5 tips for getting more out of your poker books

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Poker books are a great investment that can pay serious dividends for your game. The great thing about books is how much they can do for your game if you’re just willing to put a in a little effort above and beyond a once-and-done skimming. Here’s a list of quick tips for increasing the return you get from your poker books:

1. Have a pen handy when you’re reading. Those margins on the pages of your book can – and should – be put to good use. Jot down whatever comes to mind as you’re reading – do you agree with the advice in a given chapter? Does something about a particular paragraph make absolute sense or little sense at all? Not only can these notes help you to really engage the material on your first read, but they also provide a handy reference point for you later on down the line to gauge how your game has developed over time.

2. Try reading the book out of order when you go back for a second or third read. Sometimes it can be easy to drop down into skimming mode when you’re revisiting things you’ve read. One way to avoid this habit is to force yourself to look at the material in a different way, and reading the text out of order – maybe starting with the last chapter and reading it backward, or reading every other chapter, or whatever works for you – the point is to not allow yourself to read the same book you read the first time.

3. Take the time to write chapter summaries after you’re done reading. I’m not suggesting you rewrite the entire chapter, but there’s something powerful about knowledge you imprint both through reading and writing. Also, just like with notes in the margins, your chapter summaries are great artifacts for watching your game develop and progress.

4. While you’re reading the book, try to have some copies of recent hand histories available. When a key concept comes up in the book, refer to your hand histories and compare how you played to your idea of how the author would have played. While hand examples in books are helpful, applying the material to your own, recent experiences will help to make the ideas stick quicker.

5. Keep a binder with copies of key pages from all of the books you’ve read. If you want to break it up by category, by game, by street, even better. All poker books contain a healthy amount of filler, along with material that might not be worth your time on future readings. By distilling each book down to a series of key pages, you can build a powerful collection of abridged books that can help correct your game in short order when it derails.

There’s nothing wrong with buying a book, reading it once and then putting it away for good. You can still get a lot of quality ideas from a once-through. But if you’re anything like me, you’d like to squeeze as much value out of your investment as possible – and a little extra work with the books you already own can often provide better results than reading a new book

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