USA TODAY on Poker Books

[PE101]

I disagree with part of this...
I think TOP is WAY over the head of most neophytes!

I think the strategy books you mentioned are terrific for beginners, but TOP is rather sophisticated and requires study and insight. I’m afraid that it would scare the curious away from our wonderful game – not attract them to it.

Think back to the 1st time you played real poker – would you have sat down if you knew your opponents studied this kind of material? I wouldn’t have!

[BarronVangorToth]

VERY true, it's VERY advanced, but after you get the basics in Getting Started I think a read through of TOP can help get some thought processes flowing, then maybe Small Stakes Hold 'em, then back to TOP, then play a little, and some combination of mixing back and forth...

...ideally, all while you have someone(s) to bounce questions off, etc etc.

You have to start somewhere. And a new player will be limited initially at least to only wanting to check out a few books, so are there any others you'd recommend before TOP? There's a reason why many consider it the best book written on poker ever - and no one expects a newbie to get it all in the first take.

Heck, I've read it a number of times, and far be it that I believe I have all the lessons and theories down-pat, which is why I keep going back to it ... and to SSH ... and to HEPFAP ... and back again to TOP ... etc etc.

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com