26 replies to this topic

[JFarrell20]

OK, guys, I've always been the stubborn type who doesn't want to take time to read/learn about stuff. I always fancy myself as shrewd enough to learn on the fly, however...it seems to me that I need to polish my skills a little more before I can start my "poker hobby--->career"That's my goal. Turn my hobby into supplemental income/full-time income.My query is not so much for NL holdem tourneys, as I'm good at those, but I don't have the bankroll to 4-table them all day long like Fischman. I'm asking more for limit holdem. I want to slowly work my way up the ranks. I've heard a lot of people on here talk about Sklansky's SSHE book as if it's golden. Is this the book for me? I see he has a few books out. Is is the one he came out with in 2004 by Miller, Sklansky, Malmuth???Help

[Smasharoo]

A good start would be to go back and read the advice people gave you previously.Really.

[JFarrell20]

I don't have to do that smash, I remember all of it.Are you suggesting that purchasing a book for the price of about 17 big bets at a .5/1 talbe is not worthwhile?

[DeadMoney6545]

JF.... I'm 23 and support my self live and online... the two things that i believe has made me somewhat successful(my gauge is prolly a bit different from the rest) was Sklankys book and seeing millions and millions of hands... i watch as many tables as my head can take as well as playing 3 tables... I dont know whether or not its true... but when u see a bucketload of hands at times (when im running real good) i can peg hands online pretty consistently pre-flop and post-flop.. I played pretty much just online and starting playing live about 20 hours a week 9 months ago... this also made a huge difference IMHO in my play online and live... Another thing that helps out alot is when im running bad.. (cards, bad beats, suckouts, etc etc etc) I STOP playing for a week or so... A break always refreshes me mentally and physically. Maybe just sit back and watch a bunch of tables for a half hour or so next time before u sit down... Seeing hands .. I believe ... is the single most benificial learning tool free of charge to everybody.. Hope this helps ya lil bit...

[Smasharoo]

I don't have to do that smash, I remember all of it. Try applying some of it.

[DeadMoney6545]

Remember, it's about winning money, not pots Need to engrave that in stone somewhere smash...Could not agree with u more

[JFarrell20]

Smasharoo said:

I don't have to do that smash, I remember all of it.  Try applying some of it.

I don't know what you are suggesting I haven't applied...

[MrConceit]

Smasharoo said:

I don't have to do that smash, I remember all of it.  Try applying some of it.

Laugh Smash. I love your posts and respect your opinions. And JFarrall, well let's say the opposite. But do you really have to be snde to him when he's trying to ask for help?JFarrall - Yes, for sure get SSHE, if you read it and truly follow it, it should help you a lot for limit hold'em. Just remember that typically online tables aren't as loose as his loose model, though they very well might be at .5/1.

[JFarrell20]

MrConceit said:

Laugh Smash.  I love your posts and respect your opinions.  And JFarrall, well let's say the opposite.  But do you really have to be snde to him when he's trying to ask for help?

I think the tables I play at are awfully loose. 5-6 handed pots. You hate my posts and disrespect my opinions??? Wow, what did I ever do to you, MrConceit???"laugh smash"Gimme a break, he doesn't need your permission.

[Smasharoo]

But do you really have to be snde to him when he's trying to ask for help? Yeah, pretty much...He's a unique case.Go buy SSHE J, it's a good place to start. It'll clean up your pre-flop play at the very least.

[JFarrell20]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll go buy it tonight. At least I'll swing by a bookstore and paruse it. It might cost me 17BB's at .5/1, but I'm hoping it will pay off in the long run. lol. If I get to the point where I'm spending "8 BB's" on lunch, or "30 BB's to fill up my gastank", then I may have to take a week vacation from poker. lol.

[MrConceit]

JFarrell20 said:

MrConceit said:

Laugh Smash. I love your posts and respect your opinions. And JFarrall, well let's say the opposite. But do you really have to be snde to him when he's trying to ask for help?

I think the tables I play at are awfully loose. 5-6 handed pots. You hate my posts and disrespect my opinions??? Wow, what did I ever do to you, MrConceit???"laugh smash"Gimme a break, he doesn't need your permission.

Hah, sorry I perhaps didn't mean the EXACT opposite. I didn't know you were a "unique case". Sorry to imply he needed my permission! I just thought he was bing a bit nasty if you were trying to turn your game around.I'll take my foot out of my mouth now where it apparently got to.

[UglyJimStudly]

I'm kinda fond of Gary Carson's The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker and John Vorhaus' Killer Poker. Both are good for getting you to think about your game - Carson's book gets you to think about approaching the mechanics of the game differently in different situations (by which I mean things like hand selection, pot-building strategies, and so on that differ depending on how tight/loose/etc. the table is), while Vorhaus' is good for spurring thought on the psychological side of the game and finding a winning mindset. Sklansky's book is also very good, though for me personally it wasn't as useful as the above two.But if you haven't read some of the foundational works, you might want start with Theory of Poker and Super System 2. Those are very important books to read if you're serious about poker, if only because just about all of your serious opponents will have read them.

[JFarrell20]

MrConceit said:

JFarrell20 said:

MrConceit said:

Laugh Smash. I love your posts and respect your opinions. And JFarrall, well let's say the opposite. But do you really have to be snde to him when he's trying to ask for help?

I think the tables I play at are awfully loose. 5-6 handed pots. You hate my posts and disrespect my opinions??? Wow, what did I ever do to you, MrConceit???"laugh smash"Gimme a break, he doesn't need your permission.

Hah, sorry I perhaps didn't mean the EXACT opposite. I didn't know you were a "unique case". Sorry to imply he needed my permission! I just thought he was bing a bit nasty if you were trying to turn your game around.I'll take my foot out of my mouth now where it apparently got to.

It's cool; no problem. Yeah Smash and I butt heads a lot. We had quite a flame war going around mid-January. It's behind me though...time to move on.

[randomization]

Christ, Smash, you've got some issues (yes, yes, I know, it's just a persona you've adopted...shove it). It's one thing to insult people when they're being stupid, especially if they're stupid and stubborn, but now you're kicking a guy when he's admitting defeat and asking for advice. Put it this way: a guy finally decides to act like a reasonable human being, and you continue to abuse him. Way to encourage good behavior..

[randomization]

Bit of advice: it will take some time after reading any book before you start noticing differences in your results. For one thing, poker is a long term game, and in some sessions, the cards that you get are as big of a determinant of your results as your skill. Beyond that, just because you read something (even something as simple as picking the right starting hands) doesn't mean you employ it properly. At low limits, good poker is a matter of having the right habits as much as anything else, and it takes time to develop those habits. Whenever you have decisions that you're unclear on, try to remember some of the situations for later to think through in depth and perhaps consult the books for help.

[JimmyWellington]

Hey JThere's nothing wrong with taking a break and studying the game more to get better. The suggestion I have for you is this: when you read a book, REALLY read it. What i mean is that some people will just read through it once and then try and play again. I'm not saying you would do this, but just be careful. Say you're reading SSHE, they have the hand quizzes. When you go through them, take your time and go through them as many times as it takes to fully understand why each play is the best. There's a lot of information, and some of it takes a few times to get through your head. Highlight parts or put a bookmark in places that you think you need the most work. You might think you understand it, but then when you practice, you'll forget and have to go back and re-read. I'm constantly re-reading my books (BTW, I am in no way saying that I'm an expert). Just take your time, it's worth the extra effort because you'll enjoy playing so much more when you're confident that you know what you're doing.

[69suited]

J Farell, why don't you mind your own business and stick to complaining about always being a crappy poker player that you are. I have signed contracts with 25 top players who love my product and my next series will be even better than the first.

[JFarrell20]

Why don't you go post on Fullcontactbobbleheads.com. Nobody cares that you are an entrepreneur. Get out. Keep it poker. Not sales.

[Smasharoo]

Christ, Smash, you've got some issues (yes, yes, I know, it's just a persona you've adopted...shove it). It's one thing to insult people when they're being stupid, especially if they're stupid and stubborn, but now you're kicking a guy when he's admitting defeat and asking for advice.Put it this way: a guy finally decides to act like a reasonable human being, and you continue to abuse him. Way to encourage good behavior..It's an inside joke between the two of us.Good job at leaping to the defense of someone laughing about it, though.Maybe next you can go to the set of heist movie and kill the "bank robbers".