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Sparta45 Poker Book Review
Sometimes you'll see somebody interviewed on ESPN or you'll read a magazine article....they might be a pro or just some kid who plays the circuit and say with pride "I've never read a single poker book". Now, in my opinion, that's just plain stupid. If you are playing poker for a living, even if you are really really good....why would you not take the time to read a book about poker? Why would you not read what other (accomplished) poker players think about the game? It's only going to help you. Actually, if you are a pro....or even just an avid poker player who plays part time, you should try to read as many books as possible. When I read a poker book, if I can learn just one thing, just one tip that I didn't know or didn't think about before, then I consider the time and money I spent on that book worthwhile.
With that in mind, I have not read every poker book, and there are a flood of them on the market right now, so this is not a comprehensive list, but the way I see it, there are three books that I would consider "The Classics". Those books are, in no particular order:
The Classics:
1) Super System: A Course in Power Poker: by Doyle Brunson
2) The Theory of Poker: by David Slansky
3) Harrington on Holdem (volumes 1 to 3): by Dan Harrington
If somebody came to me and said "What poker books can I read to learn to become a winning poker player?".....I would advise them to read "the classics" before any others.
Super System: A Course in Power Poker: by Doyle Brunson
Supersytem originally came out in 1978. For many years it was (and some would say still is), "the poker bible". Doyle Brunson wrote the no limit section of this book. When it was first published, many of his fellow poker pros were not too happy with Doyle for giving away so many "trade secrets" and making public so much about how to play "winning poker". Ironically, in part because of this book and because of the "moneymaker effect" there has been a large poker boom and there are more and better games then there ever have been.
This book is on my list for a few reasons. #1) Doyle really emphasises how important it is to be aggressive. In fact, it seems like he is always mentioning the benefit of aggression. If you are a new player and don't understand this benefit, then this book will teach it to you. #2) I think Doyle is just such a gambling man and such a poker player, that after reading this book you really learn how to think like a poker player. He just really puts you in the right mindset. #3 If you are a novice to poker, it might be hard to appreciate this, but if you are an experienced poker player, you will probably understand.....but Doyle was so far ahead of his time. If SuperSystem came out today, it would be considered "another really good poker book". But it came out in 1978. So much of what is in this book was literally only known to a handful of people.....and most of it Doyle pretty much taught to himself. Doyle was so far ahead of his time when he wrote this book, his poker IQ was so much higher than anybody else's that it really is pretty amazing.
The only thing to be careful of with this book is if you read it, keep in mind that poker is a lot different today than it was back then. The games are so much tougher and the players are so much better. There is so much more information out there. Some of the "tricks" that Doyle used back then would not work in tough games today. There are so many good books out these days that some of "the shine" of how great this book is has worn off....but in my mind, it is still one of the absolute top poker books on the market and is a must own for any avid poker player.
The Theory of Poker: by David Slansky
David Slansky is one of the top poker theorists of all time. I don't know how many books he has written, but it's more than anyone else. His books have a tendency to be a bit dry and sometimes outright boring. Like all of his books, this book reads like a textbook.....a very very good textbook. Slansky covers a wide range of topics from bluffing and semi-bluffing, slow playing, position, and other topics involving poker theory. He has a lot of valuable books, but this is his best work and I think most would agree. If you want to learn about poker and learn why and when to do certain things, this is the book for you.
Harrington on Holdem (volumes 1 to 3): by Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is one of the top tournament players around. A few years ago, he came out with what is known as "The Harrington on Hold Em" series. These are 3 books, volume 1, 2 and 3 that go into detail about how to play no limit holdem multi-table tournaments. Harrington changed the face of poker by coining the term "M"....the amount of times the blinds can go around before you are out of chips. This gave players a concrete way to think about how many chips they have in front of them and how that should affect their play. He then goes into "zones" and explains how you should play certain hands when your M is in each zone. If you want to learn how to play no limit holdem tournaments, then this is what you want to read.
More recently, Harrington came out with "Harrington on Cash Games". Basically, the same concept as his previous volumes, but for cash games instead of tournaments. I have only read the first cash game book.....it was good, but not the same as his tournament books. His tournament books are much better than his cash game books.
Other Noteworthy Poker Books:
The 3 books above are "the classics". The must own books for any serious poker player. But there are other books that are still very good and worth mentioning....
Professional Poker by Mark Blade: This is simply a very good, concise book for anyone interested in playing poker professionally. Mark Blade gives a lot of very detailed information and has a very straight and to the point style of writing. He talks about a lot of the "variance" that exists in poker, and how to measure this variance to see if playing poker professionally is really for you. He talks about how to estimate your income, what qualities you must have to play as a pro, etc. This book has a lot of great information in it and anyone thinking about playing professionally should read this book first.
Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Yea, I know, I didn't expect a book by Full Tilt to actually be good, but this one is pretty good. It was a bit boring for me because it's aimed at newer players, but for a beginning player, it really does cover a lot of different topics fully and accurately. Full Tillt has a bunch of pros and they each wrote a section and they really did a good job. If you are a new player, this book will drastically improve your game.
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book (by Phil Gordon of course): I like this book because it's not a huge book that seems overwhelming. It's a tiny little book (green too), and he simply does a very good job of explaining how to play poker and covering many different topics quickly and concisely.
Improve Your Poker by Bob Ciaffone: Bob Ciaffone is probably the 3rd most well known poker author after Slansky and Harrington. I'm not sure how many books he has....I want to say 5 or 6. Most of his books are pretty good, but this is one of the better ones. He covers lots of general concepts, reading your opponents, deception, bluffing, table image, etc. I believe he has been playing poker professionally for more than 20 years and he has a lot to offer.
Poker Story Books:
If you are not so interested in learning to play poker, but more interested in a good poker story, there are a few out there for you as well. One I would recommend is:
"One of a Kind", The Rise and Fall of Stuey "the kid" Unger, The world's greatest poker player: I thought this was a really interesting book. Stu Unger was a Jewish kid, born in Brooklyn. Before he became a poker player (who won the world series of poker a record 3 times), he was a world class gin rummy player....and I mean WORLD CLASS. The best in the world. He was to gin rummy what Bobby Fischer was to chess, Michael Jordon to basketball, Sparta45 to poker, well you get the idea. Pretty soon he was bankrolled to play gin rummy by the mafia. The best gin players from Canada and other parts of the world would fly him out to challenge him in gin games. But nobody could beat him. Not even the best players. He was simply a genius. Much better than even the best of the best. Unfortunately, Stu also developed a drug problem....in fact, he was a complete junkie. This would eventually lead to his demise and his death in 1997 (1998 I forget which). An amazing book about an amazing person with a sad story.
Books to Avoid
There are a few books on the market that are really just not worth reading at all. I'm not going to name them all; I'm just going to name one.
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Helmuth: Like everything that Phil puts out....from his endorsement of Ultimate Bet (a dirty and corrupt company that you should never put your money on to play internet poker) to his useless articles in cardplayer magazine telling us nothing about poker, but more about the celebrities he hangs out with and how cool he is, this book is total garbage. Let me summarize this entire book for you so that I can save you the $15.95 it would cost to buy it yourself. Phil says that you can make money playing poker if you stick to playing only ten hands. That's right, play 10 hands only and you will make money. AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, TT, 99, 88, AQ, 77. The player with the most world series of poker bracelets in the world, with vast poker accomplishments, that's the insight into his brain that he is offering us. Play 10 hands. That is his book. Phil, your book sucks. It offers nothing of any value. Your articles in cardplayer magazine are a joke. And ultimate bet is a dirty, corrupt company with shady management going all the way to the top of the organization. If you had any self respect at all, you would end your sponsorship with them and simply say that you made a mistake by representing them. But you have no soul. So you will ride that gravy train until it ends. Like everything you put out, this book is a joke. Shame on you. If you ever read this, then please contact me. I'll give you my address so you can send me a check for $15.95.
With that in mind, I have not read every poker book, and there are a flood of them on the market right now, so this is not a comprehensive list, but the way I see it, there are three books that I would consider "The Classics". Those books are, in no particular order:
The Classics:
1) Super System: A Course in Power Poker: by Doyle Brunson
2) The Theory of Poker: by David Slansky
3) Harrington on Holdem (volumes 1 to 3): by Dan Harrington
If somebody came to me and said "What poker books can I read to learn to become a winning poker player?".....I would advise them to read "the classics" before any others.
Super System: A Course in Power Poker: by Doyle Brunson
Supersytem originally came out in 1978. For many years it was (and some would say still is), "the poker bible". Doyle Brunson wrote the no limit section of this book. When it was first published, many of his fellow poker pros were not too happy with Doyle for giving away so many "trade secrets" and making public so much about how to play "winning poker". Ironically, in part because of this book and because of the "moneymaker effect" there has been a large poker boom and there are more and better games then there ever have been.
This book is on my list for a few reasons. #1) Doyle really emphasises how important it is to be aggressive. In fact, it seems like he is always mentioning the benefit of aggression. If you are a new player and don't understand this benefit, then this book will teach it to you. #2) I think Doyle is just such a gambling man and such a poker player, that after reading this book you really learn how to think like a poker player. He just really puts you in the right mindset. #3 If you are a novice to poker, it might be hard to appreciate this, but if you are an experienced poker player, you will probably understand.....but Doyle was so far ahead of his time. If SuperSystem came out today, it would be considered "another really good poker book". But it came out in 1978. So much of what is in this book was literally only known to a handful of people.....and most of it Doyle pretty much taught to himself. Doyle was so far ahead of his time when he wrote this book, his poker IQ was so much higher than anybody else's that it really is pretty amazing.
The only thing to be careful of with this book is if you read it, keep in mind that poker is a lot different today than it was back then. The games are so much tougher and the players are so much better. There is so much more information out there. Some of the "tricks" that Doyle used back then would not work in tough games today. There are so many good books out these days that some of "the shine" of how great this book is has worn off....but in my mind, it is still one of the absolute top poker books on the market and is a must own for any avid poker player.
The Theory of Poker: by David Slansky
David Slansky is one of the top poker theorists of all time. I don't know how many books he has written, but it's more than anyone else. His books have a tendency to be a bit dry and sometimes outright boring. Like all of his books, this book reads like a textbook.....a very very good textbook. Slansky covers a wide range of topics from bluffing and semi-bluffing, slow playing, position, and other topics involving poker theory. He has a lot of valuable books, but this is his best work and I think most would agree. If you want to learn about poker and learn why and when to do certain things, this is the book for you.
Harrington on Holdem (volumes 1 to 3): by Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is one of the top tournament players around. A few years ago, he came out with what is known as "The Harrington on Hold Em" series. These are 3 books, volume 1, 2 and 3 that go into detail about how to play no limit holdem multi-table tournaments. Harrington changed the face of poker by coining the term "M"....the amount of times the blinds can go around before you are out of chips. This gave players a concrete way to think about how many chips they have in front of them and how that should affect their play. He then goes into "zones" and explains how you should play certain hands when your M is in each zone. If you want to learn how to play no limit holdem tournaments, then this is what you want to read.
More recently, Harrington came out with "Harrington on Cash Games". Basically, the same concept as his previous volumes, but for cash games instead of tournaments. I have only read the first cash game book.....it was good, but not the same as his tournament books. His tournament books are much better than his cash game books.
Other Noteworthy Poker Books:
The 3 books above are "the classics". The must own books for any serious poker player. But there are other books that are still very good and worth mentioning....
Professional Poker by Mark Blade: This is simply a very good, concise book for anyone interested in playing poker professionally. Mark Blade gives a lot of very detailed information and has a very straight and to the point style of writing. He talks about a lot of the "variance" that exists in poker, and how to measure this variance to see if playing poker professionally is really for you. He talks about how to estimate your income, what qualities you must have to play as a pro, etc. This book has a lot of great information in it and anyone thinking about playing professionally should read this book first.
Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Yea, I know, I didn't expect a book by Full Tilt to actually be good, but this one is pretty good. It was a bit boring for me because it's aimed at newer players, but for a beginning player, it really does cover a lot of different topics fully and accurately. Full Tillt has a bunch of pros and they each wrote a section and they really did a good job. If you are a new player, this book will drastically improve your game.
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book (by Phil Gordon of course): I like this book because it's not a huge book that seems overwhelming. It's a tiny little book (green too), and he simply does a very good job of explaining how to play poker and covering many different topics quickly and concisely.
Improve Your Poker by Bob Ciaffone: Bob Ciaffone is probably the 3rd most well known poker author after Slansky and Harrington. I'm not sure how many books he has....I want to say 5 or 6. Most of his books are pretty good, but this is one of the better ones. He covers lots of general concepts, reading your opponents, deception, bluffing, table image, etc. I believe he has been playing poker professionally for more than 20 years and he has a lot to offer.
Poker Story Books:
If you are not so interested in learning to play poker, but more interested in a good poker story, there are a few out there for you as well. One I would recommend is:
"One of a Kind", The Rise and Fall of Stuey "the kid" Unger, The world's greatest poker player: I thought this was a really interesting book. Stu Unger was a Jewish kid, born in Brooklyn. Before he became a poker player (who won the world series of poker a record 3 times), he was a world class gin rummy player....and I mean WORLD CLASS. The best in the world. He was to gin rummy what Bobby Fischer was to chess, Michael Jordon to basketball, Sparta45 to poker, well you get the idea. Pretty soon he was bankrolled to play gin rummy by the mafia. The best gin players from Canada and other parts of the world would fly him out to challenge him in gin games. But nobody could beat him. Not even the best players. He was simply a genius. Much better than even the best of the best. Unfortunately, Stu also developed a drug problem....in fact, he was a complete junkie. This would eventually lead to his demise and his death in 1997 (1998 I forget which). An amazing book about an amazing person with a sad story.
Books to Avoid
There are a few books on the market that are really just not worth reading at all. I'm not going to name them all; I'm just going to name one.
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Helmuth: Like everything that Phil puts out....from his endorsement of Ultimate Bet (a dirty and corrupt company that you should never put your money on to play internet poker) to his useless articles in cardplayer magazine telling us nothing about poker, but more about the celebrities he hangs out with and how cool he is, this book is total garbage. Let me summarize this entire book for you so that I can save you the $15.95 it would cost to buy it yourself. Phil says that you can make money playing poker if you stick to playing only ten hands. That's right, play 10 hands only and you will make money. AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, TT, 99, 88, AQ, 77. The player with the most world series of poker bracelets in the world, with vast poker accomplishments, that's the insight into his brain that he is offering us. Play 10 hands. That is his book. Phil, your book sucks. It offers nothing of any value. Your articles in cardplayer magazine are a joke. And ultimate bet is a dirty, corrupt company with shady management going all the way to the top of the organization. If you had any self respect at all, you would end your sponsorship with them and simply say that you made a mistake by representing them. But you have no soul. So you will ride that gravy train until it ends. Like everything you put out, this book is a joke. Shame on you. If you ever read this, then please contact me. I'll give you my address so you can send me a check for $15.95.
(Anonymous)
Also do you recommend any SNG books that are out on the market? - not too many if you look at Amazon.
JANMOH
So yea, I don't recommend any sng books because there aren't any other than Colin's(which I have not read yet)....maybe I'll write a 6 max one :) The best way to learn sng's are the 2p2 forums.