what two books?

Hey all.

First post. Iv been playing in the UK alot recently and feel i need to start reading books to better my game. I feel i have something.

What are the best books to read for the advanced player?

thanks

Depends - what do you normally play? Tournaments, cash games, SnGs, full tables, short handed, heads up, NLHE, Omaha, mixed games?

I would mostly play NHL Tournaments, Cash games etc. obviously i would like to learn about heads up too!

thanks

My favorite so far has been the "Harrington on Hold 'em" series by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie.

Volume I: Strategic Play
Volume II: The Endgame
Volume III: The Workbook

This is only for NLHE sit-n-gos, STTs and MTTs.

I like it because it is laid out very nicely with easy to follow explanations and problems to back up the strategies. Volume III is dedicated entirely to problems, and while I don't always agree with the authors' plays, it is helpful to see their line of thinking leading up to the plays they make.

On the downside, the books are cover priced $29.95 each, but you can get them for a bit less ordering by internet.

I'd go with Doyle's "Super System 2" for the lowdown on the game itself and then either Fischman's "Online Ace" or Brunson's "Online Poker" books for good info on playing online. Also, I'd suggest giving the FTP Academy a shot - I've been through a good bit of it and while some of it is basic, there's a lot of nuggets and concepts on how to think about things in there for folks at all levels.

Read the five Harrington books (five parts of one book), and read TJ Cloutier's book How to Win the Championship about final table play--endgame is where the money is.

Definitely get Harrington on Hold 'em volumes one and two, they're kinda the bible for NLHE tournament play.

Definitely do not get Super System - one or two. They're fantastic books if you want to play mixed games for high stakes. If you want to play low to medium stakes hold 'em there are seriously a dozen better books you could buy. The hold 'em section (it's basically the same in both versions of the book) assumes you'll be playing for high stakes against weak-tight opponents so don't bother unless that sounds like your regular game.

For my money, I'd get Killer Poker - No Limit by John Vorhaus as the second book (assuming you count two volumes of Harrington as a single book). It covers both cash game and tournament play and it really encourages you to analyse your own play and identify your own leaks as opposed to just pushing one method of playing.

That's just me though. I've heard plenty of good reviews on the Harrington on Cash Games books. If you want to play live, Read 'em and Reap by Joe Navarro is a must (for reading tells and, more importantly, concealing your own ones- skip Mike Caro's Book of Tells, Navarro is much better).

Harrington series is very good for MTT. i would also recommend
Colin Moshmamn SNG
Slansky Tournament play for advanced Players
Kill Elky

i think Every hand revealed by Gus Hansen is a good book for learn.

Comprehensively, I think Caro's Most Profitable Hold Em Advice is the best book that I have read. Most books are geared toward specific strategic played in specific game play situations. This book teaches manipulating situations and taking advantage of opportunities. It also teaches BRM, treating opponents like customers, and looking at poker as a business. Great book.

Hi,

I started now with cash games so 2 books I can suggest (as a n00b and the ones I am starting with) are:

Ed Miller: Small Stakes No Limit Hold 'em
Dusty Schmidt: Treat Your Poker Like a Business

Hope this helps, happy Holidays !!

Got to agree with Harrington on Holdem Book 1 and 2

OH, I must repectfully disagree. This is a great book if you want to get into the mind of one of the best Loose Aggressive players in the game, but this is a HORRIBLE book to try to learn with. Gus' style of raising, reraising and stealing with any 2 rags is fine if you have the experience to read the table and your opponents well enough to recognize get away from dangerous situations, but you don't learn that from reading a book. You gotta walk before you can run. Stick with the Harrington books for the fundamentals. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition is also a very good book. It covers several different games but devotes alot of attention to Hold 'em.

This is still quite a broad range.... so basically anything to do with NoLimitHoldem?
For tournament play, I would agree with those above who recommend reading HOH Vol.1 & Vol2 (not sure what the 5part reference was about?). These two books will give you a decent foundation in which to work from. I would read these prior to some others.