Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

Hi,
I have a friend who is rich. He is a stockstrader and really succesfull. (no bragging here, keep reading)

I told him that I play poker and that I make decent money with it. I'm still building a bankroll, playing low limits and climbing the ladder steady, but he was impressed and wanted to give it a try.

He started off with 500$ on Party yesterday without having a clue.
Well he knows the rules and played 5-card draw in school, but I watched him and tracked his play and he is LAG. (He likes to play anything sooted and stuff)

Of course I told him about preflop play, gave him tips and source of information.
He didn't read much yet and after playing 2/4 and 5/10 yesterday he deposited 500$ more today (peanuts), because he got broke and started playing 10/20.
I told him that he was just a goldmine for the other players and that he could learn poker in lower limits too.

His respond to that was kinda like "I trade with 100ks of dollars everyday I wouldn't be concentrated".

I don't like seeing him flushing money down the toilet on the tables. I know it is not much money for him, but I want him to get at least brake even (if he gets ethusiastic and studys he can become even more, he is smart but didn't bothered yet to learn in poker).

Now I told him that he should at least read a book with the basics and stuff.

So, if you had to pick two books for this person, which would it be?

I don't think he could understand HEPFAP right away,
but I cannot tell him to buy WLLH or SSH.
They might teach basics, but he will not believe that anything in it will help him in the limits he plays.

What about one book that teaches him the basics and one that will help him in these mid limitgames?
Haven't read "Getting Started in Hold'em" would you recommend it for him?

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

It would be easier to answer this question if you tell us what site he plays at.

And his handle.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

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It would be easier to answer this question if you tell us what site he plays at.

And his handle.

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[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

Ok, first thing, if your friend is playing any 2 suited, ANY poker book is going to help. It's also incorrect to say SSH is inapplicable at the limits he plays (I assume you mean 10/20). A lot of SSH is applicable to 10/20, one just needs to know which concepts are still useful and which ones need to be tweaked to apply to the mid-stakes games. Personally, I think your friend has a lot more to worry about than trying to figure out which SSH concepts are good/not as good (at 10/20, that is).

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

He should read Theory of Poker and Small Stakes Hold 'em. Explain to him that "Small Stakes" is anything from $20-$40 down. When he's through with those and if he continues to play the higher low-limit games, tell him about Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players. Those are easily the three best poker books out there, so you can always use that as good solid general advice.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

I would tell him to give a look at "Middle Limit Holdem" by Brier and Ciaffone. It's very example-based, and doesn't have a huge amount of more complex theoretical material that he might not be ready for (as HPFAP and, in my opinion, SSH, both have... I don't think SSH is an "intro" book by any means). The book is also perhaps on the tight (even weak, according to many on these boards) side, meaning that it could be exactly the proper medicine for your LAGgy friend.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

You already got a lot of good book advice, so let me throw something else out there. Perhaps your friend just likes to gamble? If that's the case, don't try to force him to play "proper" poker. If losing a couple thousand a week doesn't matter to him and he's having lots of fun gambling it up on Party or wherever he's playing, why force him to change? Now, if he were to come to you looking for advice or if you noticed that he was developing an addiction and gambling beyond his means, that would be a whole other story. But at this point, let him play any way he wants.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

I don't see the problem with him learning by playing for real money. You are comfortable with him playing badly at 2/4 but not at 10/20? Why?

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

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Explain to him that "Small Stakes" is anything from $20-$40 down.

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By the sounds of things, this would cause him to immediatly jump up to the 100/200 game [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I'm sure some folks around here wouldn't be complaining.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

So these are the type of people we play against.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

If your friend doesn't have the patience to read/study a book like small stakes holdem, poker is not for him. I mean: winning poker [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

If he doesn't listen, just let him deposit 500$ every week and give us his screenname

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

[ QUOTE ]
You already got a lot of good book advice, so let me throw something else out there. Perhaps your friend just likes to gamble? If that's the case, don't try to force him to play "proper" poker. If losing a couple thousand a week doesn't matter to him and he's having lots of fun gambling it up on Party or wherever he's playing, why force him to change? Now, if he were to come to you looking for advice or if you noticed that he was developing an addiction and gambling beyond his means, that would be a whole other story. But at this point, let him play any way he wants.

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No, he wants to study. But asked me what book he should by.
And I didn't really know, since I don't tell nubies to buy SSH or HEPFAP.
But the information in these books is probably the most apllicable for the games he plays.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

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I don't see the problem with him learning by playing for real money. You are comfortable with him playing badly at 2/4 but not at 10/20? Why?

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I didn't say that. But I think that these games differ and that he maybe could beat 2/4 easier than 10/20.

Also, my idea was, that I get him a book directly for Midstakes Poker, and not one where it is assumed that all opponents are donks.
The intro of SSh says something about that. That many Mid- or Highstakes players don't even have the knowledge of beating small stakes, since they never played them.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

I do think that it is easily possible to learn to be a winning player starting at the mid stakes, as long as you are happy to lose a fair whack of money.

Honestly, the best I can think of is to read GSIH, then SSH and then HEPFAP and MLH etc. I think alot of the info in SSH is pretty useful at all stakes. However, all of the books aimed at the middle limits are too advanced for your first poker book. TOP is too abstract.

Holdem Poker by David Sklanksy. n/m
 

n/m

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

You have a rich friend who doesn't need his money and is having a good time splashing around with cash that means nothing to him, and you want to turn him into a break-even player? I'd argue that the problem isn't with him.

Why isn't his "gambling for fun" acceptable to you? I'd rather play against this guy than a compulsive (bad) gambler, even one who might play worse than him, both because I know I'm doing him no harm, and because he's got essentially unlimited money to put into play. Stop trying to mess up a good situation for everyone.

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

Internet Texas Hold'em is a decent beginner book. It has hand examples from mid-limit online games. Book is a bit weak-tight, but that might be a good thing for your friend at the moment. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

Read it all, think about it. Read more. Think even more.
Get friends, online or in real life, who has the same approach to the game. Start to analyse why how and when
If he is clever and really goes serious he could be a high stakes player within a year. Poker is easy. All the info is out there, its just about understanding it




And, don´t ever watch porn while playing. Hurts your game!




Tony

Re: Books for a Midstake-Fish
 

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And, don´t ever watch porn while playing. Hurts your game!




Tony

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Now you tell me.....