Revised poll: what's the best/greatest poker book?

Hi Mr. Malmuth,
I went to my local Border's today to get some fishwrap and they didn't have it, but they did order it for me. I'll be sure to read it as soon as I get it. Would that style, in your highly-esteemed expert opinion, be the proper style to combat today's high-octane, push all-in with every drawing hand type of game. I'm getting check-raised constantly.

[benkahuna]

I judge best by the best at what it tries to achieve. Harrington is IMO the best among these.

TOP is awesome and the most important, but it's not as well written or easily digested. In all fairness, HoH came much later.

[avatar77]

Thanks Mason for the numbers on HEFAP.

SS would only be considered the greatest poker book of all time if you only used sales volume as the only criteria for 'greatest book'.

But if you used the 'criteria' of relevancy of content to how to approach and think poker, you can easily argue that not only HEFAP but also TOP and HOH 1 & 2 beat out SS.

SS is dated and has been and always will be known to be the book for the NL section (despite the fact that some other sections by Reese and Sklansky were excellent). If you had to choose one book and only one book for your poker career, no one would say SS would be it. Even if your game was NL because clearly HOH is a far superior book. I firmly believe that HOH will eventually displace SS as the bible for NL if it hasn't already. Brunson's style is flawed for certain types of games and is not an easy style for newer players to learn and master. HOH focuses more on principles and fundamentals which can be adjusted to different styles.

What makes HEFAP so great is because it is really the most applicable book for hold em and it was not only applicable at the time it was released but still applicable today. Before SSHE was launched, HEFAP was really the only universal 'must have', 'must read' book on Limit for serious players. Unless the rules/structure of limit changes, I can not see how HEFAP will ever be dated.

If you had to choose one book that is the core of any poker game, then TOP would easily be the greatest poker book ever. TOP just isn't read as frequently and as seriously because the reading is a bit dry at times (I guess for the same reason people don't read the bible as often).

I'm not a limit player, but I have read HPFAP and agree that it is a great book. Probably the best on the game. However, to say that SS is dated, I must disagree. Rumor has it that it is the only book several of the more well-known internet players have read. They are a little hyper and play this style more aggressively than advocated in the book, but they are essentially playing the way Brunson teaches.

[betgo]

I have had arguments about this before with Mason and others. However, I think that Brunson's chapter in SS is the best ever written. You don't have to follow his LAG advice. There is a lot more to the chapter. The main point is how to play big pairs, little pairs, AK, suited connectors, etc. and how to play various types of flops.

Plus it is good to understand aggressive plays like semibluffs even if you are not going to play LAG. Yeh, the LAG appraoch doesn't work against loose fish, but neither do most of the plays in HPFAP.

I think that HOH2 is the best poker book iv ever read.
I will follow that with TOP,HPFAP,HOH1,followed by chiffy's book

[betgo]

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I think that HOH2 is the best poker book iv ever read.
I will follow that with TOP,HPFAP,HOH1,followed by chiffy's book

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Who's Chiffy?

[avatar77]

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I think that HOH2 is the best poker book iv ever read.
I will follow that with TOP,HPFAP,HOH1,followed by chiffy's book

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Who's Chiffy?

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I think 'Chiffy' is Bob Ciaffone - that's the first time I've heard him be called that.
He didn't state which book by Ciaffone though..PLNL, Improve Your Poker or Middle Limit Hold'em. All 3 books are very popular.

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I think that HOH2 is the best poker book iv ever read.
I will follow that with TOP,HPFAP,HOH1,followed by chiffy's book

[/ QUOTE ]

Who's Chiffy?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think 'Chiffy' is Bob Ciaffone - that's the first time I've heard him be called that.
He didn't state which book by Ciaffone though..PLNL, Improve Your Poker or Middle Limit Hold'em. All 3 books are very popular.

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ur right id say any of them 3 books are worthy of praise.
followed by SSHE and yao's book. With hilger on their heels.

[SenecaJim]

wow. That's like best movie regardless if drama or comedy and disregarding the age of the viewer.

Best book for me so far is SSHE because I am playing cash games, not tourn., and limit, not no limit. I play 5-10 or 10-20 presently, depending on various factors.

TOP is THE BOOK I think. For me, not yet. I have read it twice and made me understand poker in a way I did not. However, more readings are ahead and like the game itself, I understand what the whole book is saying but I'm neither good enough nor experienced enough to have ownership of all this material. Someday I hope I'm good enough to say TOP for me.

In the meantime, even though i have already read it and referred back to sections at times, next on my ladder will probably be HFAP. I hope I am skilled enough eventually and in the type of games where this book will be the "best book" for awhile.