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What Books have helped your game? (1 Viewer)

TheWoods

TheWoods

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Hello PCF geniuses,

Starting to hunt down some knowledge. I know you folks are smarter than this fella at the game, so I'm here for some direction.

Books you've read that are about poker? (helped a lot?)

Books maybe that you have read that aren't EXACTLY about poker, but have a lot of power for the players?

Thanks PCF fam
 
Hello woods, are you looking for specifically NLHE or any poker variants?
 
I really liked "Poker Mindset" which gets into psychology of the player. It is a good complimentary book to most others which focus on strategy and odds.
 
The book that transformed my game, that I would NOT recommend for todays game - was Poker Tournament Formula by Arnold Snyder. I should say I wouldn't recommend the strategies in the book these days, they are outdated - but the central concept about why it is necessary to bluff in poker tournaments - is still valid and utterly changed my approach to the game from top to bottom. Prior to reading PTF I was a straightforward ABC player who rarely if ever bluffed - I would bemoan my bad luck if I was card dead - afterwards I became a LAG big time! And I came to understand that what makes No Limit Hold-Em tournaments great is that bluffing is a HUGE part of the game. It's not overrated, if anything it's underrated and entirely underutilized, even in 2020.
 
Chris Manzoni said:
The book that transformed my game, that I would NOT recommend for todays game - was Poker Tournament Formula by Arnold Snyder. I should say I wouldn't recommend the strategies in the book these days, they are outdated - but the central concept about why it is necessary to bluff in poker tournaments - is still valid and utterly changed my approach to the game from top to bottom. Prior to reading PTF I was a straightforward ABC player who rarely if ever bluffed - I would bemoan my bad luck if I was card dead - afterwards I became a LAG big time! And I came to understand that what makes No Limit Hold-Em tournaments great is that bluffing is a HUGE part of the game. It's not overrated, if anything it's underrated and entirely underutilized, even in 2020.
Click to expand...

Interesting insight around bluffing. I am a horrible tourney player and just lack the patience for it. However, I tend to agree and especially in the first half of donkaments I feel like everyone just plays very tight ABC poker.
 
I have recently read Easy Game regarding NLHE (specifically 6 handed, but I havent got to the part where it matters). The first section is really the only one that seems to come in to factor in the stakes where I play. It heavily concentrates on talking about values and equities in simple terms. I was given a pdf of it from 2 people here, and would happily pass it along if you like.

Also, Scoop! was a really cool book to read if you can get into some good BigO or O8 games.
 
grebe said:
I have recently read Easy Game regarding NLHE (specifically 6 handed, but I havent got to the part where it matters). The first section is really the only one that seems to come in to factor in the stakes where I play. It heavily concentrates on talking about values and equities in simple terms. I was given a pdf of it from 2 people here, and would happily pass it along if you like.

Also, Scoop! was a really cool book to read if you can get into some good BigO or O8 games.
Click to expand...

Scoop was going to be the book I was gonna recommend as well!
 
grebe said:
I have recently read Easy Game regarding NLHE (specifically 6 handed, but I havent got to the part where it matters). The first section is really the only one that seems to come in to factor in the stakes where I play. It heavily concentrates on talking about values and equities in simple terms. I was given a pdf of it from 2 people here, and would happily pass it along if you like.

Also, Scoop! was a really cool book to read if you can get into some good BigO or O8 games.
Click to expand...

I would happily take a PDF! :wow:

Scoop looks interesting too. Actually have never played BigO or PLO8 in my life..
 
I think psychology and physical tells are post-graduate stuff. First master the basics.

An essential book (volumes I & II) is Harrington on Cash Games, about NLHE cash. Nice starting base. It should suffice by itself for most social / recreational home games, or soft casino tables till today.
The fact that many (if not most) poker-interested people have read it, doesn't make it "outdated". You know the alphabet or you don't.
You can then move to reading more focused and advanced stuff, or revert to Uncle Doyle's old-fashioned Super System, which I sense you can appreciate more, and make most of it, after you 've read Harrington's more systematic book. Super System (II) contains chapters about other forms of poker too, like stud.

For Omaha, the best book by far should be Jeff Hwang's "Pot-Limit Omaha Poker - the big play strategy".
It saved me tons of money by authoritatively convincing me to NOT play that game.:LOL: :laugh:
 
No. If I can get into a regular plo8 game I would, but as of now all I have is online.
 
For me, they were the Sklansky's books :
- Theory of Poker
- No-Limit Hold'em : Theory & Practice
- Poker Tournament for Advanced Players
 
Chris Manzoni said:
The book that transformed my game, that I would NOT recommend for todays game - was Poker Tournament Formula by Arnold Snyder. I should say I wouldn't recommend the strategies in the book these days, they are outdated - but the central concept about why it is necessary to bluff in poker tournaments - is still valid and utterly changed my approach to the game from top to bottom. Prior to reading PTF I was a straightforward ABC player who rarely if ever bluffed - I would bemoan my bad luck if I was card dead - afterwards I became a LAG big time! And I came to understand that what makes No Limit Hold-Em tournaments great is that bluffing is a HUGE part of the game. It's not overrated, if anything it's underrated and entirely underutilized, even in 2020.
Click to expand...
I really enjoyed this book and it changed my tournament mentality as well. Basically teaches you that you absolutely cannot sit and wait for premium hands in fast paced tournament structures. You must play your position and take chances based on your position..... my favorite poker book I have read....
 
I'll always recommend this book for cash games:

1580851705346.png
 
Scoop is definitely good. I started playing PLO8 after reading Super System 2 which I would recommend if you're looking for non-holdem games. It covers Stud, Omaha, and Triple Draw besides just Holdem. You can probably find a deal on it somewhere too so its inexpensive for all that knowledge.

I also read Hwang's PLO Poker: The Big Play Strategy to get started in PLO, a lot of good concepts in there.
 
I think I have to get back into reading poker books. Something's going to change soon
 
I think Harrington on Hold Em both the Tournament and Cash series are great basic reading. Other than those, I've learned much more from playing and consuming lots of YouTube content from Doug Polk to get a better handle on GTO, card removal, and ranges. Also Bart Hanson. And watching the Super High Roller Bowl stuff.

While the last thing isn't very applicable to most stuff we all play, it illustrates high level thinking. And the commentary for that stuff is generally pretty solid.
 
Watching poker on tv has helped me more than any of the books that I have. There’s a certain “rhythm” to each poker game that you obviously can’t learn in a book and can only understand if you see it played live. Playing yourself is obviously the best way to get the feel of the game but watching it on tv is the next best thing.

I was obsessed with High Stakes Poker when it first aired because there were no cash games on tv and I wanted to get a better understanding of the game at the highest level. It’s actually why I subscribed to PokerGo recently because it is the only way to watch live mixed games which I have no opportunities to play myself.
 

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