[BrettButter]

I have a friend who is starting to get really into poker. He bought my table, my old dice chips, and is starting to host games at his house.

He's expressed a lot of interest in getting better at poker, and wants to start reading some books. His 17th birthday is coming up, and I want to get him a book. I was looking for something that isn't terribly complex, that would be a good book to start with. He's got schoolwork and a ton of other stuff going on, so I don't want to overwhelm him and distract him from the important stuff in life.

He plays NLHE Tournaments, with side cash games of .10/.25. He doesn't like limit games, but plays a tiny bit of PLO in side games as well.

I'd love to get opinions on what the best book would be to get him started. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[rami]

http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Gordons-L.../dp/1416903674

and after that one maybe something more advanced - sklansky and/or harrington

[littlebu]

I think the Harrington series would be the most beneficial to him. Alot of the things in there can be applied to cash games as well.

[the3rd]

I suggest a book dedicated to HE. The only valuable book that covers HE and PLO is Super System 2. Let your friend buy a Omaha book down the road. I think the best beginner LIMIT HE book is Winning Low Limit Holdem, 3rd edition, by Lee Jones. The newest Sklansky book on NL is probably too advanced. I'd go with Rami's or littlebu's suggestion.

[jojobinks]

people recommend the green book, but i think it's rank.

HOH1 is the best for beginners. it presents a whole strategy (as opposed to fractured bits) in a way that's palatable, understandable and just a little more credible than the other book.

also, it has HOH2 to go with it, which is the nutz.

[TheMightyJim2k]

HOH1 is the way to go if he play's tournies, because the basic strategy that is covers is also applicable to cash games for beginners. My guess is that the .1/.25 side games play shortstacked a lot (I used to play in very similar games in college all the time) with a lot of players having $10 or less on the table. If this is the case the HOH1 is even more applicable because the game conditions make it play more like the middle stages of a tourney and less like the deepstack cash games that much of Super System and NLHTP are beneficial for.

Once he has a chance to figure out the HOH stuff he should definitely pick up NLHTP. I dont play much NL but I'm reading it anyway, and it is far and away the best dissection of the game I've ever read.

One last thing....the first thing I ever read was Super System, and I applied Brunson's strategy to my cash game. I mopped up the competition pretty much every night. Granted most of the players I was up against weren't great, but if your opponents play somewhat weak-predictable at all, and the stacks are bigger than 40bb, it is very applicable.

[FL70]

Another vote for Harrington 1 & 2.

[BrettButter]

The first book I read was Super System I as well, and I already had a pretty good understanding of the game when I read it.

I've read a ton of books, but for the life of me couldn't pick the one that would be the best when just starting. I started right at the top, then just kind of surrounded myself with any book I could find about poker. HOH was actually one of my later reads, but not because of content, it just took me a little longer to get it.

People love buying in that .10/.25 game for $5.

I ordered NLHTP, because when I went to read it, I found out that I didn't have it. I swear I bought it somewhere down the line, but I guess not. That's next on my list of things to read. I'm probably going to start Lindgren's book today, and just finished Negreanu's and Shulman's "Tips" books. I gave him Shulman's book to read, because it's basically just a complete starting point, explaining all of the basic crap that he probably knows, but can't hurt to go over. I emphasized how important it was to start with basics before moving up to advanced strategy.

He refused to read Small Stakes Hold'Em, due to not playing limit. I kept pushing for him to read it, but he won't do it. He can't apply any of the things to NL he says.

I'm a horribly biased person, but I just flat out don't like Gordon's books.

Looks like HOH1 is the book for me to get him. Thanks for all the help guys

[yeltzen]

Get him Theory of Poker so he can learn the basic concepts like pot odds, implied odds, etc, and then tell him to play a ton. Tell him to guess people's hands as they're being played.

That's what I wish I would have done. I've read too many books now, and I rely on too many rules to be a good poker player. I wish I could erase everything I've learned, re-learn poker theory, and learn everything else just from playing. That's just my opinion, though.

[TheMightyJim2k]

If you don't play limit in casinos or at micro-limits online there is pretty much no reason to read Small Stakes by Miller. I am a huge advocate of the book, but I personally can't use it anymore unless I am going to play at a casino. The online games are too tough and I play shorthanded, and his book definitely isnt for that.

speaking of tough games....new book coming out by stoxtrader about playing in tough limit hold'em games. It looks really really hawt so I might have to start a thread about that....hmmm.....