Recommandation for Books Please

[AcesZ]

Hey everyone,
So far I have read you McEvoy's "No-Limit Texas Hold'em", as well as Lee Jones's low limit hold'em and Sklansky and Malmuth's "Hold'em for Advanced Player"

Although I felt like I have learned alot, I'm not sure if that's enough to be successful at my game.

Here's an example: I usully play with 4 to 5 other guys. We play small-stakes no limit (if there's such a thing). Basiclly, the blind are maybe a quarter, and each person puts in 5 dollars for chips.

But the game is no-limit, so everyone can bet as much as they want.

In the books I have read, I have not read much about a game structure such as that (ie. short-handed, low stakes, no limit).

Would you guys be able to recommand a book that deals with those or other books that may help me succeed at this structure of hold'em?

Thank you very much

[Evan]

2 of the books you mentioned, WLLH and HPFAP, are not no limit books. They are written specifically for fixed limit games. If you have any interest in playing fixed limit you should read Small Stakes Holdem by Miller, Sklansky and Malmuth. Unfortunately I can't help you with no limit books cause I don't play no limit, but every no limit player I know has told me to read Super System.

[unagi]

Theory of Poker is great. I'm currently reading Super System, but it appears to be solid as well (although my opinion doesn't really matter, since tons and tons of people have agreed that it's a great book).

[Evan]

Damn! I can't believe I forgot Theory of Poker. Gotta read it, absolutely have to. Get that before anything else.

[Leo Bello]

Pot and No-limit Holdem from Reuben and Ciaffone is must read for no-limit play.

[BlueBear]

I know this may be slightly off post, I would suggest either lowering the blind (to say 10 cents) or increasing the buyin to say $10 or even $20. Having a blind of 25 cents for a $5 game is just the equivalent of starting of with 20 blinds. This is not permit enough scope for skillful no-limit play and the players will frequently become all-in rather too quickly. In fact, in becomes close to a crap shoot, 50 blinds is really the adequate minimum in my opinion.

[SA125]

This sounds like a house game. I think the books can hurt you more than help when it comes to playing with your friends.

The guys in my home game don't read the books or play in cardrooms. They just like to gamble, have a good time and play very, very loose. In the beginning I used to sit there thinking "What crap. What is he doing?" Then I realized "When in Rome..." The game is a free for all and nothing in any of the books I've read applied.

Focus on how they play different hands, try to read their cards and just try to play better than them post flop. I think that will help you beat your game more than any book can.

[AcesZ]

thx for the insight BlueBear, I'll def consider move the blinds lower. Could you elborate on what u mean by 20 blinds and 50 blinds etc?

and SA, yeh it pretty much is a housegame. Which is why I must insist on playing nolimit because there's just too many limpers if it was just limit.

I'll look into Thoery of Poker and Super Systems. Has anyone read Hellmuth's hold'em book? what does all think of that? Or Cairo's book of tells, does it help in a live game?

thx for any response

[LA_Price]

The best books about no limit

No Limit and Pot limit Poker by Reuben and Ciaffone_ The best book about no-limit. read and reread this book

Super System by Doyle Brunson- The no limit section is very good although in capped buy-in games the suited connecters he loves to play are not as profitable

Tournament Poker for Advanced players by David Sklansky-
The Gap Concept is very important as well as the advice about turning A Hand like TT or Aq into 72o

How good is your Pot limit Hold'em by Stewart Reuben- excellent advice about playing actual hands

[BlueBear]

Assuming the blind is a quarter, 50 blinds mean that you start off with a stack of 0.25*50 = $12.50.

Theory of Poker is a rather advanced read, kind of like an academic textbook, but absolutely essential if you want to master the elements of all forms of poker. I rather Hellmuth's book but didn't much useful insight from it. Caro's book of tells is a fun read.

[Yawkey]

BlueBear brings up Caro's book of tells, also look for his video. Most of the tells that Caro covers are accented in these home games. For example, just the other week I was playing with some buddies on a hard surfaced table, and this one guy slammed his bet down on the table. Due to the hard surface the chips hitting the table made a pretty loud sound, this was an obvious bluff that allowed me to call with a mediocre hand to win a rather large pot at this point.

One thing that Caro's book/video will allow you to do in these low limit games is get some practice playing a lot of hands and making a whole bunch of reads on different players. The cost for being wrong is small, and when you master this skill you can apply it to make some real money.

One problem with strictly applying many of these poker books to these extremely loose home games, is that they tend to make you want to play extremely tight. It will quickly become an extremely dull game for you. It was previously mentioned "When in Rome ...", and I couldn't agree more. Work on those post flop skills for cheap while you can.