Wasting my time?

Hi guys! I'm relatively new to poker, started playing ultimate bet about 3+ months ago, and have turned a small $25 buy-in to $125, which I'm proud of, but know I have a long way to go.

Anyway, here is my question: I am trying to take my game to the next level, so to speak. I have read the flop turn river website, several other websites, and Sklansky's Theory of Poker and am currently working my way through Hold em Poker for Advanced Players (the buying of which has about eaten through my "profits" lol.)

Anyway, I am wasting my time reading these books? I play NL 10-25 cents. (Which is probably above my bankroll, I know, but at lower levels I feel as though it isn't worth my time.) It seems like whenever I try to play with the advanced strategies in these books, they never work. Mostly because I think I am playing with morons.

Not that I am not a moron sometimes too, lol, but I mean these people are dumb AND unobservant. If I build the reputation of a rock, and bet heavily pre-flop, and then again with a dangerous flop, I will often get called down by a person with top pair, mediocre kicker. Why on earth wouldn't they think I have them beat when they have seen me showdown several times, and I only bet premium hands? Because they are a moron, that's why.

I am rapidly becoming convinced that at the level I am playing at, I should just play premium hands and never bluff. The advanced strategies I am trying to learn just seem pointless because they are based on the fact that your opponents are paying attention.

What do you all think? Advice appreciated, as I am getting frustrated over here trying to play at the "next level" but showing less profit than when I just played pure straight-up poker.

Thanks!

HePFAP will not work at the lower limits, the opponents are too dumb for you to outplay them. What you need to do is have them outplay themselves. You are coorect in realizing that you should never bluff, esp at the lower limits, you will just get called down.

For NL, HePFAP wont relaly help you, that book is based solely on mid and upper LIMIT holdem. NL = different beast.

You're not wasting your time by reading. That said, you're probably going to be much better off at the lower stakes playing straight up. As you say, low stakes players are often not good enough to make the types of plays Sklansky discusses work. I think he may even mention that as a disclaimer.

You're not wasting your time, because once you have the bankroll, you'll be more prepared to hang with the big dogs. That said, it's not something you'll use much at your current level.

Originally Posted by vqchuang

For NL, HePFAP wont relaly help you, that book is based solely on mid and upper LIMIT holdem. NL = different beast.

Not completely true...there are points of theory that will carry over. The book will help more with limit play, and there are certainly books that will help more for NL play. Still, there are points that will pertain.

Low buyin NL playing quality and making your opponents pay via pot sized bets is the way to happiness.

About the books. If you never plan on doing anything else then they're probably not going to help too much, although I can't imagine how they can't help some. But if you're like most players you will want to step up at some time, so knowing what they say, even if you don't use it at certain tables, will make you a better player.

You're experiencing the same thing that happened to me when I was a kid and tried to train my cat how to use the toilet instead of the litter box. I did everything the book said step for step and it didn't work. And then I realized, my cat didn't know what to do because HE hadn't read the book. Your competition will never get out of the litter box at that level, is all I'm saying. But you can move on to playing dolphins then swimming with the sharks - which is where the big money is anyway.

Play tough.