Beginner Books

[Sunny]

It's my first post here at two plus two. I just started getting serious about poker and i'm wondering what books I should go out and read. I've taken a look at Mike Caro's Book of Tells, since a friend had it. Other than that, which books are essential and worth buying? Thanks in advance.

[Gambler]

Hold'em - Internet Texas Holdem - Hilger, Low Limit Hold'em - Jones, Complete book of Hold'em - Carson
7 card stud - 7 Card Stud 42 Lessons - Roy West
Omaha - Omaha Hold'em Poker - Ciaffone
all games in one book - Play Poker like the Pros - Helmuth (Ignore his section on limit hold'em, its god awful)

Books to avoid - Any Ken Warren Book, any book by John Patrick, No Fold'em Hold'em - DL Sherrer, any John Vorhaus book.

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
Hold'em - Internet Texas Holdem - Hilger, Low Limit Hold'em - Jones, Complete book of Hold'em - Carson
7 card stud - 7 Card Stud 42 Lessons - Roy West
Omaha - Omaha Hold'em Poker - Ciaffone
all games in one book - Play Poker like the Pros - Helmuth (Ignore his section on limit hold'em, its god awful)

Books to avoid - Any Ken Warren Book, any book by John Patrick, No Fold'em Hold'em - DL Sherrer, any John Vorhaus book.

[/ QUOTE ]

Get the Carson book out of there and replace it SSH, geeze, he said "essential" and Carson's book is far from that.

Add Theory of Poker.

Do a search if you are talking about NL.

[Sunny]

Is SSH = Super System?

[Photoc]

[ QUOTE ]
Is SSH = Super System?

[/ QUOTE ]
Small Stakes Holdem

[busguy]

The only two (or one - either would be fine) that you need when starting out (ie. first few months) would be Winning Low Limit Hold-Em by Lee Jones and/or Internet Poker by Mathew Hilger. Both of them are very easy to read and will set you on course to be a winning player.

After a few months (6 wouldn't be too late) of play and a solid understanding of the above book(s) then you should get Small Stakes Hold-em by Ed Miller. It will definately help take your game to a new level but probably will just confuse you if you jump into it too soon. By confuse I mean it contridicts some things that you will learn in beginner books. Beginners books will teach you solid basic skills and will get you to a break-even or slightly profitable position by keeping you out of trouble. More advanced books will tell you to forget SOME of what you've learned by looking at certain situations a different way. Both are right (for your skill level at the time), they just need to be learned in the proper order.

my 2 cents

/images/graemlins/smile.gif busguy

[Gambler]

He said beginners books. SSH and Theory of Poker are not beginners books.

[Rudbaeck]

Theory of Poker is the second book you should read. Start with either Internet Texas Hold'em or Winning Low Limit Hold'em.

ToP is probably the book you will reread the most times of all books.

[skibum]

I purchased ITH recently and can no longer recommend WLLH. WLLH (2nd ed.) was a great help, and the best intro book available in '01, but no longer. ITH is not just a beginner's book either. It's very thorough. A comprehensive job well done.

SSH is next in the progression toward aggression. Small stakes doesn't mean beginner anymore. There are going to be some crafty bastids coming out of the woodwork. Back to the salt mines...

Mason M. recently recommended reading TOP after SSH, and I concur. I think these books in that order offer an outstanding foundation. Some tough mutha's in the pipeline my friends. Back to the salt mines double time.

[Beavis68]

Carson's book sucks, and after he reads ITH, or another beginners book, he should be ready for SSH after some play.

Hold off on TOP, what you really need at first is in SSH.

I would also add Play Poker Like the Pro's for its NL/PL and Stud and Omaha sections. It is an excellent beginners book for those games. I like the limit advice except for the raising suggestions, the pre-flop hand selections are good, but the post flop play sucks.

[Gambler]

Carsons book has some decent stuff in it. I like ITH myself. Helmuth's book is a smoldering pile of dung. If you want good no limit advice, buy Ciaffone's book.

[Beavis68]

Ciaffone's book is not a beginers book.
I would not say any book Mason rated a 6 is a smoldering pile of dung, I really doubt that you have read it.

[Sunny]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I'll check out the stuff recommended.