WLLHE by Lee Jones

[kurosh]

To what limits on party does this book apply? (winning low limit hold'em by lee jones)

[Ajax410]

None?

WLLHE is a great book to read if you want to learn how to play Limit Hold'em and not pay a lot of money in doing so. It will teach you a weak brand of poker that is far to tight to maximize profits at any level.

You will make money playing truly tight at any level where the opponents are too busy looking at their own cards to make reads on you - this situation probably exists up through 3/6 - but if you want to make the most money you're capable of, the strategies put forth in WNLLHE will never be truly effective.

[Naykedmage]

Which book do you suggest? SSH? I have read both and am just curious which book you suggest to step beyond WLLH.

[Ajax410]

I will answer this post by telling a story.

When I started playing limit, it was at 2/4 with a $600 bankroll at the sage advice of a friend who was killing the 2/4 game. 1-2 Weeks and $450 richer, I moved to 3/6. 4 days and $1150 poorer I bought Theory of Poker, SSHE, and WLLHE.

WLLHE appeals to a scared mindset. After losing a lot of money (sometimes due to bad play, sometimes due to excessive bad beats), I was definitly in a scared mindset. In my first few sessions of poker - about 2 weeks after my personal Great Depression - I subscribed almost exclusively to WLLHE's points. WRONG. WLLHE puts forth ideas that will end up leaving money on the table when you get up to leave. The fact is, it is SCARED poker. It is a GREAT book to read if you're just learning how to play - it gives you guidelines that will let you learn as you go - but it will not have you playing effective poker.

SSHE is different. It advocates a strategy that makes sense. There have been a number of incidents over the past few weeks where I have been in situations with great hands where I felt doubt - the scared mindset - and SSHE gives me the confidence to continue to play strong in these instances.

Theory of Poker is another great book. If you want to understand a lot of the theoretical ideas that go behind decisions in SSHE - specifically pot equity and when you should raise vs. overcall with certain hands - you will not find a better book.

My started playing good poker after reading SSHE. I started UNDERSTANDING poker at a theoretical level after ToP. I think they are both EXCEPTIONAL books if you want to improve your game, and I subscribe to almost everything said in these two books.

Hope this helps.

Ajax

[uw_madtown]

[ QUOTE ]
Which book do you suggest? SSH? I have read both and am just curious which book you suggest to step beyond WLLH.

[/ QUOTE ]

A good book progression for low-limit strategy is the following:

1) WLLH by Jones
2) ITH by Hilger
3) SSH by Miller


The first will stop the bleeding, the second will probably make you a marginal winner. SSH is obviously where you really develop into a winning player if you properly apply its concepts.

I have friends who are just now finding out about my part-time poker "job" and if they were to ask for help in getting better, I'd make them read those three books, followed by Theory of Poker.

[kurosh]

Ok, so if I'm NOT just learning how to play, I shouldn't pay any attention to WLLH?

[Ajax410]

Right - if you feel you have a solid understanding of the game, Theory of Poker and SSHE are much better books to improve your overall game/understanding.

[Cosimo]

Define "learning how to play." If you're not still calling the turn 'the second flop' or stuff like that, then that classifies you as "still learning" on the Winning Poker Player path to enlightenment. If you've been beating the microlimits (or small-stakes live) for 10,000 hands or so, then you can probably move up to SSH.

Jones focusses on playing tight and keeping out of trouble. It's great for a first study course. I just bought ITH (after having read SSH twice, plus a ton of other books) and it's pissing me off a bit.