20 replies to this topic

[jmbreslin]

I know there is a poker book forum but the place is a ghost town. Anyone have any opinions on any of the following books?

1) No Limit Hold 'Em: Theory & Practice (Sklansky)

2) Killer Poker Short-Handed (Vorhaus)

3) The FTP Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition (Ferguson)

4) Online Ace: A World Series Poker Champions Guide (Fischman)

I play micro stakes NLHE tournies and cash games, and a bit of PLO8. Up to this point I've read HoH, Poker Tournament Formula, and Killer Poker Online 2.

Thanks.

[Gimmee your chip]

I thought the Fischman book "Online Ace" was pretty good, had some good chapters on multitables and SNG's, also analyzing your play if you finish consistantly on the bubble.

[fatman]

I didn't read any of them but would suggest a cardrunners subscription if you are looking to get better. The two books that I have read were Harrington on Hold Em 1 & 2. Great books if you play MTT's.

[savagerebel]

none of them have enough pictures

[DunkinDonuts]

2) Killer Poker Short-Handed (Vorhaus)

Disclaimer: This is meant as rhetorical hyperbole. I do not in any way advocate censorship, nor am I affiliated with the Nazi party, Qin dynasty, or any other regime that has engaged in book-burning as a means of controlling social thought.

[David_Nicoson]

I know there is a poker book forum but the place is a ghost town. Anyone have any opinions on any of the following books?

1) No Limit Hold 'Em: Theory & Practice (Sklansky)

OK. There's a lot of repetitious math based on silly assumptions.

2) Killer Poker Short-Handed (Vorhaus)

Killer Poker Online is crap, imho. I haven't read the rest.

3) The FTP Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition (Ferguson)

Ferguson chapter is good.

4) Online Ace: A World Series Poker Champions Guide (Fischman)

Haven't read it.

I play micro stakes NLHE tournies and cash games, and a bit of PLO8. Up to this point I've read HoH, Poker Tournament Formula, and Killer Poker Online 2.

I'm a fan of Pot Limit and No-limit Poker for cash games. Some of the games covered aren't played much, but it's my favorite intermediate book. Super System II is a good buy.

[quadaces]

Disclaimer: This is meant as rhetorical hyperbole. I do not in any way advocate censorship, nor am I affiliated with the Nazi party, Qin dynasty, or any other regime that has engaged in book-burning as a means of controlling social thought.

LMAO - Its a shame that you have to even consider writing that

[Suited_Up]

1 and 3.

That is all.

Skip the Bloch chapter. Lederer's is pretty stupid too.

[nutzbuster]

Who the F*CK reads?

[Suited_Up]

Who the F*CK reads?

What else u do in the bathroom?

Though since I got solitaire on my phone, I've been doing that instead.

[natedawg2]

What else u do in the bathroom?

Though since I got solitaire on my phone, I've been doing that instead.

poop

[herly33]

if your looking for online sitngo and multi-table advice go with Online Ace

Live play not worth buying this book

[SilentButDeadly3]

Online Ace was alright, I guess. I think you should know the stuff he writes if you're beating low-limit games. Although it is good to rehash. But I think it is one of the best tools to building the foundations for a winning player. I would watch my friends and help them with their play and they would do fine while I was there, but apparently I'm a bad teacher as they'd donk it all back when I wasn't there. I recommended to all of them Online Ace and they became break-even players pretty much instantly after reading it.

So if you're losing at online poker, Online Ace is for you, if not then I wouldn't bother.

[chrozzo]

hi

[joethepro]

i recommend Professional No-Limit Hold 'em: Volume I. it's a 2+2 book. (the skalansky book is good too, but you may fall asleep reading it. if you have insomnia, that might be a bonus)

http://www.twoplustwo.com/books.html#Profe...m:%20Volume%20I

i've read tons of poker books and as far as cash games go, it's currently the only one that talks about SPR (stack to pot ratios) and accordingly tells you how to play short, medium and deep stacked because of this and the commitment threshold.

you already read HOH, so that should cover your tourney playing skills, you could use this book for cash games.

UNLESS you are willing to wait 2 months for Harrington On Cash, which, if his other books are an indication, will be better than anything currently out.

[navybuttons]

i wrote a very long, very +EV post (in my opinion). short version: poker books are worth about 5% of what your poker knowledge will be. whatever you decide as far as how you want to learn the game (hundred of thousands of hands, cardrunners subscription, etc.) understand that many books will hinder your progress as a complete player. i think many of the current poker authors think about learning and teaching the game in the wrong way, or at least project it, maybe for the sake of clarity.

goodluck.

[Mercury69]

I know there is a poker book forum but the place is a ghost town. Anyone have any opinions on any of the following books?

1) No Limit Hold 'Em: Theory & Practice (Sklansky) Dry and very theory-based. Good from a robotic standpoint

2) Killer Poker Short-Handed (Vorhaus) I've read excerpts. Seems pretty good and deals with some of the "emotional" stuff you encounter at the table

3) The FTP Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition (Ferguson) Dunno

4) Online Ace: A World Series Poker Champions Guide (Fischman) Dunno

I play micro stakes NLHE tournies and cash games, and a bit of PLO8. Up to this point I've read HoH, Poker Tournament Formula, and Killer Poker Online 2.

Thanks.

[joethepro]

i wrote a very long, very +EV post (in my opinion). short version: poker books are worth about 5% of what your poker knowledge will be. whatever you decide as far as how you want to learn the game (hundred of thousands of hands, cardrunners subscription, etc.) understand that many books will hinder your progress as a complete player. i think many of the current poker authors think about the game in the wrong way, or at least project it, maybe for the sake of clarity.

goodluck.

i agree with navy to some degree. i think if you want to be a great poker player the best way is to learn it yourself. play tons of hands, questions and analyze your hands/plays and test your own theories and then see what works/doesn't and re-evaluate.

but what poker books/cardrunners does is speeds up the process of discovery. it will take you a long time to discover a lot of the facets of poker. but what you need to understand is to not just do everything they say without thinking. understand why you are doing this. question the theory. try variations. etc....

[gfdsa146]

i wrote a very long, very +EV post (in my opinion). short version: poker books are worth about 5% of what your poker knowledge will be. whatever you decide as far as how you want to learn the game (hundred of thousands of hands, cardrunners subscription, etc.) understand that many books will hinder your progress as a complete player. i think many of the current poker authors think about learning and teaching the game in the wrong way, or at least project it, maybe for the sake of clarity.

goodluck.

Phil ivey agrees with you - http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/pro-tips-arch...vey&tip=125

[jmbreslin]

Thanks for all the responses. I don't "play by the books" but I do look at books as one of the many resources available to help me learn the game. I also just got a subscription to Bluff for the same reason. I'm the kind of person that likes to learn as much as I can about something, particularly when that something can cost or make me money.

I am primarily an online player (aside from my weekly live home game) so I'm leaning toward Fischman's book. Seems a waste to buy books that only have some chapters worth reading.