Books

[troutpw]

I recently went to the Barnes & Nobles to find a book about poker and saw quite few books.
It was kinda overwhelming so I ended up not buying any. What I was wondering is what is your favorite or most usefool book about poker and why?

[C8H10N4O2]

I recently went to the Barnes & Nobles to find a book about poker and saw quite few books.
It was kinda overwhelming so I ended up not buying any. What I was wondering is what is your favorite or most usefool book about poker and why?

Just starting in poker...Harrington on Hold'em helped some...but that was a few years ago.

There are some really garbage books out there, so read reviews on B&N or Amazon at the very least before you go buy one.

[grimReaper]

My advice don't read books, learn by experience. You can pick up some stuff like pot odds in books (Theory of Poker is good I think, just skimmed through it long ago), but this all stuff that you can deduce by playing.

[ballboy75]

thats probably true, but can it hurt?
I would think for a starting player it cant do anything but help.
I would understand if a more advanced player would benefit from reading a book due to different outlooks on the game and a completly different style from the author.
however, i shouldnt think that a younger player would be affected as much due to lack of poker character (for lack of a btter term).
I think you know where im getting at.

[gamer4life27]

My favorite advice on books comes from one of the most feared names in poker: "Read all the books about poker, then forget it all and just play." - Phil Ivey. I have not taken this advice (because I have not read any books on poker) but I have learned A LOT about poker from just experience. This is the best tool not just in poker, but life as well. If you are too afraid to do something until you know every single little thing about it, then you will get no where. But, if you go out there and just do it (Nike!) and are not afraid of failure, then you will have that hand on experience that can not be read in a book, or taught to someone. It's a first hand feeling that you must get to know on your own. So yes, reading books can be helpful in a sense (and REALLY helpfull if you are looking into just the stats of poker to know them), but the hands on experience is where it's at.

That is my advice to you.

[grimReaper]

thats probably true, but can it hurt?

Yes, Super System retarded my poker for a year when I started out. It's possible I putting too much blame on it and not enough on myself, but it is really outdated. The Phil Ivey quote above is right on.

[travz21]

Books are pretty much outdated unless they are made within the last year imo. Search the forums and ask questions to people that are beating the game. I don't trust authors.

[ballboy75]

Books are pretty much outdated unless they are made within the last year imo. Search the forums and ask questions to people that are beating the game. I don't trust authors.

why? lol.
Most of these people are some of the biggest names in poker, and most of them are very successfull.

[C8H10N4O2]

why? lol.
Most of these people are some of the biggest names in poker, and most of them are very successfull.

I'm with Travz on this one for the most part. I think a book has the potential to be useful to the absolute beginner (pot odds, thinking about position, knowing hand rankings, etc... not that any of that info can't be found elsewhere), but beyond that, they are kind of a joke. Experience is the best way to learn.

[troutpw]

Thank you all for your answers. I will keep reading the forums and just pick up hints there

[frob23]

There are definitely books that have value over the forums... if only because the ideas are organized in a more coherent fashion and explained in more detail. They also tend to be more consistent.

Which books are worth their money in harder to say... especially for a starting player. There are some really decent NL theory books but they are way too involved for someone just starting out and trying to learn the basics.

I really would have to second the suggestions of "The Theory of Poker" as a decent book for someone just starting out. It talks a lot about limit poker and about forms other than Hold'em but the concepts are important to understand. You can figure out much of that from playing experience and reading various forums but the book has it in a much more condensed form.

[teddykgb47]

Not sure if anybody knows this one - "The Poker Mindset". It is really a great read, very recommended to anyone serious about poker.

[johan75]

Learn from experiences and tips of professional players.

[johan75]

Books never help you to learn

[allena]

Hello,

Thank you all for your answers. I will keep reading the forums and i love the hints as well....

[87639]

I love ' killer poker online ' by John Vorhous, very funny guy

[jspill]

As well as quickly becoming out of date once published, I think poker books will always be limited in value as they usually simplify concepts to reach as wide of an audience as possible.

If the content is too esoteric and niche, the readership shrinks too. The best information is to be found in forum threads, training site videos, and private coaching, whereas books are best suited for, and marketed to, beginning players.

That of course excludes the ebooks/audio courses released by some online pros that cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars. But whether anyone should pay those obscene amounts for an ebook when so much excellent content can be found freely online is another question.