A Poker Education

Hi There Going Proers
Today as theres not much happening on the playing front I want to talk about my poker education.
I was always the easy money at the table, that perfect opponent, a loose passive player. The player who when he actually gets a hand then checks to trap. Easy money. So what happened how did it change? Well there is an argument that not much has changed, but the essential difference today is the poker literature.
After five years of playing and generally loosing a stumbled on a book, not a poker book, a body language book. The book was 'Body Language' by Alan Pease. The next game in a tournament style against twenty players I took down with ease. What was the difference? I wasn't picking up tells at that stage, a body language book generally wont give you much help in that regard. It was the different mindset, thinking about my opponents rather than about myself. What does my opponent hold, how is he playing.
That set my mind to thinking, what if I could find a poker book. If a body language book was so helpful, what could a poker book do for my game? So here is a few books that I have read and a little about each one. Poker books have certainly helped my game along and revisiting them I find helpful, theres always gaps in your game or improvements you can make, even if the improvement only adds 50c an hour, over a lifetime of play that could add up to thousands of dollars.
Holdem Poker - David Sklansky
Fortunately for me the first poker book I read was Holdem Poker by the eminent poker theorist, David Sklansky. Its just a basic introduction mainly focusing on the low limit game. An introductory book is always a good place to start and I find I need to go back to basics again and again to stay sharp and a winning player.
Super System - Doyle Bronson
The bible of poker was my next book. A fantastic read, with chapters on all the mainline forms of poker. Unfortunately no mention of three card Manila, which was played widely in Australia until recently. This book took my game to a level I could not have imagined previously, a great read with chapters by a Host of poker pros. Its probably one of the must read texts to become a great player.
The Theory of Poker - David Sklansky
This book deals with all the nit bits of poker. With an explanation of the Fundamental Theory of Poker as its heart. Chapters on Pot Odds and Implied Odds as well as a large variety of concepts. Dont expect to understand it, but with careful attention and a couple of re-readings this book will give the theoretical side of your game a real boost. In the long run its essential reading.
Caro's Book of Pro Poker Tells - Mike Caro
This book by the Mad genius of Poker was really up my ally. Im not sure if all the value per hour figures are correct. The tells work with weaker players in my experience, they certainly can let you know where you can bet to take a pot with impunity. In the first few years playing in smaller games this book will pay for itself many times over. Just to get out of your own head and concentrating on the fact that your in a people game played with cards. Its amazing at all limits how many players still watch the flop and not the players in the hand, Mike will help you remove this habit from your game.
Maybe reading these books will make you a winning player, I was certainly a better player after reading them. I had a run of coming second in freezeout, (First gets all the cash) tournaments of about two years after reading them. When I convinced my buddies to change to first gets 75% second gets 25%, I won every time. Maybe it was the lack of pressure, maybe the loss of concentration in heads up games, maybe I just needed the practice playing heads up. Its hard to tell. The point is you need experience and theory, or I did anyway.
At this point Im a winning player at limit Holdem to 5/10 but theres not limit games in Sydney. Ill also win a fair amount of tournaments. As Im coming back though I still need some work to get rid of the rust. I should win about once every ten entries in micro tournaments, (under 50 players) generally making final tables ever 2.5 entries.
So good luck with your Poker, hope to see you at the tables.
Going Pro.