Re: How often do you Study?
Right now I'm taking a student's approach to the game, after 2 years of playing without studying, I realized I may not be as good at poker as I once thought. So in a period of a week or so I studied some of the better books in great depth (that is; take notes, practice problems, and re-read) and sure enough I was right. You can't take lessons from your play if you don't know what to look for, much like you can't learn math from just reading your textbook without practicing the problems.
The biggest step in my studies came when I realized after reading Theory of Poker, and other 2+2 stuff; there is more to mastering poker than playing poker, and reading poker books. There is a whole wealth of knowledge out there that can be applied to poker, but one has to do it on their own. As a university student with a math and economics background, I realized I've been studying poker for 5 years and just haven't applied it. Studying psychology, finance, mathematics and statistics, game theory, and even a little philosophy will make anyone a better player if they can apply these topics independently!
That being said, I now study poker and these related topics Full-time, much like a math student studies math full time. Most people never think to take a break from play, especially if they are winning, however I can say that it is the best thing I've done for myself. Of course I'm still playing, and I do not mean to underestimate the importance of practical experience. However those who say that they learn more from playing, and don't bother reading and really studying their game are limiting themselves and their potential. Remember you don't need to play less to read more! Unless you play like 16 hours a day, which is a little crazy, you can advance your play with simultaneous studies.
In summary, I think that far too many players get enamoured with their 'winning' play and discredit studying as a waste of time since they are winning already. But it can only help, so study as much as humanly possible on top of your optimal amount of playing time, and especially study things you never thought to look at before, nothing feels better than discovering a new poker concept yourself!
Note: If you have a wife/girlfriend/boyfriend they're gonna have to go [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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