New player advice

[xavierq]

I'm not new to playing, but after reading through this forum a bit, I've realized that I really have no idea what I'm doing. You guys are calculating pot odds, and folding things that I do not understand in the slightest. I've just been playing good hands and getting lucky, it seems.

Is there a guide I should read? I've tried looking through the posts on here, but I don't even know what you guys are saying half the time.

-Xq

[augie00]

Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller. Learn it, live it, love it.

[Megenoita]

I think you should continue reading this forum, and you should read Theory of Poker by David Sklansky, then continue to play poker, read it again after several thousand hands, and then read SSHE as advised above. If you are doing that as well as reading on here, you'll do great.

M

[Rah]

Starting with SSH may be suicidal.

1. WLLH (great start, learn to fold)
2. Theory of poker (learn the global poker concepts)
3. SSH (learn the more advanced plays not covered in WLLH)

[DeeJ]

Is the starter book with sound advice I would recommend. Amazon can source it (search for the title above).

Ed Miller's book is good to follow on from that.

WLLH - Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones
SSHE - Small Stakes Hold'Em by Ed Miller

(the guy is new and you expect him to understand these weird book acronyms?!)

[K C]

I remember a poker author who was asked which 5 books he would recommend reading, and the answer was - The Theory of Poker, 5 times. I can't disagree with this, as it is a brilliant book. I'm going to say though that it doesn't hurt to read pretty much everything written on the game, and almost every book will give you at least a few insights into how someone else thinks. I've read some books which I disagreed with pretty much everything, but I still learned a lot about how this type of player thinks. Once you stop looking for a mentor and start seeing these things as just other people's ideas, some good, some not so great, which you take and put together with your own ideas and start thinking about the game more, then you're on the right track.

This forum has some great stuff as well. If I was starting out in poker, and I had a lot of time for reading, I'd want to go through the archives, which can give you a very good education in itself. Again, you're going to get opinions of various qualities, but by taking that it all inand thinking about it, it will make you a much better player.

KC
http://kingcobrapoker.com

[juanez]

Check out The Beginners Forum (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=begin) as well as the books recommended above.

Posting individual hands is invaluable as well. Use bisons hand converter: hand converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

[kvcobra]

Agreed on all counts. You really have to know pot odds, hand odds, reading the board, etc., if you want to keep playing and not pay through the nose.

So far I've only read Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em, which I highly recommend. Teaches you the math of the game without reading like a textbook. Covers reading opponents as well, although not as in-depth. Next up for me is Caro's Book of Tells.

Good luck!

[amulet]

You need to read about poker, then put what you read into your games. Below I have copied a poker I wrote about books.

Below find several books that will help your limit game.

SMALL STAKES HOLD 'EM by Ed Miller, David Sklansky & Mason Malmuth.
A great book on small stakes Hold 'em. Not for the beginner. It incorporates a lot of the principles of the two below books ('Hold 'em for Advanced Players" and "Theory of Poker"). A must read for all players.

HOLD'EM POKER FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS by David Sklansky & Mason Malmuth
Considered the most important advanced work on the game today. Full of strategic concepts. Another must read for all players. However, it is not simple to a new player, and might take time to digest much of what is written. As most here know David Sklansky is considered the foremost poker author in the world. You will learn an incredible amount from this book.

THEORY OF POKER by David Sklansky
This is the best poker book I have ever read. Poker concepts that all serious players must know. A great book. Somewhat complex the first time you read it.

WINNING LOW LIMIT HOLD `EM 2nd Edition by Lee Jones
A good book for the player who knows a little and now wants to learn strategy. Very straight forward, very clear. The book is not always correct. It also makes things too simple, and does not advocate aggressive play. However, there is currently a gap in the poker literature, no complete beginners book exists. Therefore, I think this is a must for all new players.

MIDDLE LIMIT HOLDEM by Bob Ciaffone and Jim Brier
A terrific book filled with problems and answers. I see many posts at this site that if said poster had read this book they would not be asking the question.

INSIDE THE POKER MIND by John Feeney
A wonderful book that will help all players and make them more money. It helps players find the tools to think on a higher level as they play. For most players the first 30 pages alone will dramacticly improve their game, and correct very common mistakes.

POKER ESSAY'S Volume I, II, & III
I find as my poker improves I get more and more out of these terrific books.

I want to reiterate a point that I have made in other posts. I reread all these books often. I find the more I understand about the game, the more I get out of each book

[zephed56]

I would suggest searching the internet for how to calculate odds, counting outs and pot odds. I could be wrong, but I don't recall SSH or TOP going over this for a beginner.

EDIT: I'm just assuming you don't know this. If you do, disregard.

[lightw1thoutheat]

my best advice is to find a poker mentor. Someone who plays at limits comparable to what you play at. Try to watch them play online if you can (sitting with them as they play is best if they let you, b/c you can ask questions about everything theyre doing, as well as learning just by watching) Ive watched my mentor play well over 100k hands and its made me from a fool into at least a somewhat compenent poker player. A special thanks to him, if he reads this /images/graemlins/wink.gif.
-light

[xavierq]

I don't even know what counting outs means. So I think I'll start with what you've suggested, and get ahold of some books soon after.

[xCEO]

I think Winning Low Limit Holdem is a very good book to start with! WLLH gives very clear information and examples of what to do in certain situations.

I read WLLH first, and now reading 'Theory of Poker'. After adjusting to the fact that it isn't only for holdem I begin to realize thats it's a great book!
I also own Holdem Poker for advanced players. After reading some chapters my aggression increased dramaticaly. On the other hand, that book is not for low limit, so I ordered Small Stakes Holdem and will read that one first.

Concluding:
-Read WLLH, play poker, reread, play poker, reread specific chapters
-Read TOP (reread 1000 times? /images/graemlins/blush.gif)
-Read SSHE, study SSHE

After that, low limit is easy /images/graemlins/laugh.gif