Best books for online poker?

#1 12-09-2005, 05:06 AM

Hey I asked this earlier but had no replies [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
guess i'll ask again
I just read a post about how terrible killer poker online is(i'm 1/3 of the way through it)
Are there any books that are good for online poker play?
I'm a reasonable player live but online i'm not great, right now I enjoy a small win rate at the 33$ SnGs and 1/2 limit and so on...
while the tools available to live players such as reads are gone during online play there must be a new field of science associated with online play
recommendations?

SoftcoreRevolt · #2 12-09-2005, 05:10 AM

SMALL STAKES HOLD EM.

And Poker Tracker is infinitely more useful than any "reads" you'd get off B&M Small Stakes players. The reads boil down to "God am I a bad player who is playing almost every hand, value bet against me!"

#3 12-09-2005, 03:42 PM

I don't want to sound like a shill for the 2+2 guys or anything, but "Small Stakes Hold'em" by Miller, Sklansky & Malmuth is amazing. You'll become so much better pre-flop and a master after the flop. My game has already improved and I haven't even finished the book yet!

Ghost

deacsoft · #4 12-09-2005, 07:27 PM

I truely believe this forum and the sources already mentioned in this thread and a solid understanding of TOP are all a dedicated player needs to crush on-line poker in time.

#5 12-09-2005, 07:35 PM

i think you are going to see a torrent of good new books very soon.

the problem with almost all books so far (except twoplustwo's and a few others - and i'm not some 2plus2 sycophant, i constructively criticize all their books that i have) is THIS: 1) too much beginners material; 2) alot don't focus exclusively on hold-em; 3) online has moved alot towards no-limit, tournaments (including SNG's) and shorthanded.... basically, most books out know were written before, during or just after poker exploded. but now we are going to see the books that a large, mature (and i argue relatively sustainable market deserves. so many people i know love poker and i see no let up (seems like everyone loves it for a different reason - well not 50 million reasons but you get the idea)

deacsoft · #6 12-09-2005, 07:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
i think you are going to see a torrent of good new books very soon.

[/ QUOTE ]

I completely agree. And I'm sure there will be books dedicated to on-line poker.

wyrd · #7 12-09-2005, 08:37 PM

I personally liked Weighing the Odds by King Yao. He explains the different types of players very well, and I especially enjoyed his chapter on starting hands. He mathematically shows why certain hands are better to play in certain situations compared to others. Lastly, I think his DIPO method is easier for calculating odds than the typical division route.

#8 12-10-2005, 05:28 AM

Thanks for the response so far guys
I own most 2+2 publications, (the third edition of ToP is what I own and I hear the second version is MUCH better written, anyone know if the difference is huge and where I can still obtain a second version?) I'm half way through SSHE, and even though these books are good I find I'm still not obliterating the online game as I should. I'm a fairly significant winner at live casino games (well in my very poker career but my edge in those games is clearly significant) but i'm only a very very moderate winner at these online games where players presumably know less than ppl who squat at casinos all day. I heard killer poker online by Jon Varhaus get dissed alot (unfortunately i'm half way thru it and i think i'll finish it the second part seems somewhat helpful) and I"m just wondering if there's such a good book to discuss all the science of online poker, such as time tells and player tendencies. Good note aobut the poker tracker, just bought it a week ago and still haven't quite figured out how to use it well yet [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] but i can do most database stuff now, and pokerace HUD to impose it on my screen
Thanks again
any further advice on online poker books will be much appreciated

#9 12-10-2005, 03:27 PM

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I'm half way through SSHE, and even though these books are good I find I'm still not obliterating the online game as I should.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you think that you should be crushing online games after reading half of SSHE? I know what you mean. In college, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't speak fluent German after taking a whole semester.

Welcome to the real world. Guess what. After you actually read SSHE, you are going to have to read it again. And again. You are going to have to study it like a med student studies his anatomy text. And you are going to have to play a lot of hands of poker while studying. Read the book, play some poker, try to apply the principles, figure out what you are doing wrong, and go back and study some more.

[ QUOTE ]
these online games where players presumably know less than ppl who squat at casinos all day.

[/ QUOTE ]

The opposite is true. The general consensus around here is that a $1/2 online game is tougher than a $4/8 or higher B&M game.

[ QUOTE ]
I"m just wondering if there's such a good book to discuss all the science of online poker, such as time tells and player tendencies.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no science of online poker. Poker is poker. Time tells are virtually meaningless in a low level game. A player slow to act may be pondering his hand, or have a slow connection, or be multi-tabling, or be doing a couple of other things while playing. You want to bet money based on that? I have read several "online poker" books, and I learned nothing from them of any use specific to playing online. You just need to learn how to play poker.