Help a Semi-Beginner with Continuing his Hold 'Em Studies

[Stew]

HI,

First, let me introduce myself. I have been a long-time reader off all topics on this forum. This is my first post.

I have been playing low-limit hold em for about one year. I've played in about ten two-hour sessions at a cardrooms in Vegas and recently began playing poker online at micro-limits to impove my skills (play money is absolutely horrendous).

I have read Lee Jones, "Winning Low-Limit Hold 'Em". I'm currently reading Krieger's, "More Hold 'Em Excellence." I plan on purchasing Sklansky's "Hold 'Em Poker" and reading that next. In addition, I plan on buying either TOP or HPFAP21 by Sklansky and possibly Carson's "Complete Book of Hold 'Em..." b/c it is only $10 at Amazon.com.

I have read this forum in it's entirety, except for the archives and have a couple of questions.

First off, I can only buy ONE of Sklansky's TOP or HPFAP in addition to his "Hold 'Em Poker". Which book should I buy? TOP or HPFAP. Don't recommend both, b/c eventually I will buy both, but right now I want to know which of the two I should get and read first. I will eventually buy both, I just want to know which book I should buy first and why? Which one will be more beneficial for me improving my skills as a Hold 'Em player?

Second, I know Carson's book isn't that great, but it is only $10. Is this worth it, or should I save my &10?

Finally, after reading these titles, I do plan on advancing forward to Sklansky's Tournament Poker for Advanced Players and Brier's (sp?) Middle limit Book, as well as Super/System. Any other thoughts?

[Ed Miller]

HPFAP is probably more appropriate for a beginning Holdem player to buy first.

[chaos]

I would recommend reading Theory of Poker before HEPFAP.
I think S&M recommend this also in the later.

[The _Grifter]

After reading Jone's book, Theory of Poker should be next. I'd recommend Theory of Poker as your first book, but that suggestion didn't fly to well on here. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[The _Grifter]

As far as the Carson book, I haven't read it, but there's many other books worth buying before that one. Caro's book of Tells should be on your list as a beginner.

[Clarkmeister]

Since you have read Krieger and Jones, you can skip getting Sklansky's Holdem book. Just go straight to HPFAP and ToP.

I think Carsons book is very good.

Also on your list should be Caros Book of Tells and Feeny's "Inside the Poker Mind".

GL.

[Howard Burroughs]

I still think the Sklansky Hold'em book is a must have. It contains the "Flops You Want" section, not to be found in any other book (at least not as taught by Sklansky).

The new version (mine says January 2001) also states that if you are dead last (pre-flop)............."If you are dead last, at least call anything, cetainly groups 1-6. You should call with group 8 hands and even worse if there are many other players in." There is then a footnote that reads, "This is not true for the double blind structure since a call costs too much. Stick to groups 1 thru 6 plus all pairs."

Compared to the most recent (1999) advanced hold'em book's............."If you are dead last -that is,if you are on the button- and there are already callers, you can play hands in groups 1-7."

My point is that "Hold'em Poker" still has some worthwhile things between it's covers, even for advanced players to read IMHO.

Best of Luck

H.B.

[bernie]

sounds like you started a good foundation for the game....id get HPFAP next.....then feeneys book since its like a HPFAP part 2...

HPFAP you wont grasp everything in it, but some stuff will ring bells, while others will make sense later on.

TOP? can be confusing since it shifts from different games so the correlations of play relations between the games may be confusing. great book, no doubt. but it can wait. youll pick up alot of it from playing too....if you play enough

the last thing id look at is tell play. make your main parts of the game strong, then go for caro's tells. youll pick up some tell play along the way, but id concentrate on the fundamentals and intermediate play first.

good luck...

b

btw...about play money tables....there are tables once in awhile that will play that way as far as loose or wild. in fact those tables can be a great place to practice that type of texture. one should be able to beat that type of table and take the beats. my main beef with play money tables is how ungodly slow it is. sometimes it takes 5 mins to get to the flop. that said, the 5 max tables are a great way to learn shorthanded since the play is much the same...

[Clarkmeister]

Howard,

If we are strictly talking preflop, I would recommend Abduls website. I think that thinking in terms of hand rankings starts new players down the wrong path. S&M acknowledge this in HPFAP saying something like "use this until you learn the intrinsic value of each hand", but I think that people tend to get locked into "what hand group is it in".

I'm not saying he shouldn't ever get it. But having read Jones and Krieger, its probabaly better to go straight to HPFAP and ToP and relegate Holdem Poker to the list of "books I need to get at some point, but not right away" like Essays and some of Davids other poker books.

[JohnG]

Gary Carson's book is absolutely the best book a beginner can buy. It is a step up from the Lee Jones book. It teaches you how to think in reaching a decision rather than what to do cookbook style. You will be able to think for yourself in unfamiliar situations. Then go on to books like theory of poker.