Suggest a good book on basics?

[TheLance]

I've read SSH twice, I'm starting to ace the quizzes, and I'm doing okay in micro-limit online. I feel like I'm missing some of the basics, though, and SSH warns that it's not a book on basics.

So, I need a book that will drill into me the basics (not going to far with hands, etc) but will not contradict or confuse me on the material in SSH.

Suggestions?

[banditdad]

Drop into the ITH Book Club

[KenProspero]

The problem you have is that any two books are going to have some differences. If they didn't, there wouldn't really be a need for the both of them, would there?

That being said, I have two recommendations for you.

Your best bet may be Hold 'em Poker by David Sklansky (NOT Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky and Malmuth -- which is excellent, but may be two advanced). As Sklansky is listed as a co-author, he obviously had major input in SSH, so there probably aren't too many fundamental differences, though there may be some (specifically in the chart of hands to play, as low limit games differ from others.)

The other possibility I'd recommend is Winning Low Limit Hold 'em, by Lee Jones. This book is a bit contraversal in these forums for a number of reasons. However, I think most agree that it's fundamentally sound, and emphasizes the math a lot less than SSH. It's a good book to get under your belt before you're ready to make the time commitment to really learn the mathmatics (sadly I'm in this category). You will find some differences between this book and SSH, though.

[As Zehn]

WLLH & ITH are your two choices. IMHO ITH gives you a much stronger foundation from a theoretical standpoint. It will teach you the how and why not just the if you hold these two cards in EP/MP/LP and the flop is xxx, fold/raise/call.

Your timing is also good in that a thread discussing ITH is just starating on this forum.