Poker books , Modern Poker Theory or Mastering Small stakes?

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Casey55

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I've been looking for a poker book to buy so I can improve my game and I have come to 2 main choices that interest me the most, I have listened to Jonathan Little's Mastering Small Stakes Hold'em and I think it is pretty great content but I am having a hard time visualizing everything and following along I feel like he talks to fast for me and I have to constantly backplay every minute to repeatedly listen so I can catch what hes saying. I am thinking about buying the Paper Book version it seems much more appealing and practical because the charts are right with the words I've also seen really good reviews on Modern Poker Theory but it seems super complex, like full of formulas and stuff . I am just trying to build a solid poker base right now and don't know which book to get. I like books that have a good amount of focus on range analysis and how to play solid poker verus different players. Thoughts about these 2 books? can I dive into Modern Poker Theory without being particularly advanced? I am not brand new to poker but I'm not crazy knowledgeable either .
 
xOneCoolHandx

xOneCoolHandx

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I've been looking for a poker book to buy so I can improve my game and I have come to 2 main choices that interest me the most, I have listened to Jonathan Little's Mastering Small Stakes Hold'em and I think it is pretty great content but I am having a hard time visualizing everything and following along I feel like he talks to fast for me and I have to constantly backplay every minute to repeatedly listen so I can catch what hes saying. I am thinking about buying the Paper Book version it seems much more appealing and practical because the charts are right with the words I've also seen really good reviews on Modern Poker Theory but it seems super complex, like full of formulas and stuff . I am just trying to build a solid poker base right now and don't know which book to get. I like books that have a good amount of focus on range analysis and how to play solid poker verus different players. Thoughts about these 2 books? can I dive into Modern Poker Theory without being particularly advanced? I am not brand new to poker but I'm not crazy knowledgeable either .

Hi Casey,

I own both and you are right. Modern Poker Theory is full of formulas and complex math BUT it breaks it down in a way that you can study outside of the book with tools like Equilab and Pio Solver. These tools will really improve your game and help you think about poker more broadly.

That said, I REALLY like Jonathon Little's book (and ALL of his books). I like him so much that I joined the Poker Coaching website.

The difference between these books are fairly simple. MPT is almost exclusively GTO based. While this is going to help the way you analyze and play the game, it is not the most effective way to play micro and small stakes games and you could wait until you have a solid foundation and are ready to move up stakes. Little's Mastering book WILL give you that guidance.

Hope this helps.
 
Matt_Burns88

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I was watching a Jonathan Little YouTube video just yesterday where he recommends MPT for mid-high stakes games, but not necessarily for micro-small stakes.

Mastering Small Stakes will give you strategies to crush the small stakes games while building a solid foundation of how to play the game. It will also make it easier to understand the more complicated concepts found in MPT. As you move up the stakes and your edge diminishes, moving to a GTO strategy will help beat those better players.
 
Evan Jarvis

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I've been looking for a poker book to buy so I can improve my game and I have come to 2 main choices that interest me the most, I have listened to Jonathan Little's Mastering Small Stakes Hold'em and I think it is pretty great content but I am having a hard time visualizing everything and following along I feel like he talks to fast for me and I have to constantly backplay every minute to repeatedly listen so I can catch what hes saying. I am thinking about buying the Paper Book version it seems much more appealing and practical because the charts are right with the words I've also seen really good reviews on Modern Poker Theory but it seems super complex, like full of formulas and stuff . I am just trying to build a solid poker base right now and don't know which book to get. I like books that have a good amount of focus on range analysis and how to play solid poker verus different players. Thoughts about these 2 books? can I dive into Modern Poker Theory without being particularly advanced? I am not brand new to poker but I'm not crazy knowledgeable either .


Definitely start with Jonathan's book. It's easier to apply, understand, and will pay for itself very quickly because of all the date included with the charts.

Modern poker theory is a good one to look into once you're already steadily winning on the tables. It's better to become confident with a more simple strategy before adding in more complxities.

Ultimate I think buying both is great, but start with JLs, recoup your investment and then repeat with Acevado.

Another good author to look into is Andrew Brokos, his book would also be a great 2nd or 3rd book to invest in. The great thing about books is they are so reasonably priced!

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019...play-optimal-poker-by-andrew-brokos-34596.htm

Also, if you're a video learning, consider checking out Peter Clarke's course

It's a little more pricey at $50, but it does include a free month membership at run it once, and you get video training (which a lot of people prefer to just reading & charts)

good luck on the tables, enjoy the learning journey!
 
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Casey55

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Thank you guys for the feedback,xOneCoolHandx you joined Jonathon's website, how do you like it ? feel like your improving? I think you guys have convinced me to go with Mastering Small Stakes for now, it seems like a solid book. I have been working with Equilab and Flopzilla quite a bit but I need that extra guidance to really get better. I have "monsters under the bed" syndrome, referring to thinking everyone has the nuts when they bet. Just listening to JL Mastering Small Stakes Audiobook for a short bit has helped me tremendously with that part.He really makes it sound difficult to get a pair in reality which is good to hear for someone who thinks everyone always has a pair.

I need to go on JL's website and study the free stuff more I love his interactive Quiz's also.I heard he does webinars but I can never find them when they are live .Is there any other books you guys think may be better than the ones I have brought up? I know there are probably tons to choose from I feel like the ones that have an emphasis on ranges would be the best what does everyone think?

EDIT: Evan you must have typed that out as I was making this paragraph lol I seen it right after this post. Thank you for the reply I will take your advice.
 
SANTIJOTA8

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I think you should start with Jonathan Little's book first. It's more easy to understand, simple and apllies to games you play regularly.

Another book I recommend is Excelling At NLHE from Jonathan Little and many others authors. Covers a lot of important aspects of the game with experts in every chapter.
 
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