Ciaffone 's Improve your poker- Relevant to NL Cash?

I was wondering if this book contained a lot of relevance toward NLHE Ring, and short handed, or primarily toward limit.

Also, how would you rate his "Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker" towards today's internet small/middle stakes NL internet games?

[MCS]

IYP applies to all games. It's very good.

[pyedog]

[ QUOTE ]

Also, how would you rate his "Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker" towards today's internet small/middle stakes NL internet games?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm interested in the answer to this question as well. I've heard a lot of people recommend this book, but do they mainly recommend it for higher stakes NL or something that can be used as a bit of an intro text for someone starting playing NL?

Also I see that it's 200 pages but how much of this content applies specifically to hold em? I am not interested in learning the rest of the games at this time.

Anyways, I play up to 50NL online and 1-2 NL live so I'm thinking of buying this book as well as the Little Green Book. Another possibility is the Russel Fox book but I've read bad things about it. Then again for a beginner text it sounds like it might not be bad.

[benkahuna]

I think Improve Your Poker is a must read. It lives up to its title.

For low stakes NL, I think Phil's Little Green Book is best. I think you should read SSHE and make the obligatory adjustments for NL.

Blow off dominated hands like KTo. Play multiway hands like suited connectors and small pairs in multiway pots (preferably small pairs in aggressive post flop games, suited connectors in passive games).

Read Caro's Book of Tells.

And read HoH vol 1.

That reading and thoughtful application should do improve your game.


Improve your poker has limited information specifically pertinent to NL, but it's good for your all around poker.


A lot of these books suggest greater sophistication than is necessary or useful in low stakes NL games. Be careful applying what you read in them.

[JohnG]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering if this book contained a lot of relevance toward NLHE Ring, and short handed, or primarily toward limit.

[/ QUOTE ]

A large amount of the book is very relevant to NLHE ring (and not just the section marked as the bigbet section). There is no short handed stuff as far as I remember. Well worth buying if you are into limit holdem, bigbet holdem, or pot limit omaha.


[ QUOTE ]
Also, how would you rate his "Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker" towards today's internet small/middle stakes NL internet games?

[/ QUOTE ]

It was written way before internet poker and mostly assumes typical decent opponents rather than an internet donkey. But it doesn't matter. The book teaches you basic big-bet concepts which should serve as your foundation. Your opponents are a matter of table dynamics, which the book does not discuss. You need to know these basics of big-bet play regardless of the game dynamics you will face.

Ciaffone is also releasing a no limit holdem book sometime, that will have more on the typical internet opponents and games. Should be a good book.

[JohnG]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm interested in the answer to this question as well. I've heard a lot of people recommend this book, but do they mainly recommend it for higher stakes NL or something that can be used as a bit of an intro text for someone starting playing NL?

[/ QUOTE ]

Intro text. It teaches the foundations of your bigbet thinking.

'Improve your poker' and 'pot and no limit poker' are both good for someone just starting, especially if coming from a limit background. They both have articles discussing the differences and adjustments between limit and pot/no limit.

[ QUOTE ]
Also I see that it's 200 pages but how much of this content applies specifically to hold em? I am not interested in learning the rest of the games at this time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of the 'pot and no limit poker' book applies to bigbet holdem. It has a lot of general chapters that apply, and then goes into game specific chapters. There's more than enough material that relates to holdem. Same goes for 'improve your poker'.

Just looking at the pot limit book, the 1st 57 pages are all chapters on general bigbet subjects like depth of money, drawing hands, how much to bet, comparing pot limit to limit, initiative, the art of bluffing, no limit play, all-in coups, etc. All of these pages are relevant to holdem. pg 58-162 are then on specific games, with the holdem chapter having around 25-30 pages, with around 10 concepts discussed. After the individual game chapters, it then has about 8 pages on tournaments, and 3 on shortahanded play. After that, there is a further 50 or so pages on such things as poker history, pot limit rules, ethics, probability etc.

So in all, you have about 80-90 pages (16 chapters) that relates directly to bigbet holdem strategy.

[ QUOTE ]
Anyways, I play up to 50NL online and 1-2 NL live so I'm thinking of buying this book as well as the Little Green Book. Another possibility is the Russel Fox book but I've read bad things about it. Then again for a beginner text it sounds like it might not be bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

Forget the fox book. Get the 2 ciaffone books and the little green book. 3 good books for a beginner.

[JohnG]

[ QUOTE ]
Improve your poker has limited information specifically pertinent to NL, but it's good for your all around poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would say about half the book is pertinent to NL/PL holdem. Not bad for a general poker book.