PLHE - how to get better?

[Emperor]

I haven't played much PL or NL, except for in tournaments. So I would read a lot of the tournament archives here at 2+2. Generally I think calculating pot odds is more important because if you overbet you make calling correct for your opponent, if you underbet then you miss out on EV. stuff like that.

Knowing when to raise 3x the BB , or when to bet the pot, or when to push it all-in, are all things good tournament players can calculate.

[Ralle]

There has been some discussions lately about the Ciaffone/Brier book Middle Limit Holdem. See e.g. "Ciaffone and Game Theory" in the General Theory forum. There Mason Malmuth suggests that some of the advice in that book might be more suitable for a pot-limit game. Now the book is of course intended for limit play, but maybe there are some things that can be applied to pot-limit.

[J.R.]

because if you overbet you make calling correct for your opponent

Isn't this backwards, in that overbetting the pot means your opponent is getting slimmer pot odds and calling, in general, is less correct.

[adam74]

Yes, I'll give that some thought. I have read it, but don't have my own copy - I'd like to buy and reread it, but always get put off my the £35 price tag. As you say, though - since it's one of only two books I know about that specifically address big-bet poker, it might be worth getting hold of it.

[adam74]

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look into that. Has anyone else got any opinions on this?

[mp5]

Ciaffone/Reuben book
-Good general big bet advice.

Championship NL and PL Holdem - Cloutier
-Just big bet holdem cash and tournaments

Super System - Brunson
-Hold em no limit section supposed to be very good

Theory of poker - Sklansky
-general theory

I have read all except super system which I am getting soon.
They will all make you more money than you spend on them.

[mp5]

Sorry - this 1 will not help your PL/NL play at all.

[Lunamondo]

Limit study makes one more sophisticated about the board and cards itself, the C&B book being no exception, and it's good at that. But what comes to building a basic strategy and understanding big bet games betting with different type of hands, and different hand values, only big bet poker books and one's own discoveries will help - there are basic things that are not fitting to especially micro limit games, and that is dealing with how much to bet or (open-)raise with different hands - e.g. there is often no point betting or raising a weaker hand out especially heads up; a consept that should actually be used more often at limit game also.

[Hung]

Super System - Brunson
Best think I ever read in my whole life.