[Wylecoyo]

Anyone familiar with this book by King Yao? Found it while browsing on Amazon and it had a dozen or so strong remarks, but I have never heard of it or the author. Just wondering if it was worth a look or not.

[jojobinks]

purely supplementary. it's maybe the 10th most valuable book (in terms of what i think about and use regularly) that i've read.

[boondocker96]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

purely supplementary. it's maybe the 10th most valuable book (in terms of what i think about and use regularly) that i've read.

Hey Jojo-
can you list the books in order of importance that you feel are essential? (1-10)

[ky70]

Originally Posted by boondocker96

Hey Jojo-
can you list the books in order of importance that you feel are essential? (1-10)

I second and third this request...great suggestion!!

[jojobinks]

i'm away from home, but here's what i can remember having read, with help from amazon.com

essential:
theory of poker
small stakes hold em
HOH 1 and 2
tournament poker for advanced players

of great use:
caro's book of tells
inside the poker mind (essays)
poker essays (there are several volumes of these)
zen and the art of poker (about the mental state necessary)
tao and the art of poker (about technique)
improve your poker (collection of essays ala mallmuth)

of some use: group A(i'd recommend them)
phil gordon's books (both of em)
ace on the river (the hand examples are awesome, but the rest is...eh)
super system
getting started in holdem
real poker II
holdem poker (sklansky)
lee jones' book (it's okay, but more basic, and less smart, than Small stakes holdem)

of some use: group B (i don't think i'd recommend them)
pot limit and no limit poker
king yao's book
gary carson's hold em book

bad books
tournament poker and the art of war
hellmuth's books
killer poker (series)
ken warren's books. (i bought one of these first. what a mistake...)


books that aren't about game play but which were awesome
positively 5th street
Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King, The
One of a Kind : The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar
diary of a mad poker player
the biggest game in town
big deal

yeah, i guess that's just about all i've read.

[ky70]

Thanks Jojo!!!

[Wylecoyo]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

i'm away from home, but here's what i can remember having read, with help from amazon.com

essential:
theory of poker
small stakes hold em
HOH 1 and 2
tournament poker for advanced players

of great use:
caro's book of tells
inside the poker mind (essays)
poker essays (there are several volumes of these)
zen and the art of poker (about the mental state necessary)
tao and the art of poker (about technique)
improve your poker (collection of essays ala mallmuth)

of some use: group A(i'd recommend them)
phil gordon's books (both of em)
ace on the river (the hand examples are awesome, but the rest is...eh)
super system
getting started in holdem
real poker II
holdem poker (sklansky)
lee jones' book (it's okay, but more basic, and less smart, than Small stakes holdem)

of some use: group B (i don't think i'd recommend them)
pot limit and no limit poker
king yao's book
gary carson's hold em book

bad books
tournament poker and the art of war
hellmuth's books
killer poker (series)
ken warren's books. (i bought one of these first. what a mistake...)


books that aren't about game play but which were awesome
positively 5th street
Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King, The
One of a Kind : The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar
diary of a mad poker player
the biggest game in town
big deal

yeah, i guess that's just about all i've read.

Although I have not read a few of the books on this list, I wholeheartedly agree with your ranking of everything I have read. I also started my poker library with Ken Warrens "Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em" and what a peace of meat that was - so bad it almost swore me off buying any other poker books ever again. I would have been better off spending that money on "The Hammers" EBay e-book (http://chiptalk.net/forum/showthread...ghlight=hammer) or maybe even just setting fire to it. Fortunately I found some quality poker writing in time to restore my faith.



I am now switching back and forth between theory/strategy books and entertaining story-telling poker books. I am almost done with The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King, based on Chiptalk advice of course, and it has been a pretty fun read. Don't know what is next, but I am always open to suggestions.

[boondocker96]

thanks for the response jojo!

not a big fan of helmuths books, eh? care to comment?

[jojobinks]

well, i think hellmuth's a great player, but that doesn't make him a great teacher (or writer)

the second book is an insipid collection of worthless essays from cardplayer.
the first book is just crap as a teaching tool. it reads like something he dictated to his ghostwriter over a 4 hour interview.

ooh, speaking of which, i have to add tj cloutier's book, which suffers from similar problems.

[boondocker96]

I have a friend thats reading a Cloutier book, and says hes taking a lot away from it. Im going to read it as well, Ill post my thoughts on it after.