Best Book To Read...

I have Dan Harrington's first book on hold 'em and am about to start reading it. Is it a good one in terms of learning the game and strategy? Or should I go for a different one?

Yep, it's a great book. It was the first one I read when I started playing and really helped me understand the game better.

if ur looking for a great poker book and a great read go for Doyle's super system. Improved my game a ton, especially my Limit holdem game. Also a lot of interesting poker anicdotes aswell.

hccooley said:

I have Dan Harrington's first book on hold 'em and am about to start reading it. Is it a good one in terms of learning the game and strategy? Or should I go for a different one?

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Harrington is a good choice

His first 2 books on tourneys are very good, but haven't read his cash game books, and the tourney stuff isn't always good for cash games, and vice versa. SuperSystem is good if you want to learn many games.

slgalt said:

His first 2 books on tourneys are very good, but haven't read his cash game books, and the tourney stuff isn't always good for cash games, and vice versa. SuperSystem is good if you want to learn many games.

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SS is a good book, but, its really heavy reading so maybe not the best one for some one reading his first poker books and its NL chapter is massivly outdated(its aimed for like 200BB+ deep live cash game where u could run over the table by just raising draw).
JMO

hccooley said:

I have Dan Harrington's first book on hold 'em and am about to start reading it. Is it a good one in terms of learning the game and strategy? Or should I go for a different one?

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First tournament book is excellent, and I'm about half way through the second (I'm a slow reader) and it is worth it too.

If you only read one tournament book, Harrington on Hold Em is it.

This is one of the books you have to read if you want to know something about poker!
Read the second and third book of him too!
It will help you to improve your game!

For Tornament Hold Em? I love Full Tilt Strategy Poker Guide.

i think best book is: Mike Matusows: Check-Raising The Devil. much of good info about much situations was wery good

hccooley said:

I have Dan Harrington's first book on hold 'em and am about to start reading it. Is it a good one in terms of learning the game and strategy? Or should I go for a different one?

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toogood2k said:

i think best book is: Mike Matusows: Check-Raising The Devil. much of good info about much situations was wery good

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The Matusow book is a biography so its not the best strategy book...

Harrington's books are very good. His style is firmly rooted in game theory, and he demonstrates a very solid method for mixing your game enough to ensure opponents cannot have easy decisions.

While I truly love this style for better opposition, at microstakes online, or $200nl live, it's far too advanced. He does cover this caveat as well, which is a nice touch.

I've read lots, and lots of books, and honestly I think the most important thing is to remember to play. If you just study and study, and never implement what you're trying to take in, it's very difficult. Make sure you're putting time in on the felt as well, some of your best lessons will come there.

Ill tell you what book I like going back too and is a great toilet book (men will know what I mean) is Zen and the art of poker. Its good because you can open at any page and read, is good to have in your pocket too for waiting rooms etc as you dont have to really think so hard about it.

For gaining a solid foundation for NLHE Tournament play, the HOH series cannot be beat. There are some books you could consider picking up after getting thru these but I'd recommend reading both Vol.1 & 2 first.
(for sure you're heading in the right direction.. great choice of book btw!!). I'd also consider reading Phil Gordon's 'Little Green Book' (at same time or perhaps prior to HOH Vol.1).

I personally wouldn't recommend Doyle's SuperSystem and can't understand folks who would pick it as their first choice (or first book to read). I've read a few dozen+ books and SS wouldn't come close to my Top10 list.

If you're planning on specializing in SNG play, Collin Moshmann's SNG Strategy is without parallel (2p2 calling it the 'Bible of SNG's').

Aside from HOH another great book on Tournament strategy is Kill Everyone, this book introduced some new concepts to me and definitely improved my game.

http://www.thepokerforum.com/bookreviews64082008.htm

I have read the Harrington books Vol. I, II and the workbook several times now. Each time I read it I get more out of it. Those little details and little nuances that I may have glanced over on previous readings I am starting to pick up and starting to understand how important they are. Each time I get stuck at a plateau in development, I go back to the HOH books and can usually find the answers I am looking for.

As for Mase's post, I mostly agree with that: studying + playing experience = maximum benefit. One compliments the other. Also he is right about the microlimits. Some of the stuff he goes over (I.E. squeeze play) isn't going to be too effective at the lower levels. However, Dan is a very solid player (I don't think anyone is going to dispute that) and if you can get a good grasp of what he is trying to teach, you are going to have a firm foundation to build off of. From there you can start branching out and learn new stuff, like concepts found in 'Kill Everyone' (as mentioned by rStormChaser).

The book 'The Poker Mindset' I think is another good book. It does not deal with the mechanics of playing, but the mental aspects of the game. If you are learning the game I would probably put it on hold. Once you start taking bad beats and you start going on tilt frequently, that's when I would read it.

Lastly, the article written by Chris Ferguson on proper bankroll Management should be at the top of your list. Takes about 10 minutes to read but will save you the heartache of trying to figure out what limits to play and when you should move up (or down).

Lots of great stuff out there. Good luck.

Mike Karo's book is awesome!

harringtons is worth your time...but if you really want to profit playing this game...focus your time and effort on cash tables...go and buy phil gordons little blue book...its like the bible to me

rStormChaser said:

Aside from HOH another great book on Tournament strategy is Kill Everyone, this book introduced some new concepts to me and definitely improved my game.

http://www.thepokerforum.com/bookreviews64082008.htm

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I was looking at that book on amazon and I was looking for some positive reviews. I'm glad I saw this post.
What did you like about this book. Does it really teach you something new?
I'm really thinking about adding this book to my library.
If anyone else has read this book, what is your opinion?

Thanks

rStormChaser said:

Aside from HOH another great book on Tournament strategy is Kill Everyone, this book introduced some new concepts to me and definitely improved my game.

http://www.thepokerforum.com/bookreviews64082008.htm

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I am currently reading this, and it's very interesting stuff very suitable for today's aggressive game.

But I find it very difficult (suck at math), so only progressing slowly.

Did it take you long to succesfully and quickly apply stuff like bubble factor/tournaments odds to call etc... ?

A good book is Power Hold'em Strategy, by Daniel Negreanu

Hello,

I liked Ken Warrens winning Holdem.

Goodwooter said:

harringtons is worth your time...but if you really want to profit playing this game...focus your time and effort on cash tables...go and buy phil gordons little blue book...its like the bible to me

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little blue book is mostly about tour. situations

books on cash games are harrington on cash games part 1 and 2

The theory of poker should be the first book read by every new poker player. The definitions are the basics to every other worthwhile poker book on the market.

very interesting advices here.
I agree that the Harrington on HE books are really useful, and I plan to read them again soon.
And I definitely will pick a couple from this thread, probably the Colin Moshman's that seem great