5 comments about The Complete Book Of Hold 'Em Poker: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing and Winning.

1. I found this book while reading Matt Matros' "The Making of a Poker Player". Matros has this book as one of the seven he recommends unequivocally. Had it not been for Matros, I would not have known of Gary Carson's book.
   
   This treasure of a book seems to be hidden from the general poker public. I play online exclusively, and I've asked various tablemates about the book. Almost no one seems to know about it. This is an absolute hidden gem, so superior to anything else out there.
   
   The book is not for the complete beginner. In fact Carson himself recommends starting with Lee Jones' "Winning Low Limit Hold 'Em" or Ed Miller's "Getting Started in Hold 'Em". But, after having read and maybe reread one of those two, I'd suggest diving right into "The Complete Book of Hold 'Em" and staying with it for about a year or so. I don't see the need for any other book of poker instruction during that time, except perhaps Carson's own "Casino Poker" in which he introduces most of the different games of poker. (If you just have to read something else, I really like John Feeney's "Inside the Poker Mind" and Roy Cooke's "Real Poker II".)
   
   Well, what about Sklansky, Malmouth, Ciaffone, Hellmuth, Krieger et al? Nope, you don't need any of them. For at least a year, Carson's book is plenty. In fact I would recommend strongly against them, since they could confuse the rock solid foundation you are building with Carson.
   
   What makes this book so good? That is not easy to answer. Carson involves himself with the reality of playing poker; it's a situational approach. He does not fit the game into one single theory. He takes multipe perspectives. He admits it's not an easy, cookbook style (that's what Jones and Miller are for), but it is the only completely honest one. This is a new way of thinking that is levels above what the other poker authors are writing. Other reviewers who have liked the book say how it has changed their thinking, their approach to play; it does if the student puts in the time for study that is required. He will not be spoonfed. He will have to think. But what a difference it will make at the tables!
   
   The book is revolutionary. Why it is not better known, why I had to find it by such a roundabout route, is beyond me. But when you find out it exists, Matusow (my hero) would call you a donkey not to buy it. One other plus which I don't think is trivial in poker literature; Carson knows how to write.



2. The only thing I don't like about this book is the title. This is a great book for limit holdem cash games. It is applicable in online or live play and would be helpful if the game were tight or loose, passive or aggressive. In fact, one of the great strengths of the book is how it helps one evaluate the table and play according to who is actually there and not according to how some group of players were playing at a $40/80 table in Las Vegas in 1978.
   
   The emphasis on table selection and on flexibility in play makes this a valuable tool for increasing ones profits or even for the beginner. Rather than giving formulas (formulae?) Carson gives guidelines for thinking about situations. The tables of starting hands that he provides should be taken with a grain of salt, as he says himself.
   
   But enough of Mr. Nice Guy, why did I call it incomplete?
   
   1: He only touches on big-bet Holdem, No-Limit and Pot-Limit. The advice he gives on it big-bet is very good. In fact some of it is extremely valuable. However, it is only a splash in the very lage pond. This is understandable because the NL boom had not arrived at the time the book was released. NL tourneys were common but cash games all over the country were still overwhelmingly limit.
   
   While understandable, it is a shame becuase NL has become more important as the months go by and because Mr. Carson has been a succesful NL cash player and knows what he is talking aobut.
   
   2: His tournament advice is also brief, not inspired and not worth mentioning. If all you want to do is play tourneys, the book is worth the low price but that's about it.
   
   So why do I give it five *s?
   
   Because my hourly rate in the LHE games at Foxwoods, which was already good, doubled in the few months after I read this book and absorbed its ideas.



3. This is one of the best Texas Hold'em books out there. Gary has an interesting way of looking at the game that is thought provoking. His insights can make you a better player, but I suggest trying to digest the material here slowly. It is easy to misunderstand or misapply the concepts here. Like any other good poker book, this is a book that you should study, rather than just read.
   
   There is very little discussion of the specifics of pot-limit, no-limit, spread-limit, and tournament poker in this book. The book does discuss these topics, but those chapters are thin and seem to be added as an afterthought. Nonetheless, much of the material is applicable to any form of Texas Hold'em, once you understand it well. It does seem that Gary is primarily a limit Hold'em player, or that he was when he wrote this book.
   
   Also, Gary Carson is an active participant of the Usenet group rec.gambling.poker. Gary has clarified some of the concepts in his book on this public forum.



4. Having read and studied most of the more popular books available on the subject, I bought this book with a view to getting a different perspective, rather than any hope for new insights.
   
   Upon reading it I was more than pleasantly surprised by the content. It has to be one of the best books I've read on the subject.
   
   Like most of the reviewers, I wouldn't recommend it as a first book for someone wanting to learn hold `em. Some of the views expressed in the book are unconventional and not appropriate for beginners. However, barring the complete novice, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book as one of the top 5 most useful books I've read (and I've read quite a few). Not because of it's groundbreaking suggestions, but rather this book is genuinely aimed at getting the reader to think about why he should make a particular decision. It helps the reader to think like an experienced hold `em player, rather than providing a set of rules for play in specific circumstances.
   
   For instance, in his chapter on seat selection, when he recommends that you sit maniacs to your left (contrary to most authors who recommend the opposite), it comes after a discussion of the varying perspectives or `theories' of poker. According to Carson, most authors focus on the fact that `poker is a game of incomplete information'. In his view, however, the `poker is a game of strategy and deception' theory is more appropriate when making this particular decision. "You get very little extra information from having a maniac on your right, but having him on your left expands your tactical playing options tremendously".
   
   There is no false pretence that this is the only book you will ever need on hold `em. In fact the author provides frank reviews of the more popular hold `em books with honest opinions on their value.
   
   Whether you agree or not is irrelevant; rather it is the thought process that matters. This is a book that will definitely help develop your thought on the game of hold `em poker.



5. The book is a guide...
   U cant go wrong!Great for the green and the experianced player!
   Get it.

5 comments about No-Limit Texas Hold'em: A Complete Course.

1. Read this book if you don't understand Pot Odds, Implied Odds, and Expected Value. These sections are 'nut and bolts' and very direct. Many books over emphasize the odds with two cards to come (all-in after flop) but this book explains things 'more' correctly. Yes, overall this book is just okay (3 stars), but the first sections are invaluable and actually make this book a "must read" for those who do not understand the basic math ideas behind NLHE. I will probably purchase any follow-up books.



2. this is the last poker book i've bought and read. my game matured and plateaued a few months ago, especially regarding low limit no limit holdem. i wasn't really getting ahead, and all my plays were becoming predictable. my plans for poker wealth were being thwarted well, this book took me to the next level.
   
   tonight, i just had my best night of holdem. my best win. over $500 in about 3 hours. nobody could put me on a hand all night! deception is key and the author explains how to use it.
   
   thanks, Angel
   
   D



3. This is absolutely the best book in the world for 1-2 and 2-5 live NL games with a 100 blind capped buy in. Period. It's not for online, it's not for higher stakes, and it's not for uncapped games. For the standard low limit NL games spread in B&M, this is the best. Anybody who doesn't think so is probably playing a style with a winrate less than half of what I or Angel make.



4. I had the opportunity to take Angel's course while living in Las Vegas so the book only helps reinforce concepts I learned in his group seminar 3 day course.
   
   Angel's the kind of guy you may have to see "live" in person to truly appreciate, although his book does a good job of demonstrating his knowledge.
   
   The guy has totally mastered the "low limit no limit" game.
   
   If you want to play at "no limit" tables where buy-ins are limited to no more than say $300, then BUY THIS BOOK and MEMORIZE IT.
   
   Players at low limit no limit have a totally different mentality. Angel has figured out that mental approach and will help you capitalize on it.
   
   I've said enough. I actually wish Angel hadn't published all of his secrets in this book!
   
   (p.s. stop complaining about the title--you can't judge a book...)



5. Turned the game arround - simple easy to read and accurate
   will work if you want it

5 comments about Getting Started in Hold 'em.

1. I have read four books on holdem poker and this has the best and most understandable format of any of them. I would recommend it to all beginners and to most intermediate players also, that are interested in improving their game.



2. I agree with the reviewer that said that this book has replaced Lee Jones' book as the best introductory text for beginning players. Where I differ from most reviewers is in the idea that this is only a "beginners" book. I disagree. This book is great for anyone who plays poker including advanced players in that it acts as reinforcement for concepts we know but sometimes forget or ignore. It basically explains advanced concepts in a simple way and for that reason it is valuable to anyone. I remember that even though I was already a winning player when I read this book, it still improved and strengthened my understanding of concepts such as pot equity, the danger of hand domination, importance of aggression and so on. If I had a close friend just starting out in hold 'em, this would be the first book I would recommend to him, followed by Millers other classic, "Small stakes hold 'em- Winning big with expert play."
   
   Great book, you can't go wrong with this one.



3. I have played poker for years, but Hold'Em is a very different game and Ed Miller's book Getting Started in Hold'Em is an excellent introduction. Other books I've bought seem to assume the reader already has some experience at Hold'em, but I was looking for information before sitting down to a game. Without condescending, Miller explains the game in detail and shows the differences in analysis and strategy from other poker games.



4. I've got this book in my bag right now. And I've bought over 20+ poker books; a half-dozen DVDs; and plenty of poker magazines.
   
   I'm rereading it to review some of the NL cash concepts...which one reviewer ridiculed...but I thought it made alot of sense...essentially its NL short stack cash strategy...play tight and put your stack in the middle with premium or very good hands. I like that he admitts...this probably won't make you the most popular guy at the table.
   
   In other parts of the book...he goes over the concept of pot equity in an easy to understand fashion...which I still appreciate. After you read this book you're either aware of....or refreshed on...some very solid poker concepts/principles.
   
   The NL tournament section is short...true. Nothing remarkable. But still useful for a beginner. I looked at it more as an add-on than anything else.
   
   good luck



5. I bought this book at the same time I bought "winning low limit" by lee jones. Had previously read ITH by mathew hilgger, but lee jones's text is so great in the way it presents strategic information, I now prefer it to ITH.
   As for this book, I have no idea what the people who say this is a great introduction for hold'em are talking about.
   The presentation is confusing, the book contains a lot of fillers with little valuable information. Rules of hold'em aren't that complicated that requires the extensive chapters on reading the board as this necessarly comes with experience and doesn't take that long.
   As for strategy, I admit Miller is a bit more agressive than lee jones(which depends on the stakes you play in) and does present very valuable ideas, but I think the presentation is less than functional for complete begginers, for whom this book is intended.
   
   It is a cheap book...in all ways possible.

5 comments about Hold 'Em Poker.

1. David Sklansky, the dean of poker writing, picks up where he left off on the Theory of Poker. It's more practical than his theory book, in that it focuses on one game, but it's less relevant to what many people play - No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Very useful book, but not the Be All End All of poker playing.



2. This was probably an awesome book when published in 1976, but the book has not been really updated since then, in spite of being reissued in 1997 as a new edition. The only real updating as far as I can tell is the addition of footnotes here and there explaining that some of the specific advice for certain situations may not be valid for the modern double blind structure. This book has a lot of very worthwhile ideas, but most of them are better explained in more detail in Sklansky/Malmuth's Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players, which I highly recommend. Another awesome Sklansky et al book is Small Stakes Hold'em, which I find extremely useful since I don't play in the big leagues. Overall I would rate Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players as much more valuable book than this one, even if you are not yet an advanced player.



3. He's not as good as he seems to think he is. This book was not at all helpful.



4. This book (more like a booklet, actually) gives a quick yet firm foundation from which one can start building his/her own Hold'em strategies. It was originally written when the single blind game was the norm then updated, but the "update" consists mostly of footnotes at various pages. Some of the concepts aren't exactly explained as well as they could have been, but they're good enough to understand what the author is trying to get at - it's the overall wins you care about, not the game you're currently playing, and encourages you to look at the long-term probabilities of winning rather than the individual game.
   
   The book discusses almost exclusively the limit hold'em games, not the no-limit hold'em games. It's not for those that are not familiar with the rules of a hold'em games but it does touch up on the variations of the limit hold'ems and the differences between the limit and the no-limit games. The reader will likely want to read other books after reading this one. It's a fairly easy read that focuses on concepts more than the exact numbers, but some probability calculations and tables are provided if the reader is interested in them.



5. I picked this one up because in my search for a poker book I kept running across Sklansky, and where better to start than the book that started it all? At least it was the first to the starting gate, the rest is up in the air. I've been playing for about four years now and have a good grasp on poker itself, but wanted to get a little deeper to see if I can propel my game play that much further. So I started with the basics.
   
   Sklansky gives some very good tips on strategy on various different types of hands, positions, chip stacks and so on. I lot of this was intuitive for me but I had never actually sat down and tried to understand why I did those things, such as raise in order to get the free card in case I don't hit it, or raise if you are one of the first to act just to feel out the players behind you. Sklansky did a great job in describing why many of these steps are taken and explained why it is important to do them. For that I felt I have learned a lot.
   
   On the flip side though he mentioned a lot of ratios and odds and never went into how he did that. He would throw numbers out there and I had no way to relate to it and understand how he came to the math that he did in order to apply it myself. Perhaps that is something intuitive and I just can't grasp it right away, but some explanation would have been good. Also this is a rather basic book on Hold 'Em. Obviously, being 108 pages, it only had the chance to brush up on the basics, but I wish he could have went a little deeper (of course you can also buy his other book with advanced techniques, always a businessman in the wings to get more money out of you).
   
   Over all this was a decent book and help me understand a lot of the basic moves I have already been doing and help with knowing why it is important to do that move and so on. But there is more that I wish he would have done better with, such as some of the math or gone in to more detail. I would still recommend.
   
   3.5 stars.

5 comments about How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em.

1. Part 1
   
   This is a good book. It is long. There are alot of interesting "old Vegas" gambling stories that are entertaining...whether they are true or not...I don't know. Good basic holdem points/principles are here in the first part of this book...such as emphasizing position. Still, if you are experienced or a good player...then the first part of the book will probably seem tedious. The author repeats himself often. I'm only on page 140...but it is helping me think about my game {a review} and how I want to approach NLH $1 and $2...tight/aggressive play is the approach the author seems to recommend...but it is more than that...such as his recommendation to play certain hands if you've been card dead for a long time...'to stay active.'
   
   Like Largay in his $1 and $2 book...the author...IMHO...thinks its important to not waste your chips {obvious maybe}...and covers situations like this you want to avoid.
   
   I have to admitt...it is hard not to LOL...at the word DOMINATOR...could you imagine wearing a t-shirt with that in the front?...but the approach seems very sound to me.
   
   You may be taken aback how often the author mentions it might be better to go home if the game isn't suitable for the style of play he recommends...but I think its sound...and probably smart too. And I appreciate the honesty.
   
   I've read some of the comments the author has made on a popular {tough} online poker forum...and I've liked the way he's handled himself and how he defended his recommended style of play.
   
   Part 2...1/17/08 aside: I interviewed the author recently!
   
   I finished the book last night.It is a very, very good poker book.
   
   This book will teach you how to develop a strong poker game. It is not a simple, how to play A-B-C tight/aggressive book...although tight/aggressive play is the foundation. Instead, a player learns how important...how to adjust...to changing table conditions {image, stack size, tight/loose table}. The author writes over and over...Poker is not a card game...but a people game played with cards.
   
   Not groundbreaking...but important nonetheless.
   
   The first half of the book teaches you how to PLAY AND WIN with the {relative} stength of your cards...for example: there are gems {insights} like {taking turns betting/taking pots}..which means you may start to ask yourself...is winning the pot worth the risk of losing it? I think this is a very useful approach to cash game play. It may seem overly cautious/defensive {folding to possible set over sets}...especially to the +EV crowd...but I think its worth considering if your bankroll is at stake.
   
   Angel Largay makes a similiar type point in his cash game book.
   
   The second half of the book focuses on HOW TO WIN WITHOUT the cards. Frankly, you learn how to exploit bad and weak players.
   
   This half concentrates on reading players for tells, making bluffs {plays} and catching bluffs. The information on tells will probably not be new to anybody who's read or heard of Mike Caro...but its still good.
   
   The bluffing section is outstanding. Some of the bluffs you may be familiar with already {Button bluff/steals}...but others like a delayed bluff...you may not be. Or if you used it...you may have done it without properly understanding the play.
   
   The author emphasizes that a good portion of your cash game winnings will be determined by how skillfully you make and catch bluffs.
   
   One possible flaw in the book...the author writes constantly about putting an opponent on a hand..rather than a "range" of hands...but his hand analysis seems to incorporate hand ranges nonetheless...and ignore the typos {Tom Hellmuth}...they aren't a problem.
   
   Like the Harrington series...How to Dominate...has become a reference book for me.
   
   good luck @ the tables,
   
   
   standtall



2. Really enjoyed the book. Think it will make a huge difference in my playing.How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em



3. I wrote and sent the following [slightly edited] email message to Sam O'Connor. Since it is a "book review" of sorts, I thought I would post it here as well.
   
   Dear Mr. O'Connor:
   
   First, I want to thank you for a lifetime of wisdom and experience that you put into your "How to Dominate" book. I enjoyed the "people stories" you included just as much as the [written] instruction.
   
   This is very subjective on my part, but I'm convinced that your book will be widely recognized as a classic - right up there in the Top Five of all time great poker books. Accordingly, I want to thank you for the time and effort you spent putting it all on paper. Not only is your book full of wisdom, but it is well written. (If your girlfriend helped to proofread and edit your book, she deserves a nice candlelight dinner topped off with a big fat diamond ring.)
   
   I cannot begin to express to you how enlightening your book has been. I am actually reading (and rereading) the pages multiple times. Unlike a lot of poker books I have read, (i.e. the Sklansky books and even Super System), your book is the kind where I read a "lesson" and then go off and actually think about what I've just read. Fortunately, for me, you didn't fill your book full of confusing math and probability equations. I know the "scientifc" type poker players can crunch probabilities in their heads like a computer crunching numbers, but, (as you point out), those kind of players are [often] weak in the people reading department; so I agree that you don't have to be a mathematical genius to be a winning poker player. Your book's strongest point is in emphasizing just how important the "people aspect" of poker really is. Other books hint at this, (especially Mike Caro's books), but you really drive the point home.
   
   I hate admitting this, but some of your points are not immediately obvious - or "obvious" to me. A few times I've found myself scratching my head, unsure as to exactly the point you're trying to get across. (It kind of bemuses me when you casually make a comment like, "Now, if you don't understand this, then you're not a real poker player!" My problem is that in a few of those cases, I've had to reread what you wrote leading up to such a statement before the light (finally!) switches on. Anyway, once I really understand all the concepts, I know I'm going to be an infinitely better poker player, so I want to thank you (again) for writing such an excellent book.
   
   -------------------------------
   
   Addendum for this review here on Amazon.com:
   
   Dear poker playing book buyers:
   
   It's fine with me if you buy Mr. O'Connor's book, but I ask that you NEVER read it! On my next trip to Tunica, I don't want to sit down at a table full of folks that have read this book! :-)))
   
   Alan C. Lawhon
   Huntsville, Alabama



4. I find the machismo in the text mismatched with the extremely tight tight style the author is advocating. His opponents aren't going to feel dominated; they're going to forget he's there. Regardless, the metaphor is stretched. Poker is not war or a struggle in a pack society.
   
   It's been my experience that 1/2 players typically pay off too much, so basing our strategy on forcing incorrect folds is an uphill battle. The author suggests we avoid loose games, but frankly I think they're the most common and the most profitable. There are some games that we should walk away from, but we should aspire to have some flexibility in strategy. That is, we should adapt our strategy to exploit our opponents' vulnerabilities.
   
   There's not nearly as much content as the page count would imply due to a liberal use of copy-and-paste. Ever fourth page there's a new chapter with the same introductory quotation. The preflop hand ranking chart appears several times in its entirety.
   
   I do not recommend this book. Stick with Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker.



5. The author suggests a "dominator" style at the table: very tight (especially from early positions), very aggressive (betting at least the size of the pot, often more; never calling, never drawing - it deteriorates your image), and using this image to steal/bluff a few additional pots. Granted. Some of the anecdotes from the good old days in Las Vegas are also worth reading.
   
   Aside from that, this is the worst poker book I've ever read (well, almsot read, I couldn't survive past p.230).
   
   First of all, the style and writing is horrendous, full of machismo and typos. The starting hand rank table is copied-pasted about 50 times in the book; the reader is reminded about 75 times (at each new chapter) to start reading the first chapter first, etc. The chapter "Big Blinds and Big Slick" even appears twice in the book, with a few words changed here and there. I don't expect good poker players to be great writers, but one must meet minimum standards.
   
   In addition, some recommended plays are just plain wrong. Let's take three examples from the book...
   
   1. Playing big slick (ace-king), unimproved to the river. The other player makes a weak bet at the river. The author suggests to call if you think he bluffs (ok), or even better, if you are certain it's a bluff, to raise the size of the pot, "because this is the power play". Well, let's say certain=80%, which is a lot. In 80% of the cases, the player folds and you gain nothing; in 20% of the case, he didn't bluff, calls your ace-high hand, and you loose a bigger pot. What is the value proposition here?
   
   2. You hold AA, the flop is AJT rainbow. The other player bets, and the author recommends to fold, "because he must have KQ". I'm sympathetic with the idea of not falling in love with one's hand, even if it appears great, but still... In a $1/$2 game, this raise could mean many things. What about AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, JT? Between the value bets, the semi-bluffs, the pure bluffs, the bad draws, and the like, you could be against anything. And even if it were KQ (worst case scenario, though not most likely), we have 7 outs at the turn and 10 outs at the river to redraw to the nuts, so it would not be a great situation, but not desperate either. Folding? Really?
   
   3. Last example. The author plays AJ against what will later happen to be AQ. He plays horribly, and finally re-raise all-in at the river, believing he has the best hand. The player with AQ folds, and the author wins the pot. "This is the power of domination" is the conclusion of the author. Really? What about a donkey play turning out to be lucky?
   
   All in all, this was a waste of time and money. Actually, the only poker book I didn't manage to finish.
   
   If you want to learn, read Harrington; to improve, read Malmuth, Slansky, Miller, Cloutier; to entertain yourself, read Ciaffone, Gordon, even Cooke; to expand your horizon, read Caro... But save your money and skip this one. This is just bad advice badly written.

5 comments about Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'em.

1. I bought this book because I liked the fact there were tables to help me understand the game. I ended up returning it because it was so was jargon filled as to be unreadable for me as a less than expert player. The tables didn't appear to have column explanations.
   
   If you're a novice Texas Hold'em player (I consider myself above novice but certainly not experienced) you likely won't benefit from this book. If you're an expert player I'll defer to the other expert reviewers for their review of the book.



2. This is a great book by one of the greatest and most successful online cash game players in the world- Nick "Stoxtrader" Grudzien (and of course his collaborator Geoff "Zobags" Herzog). If there is one person in the poker world that you could make a case for accepting his word as gospel then Stox would be it. You can count on what this guy has to say as being factual and accurate. This is not some armchair theoritician who played a bit of 10/20 in soft live games and is now banging out a book to make a quick buck. This is a guy that has played in the toughest, highest stakes online poker games in the world and won- big time- for a long time.
   
   This is a book for advanced players who play in tough games against other good, thinking players. It is not about how to beat bad players in loose games so if that is the type of game you play, get Small stakes hold 'em by Ed Miller & co. This text covers multiple facets of the shorthanded high stakes online limit games and it's scope and content is far too deep to be expounded on in any great depth in a simple, two paragraph book review. I'll just say that it is a brilliant piece of work by one of the greatest poker players of the modern era and it's importance definitely cannot be overstated. I guess you could say that this book is the real "Hold 'em for advanced players" now.
   
   Five stars and a glowing recommendation.



3. This is a good, useful book for advanced higher stakes limit players who already win and are looking to improve their bottom line. The content is excellent, but the presentation is lacking in some ways. As others have pointed out, this is seriously NOT a beginner's book. The authors clearly assume that their audience is as described in the first sentence of this review. Look elsewhere for beginner books. For materials on the fundamentals of limit hold'em, I recommend the books by David Sklansky, or to a lesser extent, Lee Jones. Those books don't really address much short handed play, however, so once the fundamentals are in place, if one is interested in the much more fun short handed game, one should read the book by Borer, Mak, and Tanenbaum. Once one understands all of that, it's time for this book!



4. This is an unusual book, to say the least. Every detail of how to handle tough, short handed play is in here. The weakness is in the editing, layout and just general usability of the text. This would easily be a five star text with only a little bit of work. Large portions of this book consist of spreadsheets showing performance of certain plays under various conditions. The tables are staggering in their size. There are roughly 70 pages of spreadsheet tables with hundreds of cells apiece. While this is a scholarly work, the editors could have insisted in summations of the spreadsheets using graphs or charts and then put the tables in an appendix. It would have added greatly to the readability. Also, it would have been helpful if they had included a CD ROM with the tables in spreadsheet form for the rest of us to sort through.
   
   This is a good book though. If you're willing to take some time to sort out the logic of the tables (here I'm talking spreadsheet tables, not playing tables) then the book is worth every penny. But don't go charging into this text expecting an easy read. This is a book for those serious enough to put extra effort into digging, reading and re-reading. The plus side is - you can rest assured these guys have done their homework.



5. I had high expectations for 'Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'em' but after reading this book I was very disappointed. Authored by 2 very successful online (mainly limit) players, I expected to see great writing, analysis, hand inspection, the whole shebang. What I got was a half-hearted, borderline result that I quickly shelved. I don't doubt "Stoxtrader" and "Zobags" being successful players (not one bit) but I just was never sucked in to their book like I have with many other poker books like the Harrington NL tournament series or Small Stakes Hold 'em by Malmuth and Miller.
   
   The major problem with this book is that there is simply too much time wasted on charts. The charts provided show the results of each hand that can possibly be played for a full ring player, 6max player, etc. It's interesting to see the results but not much is going to be learned from them. Obviously the better hands (it's expected that the reader have a basic knowledge of limit before reading this text) are going to win more, and this is the same for short handed or full ring play. Of the 300+ pages, about 50 pages or so are just charts. They add something to the book but not nearly enough to warrant so much page real estate.
   
   Content is alright but I don't feel that I learned much overall. The authors advise a more daring style for the higher limit games with more bluffs and making river calls without even pairs (as an example). You do have to adapt to win at the nosebleed stakes but the type of analysis here didn't add much to my repertoire.
   
   The thing that I was most interested in was the hand analysis and quizzes section and I was not pleased with what was there. The writing just didn't get me excited to go to the next hand like I felt with the Harrington books, itching to read the next analysis. Too many hands are just marginal holdings or non-holdings and I wonder how realistic this is. Of course I don't play at the highest stakes so maybe pushing with air or practically air is the norm but I felt that this wasn't the greatest effort.
   
   There's no 2 1/2 star for this book so I tend towards the bottom scale as I was not happy with the end result. Most 2+2 books are fantastic but this doesn't get my stamp of approval. I feel that there are other limit books that handle 90-95% of the market for readers who need such books. For the other 5-10% the advanced concepts discussed are a subset in themselves and I feel hard to document.
   
   **

5 comments about Advanced Limit Hold'em Strategy.

1. This book deserves a place in your poker library whether you are a limit hold'em specialist or not. It will help make you a better poker player in general. The author notes that his goal is not to give you a game, but rather to improve your game, i.e. this book is not intended for beginners. Consistent with that goal, there is no glossary of poker terms, no description of the basic rules for how to play, no hand rankings, and no odds charts. These areas are all to often included in other "advanced" poker books and serve only as filler.
   
   The chapter entitled "Making One Big Bet per Hour" will be very useful for anyone looking to move up successfully to higher limit games. Seven specific skills are listed in the order that professionals will have added them as their games improved. The reader can quickly see where they fit in this poker skill continuum and determine which specific abilities they will need to acquire or improve upon if they wish to move up.
   
   The author's writing style is very reader friendly and the information is presented concisely without excessive hand descriptions or war stories.
   
   
   Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players (Advance Player)The Theory of PokerWinning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'emWinning Low-Limit Hold'emLimit Hold'em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies



2. A good book for those wanting to transition from say $3-6 to $10-20. Thought provoking book which should plug some leaks and get your big hands paid off. I particularly liked the discussions on giving the "illusion of action" and what's required to make +1bb/hr. Well thought out and accessible writing. I'd think 80% of us playing under $20-40 would find something here to improve their game.



3. I was taking a Limit Hold'em mentoring class just over 4 months ago and I decided to pick up Barry's book as an accompaniment to the class. I'm an avid reader of his columns in Cardplayer and it came as no surprise that this book is well written with thoughtful, concise and easily understood explanations of some of the more advanced concepts and techniques in Limit Hold'em.
   
   Recently there seem to have been a deluge of poker books hitting the market by new writers that just seem to regurgitate lessons written previously by the more notable poker authors. You may only find one or two tidbits of information contained within those books that may be truly useful, if you're lucky. Virtually every page of Barry's book had information you could readily use and adapt into your game.
   
   If you are a beginning to intermediate player this would be a great addition to your poker library. I would rate it right up there with "Small Stakes Hold'em", and "Hold'em poker for advanced players.)



4. I liked this book, it is:
   Easy and enjoyable to read.
   Covers a lot of topics, from preflop starting hands, to river play.
   Concepts and ideas explained clearly and logically.
   It contains a discussion about FUD which stands for Fear Uncertainty Doubt. Barry believes you need to mix up your play so your opponents
   1. Fear you
   2. Are uncertain what you have
   3. Doubt themselves and you
   After reading this book you will feel like You've been given an expensive 10 hour Lecture on Limit holdem by an expert.
   Just about everything on limit holdem is covered, but there is only 1 or 2 examples on each topic, thus only 4 stars.



5. Either Mr. Tanenbaum is not that great of a poker player, or he is unable or unwilling to teach what he knows to others. The subtitle of this book ("Techniques For Beating Tough Games") is completely misleading. The advice presented in this book is merely a statement of the obvious. Here's an example of what I mean from page 85;
   "[Y]ou bet the flop and get called. You missed your hand,
   so you correctly decide to check and fold the turn.
   So far, so good. But your opponent becomes happily
   conditioned to the fact that, when you check the
   turn, he will bet and you will fold.
   To keep him out of this comfort level, you must
   sometimes check the turn when you have a real hand,
   planning to either check-raise the turn or allow your
   opponent to continue a bluff on the river."
   If the above advice comes as a revelation to you, then maybe you can benefit from reading this book. However, this book will not get you ready to play in "tough games". In my opinion, the level of information in this book might be beneficial to someone looking to step up from a completely passive 3/6 game to a more aggressive 4/8 or 6/12 game. However, if you're looking for help on how to play in the "tougher" middle or upper limit games, this book will not help you.

5 comments about Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker.

1. This book is my favorite Hold 'Em book of all time for one simple reason. Every piece of advice it gives is backed up with one or more concrete examples of that principle in a game scenario as well as a mathematical proof of why that strategy is ultimately profitable in the long run. There are thousands of possible scenarios in poker. Having an expert tell me to throw away King-Queen offsuit in early position does me no good if I don't know why. I either won't remember, will misapply that information, or at the very least won't encounter that exact situation at the table where an understanding of the reasoning behind the advice might help me apply the same principle to a similar although slightly different scenario. This is where Yao as an author shines. This book will take you a bit longer than most other Hold 'Em books to get through but it's well worth the trip. If you want to skip over the mathematical parts, the writing itself is enough to stand on its own. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to deepen their ability to play Hold 'Em strategically. It's probably not the best first book if you've never read any book about the game before but a great second or third book - highly recommended.



2. This is a great book if yuor are into the mathematical aspects of hold'em. ALthough there are some good cencepts for those are less concerned it's main focus is on math. This book also explains outs and non-outs and how to calculate pot odds based on these as well as based on what your opponents cards are (if you are able to read hands well enough).



3. re-read this all the time. addresses only 'limit' games and i only play 'on-limit' and free-rolls. think it provides a good 'basic TIGHT strategy'. he addresses bluffing but it didn't 'stick'. like the charts alot! guess i'm old-school but did find the use of 'she, her' a little annoying. still don't understand 'raising for a free card'. lol
   
   all the best,
   RR



4. If you want to learn about the odds and how to play Hold'em Poker, GET THIS BOOK NOW !!!



5. And that's exactly what I was looking for. If you are looking for the down and dirty numbers behind poker, and I am not talking about tables of numbers to memorize but the actual formulas that those tables are derived from, this is the book for you. Reading this book makes my head hurt, and probably should be done sitting at a desk with a pen and paper. Not only do you want to take notes, you will also want to be sure you can work through what Yao is explaining.
   
   It is a wonderful read if that is what you are looking for.

5 comments about Limit Hold'em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies.

1. I am not a limit guy at all, but knowing the short-handed game in general is a major goal of mine so that is why I picked up this book. A ton of the players I know have been talking about and making posts regarding Winning Short-handed Strategies for the past month. Just about everything they said has been really positive. So, I took a chance on it. As there seem to be delivery problems with this edition (at least here in the states), I got it quickly from one of the z shops instead of ordering it from the central warehouse. I have just finished it and the one thing I have to say is that it lives up to its hype. The authors tell you just about everything you need to know about short-handed limit. The game itself is a product of online play and that is where you will need to log in if you want to perfect your craft. Incidentally, this is the best D&B book I have ever read. They seem to be a company on the rise. This offering is as good as what the masters, Two Plus Two, normally put out.



2. There is more to this book than how to play the game well. It also covers key concepts that many books just scratch the surface of.
   
   Things like, Player Modeling, Table Selection, Statistics, Standard Deviation,
   
   If any of those above concepts are alien to you, that alone is reason to click the "add to cart" button.
   
   It also has a section for "super-short" games, where the game only has 2-4 players in it. It is almost impossible to find information on games like this. And yes, the game changes drastically as the players lessen at the table.
   
   It's 362 pages of jam-packed poker goodness that will pay itself off for you(as it has me many times over within the span of 2 months)
   
   The only bad thing about this book...is that it ends.



3. I found this a valuable addition to my poker library (25+ books). Very good presentation of the material and a good choice (or substitute) prior to tackling "Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'em".



4. As soon as I started reading this book I knew that would be a good one. Terry immediately gets you interested, it's as if he's talking to you face to face like a coach.
   I feel as though the knowledge I gained from this book was worth 500 hours of playing. Terry discusses every day limit holdem hands and situations that occur regularly, and discusses various moves that you can make for these situations.
   He explains all this with the utmost common sense leaving you feeling as though your learning something new all the time. Not only that but he explains how you can use tracking tools to give yourself an edge and other things like rakeback and poker psychology. It is great all-round.
   I believe Terry has put years of experience into this book. It is a piece of work and I have gained more knowledge from this book than any other I have read so far, which include all of Harringtons. If Terry ever writes a book again i'll be first to buy it.
   I hope I never play anyone who has read this book at the tables.



5. Most of the games i play in, are full table games, till the last table, and that's where this book is really helpful. The people who wrote this book, are very knowledgeable, thanks for all your hard work. JK.

5 comments about Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book: More Lessons and Hand Analysis in No Limit Texas Hold'em.

1. If you have basic poker knowledge (read the Phil Gordon's Green book) then this is a great follow-up. Even if you didn't read the Green book, you'll learn something reading this book. It's an easy read, entertaining, and has some good info. For a casual player who wants to get better but doesn't want to get too involved in poker theory, there's no beating Phil Gordon's Green and Blue book. For a serious player, it's still a good read if not a bit fluffy, like Phil Gordon himself. READ IT!



2. When learning something like poker I like my information straight foreword, not with a lot of embellishment. While studying each hand I had to remind myself what I was trying to learn that particular hand without being distracted by the anecdotes.
   
   I'm sure many students will find this makes the learning more interesting but my goal when studying poker is to improve my game with the least amount of effort.
   
   About a quarter of the way into this book I asked myself how would I be better served? Should I continue with Little Blue or would I get more out of re-reading books I had already studied like Harrington Vol I or Little Green.
   
   About 5 problems into Harrington Vol I...there was my answer. Goodbye Little Blue.
   
   Bottom line...maybe this is a great book but if your learning style is similar to mine...take a pass.



3. Phil Gordon's three book set rivals Harringtons' as the best poker books on the market. This one in particular goes through several hands and strategies as well as warnings on getting trapped or lazy whilst playing.
   
   The Black and Green books are also great, in fact the green book might even be better than this one, but they are both must haves for someone that wants to improve their game.



4. Both Phil Gordon's little "green & blue" books I've purchased and given as gifts. Myself and family members have benefited and improved as players after reading these. They are practical and easy to understand and implement. I highly recommend these as must read or additions to any level poker player from beginner to advanced players.



5. I bought this book after having read Phil Gordons Green Book on poker. Do not waste your money. While the Green Book has valuable information that WILL improve your game, the Blue Book is a bad sequel and provides very little useful information as it is only a diary of previous hands played by Phil in numerous situations. You will learn more from watching Poker After Dark and visually watching how hands are played out by professionals.
   
   What really upset me about this book, was a hand that is described starting on page 73 and runs for 8 pages only to be told if you want to know the outcome of the hand to go to Phil Gordons website. I payed $22.00 for information in this book, not to be told to go to a website for the rest of the story.