General Question about Absorption of New Information

[RapidEvolution]

This is just a general question about how people react after they've read a book or two or learned some new things by talking with better players. Do you find your game suffers a bit as you adjust to new ideas or do you just come out of the dugout swinging?

[CaptVimes]

I have been having this problem off and on for the last since the summer. Its like I have too much info running around in my head and I, of course, then misapply what I've learned or some aspect of my game that I've been trying to change. The biggest issue I have been working on is my post flop aggression, so you can see where this has lead me to be spewy at times. You can have this beautiful philosophical approach to how you should be playing the game, but until you start throwing some chips around I don't think any new concept really sets in. Poker, especially NL, is a dynamic game, and learning in what situations a concept applies is far more difficult than the concepts themselves.

So, yeah I think my game does suffer a bit when I first change something.

[threads13]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been having this problem off and on for the last since the summer. Its like I have too much info running around in my head and I, of course, then misapply what I've learned or some aspect of my game that I've been trying to change. The biggest issue I have been working on is my post flop aggression, so you can see where this has lead me to be spewy at times. You can have this beautiful philosophical approach to how you should be playing the game, but until you start throwing some chips around I don't think any new concept really sets in. Poker, especially NL, is a dynamic game, and learning in what situations a concept applies is far more difficult than the concepts themselves.

So, yeah I think my game does suffer a bit when I first change something.

[/ QUOTE ]

ditto

[RapidEvolution]

I finally got my hands on PNLHE and NLHETAP this weekend and have devoured them both. There are so many things that make sense, things that make no sense and some things that make me think I should just use what I can for now and incorporate little by little and try NOT to get overwhelmed. I think the last one works best if I can do it.

[TheProdigy]

Since I've learned to beat 50nl I haven't learned anything from a book. I am very good at absorbing info and the books are so generalized that it still makes it so hard to learn from them in my situation.

I've only learned from experience and looking through PT to find leaks as well as emulating some other players styles when I hate playing vs them. All of these things work well for me.

[Chargers In 07]

[ QUOTE ]
I've only learned from experience and looking through PT to find leaks as well as emulating some other players styles when I hate playing vs them.

[/ QUOTE ]I agree. Books are overrated and experience is underrated.

[threads13]

[ QUOTE ]
I finally got my hands on PNLHE and NLHETAP this weekend and have devoured them both. There are so many things that make sense, things that make no sense and some things that make me think I should just use what I can for now and incorporate little by little and try NOT to get overwhelmed. I think the last one works best if I can do it.

[/ QUOTE ]

One thing that helps me get new concepts down is to go through the book slowly. A notepad and a pen can do wonders for your understanding.

[PokerFun007]

I think this is a strategy gaming question in general. Being a chess player, I've found your thought to be profoundly true. I've read tons of books on chess and after I finish one my play inevitably suffers for a time, but then once the info gets fully absorbed I play better.

Information overload can be paralyzing as it leads to over-thinking.

Also, in poker, when the results don't "agree" with the strategy you're employing from a book (usually due to luck which is almost absent from chess), it can be difficult to continue with confidence even if you've done the right things in the given situation. I find this to be especially true in donkaments when one unlucky card can end your run and leave me steaming and questioning myself.

[ranka]

[ QUOTE ]

One thing that helps me get new concepts down is to go through the book slowly. A notepad and a pen can do wonders for your understanding.

[/ QUOTE ]
Totally agreed and I did that too because my job was so booooooooooooooooooooring and nothing was todo. Just read books, yawn, drink coffe, read books, yawn etc. It helps me lot to understand concepts.

[ QUOTE ]

I agree. Books are overrated and experience is underrated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Again true. I have Read NLHTAP 3 or 4 times. Also I have 10-12 books - SS, HOH1, HOH2, HOH3, Theory & Practice, Tournament Poker for Advanced player, Holdem Poker for advcanced player, small stakes holdem etc. I have read all of them but I am not so good, I am microlimit grinder who still doing huge mistakes. But these books helps me lot but without practice and experience, reading books are wasting the time.

Reading books boosting up your learning process and learning is not so expensive but you can become good poker player without books but you cant become good poker player without practice and experience.

[rachkane]

I've kind of learned that each book has a "nugget concept" to take away. It's the idea that's unique to that author in that book.
If you take the collection of ideas together from all the authors, then you can mix up your game, and have all of those tools in your arsenal.

Now, if the concept is a conservative concept, like not playing Ace-small in early position, then I find that coming out of the dugout swinging is great because it saves so much money (situationally, of course...as we all now know).

However, if the concept is aggressive, like implied odds, or semi-bluff raising, and you really don't know where to pick your spots...it's deadly to your game until you internalize it and fully understand what the author is saying.