Introducing myself.

[jnz]

Hello people,

Ive been lurking here for a while, just checking things out, trying to learn as much as I can. Figured its time to introduce myself as I bet Ill be asking tons of questions in the future.

I became interested in Texas Hold'em just a few months ago when I found out an old gamer friend of mine had nowadays stopped playing division 1 Quake 3 online, and moved on to make his living playing something far more profitable - namely NLTH :>

Ive sofar not played a single hand online, nor in a live game, and I dont intend to until Ive completed at least 1 good book about the theory of the skills involved, then I attempt to give the low-limit games a go online.

My IQ is high enough to understand that there is more than luck involved, and it would be a big mistake, although very common, to just jump right into the game. But when I first went shopping for my first book on amazon.com some weeks ago I was pretty much clueless, and I wasnt really aware of this forum or the like to ask for advice, so I just basically picked one that sounded good - to get me started.

Today I probably would have picked something else, such as anything written by that guy Sklansky whos name appear all the time ;>
But I didnt, and Im now around page 100 out of 300, or so, of a book called "Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro" by Matthew Hilger.

As a first exposure to poker theory and strategies and such it seems pretty good to me, but I really cant tell as Im so new to this. And all the comments about the book Ive managed to pick up on this board seems to come from some guy whos on a commission to get more copies sold :p (No names mentioned.)

This is really exciting though as I now learn something new every single day as I read more and more. Although I will have to re-read it (probably more than once) to fully grasp it all, and to most importantly, learn AND apply it all.

Cheers,
- jnz

[a500lbgorilla]

Books are silly.

Expierence is where poker is learned.

Welcome to the boards.

-'rilla

[DavSimon]

Welcome....I would certainly recommend listening to 'Rillas poker advice, except for the "books are silly" part.
The Hilger book is very good for beginning players, but the 500# monkey is correct in that a book cannot be a substitute for actual playing experience, get in there and at least give it a go at the micro-limits .02/.04 Limit or NL, see what works....see what does not, learn the hard lessons that can only be learned first-hand...continue reading/studying - you are on your way.

[Spook]

Check the front page of this site for starting hand essays... there is a very good not so basic approach being offered there. Next, get out there and play. Get in a home game, get online and play for free (try not to pick up on too many bad habits), start playing for some more serious money... enough that it stings just a bit when you lose (this will teach you to respect other people's bets). Pick up some information where and when you can.. but you don't have to do it in a particular order... in fact there is a strong argument for the idea that a book can't help you until you have enough experience to put its information into the proper perspective.

Good Luck, and welcome.

-Spook

[dalecooper]

IMO you need both. Some things might take years to learn, or might never be learned, that a seasoned pro can tell you in a book in however long it takes to read it. But I doubt that anyone could read any amount of books and sit down in a good, solid hold 'em game and clean house. More likely, they'd have their house cleaned.

Books are good for theory and abstract concepts... experience gives you instincts and your "sea legs," so to speak.

[jnz]

The reason why I rather read an entire book and then start playing is to get the good habbits going right from the start, rather than having to re-learn things that I "thought was right".

I certainly dont think I will start owning the tables right after Im done with one book, but Im confident I will be much, much better off starting playing with one book behind me, than none.

[a500lbgorilla]

jnz, you will make your avatar a monkey or feel my wraith.

-'rilla

[DavSimon]

jnz......leave your avatar just how it is please!

edit:
No...no...no...go back to the first one dammit!!

[jnz]

jnz, you will make your avatar a monkey or feel my wraith.

-'rilla

Im afraid I have far too many pics of hot chicks on my drive than I do of monkeys ):

[a500lbgorilla]

The choices you make today will stand with you for the rest of your days... (on this forum).

Choose wisely.

-'rilla

[jnz]

jnz......leave your avatar just how it is please!

edit:
No...no...no...go back to the first one dammit!!

Hehe (-;
I just went through 3... which one was that? The chick in the pink lingerie, Cori Nadine?

[a500lbgorilla]

jnz......leave your avatar just how it is please!

edit:
No...no...no...go back to the first one dammit!!

Hehe (-;
I just went through 3... which one was that? The chick in the pink lingerie, Cori Nadine?

The hairy one.

With the large forearms and monkey-body.

-'rilla

[dalecooper]

jnz, you will make your avatar a monkey or feel my wraith.

-'rilla

Can a wraith even be felt? I thought they were incorporeal.

[a500lbgorilla]

Xianti, ban Dale. He's soliciting my first into his face!

{Dalecooper warned not to cross me.}

-'rilla

[Spook]

jnz, you will make your avatar a monkey or feel my wraith.

-'rilla

Can a wraith even be felt? I thought they were incorporeal.

As opposed to anus shades...


Joke refference

Books are silly.

Expierence is where poker is learned.

Welcome to the boards.

-'rilla

Preaching the word of rippy...I like it!

Experience IS the best way of learning and becoming a better player.

Screw books and PokerTracker and all that garbage.

[astrodon]

Experience is indeed the best teacher. Books are something you do when you are not playing. Your opponents will let you know quickly whether or not you have "bad habits". That way you will learn quick and forget slow.

One thing you will learn by experience is that all hotties have a monkey. Whether or not they will let you 'post' it - is another question, experience is the only way to find out