Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

I just think it's an awesome source of poker material. I'm only about haflway through it (bought it 3 days ago) and you just get this sense that Harrington has possibly the deepest understanding of the game out of all the top pros at the moment. Also too, I like his style as compared to Sklansky, Malmuth, Ed Miller etc... who can get easily bogged down in math arguments - all of you who have read Theory know exactly what i'm talking about.
It's a much easier read and very well suited for someone like me who has failed at tourney play for a very long time, while becoming more and more confident in ring games, and not understanding why the two dont translate into each other.
The book reminds me of when i was reading WLLH for the first time and was continually caught slapping my forehead in revelation. Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

I have both volumes, havent started reading either, just a couple pages of Vol I. I like how he includes real live experience in trying to get his point across (like a hand he played in at the 2003 WSOP final table, etc...)

In GSHE, Volume I is recommended as further reading for no limit rather than tournament holdem (Volume II is recommended for tourney play)

I completely agree with you about being bogged down with the math in Sklansky's books.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

"Harrington on Hold'em" will do for No-Limit what "Hold Em Poker For Advanced Players" did for Limit.

It is the beginning of the No-limit Renaissance!!

[Ok, slight exaggeration. But I have no doubt that HOH will spawn a tital wave of No-limit books.]

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

Yeah, thats the first thing i read when i picked up the book at barnes and nobles and started flipping thru it. He not only explains what he was thinking but makes educated guesses on Farha's, Moneymaker's and Vahedi's plays as well - awesome, simply awesome

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

HOH 1 & 2 are both excellent!

I am still not quite sure what vigorish is, but I feel that I have a much better understanding of NL ring and tourney play now.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In Antwort auf:</font><hr />
Yeah, thats the first thing i read when i picked up the book at barnes and nobles and started flipping thru it. He not only explains what he was thinking but makes educated guesses on Farha's, Moneymaker's and Vahedi's plays as well - awesome, simply awesome

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/agree

somtimes you have the feeling that you looking over his shoulder and hear his thinking, or that you are sitting with him together and have a nice conversation!

awesome, simply awesome!

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

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I am still not quite sure what vigorish is

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"Vigorish" or "vig" is just another word for "edge." It's usually used when describing a house advantage. I thought that Harrington's use of it was odd, but it made sense.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

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I am still not quite sure what vigorish is

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"Vigorish" or "vig" is just another word for "edge." It's usually used when describing a house advantage. I thought that Harrington's use of it was odd, but it made sense.

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I've most often heard it used to describe the edge the bookie has in sports betting.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

Add my name to list of HOH fans. For me, the best part is the problems...here's your cards; here's your position; here's how villain A, B, C have been playing to this point; here are the chip counts...here is where you are at after you didn't play it right and called it anyway [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] What do you do now?

That is what I love most about the books. If I get a call wrong, I read his analysis a few times, then reference other books and try to work it through in my head...great stuff.

As for the theory and the like, I lean toward those math books some people dislike, but for the situation awareness and decision making drills, this is godsend.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

Having read both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, I will agree with the above assessments. Even though it is a 'no-limit' holdem tournament book, much of the advice/ideas/concepts are easily extrapolated to other games. Quite simply, it is unquestionalby the best tournament poker book(s) available. And we get another Volume soon! How great is that!

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

I have to agree here there is no other book that provides problems in a such a wholistic way. Most books just say give you advice on how to play a particular hand as though it existed in a vacuum. These books paid for themselves in the first week.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

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These books paid for themselves in the first week.

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I am beginning to think that we should not promote these books with so much...say...bravado [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] The book sucks--don't even bother reading it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

yeah, i loved HonH 1 and 2.... very easy reading and really drives home certain points like importance of position.

another thing i loved about the book is the realistic attitude (and from a great player). a couple of examples.

harrington often makes a general comment that in small tournaments you don't have time to worry that someone else has a better hand than your good hand i.e. can't stress over possibility of a set of 5's beating your pair of aces with king kicker. just not enough time to lay down stuff like that.

often he stops and does a detailed math calculation and a read on the player and goes ahead and is wrong. he drives home that you don't always have to be right. you have to be right alot to win but you shouldn't be scared to go in when the %'s support it, and if you lose when you thought your odds of winning were 60% so be it.

one thing i wasn't sure about is this: would harrington do a 55% winning % (assume cards are known) play early in a big, important tournament??? my sense is he would as he seems to think positive EV is the dominant reasoning. in contrast to alot of articles i read where they say the benefit of doubling does not equal the loss of crashing out early.

anyhow, all over the place with my comments, but a very good book. heads-up section is absolutely fantastic, although i thought the general shorthanded section was somewhat lacking (i think you need more idea of what cards you can mathematically - i.e. card charts, my fish tendancies showing thru).

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

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I am beginning to think that we should not promote these books with so much...say...bravado

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Too late.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

i think he's just using it here to mean first in "intimidation". and that "intimidation" is the "edge" you talk about. Of course when nobody is in the pot and you go in first raising, there is a certain intimidation factor.

Re: Harrington on Holdem Vol 1
 

agreed, HOH 1 and 2 are by far the best material on
No-limit hold'em avlaible.