Poker Book Review: The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
One of our featured writers on this website, David Sklansky was not only one othe pioneers for poker and gambling education but continues to contribute, teach and play the game that has become such a big part of our lives.
No Limit Holdem Theory and Practice by David Sklansky and Ed Miller
This is the first No Limit Hold'Em book that I have read that applies to cash games as much as, and probably more than, tournaments. It seems that most books follow the popularity of television (which is reasonable if you are trying to sell a book) but I strongly prefer a regular old cash game.
This books covers traditional Sklansky theory of poker material, nicely taylored to a No-Limit game. One of the most important concepts is the fact that in Limit Hold'Em, you play for pots, but in No-Limit Hold'Em you play for stacks. This means that you try to win your opponent's entire stack when you are well ahead and try to avoid traps and mistakes that cost you your entire stack when you are behind. Implied odds become very important and often even more important than your immediate pot odds.
This title covers topics such as bet sizing, considerations for keeping the pot small, when and how to get your stack into the middle, playing the short stack vs playing a deep stack and much more.
This is a dense volume and well worth every penny, but it is a Sklansky book and delves heavily into theoretical points and mathematics, meanwhile it lacks a thorought discussion of the psychology of the game, which is why it is only 4 stars. D. Dugal (Peoria, IL USA) - See all my reviews
Review: The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
"Every time you play a hand differently than you would have played it if you could see all your opponents' cards, they gain; every time you play a hand the same as you would have if you could see all their cards, they lose." [This is an excerpt from what Sklansky humbly termed the fundamental theorem of poker.]
Statements like these will probably leave the average player, new to reading about his or her game, somewhat puzzled, but this is the main value of this book. It gives you a set of terms to describe conditions and actions in a poker game, and then tries to make you think about what you do and why. In the beginning, Sklansky says that this book does not try to answer, "What do you do in this particular situation?," but "What do you consider in this particular situation before determining what to do?"
It uses examples from every form of poker found in a casino, but it does not deal with any one form in particular. For this, a few good choices include the 'Advanced Players' series from Two Plus Two Publishing, and 'Super/System' by 1976-1977 World Series of Poker Champion Doyle Brunson and his collaborators. Sklansky's object is to show that winning poker comes down to correct determination of your odds given cards seen and unseen, the size of the pot in play and the effect of less tangible, psychological factors on the odds set by the first two elements.
It's not the easiest reading, but the language therein will be used by most serious players of the game in discussions away from the table. Get 'Poker for Dummies' by Lou Krieger and Richard Harroch first, as well as a basic text for your favorite game, like 'Winning Low-Limit Hold'Em' by Lee Jones. After a few months of play, open this book to reevaluate your game and what you thought you understood about poker.
Review: Tournament Poker for Advanced Players by David Slansky
David Slansky is one of the pioneers of poker educators, and this groundbreaking book, (although somewhat dated now) represents some of his most important concepts about poker tournaments. You simply are not going to find any professional tournament players who have not read this book. Further, not knowing the GAP concept discussed at length in this work will put you at a disadvantage in virtually every tournament you play.
Essentially the GAP concept dictates more folding from disadvantageous positions. Although commonly discussed now, this information was quite new to players who often called big early position raises with A10os, or QJs etc. Slansky applies EV (expected value) measurements to hands and situations effectively showing how such cards will cost you dearly over the long term, preventing you from becoming a successful tournament player.
For hold'em players there is a good amount of hand/flop analysis mixed with some less important 7 stud situations. I skimmed over these. Some other chapters were not quite as effective or pertinent. For instance, Slansky writes two chapters on "The System" and "Improvements to the System". Basically, this is an all-in or fold-before-the-flop strategy that in my mind contradicts some of the same theories that the book is based on. Anyway, the only place I have ever seen something like this being used is at the 5 buck sit and go tables at Ultimate Bet. Suffice to say, The System is a suicide mission, unless you get very lucky. Were it not, Slansky certainly would have offered proof of its' effectiveness, rather than an anecdotal story, and an "I'll be pulling for you", good luck wish.
The book is rounded out with some general tournament information, which readers of this probably know already. Some popular hands are discussed here. The likes of KK, AA, QQ, JJ, - 77 etc. are discussed and tested effectively in tournament situations.
Yes, you should know GAP and yes should understand EV, but I feel the bulk of this material needs to be updated.
by Marty Smith @ PokerStrategyArticles.com
Slansky’s Gap Concept, and is it Still Relevant.
That situation however, requires you to play a long-ball style of game, being rather predictable. Its not a poor, or even ineffective strategy by any means, but a sure pick-off for bluffs, and limiting small pots.
Holdem Poker for Advanced Players
This is simply the best Hold'em book ever written.
The first half of the book follows a traditional style. The authors cover opening hands, position, the "if you're checking a lot, you're a [bad] player" philosophy, calculating basic pot odds, and a variety of other topics essential to your game. This half of the book should be memorized. Don't kid yourself; if you don't know how to play a suited jack/nine from the fifth position, you will not win consistently playing Hold'em. Calculating pot odds separates the men from the boys, but you will need to get a copy of the Theory of Poker to truly cover that topic.
The second half of the book is a wealth of short essays covering topics ranging from how to play especially difficult hands to more general topics such a slow-play and the semi-bluff. I can't tell you how helpful this part of the book is. For a newbie, there is too much information here to absorb, but just reading the text will help you recognize when players are using these techniques against you. With time, you will learn how to use these techniques yourself.
The second part of the book also is an excellent reference for those times in a game when you just were not sure what the correct play was. Make a mental note when that happens and bust out this book when you get home. More than likely, you will find the information you need to make the correct play the next time. Keep in mind that when you're not sure how to play out a hand, your opponent likely has the same problems. If you learn from these difficult, often misplayed hands, you can gain a significant advantage over your fellow-players.
Bottom line: Read this book over and over again until you can recall it line by line while sitting at the table. There is not a better way to spend your time than reading this book if you want to increase your hourly take at the Hold'em table.
Jason Randall Nash "HawkeyeGK" (Council Bluffs, IA) - See all my reviews
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