A must read post about "bad" poker books.

deacsoft · #1 02-25-2006, 09:58 PM

Alright, this is going to come off a little harsh so I apologize in advance. I’m not looking to offend anyone or make any personal attacks, but enough is enough. I see this happening all the time in this forum and it makes me sick. I’ve been campaigning this point for quite some time but many of you are just not getting the point. So let me get to the point.

I’m continually seeing posts stating that people should “unlearn”, “throw out”, “never read”, “burn”, “use as toilet paper”, and etc, etc when responding to the value of different poker books. These statements are about as ignorant as still believing the world is flat. These books are not worthless. Sure they vary in value and they differ in advice. Few will contain advice that is accurate from cover to cover. Most will contain information that is flawed in one way or another. Others yet will contain little to no information that is correct. This does not make them worthless. Anyone claiming otherwise is absolutely wrong.

These books offer a ton of information and can aid poker players in many facets of the game. Most people who read this flawed information just know that it is not what was recommended or widely considered to be correct advice. They fail to understand why this information is flawed. Understanding why it is flawed can teach someone just as much as why other information is correct. In addition, understanding why information is flawed can help you understand how to exploit opponents who are using incorrect information. Not everyone is going to play the same way as you do. Poker books, both good and bad, are flying off shelves all over the world. People are going to read these books containing flawed information and they’re going to bring that style to the table. You must have an understanding of why their playing incorrectly. If you’re not taking the opportunity to exploit these weaknesses you’re not playing poker as well as you could be. Essentially we make money as players not only because of our superior skill but because of the mistakes of others.

Of course there are those who are reading through a just purchased book and have no idea how to tell good information from bad information. They lack the experience and knowledge to differentiate between the information. That is where this forum can shine. Instead of saying “its crap” explain why. Tell the OP what information is wrong and why. If a book is offering weak/tight information tell the OP how to correct it. A sound explanation as to why it’s incorrect to play a certain situation a published why will go an infinite amount further than simply saying “throw it out”. In short, by posting garbage like “burn it” you’re not doing anything to help the learning environment. Therefore, it’s not needed here.

mowz · #2 02-25-2006, 10:13 PM

QFT, minus the long quote.

RowdyZ · #3 02-25-2006, 10:59 PM

Read John Patricks Casino Poker and find any redeeming quailities for it. He makes Ken Warren look like a poker genius.

RZ

Cactus Jack · #4 02-26-2006, 07:26 AM

How many people out there who say this have a plus score on reading comprehension? Face it, most don't understand half of what they read about poker, even if most is aimed at the lowest levels.

CJ

RowdyZ · #5 02-26-2006, 10:32 AM

[ QUOTE ]
How many people out there who say this have a plus score on reading comprehension? Face it, most don't understand half of what they read about poker, even if most is aimed at the lowest levels.

CJ

[/ QUOTE ]

My reading comprehension is just fine thank you. Have you read the book in question? Do so before commenting on my intelligence about not understanding his book. It is hands down the worst poker book I have ever read and my poker library has over 30 books in it.

RZ

RZ

Cactus Jack · #6 02-26-2006, 02:04 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How many people out there who say this have a plus score on reading comprehension? Face it, most don't understand half of what they read about poker, even if most is aimed at the lowest levels.

CJ

[/ QUOTE ]

My reading comprehension is just fine thank you.

RZ

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for making my point so well.

binions · #7 02-26-2006, 09:52 AM

As someone who learned to play holdem reading Ken Warren and didn't stumble onto 2+2 books and forums until nearly a year later, "yes" and "no."

Yes, I would have wanted someone to tell me why Warren is wrong. No, I don't think it is unreasonable to say "burn it."

GSIH and SSHE weren't available back then. If they were, I would have saved thousands of dollars.

As it was, spending $10 on Ken Warren's Winner's Guide to Texas Holdem cost me thousands.

jimitilt · #8 02-26-2006, 12:43 PM

I've seen similar posts from Barron...what "specifically" in the Ken Warren book caused you to lose thousands? I haven't read any of Warrens books so it would be useful to know how it is flawed.

deacsoft · #9 02-26-2006, 01:11 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I've seen similar posts from Barron...what "specifically" in the Ken Warren book caused you to lose thousands? I haven't read any of Warrens books so it would be useful to know how it is flawed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most people might begin to suspect that there is something wrong (they're not playing correctly) and look to make adjustments to their game before dumping thousands. Some people even think they can just read a book and follow it's advice completely. They never consider that they are also able to think for themselves and, of course, they can go on to lose thousands of dollars.

Uncle Wimp · #10 02-26-2006, 01:55 PM

My firsts two books were "Play Poker Like the Pros" and "Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em," and I managed to make money from day one. I didn't start running bad until after I read "Theory of Poker." That's coincidental. I never understood the hostility toward Hellmuth and Warren. I'm not going to blame a book for my mistakes, but I will give it credit for helping me make money, which all of them have done.