Hold’Em Poker for Advanced Players
By David Sklansky
Book Description
Texas Hold ’em is not an easy game to play well. To become an expert you must balance many concepts, some of which occasionally contradict each other. In 1988, the first edition appeared. Many ideas, which were only known to a small, select group of players, were made available to anyone who was striving to become an expert, and the hold ’em explosion had begun.
It is now a new century, and the authors have again moved the state of the art forward by adding over 100 pages of new material, including extensive sections on "loose games," and "short-handed games."
Anyone who studies this text, is well disciplined, and gets the proper experience should become a significant winner. Some of the other ideas discussed include play on the first two cards, semi-bluffing, the free card, inducing bluffs, staying with a draw, playing when a pair flops, playing trash hands, desperation bets, playing in wild games, reading hands, and psychology.
Book Review
This is probably the best Limit Hold'em book ever written.
The first half of the book follows a very traditional style. It covers opening hands, position, calculating basic pot odds, and a variety of other topics essential to your game. You should memorize this part of the book. Calculating pot odds separates the men from the boys, but this topic is only covered lightly here (for the full story read The Theory of Poker).
The second half of the book is devided in several short essays covering topics ranging from how to play especially difficult hands to more general topics such a slow-play and the semi-bluff. This part is extremely helpful and valuable. For a newbie, there might actually be too much information here to absorb all at once, but reading it will help you recognize when players are using these techniques against you. With some table experience and a re-read or two you will be able to understand everything.
You should really learn this book by heart. Take it out once in a while and read it again.
Some people don’t like this book but this is due to the fact that they forget that the books concepts and advise is solely for Limit Hold’Em and NOT for No Limit
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