[kudzudemon]

Betgo makes an excellent point: Super/System’s rep is as much as result of timing as anything, but it‘s influence is probably greater than the 2+2 books, regardless of it‘s technical, uh…”blurriness“..

The fact that it’s most noticeable hallmark, an aggressive “power poker” style, particularly pre-flop, was well suited to the burgeoning online game that seeds today’s enormous poker community, shouldn’t be ignored either. The young players of today have taken it to near absurd lengths, to be sure. Super/System doesn’t teach the unalloyed aggression that saturates the game today, but the book’s emphasis on avoiding “weak/tight” play in the no-limit context (as well as Doyle’s successful and aggressive style) has had a more visible influence on today’s game than the rigorous, highly structured strategy that limit poker rewarded, and, as such, 2+2 seemed to be endorsing .

Interesting note, though: even Doyle has commented on the hyper-aggressive minefields he’s had to maneuver through thanks to his influence. He’s adapted well, don’t you think?

Also, for all the balloon juice we’ve spewed about how “overrated” Super/System and HPFAP are, let’s not forget their inherent and monumental contributions. Many concepts that poker aficionados now accept as always-been-there common sense (the importance of position, TAG play, etc.) were until then basically abstract ideas that were not articulated as productively or digestible as they were by these two monumental volumes. The very “well, duh” attitude we take to some of those ideas are only there due to the excellence and influence of these books.

Poker today cannot be won with any “system” or “style”, but by taking these tools and using them to adapt to the immediate environment. Because poker is not strictly and purely quantifiable, it is more art than science. The art of poker is the manipulation of circumstance, and poker literature, even that which is not strictly strategy based, helps develop the skills necessary for success.The value of such literature is not simply in it’s content, but in it’s ability to make the reader think about the game in more depth and from every perspective. Given that criteria, it’s probably a little harsh to consider any quality poker book, regardless of it’s anachronistic quirks or shaky tactical underpinnings, as overrated.

Positively Fifth Street=Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
Pure aesthetic joy in and celebration of it’s subject’s artistic construct