How Important are Books in Poker?:
Category: Poker
Some players I think, will be of the mind that nothing compares to putting in the hours at the tables and finding your own way around the game.
Personally I agree, and would not wish to mould my own play around that of someone else whose book I had read. Having said that, I do not think there is any harm in taking on board someone elses view on how to play hands, and incorporating it with your thoughts in order to form your style of play.
Some of the greatest poker players in the world have penned books, and the wisdom they have in the game can be extremely helpful. I have two such books, one by Doyle Brunson, and one written by Phil Hellmuth, and I feel that they both helped my learning curve greatly as a younger player. When you consider what these men have achieved within the game, it would seem foolish not to read what they have to say about the tactical elements of poker, especially given that they have 21 WSOP bracelets between them.
As I mentioned earlier, the aim of reading a good book written about the game, is not to memorise everything that is said and do precisely that, because then you would not be playing to your own strengths. The point of reading such books is to understand what is being said, and to bear it in mind when you are playing. Perhaps experiment with a few ideas you have read about, and see which of them works out for you as a player.