zinzir
Legend
Silver Level
I keep reading in various places including here on Cardschat about how poker is evolving, and how you need to keep reading new material in order to keep yourself up to date with the ever changing game. Honestly, to me that sounds more like a fallacy or a gimmick.
What's really changing about the game of poker?
Actually, I can't think of one thing that has changed in the game of Texas Hold'em since the day it was invented.
In my opinion if you read and understand the concepts in the following three books written by David Sklansky, the limit to how far you go on your poker journey will be limited only by your native intelligence, talent and how much experience you'll gain at the tables:
1. The Theory of Poker
2. Hold'Em Poker For Advanced Players
3. Tournament Poker for Advanced Players
The caveat here is “understanding”. Regardless of what you are reading, if you don't understand the concepts highlighted by the author, reading becomes virtually useless, and, even worse, if you misunderstand what the author is saying, reading becomes detrimental instead of helpful.
Our activities and lifestyle in general have been marked during the last few decades by various fads that come and go, and poker is no exception, with different players and styles being “hot” at one point in time or another.
However, you'll never beat Isildur (for example) by reading an article or book about how to beat Isildur, often written by some guy who never played Isildur himself because he can't even afford the stakes Isildur is playing. But if you are smarter than Isildur, more talented than Isildur, and gain more experience than Isildur, you are going to beat the heck out of Isildur using the very concepts magistrally described by Sklansky in his old books.
Please let me know what you guys think. Am I missing something here? Am I wrong? Why?
What's really changing about the game of poker?
- The rules of the game aren't changing
- Algebra isn't changing
- The Probability Theory behind calculating odds isn't changing
- Average human intelligence isn't changing
- The patterns of human reaction to various psychological stimuli/stressors isn't changing.
Actually, I can't think of one thing that has changed in the game of Texas Hold'em since the day it was invented.
In my opinion if you read and understand the concepts in the following three books written by David Sklansky, the limit to how far you go on your poker journey will be limited only by your native intelligence, talent and how much experience you'll gain at the tables:
1. The Theory of Poker
2. Hold'Em Poker For Advanced Players
3. Tournament Poker for Advanced Players
The caveat here is “understanding”. Regardless of what you are reading, if you don't understand the concepts highlighted by the author, reading becomes virtually useless, and, even worse, if you misunderstand what the author is saying, reading becomes detrimental instead of helpful.
Our activities and lifestyle in general have been marked during the last few decades by various fads that come and go, and poker is no exception, with different players and styles being “hot” at one point in time or another.
However, you'll never beat Isildur (for example) by reading an article or book about how to beat Isildur, often written by some guy who never played Isildur himself because he can't even afford the stakes Isildur is playing. But if you are smarter than Isildur, more talented than Isildur, and gain more experience than Isildur, you are going to beat the heck out of Isildur using the very concepts magistrally described by Sklansky in his old books.
Please let me know what you guys think. Am I missing something here? Am I wrong? Why?