POKER DRIVEL: Reading Materials

Let me start by saying I have never read a full book on poker. I've spent a lifetime observing that I do not learn well from others, I'm the type who needs to see something for myself in order for the knowledge to sink in - otherwise the information slides off my brain like butter off a hotplate. When it comes time to talk about the differences between educational and practical experience, I'll be the first one to jump on the life experience bandwagon and proclaim loudly it's the only method that works for me.

But... Things are changing somewhat...

I still can't sit and read a book on poker. Best case I see something that I wanna try a few pages into it and can't focus anymore until I hit a table and give it a go. Worst case, I get frustrated and bored and question why I ever started playing the damn game in the first place. But, more and more lately, I find quick-hit materials like blogs (Shameless Self Promotion card in play) are becoming a useful tool in my arsenal - a silver bullet, if you will, to load into my weapon of first-hand experience.

I've mentioned it a couple of times already, but it does bear repeating... One blog in specific I find extraordinarily meaty without a lot of grissle is Noted Poker Authority by Ed Miller. I can tell just by measuring his articles against my table experience the guy's sharp - and if there's one thing I absolutely MUST have to learn something from someone is respect for the teacher.

To that end, I've been scouring the internet for poker blogs and bookmarking the ones that work for me. I keep the list small, which is easy because most of them are crap, and I read every new article in each of my bookmarked blogs every day. Then, if I found a strategy or two that I want to test drive, I test it (them) out at the tables later that day.

You all are probably already doing this, but it's a relatively new approach for me... So I thought I'd share it with any of you who think that reading about poker is a waste of time. I generally agree with you, but I think, if you give this approach a chance, you'll find it a productive addition to your game.