One source for NL Cash games

If you could read only 1 published source, not this thread, for info on No-limit cash games what would it be. Remember - only 1 so you decide what the parameters are. ie. theory, practice, entertainment, etc. Just tell us why you made the choice that you did.
Mine would be Pot Limit and No-limit Poker by Ciaffone for the way it covers both the theory of big-bet poker and the practical aspects of how to play specific situations.

haven't read ciaffone or russell fox....

but you could definitely adapt harrington for no-limit cash games (less focus on survival, more on EV, even though harrington is very EV focussed compared to most other tournament advice).

[MCS]

HoH vol 1, though I haven't finished Phil Gordon's Little Green Book yet.

I like Ciaffone and Reuben okay, but not as much as everyone else does.

phil gordon little green book is very good, but somehow i don't think it should be your first book if you don't know no-limit at all. i look at it as more of a book to really improve your no-limit but i think you should know the concepts of no-limit first.

can someone please explain the charts in little green book, i find them completely unfathomable and i've tried really hard to understand them.

[TheNoocH]

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can someone please explain the charts in little green book, i find them completely unfathomable and i've tried really hard to understand them.

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smchant22
try this link...

http://lgb.philgordonpoker.com/index.php?q=node/15

he has his charts in color here...essentially it's what hand should you open raise with and from what position...

utilizing his color chart for an Average Game....

in early position (ie seat 1-2 color red) if you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, AK, AQs then you should come in for a raise...

in middle position (seats 3-5 color yellow) you would play the above hands for an open raise and also add in KQs, QJs, AJs, ATs, A9s, AQ, AJ...
so on and so on...

just remember the following:
1)everything to the right of the pairs are suited hands and everything to the left of the pairs are unsuited hands...
2) he assumes you are coming in for an open raise
3) the charts do not take into account what you should do assuming someone already limped or open raised...

hope that helps...

nooch, thanks!!!

this is from the book, but what does the wierd italicized lettering mean???

and how do we differentiate raising and calling??

and the situations seemed kind of wierd? well i guess my normal game is lots of callers (but almost all these books seem to think 5 callers is really wierd and uncommon. i think all the poker writers generally play very high limits where you get absolutely slaughtered (and quickly) if you aren't really tight.

thanks, i'll check out the link and compare it to the book.... i may still have questions though.

nooch, i think i understand everything, except "what does the coloring of the actual letters mean??" thanks

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nooch, i think i understand everything, except "what does the coloring of the actual letters mean??" thanks

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nooch, i finally get it!! the green lettering means raise as first to act out of small blind (fairly uncommmon). o.k. now i understand.

o.k., all the charts are first to the pot. what if i'm not first to the pot??? like i said, i think most of us play very big $$$$ poker where it's very tight, whereas most of us play with weak-tight or crazy types where you can limp in with quite a bit in late position.

[TheNoocH]

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o.k., all the charts are first to the pot. what if i'm not first to the pot??? like i said, i think most of us play very big $$$$ poker where it's very tight, whereas most of us play with weak-tight or crazy types where you can limp in with quite a bit in late position.

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have you read HOH 1? Harrington does a good job of going over how to play starting hands...what's playable when you're first to the pot, against a single limper, multiple limpers, a raise, and finally a raise then a reraise...what most authors seem to do is try and keep you out of trouble with their starting hand charts...experience helps out with what you are comfortable playing from what position...

[TomBrooks]

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HoH vol 1, though I haven't finished Phil Gordon's Little Green Book yet.

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Are either of these books good for someone wanting to learn NL Cash games? I thought they were both about tournament play.