Book Suggestion

[PoorLawyer]

I am primarily a stud player, and in addition to stud books, have read TOP. I am finding it increasingly difficult in home games to get people to play anything except Hold Em (even though it is an inferior game /images/graemlins/grin.gif). I have played limit and some NL at low stakes home games, some low stakes NLHE Sit n Go's online and a 2/4 game once at a casino when there were no stud games going (won 30BB even though I have no clue).

The question is, if I were to get one book to cover the basics of what I need to know to crush loose low limit games, what would you recommend based on my limited experience?

[splashpot]

Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller

It says right on the cover, "The definative guide to crushing loose games and amateur opponents."

And it's true, most people on this forum will tell you that this is the best book for small stakes hold'em games.

[BugsBunny]

cover the basics of what I need to know to crush loose low limit games

Small Stakes Hold'em. No ifs ands or buts. Anybody that suggests anything else (based on the question as phrased) is just plain wrong.

[PoorLawyer]

How different are the concepts from the small stakes book to HEFAP? what would sway my choice between the 2 books (i.e. is HEFAP only for higher limits)?

[I Play 2 Ski]

HPFAP references alot of situations where your opponent(s) have a clue and is geared for tougher competion. SSH has alot of the same info but was written to exploit poor player errors. HPFAP is a great book, but SSH has more content related to the games you would be playing.

[splashpot]

HEFAP assumes that your opponent will be thinking. It includes advanced plays to trick your opponent into folding. However, at the limits you will be playing, your opponents will not be thinking. Even though you may be representing that flush that came on the turn, your opponent will not realize it. SSHE assumes that your opponents play too many hands and that they call to the river with too many hands.

[yeltzen]

Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.

[__Q__]

Actually, Small Stakes Hold'em is a much better book. However, many people who are incapable of applying its advanced strategies have an easier time with Winning Low Limit Hold'em.

[yeltzen]

It really isn't.

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
It really isn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you'll find many around here who agree that WLLH is a better book for crushing low limits than SSH. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[yeltzen]

That's their problem.

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
That's their problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

What, because we enjoy winning big instead of being merely better than breakeven when playing low limit games?

[yeltzen]

Ha.
I haven't applied anything from SSH to my game and I do just fine, thank you very much.

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
Ha.
I haven't applied anything from SSH to my game and I do just fine, thank you very much.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is little new in SSH, so you can do well without it.

But to say that someone who plays the way WLLH teaches would make more money than someone playing SSH in loose games is laughable. (You'll find plenty of posters here who jumped from 0.5-1BB/100 to 2.5-3BB/100 when they made this change. I'm one of them.)

WLLH is good for teaching beginners the basics and keeping them out of dangerous situations. However, many of those dangerous situations are pretty darn profitable.

[yeltzen]

If you have a crapload of money to begin with, which 99.9% of low stakes players don't have... that's why they're playing low stakes games..

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have a crapload of money to begin with, which 99.9% of low stakes players don't have... that's why they're playing low stakes games..

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, the difference in bankroll requirement is pretty small. Win rate plays a much bigger role than standard deviation in calculating your bankroll.

Once you start taking your game semi-seriously it's not exactly hard to get together a 300BB bankroll. Start out at some miniscule limit and move up when your roll allows it.