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Book Review: Theory of Poker


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Guest Anonymous
Theory of poker 1sttheeeeeen hold'em for advance people
Theory of Poker first, then Small Stakes Hold-em, then the advanced text would be better.
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This book is a must have for any poker library. It teaches you all you need to know about pot odds and general theory. (I'll add more later)
if DN recommends it I'm down...
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  • 1 month later...

If you don't want to improve your game don't buy it. If there was one book in the world I had to recommend it would be this one. :-)

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Hey DN, if you ever get back to this book review...I was over at 4 and watching Sklanksy really tear into Lee Jones lately, so I went to RGP just to cross check and I came across Gary Carson really tearing into Theory of Poker:

The first thing to do is forget everything you might have read in the dummiesbook of a theoretical nature. It gets some fundemental concepts just downrightwrong.The second thing to do is to realize that Theory of Poker isn't theoretical,it's about tactics and how to choose tactices. Things in that book that aredressed up as theory are also just wrong (The Fundemental Theorem of Poker isthe prime example).Then to address your question about pot odds and implied odds, we can't reallyhelp you unless you know what pot odds is and how it's used.
I know you've had issues with Carson over at RGP (including the 10:1 HU challenge) before so I know you have an opinion about how the guy thinks. Personally I agree that Theory of Poker is one of the most important books ever written and just would love to know wtf Gary is babbling about...again.
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When I was just starting I read this book, and it paid for itself within a week. By then end, I got kind of annoyed, because it seemed like every example started with "Say you put your opponent on JT suited pre-flop...." If I could do that, I wouldn't be reading the book. This is not a problem unique to this book, so it is more a general observation on poker advice everywhere. The heart of the game is putting your opponents on hands, and I have yet to see any good advice on that. Maybe because there is none, only experience will do that.Anyway, this book (ToP) is worth reading.

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Sklansky's books help explain better than anything else why Sklansky rarely if ever appears at final tables of major tournaments. His theory is easily summarized by the following statement: If you ain't got the nuts, fold. To the extent it is helpful in teaching you how to recognize whether you got da nuts, it is an excellent resource. :club: To his credit, Sklansky's books accurately reflect his own style of play--he inevitably folds to a raise or play-back, after he goes through a detailed analysis that leads him to the conclusion that he ain't got the best hand. :D

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Sklansky's books help explain better than anything else why Sklansky rarely if ever appears at final tables of major tournaments. His theory is easily summarized by the following statement: If you ain't got the nuts, fold. To the extent it is helpful in teaching you how to recognize whether you got da nuts, it is an excellent resource. :club: To his credit, Sklansky's books accurately reflect his own style of play--he inevitably folds to a raise or play-back, after he goes through a detailed analysis that leads him to the conclusion that he ain't got the best hand. :D
uhhh..........no. it is seriously the best poker book written so far. this book does not teach you a style of play. it teaches you how to think about poker. an example of a book which teaches you a style of play would be like sshe.
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Sklansky's books help explain better than anything else why Sklansky rarely if ever appears at final tables of major tournaments. His theory is easily summarized by the following statement: If you ain't got the nuts, fold. To the extent it is helpful in teaching you how to recognize whether you got da nuts, it is an excellent resource. :club: To his credit, Sklansky's books accurately reflect his own style of play--he inevitably folds to a raise or play-back, after he goes through a detailed analysis that leads him to the conclusion that he ain't got the best hand. :D
It's clearly evident you didn't read the book, and if you did then you sure as hell didn't get what he was saying.
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It's clearly evident you didn't read the book, and if you did then you sure as hell didn't get what he was saying.
Oh I have certainly read the book alright and if you have also, then I invite you to meet me at the MGM any time of the day or night for a friendly game...especially if you are going to PLAY like DS because if you play like his book suggests, you'll be a "winner" to the same extent he is. That is not a knock against DS--I recognize him as one of the foremost authorities on the nuts and bolts of the game, but PLAYING the game is something completely different, and something that DS has not, and never will completely understand--he IGNORES the human element in its entirety. Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather play like DN than DS any day of the week.
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To his credit, Sklansky's books accurately reflect his own style of play--he inevitably folds to a raise or play-back, after he goes through a detailed analysis that leads him to the conclusion that he ain't got the best hand. :club:
Just before the 2005 WSOP ME I read Sklansky's Theory of Poker to see if there was anything I could add to my playing style. For some reason I had paid attention to a comment from David Ulliot made about Sklansky and how he sucked. I found a lot things I could use in the book to tweak my game.Anyway, I rode the roller coaster with a high point of about 25k in chips through out day one of that ME and got busted down to 8k during the final round of play that day when I got moved to Skalansky's table. His stack wasn't very impressive, but much more impressive than mine. I was in the cutoff when he was in the big blind, so I had position on him. In all honesty, I believe jbag's description of skalansky's style is true. If it wasn't for sklansky's abc play, I wouldn't have made it to day two with about 20k. I realize D.S. think's he's a pimp, but his strat just doesn't work in tournaments these days.
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Oh I have certainly read the book alright and if you have also, then I invite you to meet me at the MGM any time of the day or night for a friendly game...especially if you are going to PLAY like DS because if you play like his book suggests, you'll be a "winner" to the same extent he is. That is not a knock against DS--I recognize him as one of the foremost authorities on the nuts and bolts of the game, but PLAYING the game is something completely different, and something that DS has not, and never will completely understand--he IGNORES the human element in its entirety. Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather play like DN than DS any day of the week.
his book does not suggest you play in any particular way. its obvious that the entire book went completely over your head.
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his book does not suggest you play in any particular way. its obvious that the entire book went completely over your head.
exactly, besides if anyone tries to play like someone else then they are a complete idiot...you should always take lots of different viewpoints and try to craft your won gameI'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that he didn't understand what the book was trying to convey.
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My bother bought me that book for my birthday, I have since read it so much it is in a plastic bag with tea stains all over it a pile of pages,I know a dude who can audiotize so I can listen to it. I reads it over and over; the theory itself is very useful because if you know what they have anything mustly by far what you do ends up right; now if you add on some way of playing so they will not be able to do the same ( even if they have to play a certain way to profit) You are going to be very accomplished and get to set back and not have to follow; all that risk of loss is gone and life is good and fun. You can play 7 card stud this way very enjoyablely and that is also the way to higher limits. About all the flak over the author I heard him say he was the best player in the world if all the games are included and I don't think anyone ever tried to find out the truth to that ; He beat Huck Seed and only lost to Johnny Chan when Chan hit a full house. Also that book isn't directed towards NL ; as for the hand reading it states under table analyse the initial process . You start by what the board shows and how they act then what they show down even to know if your hand is better and they are betting is a big money maker then if you kown they will keep going on like that ; Knowing the exact cards doesn't usually matter, you have kk and have to call allin for all your stack you happen to know he does have AA but still call he has not gained anything keep playing him and in the end he will be paying for your new life. You can go on to doing anything ( I don't even need a bank roll anymore-only enough to buyin for a day) Ideas like those are why you see a stratifcation of poker players, the whole correct play concept goes out the window

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  • 2 months later...
This book is a must have for any poker library. It teaches you all you need to know about pot odds and general theory. (I'll add more later)
I think 2 years, 11 months and 6 days is stretching the concept of 'later'.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Is this book any good for limit play? I've got SSHE. Does this book expand on it anyway, or is it more for no limit?
It doesnt deal with any particular game I dont think. I think it teaches you concepts that can be used in all/many forms of poker. Im not 100% sure on this though because I just got TOP in the mail a week ago from the FPP store and haven't started reading it yet.
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  • 4 weeks later...
Is this book any good for limit play? I've got SSHE. Does this book expand on it anyway, or is it more for no limit?
its almost only for limit poker... it only touches upon the differences of NL and FL when he talks about implied pot odds or the importance of not giving a free card in both type of games ... this book is just amaizing, i've read it twice. if there is one thing i have learned from that book is that you have to RAISE to win :club: ....
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