Improve Your Poker by Bob Ciaffone

[KeyToTheMint]

For the record: I think this is a great book, and it's good to
know Mason gave it a nine. The two poker books i got the most out of are HEPFAP and IYP. I read them a few years ago so this
is pre SSH (which I haven't read yet). Also, since I read them first and they are quality works everything else becomes diminishing marginal returns.

I do remember this though. HEPFAP is so dense in material, that important things which were covered in sentence somehow became glossed over by me, even with more than 1 reading.
I specifically remember IYP, breaking down why it's important
to raise in the CO posting a late blind if all fold. After
reading it I said to myself, "why isn't this in HEPFAP?"
You know what? It is. It's just that it is written in a sentence in HEPFAP whereas its a few sentences in IYP with a specfic example. Thats one of the reasons I think it is a great supplemental read to HEPFAP.

Another thing is IYP is very specific in considering how many people are in the pot with you saying things like check against 4 opponents, consider betting 3, definetly bet against 2, whereas HEPFAP might be more vague and say bet against few, check against many.

I went off on a tangent and gave reasons why I liked IYP as a
companion piece to HEPFAP. However, there are things in it
not really covered in HEPFAP. Things like image, taking a "shot", no limit hand examples, different forms of poker, tells etc. I want to reiterate: great book.
Go and get it.

[kiddo]

[ QUOTE ]
It's just that it is written in a sentence in HEPFAP whereas its a few sentences in IYP with a specfic example. Thats one of the reasons I think it is a great supplemental read to HEPFAP.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I also like "Improve Your Poker" a lot. My question was one of real interest, not like: How could anything beat the HEFAP-bible.

What I like about Ciaffone is that he is very clear in his thought (if u can use that expression in english) and I agree that he says things in an easy way that is hidden in a complicated potodds discussion in HEFAP. And yes, Ciaffone is more specific about the number of players.

What I remember best is Ciaffones "when to defend your SB with J7o" chapter, it was pure gold for a SH player like me. By the way, I also like his Middle Limit Holdem. Yes, some hands he plays a little passive, but its no big problem. I like that he presents a problem like playing unhit overcards and then give a bunch of examples where this is done.

[SenecaJim]

what is a SH player ?

[Koller]

[ QUOTE ]
what is a SH player ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Shorthanded

Not really.

[kiddo]

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[theRealMacoy]

i also give the thumbs up for this book.
it is very readable and covers a wide array of topics.
lots of good nuggets to help your game.

cheers,
the Real Macoy

[SenecaJim]

What didn't you like about it?