How high a limit could I go after reading Miller and Sklansky's books?

[Mr. Sask]

Hi there!

More crazy questions...

I stated earlier that I'll be reading (and re-reading) "Getting Started In Hold'em", "Small Stakes Hold'em", and "The Theory of Poker" in that order. I was just wondering what limit I could be successful at after reading the first book, what limit after the second book, and what limit after the theory book. Should I just read all three than hit the poker sites?

I know that this is a weird question because obviously the answer will be different for different people. I just want to know about your experiences.

Later...

P.S. When will I need to read "Hold'em For Advanced Players"?

[Moster]

Imo you should play and read those 3 books at the same time.
Just reading makes it harder to understand the books.

HFAP is beyond $10/20 afaik

[Mr. Sask]

Hi again!

I appreciate all of the useful input guys. It's great to see that all of you are experiencing success and moving up due to you studying and practice. Hopefully I'll do as well when I get started.

I should be receiving most of the books this week. I bought them all off of ebay (even though Small Stakes was a difficult one to get since everyone wants it). I would still like to read through all of them once then go online and re-read them all.

Once again, thanks for the input!

Later...

[aheravi]

[ QUOTE ]
Imo you should play and read those 3 books at the same time.
Just reading makes it harder to understand the books.

HFAP is beyond $10/20 afaik

[/ QUOTE ]

I would not read HEFAP and SSHE at the same time (I've read both). There will be some contradictory points in there, because HEFAP assumes your opponents know what they're doing.

Trust me, SSHE is perfect for the donk-a-fests you'll find up through .50/1.

After that, it's site dependent. I got into 1/2 at Absolute and it was WAAAYYY aggressive (probably due to AP bonuses).

Read SSHE. Then read it again. Then have your mother read it to you. I've been playing for a year and it is still VERY valid.

[thelyingthief]

what is a "donk"?

[Pov]

[ QUOTE ]
what is a "donk"?

[/ QUOTE ]

A donkey. An ass. It is just slang for a stupid player who likes to make dumb bets.

It makes me sad because the term was originally very light-hearted - more like something you'd call your friends when joking around to say they were a loser and had no chance against you. But it's become much more derogatory now.

[IDN101]

You will need to play at the same time as reading (not literally of course). You can't just read the info, digest it and then put it into practice. You may need to re-read the info a few times before it clicks.

As everyone will (I'm sure) tell you- there's NO substitute for experience, so get cracking online, even if it's just the 0.02/0.04 tables. Start racking up some hands. The concepts in the books will make a lot more sense.

Regards,
Ian

[SheridanCat]

As has been stated, you need to be playing while you're reading those books.

My suggestion is to start out low and move up as you get comfortable and as your skills improve. There is absolutely no reason you can't start out at .5/.10 limit and move up from there - there's no shame is playing those limits while learning the game.

The rate you improve and move up will vary, so there's really no one who will be able to tell you what to play. This is a judgement you have to make about yourself. If you find yourself winning at a limit and have the proper bankroll for a higher limit, then try moving up.

Good luck,

T

[Moster]

I started at .5/.10 with $10
While I was reading I stayed at that limit till I was bankrolled for .10/.20 and them moved up.

Today I play 1/2 and am still re-reading the books over and over.

[jacket34]

if your starting out, i found getting the bonuses on different sites really helped out...i started at .50/1 and tried to get the max bonuses like $100 while i was reading throught my books, that way, it was like i had some insurance while i was learning...also, this helped me build a bankroll to slowly move up levels