5 comments about The Psychology of Poker.

1. Once you've read all the endlessly repetitive how-to's and studied the probability charts, starting hands, yada yada yada, this is your next step. Schoonmaker, a practicing psychologist who also plays a mean game of poker, has written a book that describes the motivations behind WHY people play poker. The various "types" he describes are those we've seen in varying degrees at every table, and his insights guide you toward infusing your own game with the basic glimmerings of playing the people, not just the cards. He also insists on a ruthless self-assessment, convincingly arguing that the penalty for ignoring one's own short-comings leads to leaks that will cost a player considerable money in the short and long run.
   
   This is a book that indirectly explains why Sammy Farha can get away with playing 9 2 suited against a raise, because it works at taking the mysticism out of intuition and makes awareness a replicable skill.
   
   Like Harrington's volume III workbook, this text offers interactive quizzes and charts that provide opportunities for self-examination that will inevitably lead to self-discipline and discovery. Highly recommended for the intermediate to advanced player of both cash and tournament games.



2. This is one of the first books on the psychology of poker and one of the most widely read. Schoonmaker divides players into four general groups: loose passive players, loose aggressive, tight passive, and tight aggressive players. Extreme and nominal versions of each type are also discussed, as are the ways to identify each type. The theme of the book is to decide what type of player your opponents are and then to play accordingly. There is also a section on ways to identify what type of player you are and ways to minimize the weaknesses associated with your type of playing.
   
   This is one of those books that is best suited to beginning players because more experienced players have probably developed a similar system on their own. The experienced player will, however, also benefit from the book as it is so widely read that it will tell him how his opponents view the game. Thus, even if you an experienced player who does not agree with Schoonmaker, you should read this book to learn what others may know and try to apply against



3. I wasn't a fan of this book.
   
   The author is not a great player, and freely admits this himself on more than one occasion, yet that doesn't stop him persistently patronising the reader with "I'm not great and neither are you", "I can't do this and neither can you", "The pros can do this but you can't" etc. etc.
   
   He even has the nerve to say you MUST play tight aggressive in order to be a winning player, just because he is not a skilled enough player to win money using a less safe style of play.
   
   He doesn't offer the insight that other writers offer in other top-selling poker books with the purpose of improving your game, he ties you down to a bunch of third-rate ideas about analysing what might be motivating a player, when if you're playing against anyone even halfway good they're only ever motivated by playing winning poker.
   
   I felt insulted by the tone of this book, and the author who I would love to bust for as much money as possible.
   
   If you have any poker talent at all, any real skills, any winning results, any self-belief, and any ambitions to improve and take your game to new levels don't read this book cos it will insult you too.
   
   If you are an unskilled player, who is forced to play the tight-aggressive style as a safety net to make up for lack of game, and you play poker with other players who aren't any good either, then give this book a look and suffer the author's persistent attempts to drag you down to his level.
   
   2+2 publishing have produced some classic books from some superb player/authors, but this is not one of them.



4. This book is great in that it focuses not so much on the game of poker i.e. odds statistics etc but rather it makes the reader review and refresh the reason that they are playing the game in the first place and also encourages you to ask those questions about the people you're playing with.
   
   To get the most out of this book you have to want to focus on the way you play and your weaknesses and strengths.



5. Virtually everything that addresses the presumptive subject of the book, namely "the psychology of poker", is good stuff that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. Getting into your motivations and the motivations of your opponents in particular is helpful. Some of the stuff is covered in other material on "tells", but Schoonmaker goes into more detail about the general psychology and less into the specific observable mechanics.
   
   However, Schoonmaker is extremely annoying in several ways. He repeatedly derides GREAT PLAYERS (not by name) for being morons who just happen to be tremendously gifted. Again and again he says he doesn't want you to be a great player, he just wants you to grind out a little more edge. The inadequacy complex he displays is an interesting psychological study in and of itself.
   
   He says he's not going to try to teach you to play poker, but unfortunately he doesn't stick to that promise. Some of the advice is actually quite good, especially how to adjust to different players (in limit games, though it's mostly applicable to NL). Some of it is just the whinings of a gutless player. Some of it comes from a much weaker theoretical framework than you would expect. In particular, he claims that "all maniacs are heavy losers" and recommends that players use the absolute tightest and most aggressive style possible. He calls these players "Stone Killers" which I assume is some sort of 60s slang. I will briefly explain why this is not the case. Imagine the most tight aggressive player possible - always raises with "the nuts" and check/folds everything else. Does that sound like a Stone Killer to you?
   
   In defense of the author, for most limit players getting tighter and more aggressive equals an automatic improvement in their game. So generally his advice is sound, even if his theoretical understanding of the concepts is flawed. Also, despite how whiny he comes off, virtually every player would benefit by concentrating on the hundreds of mundane decisions that are made every session rather than the one "great play" opportunity that we might see a Phil Ivey make on YouTube.
   
   In total the book is a bit of a mash of psychological material which is helpful to experienced players and play advice which is suited to uninformed players (who would benefit more from reading a book on strategy). With some inferiority complex ramblings mixed in. If you don't mind being herded into becoming a tight aggressive limit player this may actually be the book for you.
   
   I don't know of a book that is as good on the psychological topics without the downside of this book, but I'm going to keep looking.

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 Video Poker: Optimum Play.

1. The book has really good information. The problem is that is painfully boring to slog through. I have noticed an improvement in my VP playing. I am playing longer and not losing as much still in search of that magical royal.

   It took me over 2 weeks to get through this book and it is only 200 pages.




2. This is an excellent book. It details the steps necessary to become an expert player, a professional player of Video Poker.
   
   Optimal play is NOT perfect play. Mastering a trade is not easy. Discipline and practice are the watch words of all good Video Poker players.



3. I strongly suggest any fledgling video poker player read this manual to learn the basics of the odds and strategies necessary to conquer the casino video poker machines. An excellent basic, introductory text, Paymar also sells video poker training software and strategy cards that are a must for the budding or even serious player. I contribute much of my success at the game to the precepts in this book.



4. Paymar's book is pretty much the definitive handbook for video poker play today. He discusses every factor involved in beating theoretically beatable games, and at least stretching your dollars and getting the most out of your play in the rest.
   
   Dan disects each of the most popular games in detail, as well as multiple variations of each, and some of the older machines you might still run across. Each is subjected to computer payback and play analysis, and this runs to quite some length (and strictly speaking is not necessary reading). He streamlines all of this information into shorter hand flowcharts on how to play each hand to maximum potential, something which comes as quite a relief after going through his exhaustive and detailed optimum play discussion.
   
   Further, he delves into just what the stats mean. If a game is technically beatable over the long run, what does that tell the player? Well, it means frankly a full-time career of playing video poker, all day every day for months, at almost unbelieveable speed and rapidity and of course with perfect unerring accuracy. It is not easy or simple, and I can't even imagine that it would be fun. Moreover, one's potential edge in even the very best game, with the best payback, is so microscopic, that the fluctuations in the player's bankroll, even with only slight statistical blips, are huge. Don't even think of playing full time at a quarter machine with less than $50,000 to start. His advice in this area is depressing but honest and frankly about the most important stuff in the book.
   
   If the only thing this book does is to show the reader how to shop for a 'good' game and refuse to play short-pay ripoff games, it will be well worth the money. If your play improves as well, that's a bonus. Regular video poker players will benefit by reading this book.



5. I was very impressed with the amount of good info packed into this book.

5 comments about High-Low-Split Poker, Seven-Card Stud and Omaha Eight-or-better for Advan (Advance Player).

1. After reading the other books from Two Plus Two publishing by Sklansky & Malmuth, I was let down by this offering. I play both Stud 8/b and Omaha 8/b and I can't really say that this book helped me at all. Anyone who's logged any time at the tables knows the basics of live cards in Stud 8/b and drawing to the nuts in O8B. What I found especially irritating was the deceptive size of the book. Zee goes through the teaching sections and then says the EXACT same thing in the "Questions and Answers" section, giving the EXACT same answers. Considering how few good books there are on the subject of high-low poker, I thought surely an offering from Two Plus Two would be the definitive authority, but alas, buy this book and you'll be disappointed.



2. This is the book which has been read by all the Pros. If you do not read it you are at a major disadvantage. In fact at the higher limits its impossible to play well without reading the section on starting hands.
   O8 has so many naunces and the shorthand game is completely different from the regular game. Whilst the regular game can become very mechanical with discipline being the key criteria, the shorthanded game is a game of position and anticipation, bluffing (Do you call the bet at the river with A3 does he have A2? etc.) and guts. As your opponent keeps raising can you put him on a high hand or low hand?
   With two big bets an hour its twice a profitable as Holdem at the same limits. However there is such a gap between the good and bad players that bad players do not last too long. Therefore the regular O8 games become a grind with the odd "fish" preventing the blinds from eating up everyone.
   One weakness of the book is that a comprehensive set of odds tables are not given. For instance if you hold 3 low cards and 2 low cards flop that do not counterfeit your hand you have about a 60% chance of making a low hand by the river. The odds are important to compare to the pot odds & implied odds.
   
   One benefit of the book is introducing you to Hilo 7 Stud. If you like O8 low from the aspect of two way pots you will want to learn Stud 7 Hilo which is useful as you will have two opportunities for a game instead of one. It also adds to and draws from your stud 7 poker knowledge.
   Overall the book continues to be the best Hilo book for both games. (...)



3. I originally bought this 'cause I've been playing seven-card stud and was curious about Stud/8, but reading the Omaha/8 section motivated me into learning it first.
   
   I've read most of the relevant 2+2 Publishing poker books (and some of the irrelevant ones) and this seems fairly typical of the genre. They don't tend to give specific advice about specific hands, but describe strategy in more general terms and help players to start asking the right questions.
   
   The Stud/8 half is more comprehensive than the Omaha/8 half, but I feel both sections give pretty decent introductions to their respective games. While they don't, for example, list specific starting hands (a common complaint) I didn't have any trouble figuring out what to play; the beginning chapter in each section goes into the this in sufficient detail. They're "for advanced players" but I didn't have any trouble understanding any of them, and I'm most definitely a fishy newbie when it comes to poker.
   
   I really appreciate the "question and answer" sections. The questions serve as helpful reminders, which is exactly what they're supposed to be. If there's a question you don't understand, it's easy to hop back to the relevant section in the main text and read in more detail what he's talking about.
   
   My biggest issue, and it's a common problem with most of the 2+2 books, is the lack of basic information like hand probabilities. I find this surprising because of the emphasis placed in their books (Sklansky's Theory of Poker et al) on probability math in general and issues such as pot odds. If you don't know how likely it is your hand will hold up or what the chances are of, say, hitting a flush, it's nearly impossible to determine if you're getting enough of a return to make a call/bet worthwhile.
   
   In general I think their books could be much better, but I must admit they're currently the most rigorous introduction to poker play I've been able to find. If you're just starting out with Stud/8 or Omaha/8, or you're an intermediate player looking for ways to improve, I think Ray Zee's book will be useful. If you're hoping for a "gentle" introduction to these games you're in the wrong place--and you might want to rethink your poker career, because poker isn't and never will be all that easy to learn.
   
   Other suggestions: Bob Ciaffone's Omaha book has a practical section on Omaha/8, and I believe the latest version goes into it in even more detail. He's an excellent writer and his books are well worth checking out.
   
   You might also try Tenner and Krieger, but I wasn't that impressed. Cappeletti's Omaha book is a jumbled mess, it gives me a headache just to look at it. The SS/2 section isn't awful, but can be summed up as: "always draw to the nuts, play good starting hands".



4. this book is like no other 2+2 book~ its well edited.
   having been a seven card stud h/l play for 7 years my game started to have leaks, this book plugged them.
   
   if you are wanted to learn stud hi/lo read todd brunsons chapter in SS2 play and then pick up this book.
   
   the omaha hi/lo section is not bad, still is missing something but one of the better book writen on the subject.



5. There are no good books out there on how to play Omaha 8 or better. The closest to good books are this one and Todd Brunsons section in SuperSystem. This covers enough to get you rolling and gives good principles on play, as opposed to specific advice.
   
   Definitely worth getting if you're going to play split pot games.

5 comments about The Professional Poker Dealer's Handbook.

1. I'm a student right now in poker school and this is the book we are using for class.
   
   It covers everything from the proper mechanics of "pitching" (dealing cards the proper way), flops, sidepots and controlling the table.
   
   I've read the book multiple times. I highly recommend this to prospective poker dealers and even long time dealers that have developed some bad habits in their game.



2. Have you always dreamed of being a Poker Dealer?
   If you read and study this book, it is only months away for you. My husband was told to buy this book by our Casino Poker Supervisors. He was told to read it three times and then study and practice what is in this book. He has been playing poker most of his life but this book helped him turn his hobby into his job. He worked only 4 days as a Poker Dealer and now he is a Poker Supervisor and Dealer. This book helped him learn the skills to fulfill his dreams and it can do the same for you.
   Become a Poker Dealer with this book by reading and practicing what the author Dan Paymar give you. His tools really work. Good Luck.



3. I got a job as a poker dealer and had have a few errors that weren't quite covered in my "introduction course" by my employers, plus I wanted to be as professional as I could so I decided to buy this book.
   
   The overall structure of the book is somewhat confusing since you can find repeated lines all over the book, and several subjects are covered in several chapters so you can't really know all you need to of, say, blind structure, until you've read most of the book. This however is not that bad since you are most likely to read the whole thing in a couple of sittings. I actually read it in 2 days during breaks right at work.
   
   The obvious lack of illustrations is also a bit of a problem but the explanations are clear enough.
   
   There are some problems that you will find frequently during your job that the book leaves to the floorperson's decition and gives no information as to what their call might be, it would've been nice to know some options on those subjects.
   
   In spite of these issues, the book is excellent at procedures and gives you the tools to be a true professional, my performance has improved a great deal and the players really appreciate a professional dealer.
   
   Overall the book is great, I have it as a reference and when problems arise that need understanding by the players we can actually take the book and show the proper procedures.



4. This item was in amazing condition and shipped extremely quick. I can't ask or anything better. Wish every order was like this. Thank you!



5. The title of my review is a quote from the book, which I gave to my son as a gift for his 21st birthday. He's very happy with it and has already read most of it. The quote is one he took from the book which really spoke to him...practice doesn't make perfect...it makes permanent. Essentially, practicing the WRONG thing won't make you perfect, but it will make a permanent behavior. Since my son's goal is to be a professional dealer, this was a perfect match for him!

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 Play Poker Like the Pros.

1. Do NOT buy this book. I made that mistake but you don't need to!
   
   This book doesn't really teach you anything significant. Phil talks about how much he has won and how good he is and shows you some animal pictures sitting at a internet poker table. Then on the next line he says that you should read the other players body language. Over the internet?! He doesn't even know what he's talking about.



2. I read some books about poker but this one is simply great.it tells you how to play to be successful and i really enjoyed it. i recommend this book for every player. When you will read it you will really be a better player!!



3. Phil Helmuth is as annoying in his writing as he is around a poker table. The book is part infomercial for various preferred casinos and web sites, part instructional manual for novice to intermediate players, but mostly a vehicle for Phil's ego. Hardly a page goes by without Phil reminding us what a great poker player he is. A psychologist could have a field day w/ his overinflated ego. As far as the content on poker play goes, it's better than most books for novices on the subject.



4. A great overview and basic skill training and up to advanced learning. Well worth the money because this book will improve your skills no matter what level you already play on



5. Dont want to say too much, but this book is awful, lost a lot of money after reading this book (I was a beginner) Invest in anything Sklansky written, as after reading them i won it all back and more and are now quite successfull on the lower limits
   
   HELMUTH IS A JOKE! AND NOT A VERY FUNNY ONE AT THAT!
   
   This book was designed to help people loose

5 comments about Phil Gordon's Poker Box Set: Phil Gordon's Little Black Book, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book.

1. This box set will cover the absolute beginner up to a fairly strong player. Gordon writes in an engaging and lively style and admits his bad moves when he plays them. Like the titles say, these are little books, so they are quick reads. Great for reading a few pages before bed. That does make them a little less dense with helpful information--combined with writing style and size, Harrington's books seem fuller. The green book is probably the one that you will be refering back to the most as it deals with core play, with the blue book a close second for information on particular situations. Like most books out there, it focuses most of its ink by far on tournament play. I wish it had more information on shorthanded and low-stakes cash games. The black book does touch upon low-stakes games, but really glosses over strategy there.
   
   BTW, if you are living abroad, this box set is a great deal. Not only do you have a bigger discount than buying the three books individually, but also the box set counts as one item when shipping, not three. So saved ten dollars on shipping.



2. I have won a number of important hands after reading this book. It let's you know what the pros are thinking. I know a lot of ambitious amatuers have this book. Pick it up, read it and apply it!



3. For begginers and expirience players!
   
   The black book: Begginers
   
   The green book: Expirienced
   
   The blue book: Professionals



4. Excellent three book set that starts Black)with a beginners guide. The Green book is or will be a classic. Blue present problems and solutions. A great read.



5. hi all,
   
   i have read the first one of the three and i haver just start reading the green book, i think they are very useful to starting players because he aproximate us to the mind of a poker player.
   
   he knows how to take the attemption of the reader and you can read it very fast because it is very easy to read and very interesting.

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 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.