Applying the theory

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ilostmysoul

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Now that I have aced all the important tests and exams I had to pass, I can devote more time to poker. Personally I find studying poker theory fun and exciting, but the thing is I don't know how to apply it and end up forgetting most of it, because these come up every hand I play.
I read Sklansky's highly recommended "The Theory of Poker" 3 months ago and made notes and summaries and stuff about it, but really the only thing that I still remember to this day are odds and semi-bluff strategy.

As an example, one of the chapters of this book is "The Value of Deception". It basically teaches you when you should try to disguise your hand and when you should play it by the books. So I re-read my notes on the chapter and one of them goes "You should bet with small hands and slowplay big hands when the pot increases a great amount from round to round" among other things.

So then I put the book down and go to the tables and in the back of my mind I'm looking for the situations I just read about so I can apply that strategy. 1 hour goes by... 2 hours go by... And those scenarios simply do not appear. Or if they do appear, they are very rare.
Another approach I'm starting to adapt is doing the same thing, but post-sessions. So I will read for example a chapter on How to Bluff, and then I'll go through tons of hand history until I can find a place where I should have bluffed, where I shouldn't have bluffed, and how I should have done it. Takes a bit more work but I've barely tried it so I can't say how good it is.

Does anyone else have a better strategy for learning theory? :) Thanks in advance
 
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R

RazKat

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Personally I found that it depends on the Format of the poker game. There are different approaches, for example, Cash Games, MTTs and STTs. Focus on one type that you tend to perform better compared to the others you've played and stick to it for a while. Research online regarding that specific game Format and apply it there. You also need to take into account that you are not the only one there who has studied Poker Theory but more importantly you just need more Experience. You'll quickly develop a feel of the players at your table and once you're comfortable with their play styles, you can adapt and use what you've read to your advantage, like bluffing to Steal from others. The fact that you're able to remain in the Game for an hour or more is great, you just need some Guides for playing at that stage of the Game. I'm no expert but that's what helped me. Good luck in future games.
 
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