole cards. I mean, it just seems like every writer has developed their own tools for the job, and so each time I read another book it changes my perspective entirely on how I should use those tools for a certain situation - and needless to say there are an infinite number of situations in which I try to memorize a books thoughts when I'd be better off just using my own experience. Obviously every strategy is only relevant for certain circumstances, but it seems like a lot of what I read is starting to affect my overall game because now it's not a matter of if I feel like I'm making the right decision, but rather of if I'm making the correct "right" decision for the circumstance.
Sometimes I find myself trying to analyze a situation based upon what I read in a book rather than just using my own developed strengths and knowledge and find myself doing something that ends up hurting me in the long run. I'll never go out and say I'm one of the most amazing players, so I definately feel like I should take a few words of advice from the "pros", but the more I read the more I find myself questioning which book I should be following for that particular strategy.
I feel like before I was simply playing from experience and using my own subconscious level of decision making and somehow everything was working out (in the long run) positive. Now, I find myself trying to conciously be aware of the decisions I'm making, pressed against an ever ticking countdown, and trying to desperately remember what all the books had to say...and it just isn't working as well. But now, I've become so rooted in borrowing their strategies, that finding my own personal edge is a very slow process. Anyone else find themselves attempting to match someone elses strategy and have it negatively affect their game?
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