A Good Poker Book?

Gavinxxxx

As the title suggests, im thinking of investing in a poker book but i dont want to go out and buy any old book, so whats the best book that you would recommend ?

phil12uk

Gus Hansens is a great read.

Depends if u wanna strategy book or a biography style book with memorable hands played within it.

Buistyboy

Hi gavin

there have been a few threads about poker books previously on the forum, so if you do a search at the top of the page you should find what you are looking for. I'd have posted links to them here for you but i dont know how to do it.

Ray

oynutter

Hi Gavin--personally, I'd advise you to not to read a book on strategy at all, imo the best players play  the game purely instinctively and I think thier game would suffer if they read books about how to play----Have a read of my blog (especially the comments) called "Poker books, you avin a larf?"---find it in --latest blogs----caution, may contain nuts--good luck --floppa whoppa

ACESOVER8s

In contrast to oynutter I would advise you read as many poker books as you can get your hands on. This is not to say that oynutter is wrong on his Instictive play but the more concepts you look at and are aware of the quicker your game will come on.
 
A lot of these things you would probably figure out over time and experiance as oynutter suggests but there's nothing wrong with a head start.

The reason forums became so important to online poker is the ability to review, discuss and take on board the opinions of players better or more experianced than yourself. It's kind of like a support group for gambling degenerates to improve their craft lol. So if you can take a proffesionals opinion straight off the page then why not?

oynutter

thing is, acesover, I believe that reading loads of books will only help you become an orthodox player, whereas I think its the unorthodox and instinctive players that end up on top. What we learn by our own experience stays in our heads and forms part of our instinct for the game, what we learn from a book, imo, will only get in the way of us learning our "own" game. Take Anjie1970 as an example, I think she has final tabled in the open more than any player on sky, yet has never read a book, she plays her own "instinctive game", and really is one of the most formidable opponents on the site.

MereNovice

Reading poker books can have (at least) two benefits.

Firstly, you can pick up tips/tactics that may enhance your own game. Obviously, you would only want to adopt tactics that you consider useful.

Secondly, on the basis that lots of other people read these books and adopt their recommendations, you learn what your opponents may be thinking.

"Know your enemy".

Sun Tzu - The Art Of War.

elsadog

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

Reading poker books can have (at least) two benefits. Firstly, you can pick up tips/tactics that may enhance your own game. Obviously, you would only want to adopt tactics that you consider useful. Secondly, on the basis that lots of other people read these books and adopt their recommendations, you learn what your opponents may be thinking. "Know your enemy". Sun Tzu - The Art Of War.
Posted by MereNovice

I am what I am and that's all what I am -  Popeye

Dingdell

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

Reading poker books can have (at least) two benefits. Firstly, you can pick up tips/tactics that may enhance your own game. Obviously, you would only want to adopt tactics that you consider useful. Secondly, on the basis that lots of other people read these books and adopt their recommendations, you learn what your opponents may be thinking. "Know your enemy". Sun Tzu - The Art Of War.
Posted by MereNovice

This.

I was playing in a biggie live comp and the guy next to me told me about the reason he was betting the way he was because he had read the Gus Hansen book. Invaluable infomation which meant I could get him to bet into my flopped set of aces on every street.

I love reading poker books, take a little from each and make it your own imo.

Tikay10

In Response to A Good Poker Book?:

As the title suggests, im thinking of investing in a poker book but i dont want to go out and buy any old book, so whats the best book that you would recommend ?
Posted by Gavinxxxx

I recommend "A short history of nearly eveything" by Bill Bryson. Not much poker in it, but it puts poker in perspective. 

As to "poker only" books, I don't believe in them personally, so I can't recommend any.

ACESOVER8s

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

thing is, acesover, I believe that reading loads of books will only help you become an orthodox player, whereas I think its the unorthodox and instinctive players that end up on top. What we learn by our own experience stays in our heads and forms part of our instinct for the game, what we learn from a book, imo, will only get in the way of us learning our "own" game. Take Anjie1970 as an example, I think she has final tabled in the open more than any player on sky, yet has never read a book, she plays her own "instinctive game", and really is one of the most formidable opponents on the site.
Posted by oynutter

I understand what your saying nutter, and i don't on most levels disagree. But as Merenovice has pointed out, Knowing that information is far different from following it. As a lot of pople read these books it helps to know what they have read and what they "May" be trying to do. And while Anjie is a formidable player not all players have an instinctive feel for the game and may need to reasearch a little. There are many styles including the gut feeling that you like to play by, A maths approach, The maniac looney freeroll approach lol

A mix of all these things may work best but a knowledge of them all and how to react to them is essential. People such as yourself, tikay, Anjie & others have probably figured these things out for yourselves over a period of years at the tables but for somebody newer to poker then books can be invaluble.

Would i read these books and follow them like a religion....... No but as a decent read on an interesting subject and to brush up on the plays you are going to come up against then why not. Anything that increases your understanding of the more compaex areas of the game has to be a good thing

P.S. if your just looking for a funny gambling related read then "Amarillo Slim in a world full of fat people" is good, but his somewhat tarnised charachter of late may mean it's not readily available anymore

Tikay10

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book? : I understand what your saying nutter, and i don't on most levels disagree. But as Merenovice has pointed out, Knowing that information is far different from following it. As a lot of pople read these books it helps to know what they have read and what they "May" be trying to do. And while Anjie is a formidable player not all players have an instinctive feel for the game and may need to reasearch a little. There are many styles including the gut feeling that you like to play by, A maths approach, The maniac looney freeroll approach lol A mix of all these things may work best but a knowledge of them all and how to react to them is essential. People such as yourself, tikay, Anjie & others have probably figured these things out for yourselves over a period of years at the tables but for somebody newer to poker then books can be invaluble. Would i read these books and follow them like a religion....... No but as a decent read on an interesting subject and to brush up on the plays you are going to come up against then why not. Anything that increases your understanding of the more compaex areas of the game has to be a good thing P.S. if your just looking for a funny gambling related read then "Amarillo Slim in a world full of fat people" is good, but his somewhat tarnised charachter of late may mean it's not readily available anymore
Posted by ACESOVER8s

You may find a copy in the Children's Section of the Library.

oynutter

yeh acesover, I can see where you're coming from, its just that i believe that anything that is likely to influence our thinking on the game, is ultimately bad news. It cost me around 100 quid before I became a profitable player, and obviously I still have a lot to learn, (we never stop learning) but I firmly believe that reading someone else's thinking on the game will influence my sub-conscience, and hinder the progress of the development of my own game, this is a risk I am not prepared to take. So it has to be no poker books for me.

  my best piece of advice would be, play the 2.20 deep stacks untill you have won around ten of them, then try a few of the shorter, bigger prize pool games. Let your game and your confidence improve naturally.

BlackFish3

Poker is a game of psychology and maths. I suppose you could work out the maths yourself but it is much easier to read up on it and learn it. As for the psychology... i think that comes from experience and discussing hands. So both the maths and psychology elements can be read up on... however i recommend reading online strategy articles for free rather than paying for a book... its all online just google it.

oynutter

ps--good to know you would'nt recommend reading books tikay--I bet orfords read loads of em--lol

Talon

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

ps--good to know you would'nt recommend reading books tikay--I bet orfords read loads of em--lol
Posted by oynutter

 You can imagine the books that orford reads
 They are a bout a ball
 A red ball
 A big red ball
 See the big red ball bounce

ACESOVER8s

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book? :  You can imagine the books that orford reads  They are a bout a ball  A red ball  A big red ball  See the big red ball bounce
Posted by Talon

Are you cribbing lines from the small rouge one Talon?

One of my fav shows, if you wern't then i guess you used to have the red ball book ??? lol

Hogg321

harrington on holdem, good read

Gavinxxxx

Lol all these posts and not yet one recomendation lol might just write my own book lol dont think it would be a good read mind

Talon

All hail the crimson short one.

ACESOVER8s

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book?:

In Response to Re: A Good Poker Book? : You may find a copy in the Children's Section of the Library.
Posted by Tikay10

LOL Tikay, Quick of wit i see

I would just like to point out that I endorse the book as a fun read and not any actions taken by anyone associated with the book "Allegedly or otherwise" lol

Don't know if you've heard some of his proposition bet storys but they are brill