As I haven't played live poker since last year, I am going to Vegas, and I am taking books to read, I had an idea for a challenge based on poker books.

I would read a poker book and then follow the strategy for x number of tournaments or x number of cash game sessions. I would do this for, I think, three books each.

For tournaments, I am thinking Poker Tournament Formula by Snyder, The Game Plan by Mattros, and Harrington on Modern Poker Tournaments.

For cash games, I am not really sure right now.

I am thinking about doing the same sort of thing for poker psychology books by Cardner, Tendler, and offerings by 2Plus2.

If you were going to do this, what books would you use?

I realize due to variance that this is totally unscientific.

Hi Doc,

The issue I see with your proposal is that most books don't offer a cookie cutter strategy where you follow a nuts and bolts strategy of: in this situation, call, fold or raise X and in this situation, do Y, etc...
All the great books are focused around a thinking process where you consider the different variables in place such as position, stack size, assessment of villain, hole cards, odds, range you are putting villain's hand on, board texture, etc.. and so on.

As such, you wouldn't really be able to follow the strategy of a specific book to a T and then go with a different book and follow that book's strategy while cancelling out your experience and lessons from the previous book as poker in itself is a continuous journey of experience and application and theory.

Just addressing the psychology books, I think you can logically think through how silly some of the ideas are. For example, do you really need a warm up? Does a warm up mean your aces will win more often? Does a warm up mean you’ll fold A9o UTG in a full ring game where you would play it with no warm up?

Thus, you should be able to quickly see whether much of the advice is flawed.

Mason

A physical warm up, no. But I think I should have given thought to what I was going to do last night. A mental warm up, in other words.

Although a physical warm up might not have hurt either as I have only played once since last year and I was stiff when I got up after three hours.

What hands to play in what position are covered by strategy books and not mental game books and the ones I have read say you should have a solid playing foundation.

For tournaments, I highly recommend the Kill Phil series. Those books alone greatly improved my understanding of proper tournament play more than any other series. It also taught me a lot about being a very brutal and formidable player.

If I do a Kill Phil book, it would have to be one and not the series.

They are standalone though.