Piper Tim
08-06-2005, 05:15 PM
Yesterday I ran out of things to read, so I went to the bookstore to find Inside the Poker Mind. This is the next book on my list of reading and I didn’t feel like waiting for it to arrive from Amazon. Having just reread SSHE and finished Mark Helprin’s new book, Freddy and Fredericka, I figured I might as well find something new.
What I wanted was not available, so I picked up a copy of Getting Started in Hold ‘Em by Ed Miller. Now, I know that many folks have read this book, and perhaps this would be best in the Books/Publications forum, but I thought I would post my observations of it here for other beginners.
Anyway, I wish I had started with this book! It is written in a manner that is extremely informative and accessible. It is not overwhelming, yet not skimpy on information. At points, I wondered if Ed Miller was an educator in a former life. I ended up reading the entire book in one night. It was just that good.
Part One covers nuts and blots about playing hold ‘em. I pretty much skimmed this part. Although it was well written, since I knew the information, I skipped it. I did go back and look at some of the hand strength quizzes to see how quickly I could answer them. This type of speed exercise is good to engage in once in a while.
Part Two discusses limit hold ‘em and is the meat of the book. While still a beginner, I feel I am well beyond beginning concepts presented in this section. That being said, I used it as a review and made predictions as to what to do in each situation. If you have not read GSIH, you may want to consider this activity. I found it extremely helpful. Sometimes I found myself saying, oh, if this is the type of players at the table then I would but usually I would. Then I would read what Ed Miller recommends. Remarkably, I usually had the correct decision.
I wish I had read this when I first started playing. It takes the reader on a trip around the table, looking at hands from each position and the considerations that need to be made at each position. It seems like the recommended actions are perhaps less aggressive than those recommended in SSHE. However, as it is geared toward brand new players perhaps a bit of caution is in order. I will probably reread this section, just to keep myself sharp.
Part Three discusses No Limit Hold ‘Em. I have read and HOH1 and Mastering No Limit Hold ‘Em (MNLH) so I am not completely a dope when it come to no limit. MNLH was not very helpful for me and while it helped clear up a few concepts, I was not convinced as to the validity of some of its recommendations. This section of the book, while short, gave me a clear understanding of NLH. I am eager to apply some of the concepts presented in this chapter. Maybe I will give it a try at the NL$25 buy in a part when I clear the August bonus.
Part Four discusses tournament play. Again, I have played a few tournaments and have placed in the money 3 or 4 times. This section gave a very solid overview of tournaments. While I have read HOH1 and HOH2, this part made distinctions between SNG, MTT, and satellite play that the other books do not. It presented few earth shattering ideas, but gave specific strategies for overall play. Additionally, as with previous parts, suggested reading is supplied.
Part Five covers topics that didn’t really fit anywhere else. It is probably something I will reread occasionally, just to keep perspective.
Overall, if you are a beginner (as I am) and have not read the book, I highly recommend it. I used it as a review and to fill in potential gaps in my own knowledge, but it would certainly work well as a primer. I believe that the act of reading this book in the manner which I did will help improve me game. Like other 2+2 books, it is well written and direct. Unlike other 2+2 books, I think it is more accessible because of the style of writing.
What I wanted was not available, so I picked up a copy of Getting Started in Hold ‘Em by Ed Miller. Now, I know that many folks have read this book, and perhaps this would be best in the Books/Publications forum, but I thought I would post my observations of it here for other beginners.
Anyway, I wish I had started with this book! It is written in a manner that is extremely informative and accessible. It is not overwhelming, yet not skimpy on information. At points, I wondered if Ed Miller was an educator in a former life. I ended up reading the entire book in one night. It was just that good.
Part One covers nuts and blots about playing hold ‘em. I pretty much skimmed this part. Although it was well written, since I knew the information, I skipped it. I did go back and look at some of the hand strength quizzes to see how quickly I could answer them. This type of speed exercise is good to engage in once in a while.
Part Two discusses limit hold ‘em and is the meat of the book. While still a beginner, I feel I am well beyond beginning concepts presented in this section. That being said, I used it as a review and made predictions as to what to do in each situation. If you have not read GSIH, you may want to consider this activity. I found it extremely helpful. Sometimes I found myself saying, oh, if this is the type of players at the table then I would but usually I would. Then I would read what Ed Miller recommends. Remarkably, I usually had the correct decision.
I wish I had read this when I first started playing. It takes the reader on a trip around the table, looking at hands from each position and the considerations that need to be made at each position. It seems like the recommended actions are perhaps less aggressive than those recommended in SSHE. However, as it is geared toward brand new players perhaps a bit of caution is in order. I will probably reread this section, just to keep myself sharp.
Part Three discusses No Limit Hold ‘Em. I have read and HOH1 and Mastering No Limit Hold ‘Em (MNLH) so I am not completely a dope when it come to no limit. MNLH was not very helpful for me and while it helped clear up a few concepts, I was not convinced as to the validity of some of its recommendations. This section of the book, while short, gave me a clear understanding of NLH. I am eager to apply some of the concepts presented in this chapter. Maybe I will give it a try at the NL$25 buy in a part when I clear the August bonus.
Part Four discusses tournament play. Again, I have played a few tournaments and have placed in the money 3 or 4 times. This section gave a very solid overview of tournaments. While I have read HOH1 and HOH2, this part made distinctions between SNG, MTT, and satellite play that the other books do not. It presented few earth shattering ideas, but gave specific strategies for overall play. Additionally, as with previous parts, suggested reading is supplied.
Part Five covers topics that didn’t really fit anywhere else. It is probably something I will reread occasionally, just to keep perspective.
Overall, if you are a beginner (as I am) and have not read the book, I highly recommend it. I used it as a review and to fill in potential gaps in my own knowledge, but it would certainly work well as a primer. I believe that the act of reading this book in the manner which I did will help improve me game. Like other 2+2 books, it is well written and direct. Unlike other 2+2 books, I think it is more accessible because of the style of writing.