[dethgrind]

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the Miller/Malmuth book on limit poker

[/ QUOTE ] Don't forget David Sklansky, also an author of that book. People here usually refer to it as SSH, for Small Stakes Holdem.

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and playing the 10./20

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I assume you mean the ten cent/twent cent games. These are a great place to start playing. The players are usually very bad, and a skilled player should have little trouble beating them. Also, it won't cost you much if you have a bad run or aren't very good yet. I believe poker stars has some extremely low limit games, as low as .01/.02 if I recall correctly. Those players are definitely very bad.

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However, I can't put anybody on a hand at this level because they play everything. I feel like all that I'm reading takes for granted that my opponents have half a brain for the game, which they don't seem to at this level.

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Typically, you shouldn't be putting your opponents on *a* hand but rather a range of possible hands. You are correct that poor players will play a much wider range of hands than good players. This is still very important information, because there are many more bad hands than good hands. SSH definitely takes this into account; in fact, it is specifically written about this sort of game. WTOIH doesn't exclusively address loose opponents, though it does contain some very useful advice.

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How can I become a better player at this level? If not this level, where do I need to start?? Thanks kindly for any advice.

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I think those two books are a poor starting point for a novice. If you aren't already well-versed in poker theory and have little limit experience, I think you'll find Ed Miller's other book, Getting Started in Holdem, to be an excellent introduction. You should be able to buy it online for around $15 shipped.

You are on the right track. Read and reread SSH, play a few thousand hands, analyze your hand histories, and participate in this forum.

An effective method to participate is to give your analysis of a hand that has only a few replies, but before you read any of the replies. Then pay attention to any responses you get. If you are wrong, you will usually find out pretty quickly.

Good luck!