5 comments about The Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success.

1. Perfect book. It explains why not to be angry about bad beats.
   Helps you to control and to recognize your (various types of) tilts.
   It saves me money. I tilted too much and now i have a better
   control over it. Keeps hammering on that a winning pokerplayer
   must look for the long term. And thats what its all about.
   Helped me to focus on targets. NOT to set targets about how much you must
   win in a certain time. This is what i usually did.
   Now i set targets for example: I will read 1 pokerbook every 2 month, i will post 10 hands a week in a forum. All of this to improve my game...
   Guess what??? It works!
   Its a must read for every poker player



2. Learning the game is not the only thing you need to know to be a successful poker player. This book goes through the philosphical and psychologic aspects of the game. This gives you the information to get your emotions and attitudes in the corrct place to always go for that positive expectation.
   Solid information and a good read. Pick it up if you are getting serious about the game.



3. I mostly play online. Saw myself, my relationship to the game and other players differently as I read the book over a 3 week period. My results have improved. Check out the Table of Contents. Book is put together well. I'm considering purchasing their Statistics and probability book but I've got a stack of Harrington books waiting to be read.



4. So you may as well buy it. I'm an online pro poker player and have been for about 2 years now and I can say with 100% certainty that this book has increased my profits. I've read it about 3.5 times. If you have already mastered your tilt you may not need this, but it has lots of good information about different types of tilt you may not be familiar with. It also gives convincing points about BR management. Give it to your always busto friends.
   
   But most likely you need it. When people ask me which book helped my poker game most out of my collection this is currently the one I point to.



5. Reading this book makes a lot of sense. Good advice on bankroll management, and most importantly tells you what you need to do to help you avoid tilt. Tilt is probably the main cause of a downswing, avoiding tilt is important. After reading this book I feel cool and calm about playing poker knowing that it will all even out in the long run. I also like how it stresses that poker is just a game and that there are other things in life.

No comments about The Poker Tournament Formula II: Advanced Strategies.

5 comments about No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice.

1. See Wookborm's review for a more complete discussion of what is wrong here. I don't mind beginner's books, but they should be marketed as such. I think you'll be hard pressed to find anything new in this book, if you have spent any time reading up on no-limit on any of the popular online forums. Mastery of the material in this book does not look sufficient to beat the 25 cent big blind game online. I could only recommend it if you have no other no-limit book at all; but then, why not buy Harrington volume 1 or something else? This book is superfluous. I felt ripped off.



2. This book is great. Well written, it clearly explains how now limit works. It is not for a beginner. I keep stopping and trying out the concepts before going on to the next. I am using implied odds and bet sizing to maximize my expectations. There is not as much math as some of his other books which is better for me.



3. Excellent book for the beginner to intermediate player to learn more about poker concepts. Well written and will definitely help your game.



4. I think this book gives a solid primer on no limit holdem, especially to the neophyte (like myself). I feel like there is some very useful information, such as when to call an all in from a short stack based on how you would profile the opponent (loose, tight, very tight, etc).
   
   The Sklansky Chubukov ratings are nice to know (even though the numbers can only be used for one small situation in the small blind)
   
   When I buy a poker book I am primarily looking to glean one or two important concepts and I think this book has done that.



5. This book is the book your looking for on no limit strategy. It explains many concepts that may not be clear to the starter player who wants to get deeper in knowledge. Many holdem books apply to limit poker but this book goes further into concepts that are started in supersystem and why doyle can makes certain plays.

5 comments about Professional No-Limit Hold 'em: Volume I.

1. I've read and re-read all the classics (i.e. Theory of Poker, Super System, Harrington on Hold em, etc etc etc) I cannot say for sure that this book is a classic, but I definitely feel that it stands out amongst all other poker books who have not yet acheived classic status but still want you to pay classic prices. Other reviews give specifics about SPR (stack to pot ratio), planning hands, and other topics in the book, I wont get in to that. I will say that they manner that these topics are presented in the book are innovative, straightforward, and an advantage to the strategy of a serious poker player. Will the use of planning your hand before the flop allow you to outplay your opponents and show a profit? Maybe - Maybe not, but the thought process of how to use this information is a definite advantage because I feel that many players think exploitively but not necessarily in the context that this book presents the material. Poker is the type of game where if you are static instead of dynamic, good opponents will exploit your tendencies. This book gives a different perspective on (i.e pot odds) ratios when discussing SPRs. This book is the type of reading that will truly improve your game because it causes you to think on a different level. When you think on a different level it always improves your game because it adds variables that you consider in making important decisions. The more information you have to make that decision, you will undoubtedly make better decisions. In my opinion, the method that they present some of the material is not discussed in any other book I've ever read, which to me indicates that they're doing something right.



2. I just completed reading this book, and I'm an active NL cash player. My overall impression: the book was absolutely worth the money, and worth the time spent reading. I'll get Vol II. I'd recommend the book to my poker playing friends.
   
   Clearly, I think the book is overall pretty good. I don't, however, think the book deserves the level of praise it's getting here, because it does have it's flaws. Much of the core of the book revolves around SPR (simply: effective stack size / pre-flop pot size), and manipulating the pre-flop betting to get you the SPR that is ideal for your hand. But *why* are those SPRs desirable? He determines it based on how many pot-sized bets it takes to get you all in. That is a flaw, in my opinion - he builds into the math the assumption that bets and raises are the size of the pot. Sure, sometimes they are, but often they are not.
   
   Don't get me wrong: your stack size absolutely effects how you play different types of hands. But he takes the idea of specific SPRs way further than it should really go; it's pretty core to his play style.
   
   Another pet peeve I had was places where he recommended get pot committed / all-in "so that you don't have to face any tough decisions later in the hand". (He is not the only author that gives this advice, but it rankles me everywhere I see it). Basically he is saying, get your whole stack in, so that you don't have to make choices later. I think choices are a good thing, especially given that I'll see more cards and have a better basis for making decisions later - I don't want to self-limit my choices ahead of time! That advise is only worthwhile to someone who habitually gets bluffed off the best hand.
   
   Over all, though, the book was good and I felt I got some valuable ideas from it. I like his ideas about planning out a whole hand early, and deciding if you will or will not get committed to a pot before you have put much into it. (I see so many players that call a few bets and suddenly realize on the turn that they already have 1/3 of their chips in).
   
   Get it, read it, learn it, but in my opinion, take it with a (small) grain of salt.



3. I used to be an avid poker player but had to slow down when I got married and had kids. Anyway ... this book is a good text on breaking down how one should/could approach thinking mathematically about the issues in no limit hold'em. One key concept for me was how buying in short kept me mathematically from getting burned so much, because I overplayed top pair top kicker when stakes are 100BB+. It is definitely not for the casual player and requires some study to understand the concepts. I've read this book as well as the Slanksy and Miller No Limit text. This one is better, but only marginally. In all honesty, both have not "done it" for me like the Small Stakes Limit Hold-em text or even Slansky's Hold'em for Experts, which are both clearer and very informative. Perhaps that is because no limit is a more complex game or the concepts in limit are easier to convey. I'm hoping that Harrington on Cash (which should be released any day now -03/08) is better in than these texts. Nonetheless, I fully intend to finish the series if they publish more. (What else would I buy with those pokerstars FPPs?)



4. This is a great poker book. Easy to read and understand. I think it has taken my game to the next level. However, it is not a good book for beginners. This book assumes you all ready know how to play poker and teaches you how to think and play like a pro. There are some great books out for beginners, but this book is not one of them. However, This book is a must have for advanced players. It was worth every penny.



5. A book that highlights the message "plan-the-hand" for NL play. Sounds simple. In reality it often isn't.
   The authors take you through the planning proces and give advise that is very helpful, not just in theory but also in the heat of the battle. Key advise is, prior to making a pre-flop bet, to decide on which flops you do want to commit your stack and on which flops you don't, and to estimate for your starting hand the percentages of both types of flops. Subsequently bet/raise pre-flop such that you realise the right stack-to-pot ratio on the flop for the purpose of your planned post-flop play. The authors give practical advise for various classes of starting hands/flop combinations what is the optimal stack-to-pot ratio. Some of the analysis leads to pre-flop betting that - prior to reading the book - I would have classified as over-betting. However, the analysis in the book is sound, and it definitely helps keeping a robust rational approach to the game.

5 comments about Doyle Brunson's Super System II.

1. For those who want to learn the fundamentals of different poker games there isn't a better primer out there than Super System 2. Doyle Brunson has chosen some of the most entertaining and insightful professionals around to share their strategies and advice to new and experienced players alike for each of the six different games covered in the book. As a bonus there are tips from Mike Caro, a chapter dedicated to on-line play, and a tournament overview which will be especially helpful to those without alot of large-field tournament experience. Doyle's own life story is almost worth the price of the book alone and is a must read for those who truly want to appreciate the roots of the game today!



2. This book it's so amazing, if you play poker you must read it, it helps you a lot in your game.



3. Some people say they dont like this book and i imagine its becuase they only play nl hold em and thats only like 100 pages of this book. The many number of games it covers made this a must buy for me. NLHE gets boring after a while, right? If you want to learn some limit games get this book, it covers pot limit omaha (the new nlhe) also. I also enjoyed the non-game sections like the tourney chapters and the caro section which had many general good tips. There are scattered "live tells" tips given in the book which was cool too.



4. If you have bought the first super system then don't waste your money on this one. It basically is super system one on doyles part. If you want the other authors views on stud, draw ect... then but it.



5. Doyle Brunson's Super System II This is a big, big book with a lot of information to digest. If you are a Poker player and haven't read this book, you should. If you are looking for a book on the game of poker and you want to buy only one book, this is the one book to buy. It will improve your game. It is written in a manner that keeps it interesting as well as informative. Well worth the money.

5 comments about Pot-Limit Omaha Poker.

1. The definitive book on Omaha Poker. If you read this it will improve your game, period. More than just a guide to starting hands and recommended plays, Mr. Hwang provides insight into the Omaha players state of mind. With the knowledge presented in a well thought out and easy to understand format, Pot Limit Omaha Poker is a must for any player's library. Patience, aggression, and the information presented here are enough for anyone to become a winning player.



2. Ciaffone's Omaha Poker is a very thin book, but in the content that is there, it is very useful. It is low on examples, or at least in-depth examples. Sklansky's stuff repeats a lot of the standard theory of poker, which is good if you haven't read all of his other books.
   
   This book takes the info from both styles, and combines them, so you get the theory of pot odds and the like, mixed with strategy, and then example hands with discussions.
   
   I found the most useful strategy part the limit omaha hi/lo section, as I had read the least on that prior to this book.
   
   As many reviews mention, there are errors in the examples in the book, but you would have to be a moron not to realize they are errors. They have offered corrections for these for free online, and usually you can look at them and know what they intended regardless of the error.



3. This book gives interesting insights and pretty detailed discussion of a few subjects. He spends a lot of time on which straight generating hands are best (rundowns, two gaps, etc.) and which are most vulnerable to domination, and a lot of time discussing the vulnerability of certain very good LOOKING hands, like under full (66 on 996 board).
   
   For the very deep stacked among us, this is decent stuff to consider. But realistically in most Omaha games, the finer points of huge versus big hands aren't so applicable. He also gives very little guidance on opening hand standards, and many of his general discussions lack depth or variety of perspective.



4. Echoing the sentiments of another reviewer -- I would not want to be playing Omaha against anyone who has this book in his or her arsenal. This is currently THE book on Omaha, but as was mentioned before, you will only get out of it what you put into it. The amount of detail contained within will probably be lost on most players, especially the uber-in-depth look at the straight draws (holy cow!). This book has improved my game immensely, and will most likely do the same for you.



5. Are you an Holdem player who want's to understand Omaha? Well, this book is for you. I was such a player and didn't understand Omaha. Now I understand it better and even if I don't play it very much it also improved mu understanding of Holdem. Buy this book and you won't regret.

2 comments about Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time Volume I.

1. Frankly, given the fame and success of the authors AND the hype surrounding this book, I expected a breakthrough text.
   
   The main part of the book presents each of three authors going over random hands they played. This is ok, but how much more fascinating would have been a Hansen-style replay an entire tourney! The authors display that special mix of aggression and caution (ie. "I don't what my opponent has here, but too many hands beat me.") that pro poker players have. In one hand, Rizen pushes allin on the river with one pair and top kicker. His opponent folds revealing a lesser hand. One small problem -- both straight and flush draws have hit. This sounds like my last hand of any tournament!
   
   The book could have been better organized by starting from the overall themes and giving examples to illustrate correct play.
   
   There is a section of all three players analyzing the same hands. This is far better as it really highlights the differing approaches. They explain their strategy clearly and sometimes have opposite tactics for the same hand. This reminds me more of Harrington's discussion of key tournament plays. But Harrington's play is way more conservative than Rizen's, for example. In contrast, Pearljammer makes some spectacular laydowns. As this is not TV poker, I can't say if they were good reads or overly cautious folds.
   
   A worthwhile poker book for your library. Though I don't love its structure, the book does give you valuable insight into the thinking of successful pros.



2. I was in the process of reading another poker book when this one arrived in today's mail. A quick glance made it clear that "One Hand at a Time" should be read first.
   
   The book is organized in four sections, one written by each of the three authors and a fourth in which each gives his analysis of a hand that had been played by Matthew Hilger. I think this organization is great in that it lets the reader vicariously enter the mind of each player and experience thinking about hands with the style of that player, then the different playing styles are brought into (sometimes) stark contrast in the final section where each of the three gives his take on a Hilger hand.
   
   It is tempting to compare this book with Gus Hansen's recent book, the "Hand by Hand" books of Neil Myers, Johnny Chan's (with Mark Karowe) account of the playing of various hands, or others of the same type. I have read several books of hand descriptions and have learned from them all.
   
   However, "One Hand at a Time" stands out because of the collaboration, and the organization. Each hand description is organized in sections titled:
   ..Setup - giving the tourney type, buyin, info on other players, etc.
   ..Pre-Flop - Describes the preflop action and thinking.
   ..Flop - Describes the flop action and thinking.
   ..Turn - Describes the turn action and thinking.
   ..River - Describes the river action and thinking.
   ..Outcome - Describes in a single sentence the outcome of the hand.
   ....Actually this section does not exist -- BUT IT SHOULD!!!!
   
   Immediately following the title of each hand section the pot size is given, making it much easier to follow the action than many books of this type in which you have to keep track of the pot size yourself. Others writing books of this sort - or those reprinting such existing books - would be well advised to adapt to this format. The graphic depicting the table is superior to those you'll see in most books, making it easier to focus on the logic rather than having to keep re-deciphering the table layout. Most of the hands described were successful for the author though some bad beats and questionable decisions are included. I didn't attempt to tabulate the win-loss ratio though I'd expect these players to win many more hands than they lose - my own record in successful vs. unsuccessful tournaments suggests that should be the case.
   
   An index would have been helpful and I hope the authors and publisher will view this as a necessity for the upcoming Volume II. One index I would like to see would be based on the type of hands (i.e. "Top two pair with flush draw on the board").
   
   I've come to believe that anything Matthew Hilger, the publisher, is involved in is to be respected. This volume only reinforces that belief.
   
   I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone willing to take the time to read it carefully and think about the hands. Seeing the logic explained so coherently will certainly improve your tournament play. I'd also recommend for those who do purchase the book that they read it with notepad in hand and that as they progress through the book they create their own indexes of the type I mentioned above. Read it to learn, create the index to turn it into a valuable reference.

5 comments about Caro's Book of Poker Tells.

1. I didn't really buy into this book, but I guess when it comes to basic tells it does the job. The fact is, I'm not a pro, and just this last weekend I played in a home game. I tried to use Caro's tricks and it was only then that I realized how difficult it is to focus on my own cards and also try to figure out tells. That being said, I definitely started to pick up on a few tells from my opponents. Sadly I ignored them twice and lost big pots, but in the future I will destroy them.
   
   Overall a good basic "tell" book, better than the new ones anyway, especially Helmuths.



2. This book promises a wealth of information but sadly falls short of the mark. Descriptions are vague and corresponding photos of such poor quality that it's very difficult to gain much useful knowledge from this book.
   
   Mike Caro is one of the leading authorities on poker strategy and this book is probably the only one of its kind on the market today. Unfortunately, this book will leave most readers deeply confused and unprepared for a casino poker game. Save your money for something else.
   
   My dissatisfaction with the book lies mostly in its poor visual guides which accompany nearly every tell. Tells are visual by nature. In order to understand the subtle differences between an action that strongly suggests a bluff and one that suggests a truly strong hand, one must have visual aids that convey these differences effectively.
   
   Here are clear reasons and examples why the photos are so bad. If you don't believe me, just use the "Search inside!" link to see some sample photos:
   =======================================================
   
   1. The photos are all black and white
   2. The pictures are extremely grainy
   3. Most of the players in high contrast with dark shadows and bright whites (i.e. photo 88)
   4. The photos are at least 30 (maybe 40?) years old
   5. The photos are very small ( 2" x 3" )
   6. Photos for tells based on where a player is directing his eyes have the player wearing bottleneck glasses, wearing a hat that shadows the eyes or the eyes are completely obscured.
   7. You cannot see what cards are on the table.
   
   There is some wisdom in this book, but nothing you can't find online for free and with better pictures.
   
   I believe the market is ripe for a competing book on this subject.



3. I bought this book for my boyfriend. He said it was everything he thought it would be



4. It a little bit on the difficult side as to writing style and very out of date when it came to the pictures and graphics, this book is still a good recommendation to any that play poker (of any kind).
   
   Harrington recommends this book, at least exposing yourself to the tells others have or that you may be giving is a good idea. I give it a recommendation.



5. ...especially in this day and age, and especially if your game is hold 'em. Many of the tells are far more relevant for a stud or Omaha game. That, and too many people have read this book. Really only useful against the lamest of players, imho.

5 comments about Phil Hellmuth Presents Read 'Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent's Guide to Decoding Poker Tells.

1. First, let me say that I wouldn't give a great poker book a good review because I don't want to have somebody I'm playing against getting smarter by reading it. But, having been a dumb donkey for buying this book, I'm disgusted enough to tell others that it is such a worthless ripoff of Mike Caro's classic BOOK OF TELLS that it is a shame it was printed. More shameful is that I bought it. Page after page, the author praises his powers of observation and his expensive seminars. He promises that reading his book and, yes, attending his seminars, will make you a great pro. Much of this self-hype sounds like a used-car salesman talking about the beauty he's going to sell you if you act today.
   
   All the photos are ridiculous, but even funnier is the section about feet. Sure, if somebody is sitting right next to you, I guess you can see if they have their feet wrapped around their chair legs, but players who sit for hours and hours tend to do all kinds of things with their feet and legs that have nothing to do with the hand they are in. When somebody first arrives at a table, for instance, they are often fresh and a little excited, so they will have their feet "ready for action." But after just a little while, we relax and just try to keep our knees from locking up and our toes from going numb. You can look at my feet under the table all you want--if it helps you read me, great!
   
   The biggest laughs are in the section about how to hide your own tells: Act like a robot, wear a hat and sunglasses, and cover your mouth and nose with your hands. Hey, who said poker was supposed to be fun?
   
   Mr. Helmuth contributes a few stories from tourneys in which he made mind-boggling lay-downs or bluffs based on somebody biting a lip or looking scared. Otherwise, this mess belongs entirely to Mr. Navarro.
   
   I gave this a second star for the introduction in which the author does make a good, strong case for developing observation powers away from the table and not only while in the heat of battle. (See, I am trying to be fair!) But that is only about seven pages, not enough to shell out the bucks for.
   
   If you do decide to get this book, keep it a secret, because any decent, experienced poker player who knows you bought it will laugh at you until you cry.
   
   A final note: I have noticed that poker books stand out as being dog-piled praised by everybody the author ever sat next to at a table. What a back-slapping, good-old-boy club they have going for most of the books. Fortunately, all the false praise makes it very difficult for readers to know which ones can really help their game!



2. This book is pretty bad. It has a few useful tidbits of info if you are willing to wade through pages and pages of filler material. I strongly suggest anyone considering purchase go to a bookstore and examine the book first. Here are some things you will find:
   
   1. Look at the print - it's practically double-spaced.
   
   2. It's filled with unnecessary full-page photos. For example, look at page 168, where a full-page photo shows what whistling looks like.
   
   3. It reuses photos. Look at pages 34 and 87. Notice anything? Entire page taken up with exactly the same photos. The captions are slightly different, but basically say the same thing.
   
   4. It reuses content. Everything is repeated over and over and over again. There are countless examples of this throughout the book.
   
   5. The writing is very long-winded. Open to any random page and read a few lines and you'll see what I mean. Here's an example: pages 133 to 137 describe a single tell called a tongue-jut, including a full-page photo to show what it looks like. Here's what those 5 pages say: if a player flicks his tongue between his teeth for a second, he feels like he got away with something. That's it. 5 pages.
   
   6. The Phil Hellmuth anecdotes are self-promoting, uninteresting and basically useless to the reader. Is anyone surprised by this? To see what I mean, flip through the book and read any section with a gray background. For example, on page 137, Phil begins a 3-page story about how great he was at reading Howard Lederer in a certain hand.
   
   And so on...
   
   The cover of the book tells us that Joe Navarro wrote the book with Marvin Karlins, but it's presented by Phil Hellmuth. What this means is: Joe wrote up everything he could think of and only came out with about 10 pages of actual content. They hired Marvin to spread that out to a full book, but still came up short. So they added Phil Hellmuth to give his endorsement and write a bunch of anecdotes to stretch the story even more. Finally, they threw in a bunch of photos to get up to about 200 pages, still a minimal length for a reference book on poker.
   
   Don't take my word on this - go to a bookstore and look for yourself.
   
   p.s. I'm not a huge fan of Mike Caro's book either. It's just so old. There definitely is a need for a modern, well-written book about poker tells. Anyone have any ideas?



3. Mike Caro's book was revolutionary since it was the first book that categorized all the tells from the poker table. I believe everybody should read Caro's book first if you want to learn about tells, but this books teaches you on how to continue learning how to read tells.
   
   Joe Navarro talks a lot about standard position, this is how people are in their normal state. You have to be observant on how people look like when they aren't under any pressure or stress. Base on this knowledge you will then start trying to read this person on tells. In the end of the book Navarro teaches you how to improve your observation skills with some exercises.
   Some reviews says that this is just a copy of Caro's book. I don't believe that's true, you will find information here that you can't find in Caro's book.



4. This is one great poker book. I play a lot of poker and everything else I've ever read about poker tells (even by the famous Mike Caro) has been completely useless. This book paid for itself the first time I played poker after reading it. I now feel like a professional player able to make some great reads.



5. This book is certainly more relevant today than Caro's dated one. But, like Caro's work, some of the information is delivered as absolute and true, while we all know there are no such things in poker.
   
   Read 'em and Reap has much to offer but everything in it needs a little salt for seasoning.

5 comments about The Theory of Poker.

1. Sklansky's Theory of Poker is no longer the newest book on advanced poker thought, but it remains required reading for both the average and the more experienced player. While some of the specific hand-analysis and tactical advice has been updated or superceded by more recent and also excellent books by the likes of Harrington or Gordon, the basic concepts do not change, and Sklansky is an insightful analyst, as well as an excellent teacher. The attentive reader will find his time and thought well rewarded.
   
   According to Sklansky's Theory of Poker, the game is one of mistakes - the point is to induce mistakes in your opponents' play while avoiding mistakes in play yourself. The basic nature of poker, in any of its forms, implies that you have imperfect and limited knowledge of the value of the hands your opponents hold, and they have limited knowledge of yours; it is because of this limited knowledge that mistakes can take place.
   
   Mistakes and errors are simple to define. If you had perfect knowledge of all hands, you would play your own hand in a certain, mathematically correct way. To the extent you play your hand differently, due to lack of knowledge or deception or whatever, you have made a mistake. Sklansky teaches various ways of inducing those mistakes in others, and also how to correctly analyze your own hand and options for play.
   
   Sklansky draws on multiple forms of poker for examples; not just Hold 'Em, but also 7 Stud, 5-card Draw, Razz, etc. For the player only familiar with Hold Em this may be a little confusing at first. The book is meant as a theoretical examination of principles built into all poker games, and is not really a how-to-play for Hold Em or any other form of poker.
   
   Sklansky's writing is dense in the sense that he does not beat around the bush or waste time or fill his book with fluff. The book is not light reading, and probably should not be your first book if you are not thoroughly familiar with the play as well as the language and jargon of the game. It cannot be skimmed. But there isn't a player out there who would not benefit from a careful reading, and would not benefit more from re-reading again six months later, this book.



2. I hate to give such a great book a negative title and mediocre review but the fact is that this book is just no longer relevant. Had you bought this before the poker boom you would be golden. The best piece of advice you can get from this book is the basic theory. Other than that the whole book is geared around limit cash games. We all know that NL tournaments is where it is at right now so I would check out Dan Harrington's books first.



3. This is a must read for any serious beginner to intermediate player. Most advanced players will probably have knowledge of the biggest part of the topics covered but it's never bad to refresh yourself.
   
   Essential information covered is pot odds, implied odds,draws and the free-card concept, among other things.



4. How would you play if ALL the cards were face-up? Any difference, when the cards are face down is a mistake. Ditto for your opponents. Sklansky expounds this fundamental theorem in great detail. This is a must-have book.



5. Okay, this book has wonderful information within it. Almost nothing Mr. Sklansky states within the book is bad information, and he uses relatively easy language. The problem many may have with the book is that while there are many simple learning tools that will help every reader immediately, this book is not one of them. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR A HOLE'EM PLAYER. If you're looking to learn Hold'em only, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK YET! Even if you are looking to learn more than games than Hold'em, I would suggest 'SuperSystem' first. My reasoning is simple, in this book, Mr Sklansky bounces from game to game to illustrate his examples. For a player who is trying to establish a winning approach to the game, this book may very well confuse you with so many examples and will not build confidence.
   
   From my previous statements, one might wonder why I would give this book a 5 star rating, and the answer is because to those whom can follow the book, it's essentially the handbook to every basic principle in the game. I would compare 'The Theory of Poker' to a school professor(and I will note this SPECIFIC book only and not the author or his other works) who does not dumb down his lessons for the lesser committed students, but whom will give a student the most out of the class if that student is completely dedicated. The catch is, this professer is teaching a third or fourth level class that without the necessary prerequisites, the student will be lost. I would guess that only one out of about six poker players trying to figure out if this is the right book for them would be correct in deciding it is, but to that one person, this is a MUST-HAVE! To those five people out of the six, if you have to ask whether or not you are ready for the book, the one person who is ready wouldn't have to ask. That person would be asking is the book worth reading, and the answer is yes!