Newbie's should start with HEFAP

[Jacob_Gilliam]

This was the first poker book I ever read, and I learned a lot more from this than SSHE. The problem I have with SSHE is that it's strategy is very formulaic (if you have these cards, you should do this, etc.) While HEFAP shows you how to make the correct decision based on individual situations, and assumes that with practice you'll learn to apply these concepts to all different types of situations.
The only thing that I think is really good about SSHE is the preflop charts, but then again you learn how to play preflop intuitavely through HEFAP, instead of always doing the exact same thing regardless of the game. Poker is not a game of charts, it's a game of figuring out the best move for that specific situation, which may not be exactly repeated for thousands of hands. HEFAP teaches you to think more about why your doing what you are doing, and I think just about any newbie would do better by starting with this book over any other, including SSHE.

[ArturiusX]

I only just read HEFAP, and I love it. Its one of those 'thinking books'. SSHE turns you into a machine, but HEFAP makes you very aware of how you should approach different kinds of players, both thinking and loose players.

Basing your play around SSHE, then extracting certain concepts from HEFAP (like shorthanded play and heads up) would make you a god on the poker table.

[@bsolute_luck]

i've just started reading HEFAP, but no i don't think a newbie would do better starting with this and, from what i can tell so far, HEFAP is also basing it's play on thinking opponents at higher limits.

SSH is used for low-limit, donk-betting goofs who don't pay attention, play anything, and are more in it for "fun".

HEFAP seems to give some credit to your opponents. plus a newbie won't fully understand HEFAP without first grasping the basics: SSH and TOP.

[SoftcoreRevolt]

This is the correct strategy. HEPFAP can add a lot to the game that SSHE teaches you, but you really need a lot of time at the tables and this forum to figure out what in HEPFAP applies to which situation.

[aron]

I started with HEPFAP, read it twice.
And played break-even poker (it seems like in retrospect).
This was at the same time I played my first couple of hundred hands single-tabling.

Later on I got hold of SSH, and felt that it was a book with information possible to absorb.
This christmas I re-read HEPFAP and felt that I actually understood a bit of what the hell was written there.

My advice would be that unless you've played poker a lot or are way above average intelligent SSH is a much safer bet to start with, cause HEPFAP is a advanced book.

And after that I totally recommend to give HEPFAP a try after reading TOP as well.

-aron

[iNsChris]

Read HEFAP before SSH was quite alot to take in, fairly confusing.

SSH is great book now i'm currently reading it, I'm sure ill understand HEFAP better once Finished(read/understood) SSH.

2+2 books certainly superior to others i've read [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Good job 2+2.

[apples]

I think if you try to apply concepts in HPFAP without understanding SSHE you are building on a very shaky foundation.

[btspider]

i strongly disagree.

[bottomset]

[ QUOTE ]
i strongly disagree.

[/ QUOTE ]

its for playing against Advanced Players ... less than 5% of the players at the micro level fit that category

to be the micro level its best to play machine since thats what gets the money, boring standard ABC poker

[Jakesta]

You can use SSH against advanced players at the micros too, because the tables are loose enough.