Book Review: Get the Edges at Low-Limit Texas Hold 'em

[Mason Malmuth]

Get the Edge at Low-limit Texas Hold ’em (3) by Bill Burton. The author claims that he is a relatively new player at hold ’em and it shows in this confused work. We’re told that since hold ’em plays faster than stud and you’ll see more hands during your playing session you should be more selective as to which hands you play. He has you slowplaying hands you should clearly bet, is confused between semi-bluffs and value bets, and recommends “Fit or Fold” when deciding what to do on the flop. Furthermore, in low limit games which feature many players who play too many hands and go to far with them, he has no understanding of what the proper adjustments are. Specifically, he under estimates the value of pairs, always wants to get the maximum bets in on the flop not realizing that he may be better off waiting until fourth street to raise with medium strength hands, and has you folding four flushes on the flop way to quickly if a pair is also present. In addition, the book contains much filler material including discussions of playing in a cardroom, avoiding tilt, bad beats, and errors such as “Folding the Winning Hand” that add little value to the text. And finally, his comments and examples on collusion are simply ridiculous. There are many other examples that could be cited. So even though Burton does recommend tight play, there are other better sources to get you started on the path to hold ’em success.