Learning poker the "old school" way...are you ready?

[Propane Goat]

You've decided you need to get rid of all distractions so that you really buckle down and study to practice and improve your poker skills. So, you have booked a weeks-long vacation on a deserted island to cut out the modern world and leave it behind. There are no modern conveniences at your destination, including no internet, so you decide to leave behind all electronics, cell phones, laptops, etc. You must also pack light, and are allowed only a minimal amount of personal items, a deck of cards, and one book.

Which poker strategy book will you bring, and what is your strategy for studying and learning with such limited resources?

 

[pentazepam]

Book: Mastering Mixed Games by Dylan Linde

If we only can take one book with us I want some variations and as many different things to think of as possible.


Dedicate the first couple of hours of each day to reading and understanding a specific section of the book. Then spend the next hour trying to carve out some tree wood or coconuts to make chips.

Use a deck of cards to set up various poker scenarios described in the book. Work through the hands and decisions you would make in each situation. Create daily drills to practice skills such as pot odds calculation, rewarding yourself with a swim for after each drill.

Keep a small journal to write down key insights and strategies learned from each reading session. Create decision trees in the sand with a stick. If a wave washes it away, take it as a sign you need to rethink your strategy.

Recreate hands and play them out multiple times, with an imaginary poker buddy named Wilson.

 

[Luvepoker]

Are you kidding me? A weeks long vacation on the deserted island with palm trees and beach? This sounds like heaven to me and reminds me when I used to go to Hawaii.

So what would I do on this one week vacation for poker training. So what would I bring with me and how would I study? Since we're limited on what we can bring I would actually bring with the book and deck of cards a hand history of hands that I've always wanted to research deeper or hands I had questions with. This is why I would bring the book I picked. The book I would bring is Modern Poker Theory By Michael Acevedo.
How would I study I would use my hand histories and using the techniques and information in this book which I do highly recommend I would look to see if I played hands right or if there were things I could do better that could help me win more or lose less. Once I was finished going through the hand histories, I would use the deck of cards along with the hands I played and start using different flops turns and rivers to see what would be my best options using my best assumptions of what the other player would do. I think if I had a week no distractions and say 12 to 14 hours a day just to concentrate on this I could vastly improve my already I think decent game.

OK to add my own personal touch here I would definitely not want to go to a deserted island in a tropical area because to be honest I would live under a palm tree bathing in the sun and swimming to my heart's content. I would pick place in the middle of nowhere where it's very cold and nobody around like a northern region of Alaska in January.

 

[Suns of Beaches]

I honestly think I would just use that time there to regain my energy and to get in touch with nature and forget about the internet, what is happening in the world atm and poker.

And when I'm back I feel fully regenerated and super ready to play my A game. And also ready to study modern poker theory which is mostly found on the internet nowadays. poker books are mostly outdated imo with a few exceptions.

 

[Goggelheimer]

I would take any good poker tournament strategy book, or "the theory of poker".
But I don't think that I would train very often if it is a tropical island with enough water and food.
Relaxing most of the time is a big part of mental training if you can get such an escape from mankind.
The free time makes the mind free for other things in such a good location.

 

[Tammy]

Haha! I love the Wilson reference, @pentazepam, and your whole outline, really.

@Luvepoker I'm with you! I would need to go somewhere where going outside would not be appealing. A deserted tropical island would not lend itself well to me wanting to sit down and study anything but the bottom of my glass as I side under a palm tree, to determine if I need a refill.

 

[Nafor]

Well, the devil is in the details.

If there are no modern conveniences and I have to pack light, then the book that I choose will have to have other use cases as well.

I probably choose the thickest poker book ever written. Then I read as much is needed every day, and I tear out the read pages. I use some of them as toilet paper, and some to make a bonfire.

 

[YLAN]

If I've decided on such a thing then what I probably was actually thinking of is a nice vacation.

"The game just takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master." -Mike Sexton

I have learned my poker a long time ago. The game is not complicated. There are no changes, everything is the same, only the players change. To improve is to keep playing with the players & since that is not possible then I won't even think about poker in this vacation.

The strategy is rest & enjoy the vacation, then grind the tables when we get back!

 

[antonis32123]

well.... why the f would i do such a crazy thing ?? i play at the nano micro stakes , why should i ever accept such a deal , to isolate myself at an island , only to read a poker strategy book , so as to become a better player . i cant figure out if its funny or stupid )))
but if i had no option what would i do ?? i would take one of the ebooks that i have , far too many , print it and read it . all my books are ebook format . i don't know which book exactly . but one of the well known , like doyle brunson's , one well known poker player ;s book , maybe Harington on holdem , maybe

 

[mattiebumpo]

I would bring Doyle Brunson's Super System 2. It's been on my shelf for a long time but I have not yet read it. It is a very thick book and kind of intimidating so having a week of solitude would be a great place to tackle the challenge. In addition to reading and taking notes, each day I would:

• Use the deck of cards to deal out scenarios to test myself
• Meditate and practice yoga to help with improving my mindset
• Walk and swim every day to improve my physical fitness
• Go to sleep when it gets dark and get up when the sun rises to promote a healthy sleep pattern

Sounds like the perfect warm up before the wsop!

 

[olejean]

I would probably bring a book about Robin Hood. The strategy is to learn how to survive when you have nothing at all.

 

[SL-247]

In such a situation, I would take a break from poker and my opponents, and a week later I would sit down at the poker table with a “fresh” head.

 

[Mart1194]

Actually, if I'm vacationing on an island, I have my doubts if I would be active in poker at the time of the tour. lol

But answering the question, I would be with “Playing Like the Masters of Poker”, by Ivan Santana.

Read and dive into the blue sea

 

[pavel1111111]

Hmm. Book : The Theory of Poker from 1978 by David Sklansky.
And I will try to clear up my mind and as posibile the body with daily activities like hunting, fishing.. 😂😂

 

[Sebbour]

I would go with Exploitative Play in Live Poker: How to Manipulate your Opponents into Making Mistakes by Alexander Fitzgerald

Since I would be limited with resources I would "play" hundreds and hundreds hands with imaginary table (easier said than done because I would need to assume the action of an opponent in certain situation). After vacation is over I would need to see if this experiment was good by go somewhere and play live game.

 

[Reload]

There would be no book. With the cards, I would test many ways playing alone, trying to be in my skin, and in my virtual opponent thoughts, to understand why sometimes we think that we can read the other, but at the end, we cannot.

 

[mr.fers_one]

A week on a desert island? ha)) I would start meditating at last))
PS. the book would most likely go to light a bonfire))) joke))

 

[gena31]

I wouldn't go to a desert island to learn poker from books. My opinion is that theory must be combined with practice! And if I were to go to a desert island, I would have a good rest and definitely would not read any books, but would rather take a break from everything worldly. P.S. if you always think about poker then you are either a genius or a maniac.

 

[hobojim1247]

The first thing that needs to be done is define he difference between old school and new school. I pass on that one. Then we need to talk about the best way to learn the game, and to implement it. The only thing that changes is that the strategies evolve . both scientific and psychological .
So to answer the question, I think there is a lot to learn from the old school, since those are foundational skills upon which all new tricks or tweeks or based. One thing is sure, there are no short cuts or and end of learning be it old school or new school.

 

[Gutshot Gus]

If we are going to go Old Skool then we need to play Old Skool.
For that how about some seven card stud.
The best book for this would be "7 Card Stud 42 Lessons" by Roy West.

I played 7 Stud a long time before even knowing there was Texas Hold em. Besides 5 Card Draw this is about as Old Skool as you can get.

 

[bablovod]

Why didn't you mention chips with the deck of cards? otherwise you'll have to bet with bans or coconuts, otherwise you can forget about poker and make you a fool or a drunkard)))
As for the book, I don't think this will be the main attribute of such a vacation; even if it is present, it is unlikely to ever be opened, but most likely it will not have space in the backpack (as well as the suitcase).

 

[RENEY444]

I would take 'Modern Poker Theory' by Michael Acevedo . One could study that book for months and still have so much to learn. Of course you would need a tremendous memory to understand and retain all the charts !

 

[Gritz18]

Poker would be the last thing I would think of on a desert island, but since that's the topic of the topic, let's see.🤔

The big problem is that I've never read a book about poker, and these books are generally in English, so it wouldn't be of much use to me.

But with the deck I could practice some moves, but playing alone would be a pain, unless Wilson was with me.😁🤣🤣

 

[najisami]

Nice scenario, except that the island in the pic is not really ideal for learning poker, being ideal for many other things.
Not having the internet also restricts the study possibilities, but since we have to deal with the situation as it is, there is one part of poker that I consider crucial and that has nothing to do with strategy (Or almost). Therefore, I would take with me a little book and read it and read it over and over. It's "The Mental Game Of Poker" by Jared Tendler.

PS: I haven't read it yet, so "A grain of salt" is advised .

 

[Dmitriy_rus7]

I, like many people here, would not even think about poker there. I would just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet