Beginner Books

[labergen]

Hello all, this is my first post on these boards. Can anyone provide for me the names of some good beginner poker books? Thanks.
Larry

[pufferfish]

Fundamentals of Poker by Mason Malmuth and Lynne Loomis.

Hold 'Em Poker by David Sklansky.

Hold'em Excellence by Lou Krieger.

Winning Low-Limit Hold'em (2nd Edition) by Lee Jones.

[The _Grifter]

The first book you should buy is " The Theory of Poker " - David Sklansky.

Spend a couple of months on that and then buy books that pertain to the game(s) you want to play.

Good Luck

The Grifter

[Dynasty]

The Theory of Poker is a bit too advanced to be your first book. I think you're much better often learning a game and then reading TOP.

[oddjob]

i agree. i'd start with Lee Jones' book. Winning low limit hold em. it's an easy read, and applicable to the games that you will most likely start off with. then move on to the more advanced books.

[The _Grifter]

" I think you're much better often learning a game and then reading TOP."

.....Take two beginners, one has read The Theory of Poker and one who hasn't. My money goes on the one who has read it.

My point is this...a player is better off starting out on the right track because sooner or later, he/she will have to do it anyway. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[bernie]

".....Take two beginners, one has read The Theory of Poker and one who hasn't. My money goes on the one who has read it."

man what a BOLD statement....haha...wouldnt this wonderful statement be true with any begginner poker book also? in fact, since a beginner book will be more-so geared to one game, like holdem, wouldnt that put a beginning holdem player over just a TOP reader? id put my money on the guy who read the beginner book over TOP as a first book...

ill also put my money on the one that understands it and is able to see how the concepts transfer from game to game. this isnt always clear in TOP.

just because they read it, doesnt mean theyll comprehend it. in fact it could screw them up a little if they go to the table too quick too seriously with reading just this book...which many do.

a better book is one that deals with the basics of a chosen game.

i agree with dynasty...i shudder when i think of a greehorn starting with TOP. there are much better starter books out there....much more productive paths to follow.

b

[The _Grifter]

" wouldnt this wonderful statement be true with any begginner poker book also? "

In some cases, absolutely not. In other cases, you could make a valid argument. [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img]

[andyfox]

Top is the greatest poker book ever written, but I wouldn't recommend a beginner read it until he has been playing a while. For example, in the chapter "Head Up On the End" we find:

"If you are first to act and have a hand that is a small underdog to win when your bet is called, bet if your opponent will call with more hands than he will bet, as long as some of the hands he would have bet, had you checked, would be worse than yours. Check and call if you think your opponent will check behind you with a significant number of hands beter than yours but might still bluff with some hands you can beat."

Not, IMO, the place to start.

[Clarkmeister]

Here is the reading regimen I put my girlfriend through. She was a total novice and had never been in a card room before:

1. First half of The Complete Book of Holdem Poker by Gary Carson.

2. WLLH by Lee Jones.

3. Holdem Poker by Sklansky.

4. The 2nd half of Carson.

5. Caro's Book of Tells.

Then would be TOP, HPFAP and ITPM followed by all 3 Essays books. She got sick of reading after #4 tho. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]