[jlocdog]

You have to understand that in poker as in anyhing else in the world that you would like to accomplish, get better, or master, you need practice, patience, and the will to succeed. Every book out there has something to offer, wheather it be one page or cover to cover. What you have to realize though, is that these are all little snipets of the greater picture. You need to incorporate all of your readings into one style that you call your own. Success is not a magic formula. It is what you make of it. It varies far and wide and is ever expanding. If serious about delving into this complex game to become successful (by your terms not the mass population. I mean you don't need to win a WSOP to feel like your where you would like to reach in this game). You need to practice, observe, practice what you observe, talk about your good and bad plays alike (if you always bring up bad plays you will lose the confidence you need to achieve, plus it is good to reinforce the positive. It reminds you of what do do in situations and shows you that you CAN do it), and finally practice some more. Just cause Doyle says one thing and Skalansky says another does not mean that one is wrong. There is always the subtlties of the game that shapes our decisions. Recognize your comfort zone and try to prosper from there. It is not a sign of failure if you ever need to step down a level. Infact doing that when needed shows signs of understanding where your level is at, where it needs to be, and what you still need to learn to move up. It's alot easier for the average guy to move up than move down. The ego is a big thing. Don't let that cloud your goals or it just might squash them all together.