What was your first hold'em book?

[DaBear]

Just wondering what was the first hold'em book everyone read.

Mine comes with a story.

It's the late 1970's and as many stories start I meet this guy at the track. We strike up a conversation and after giving him a cold exacta I have a new friend. Eventually the topic of poker comes up and he asks me to meet him again the following day as he has something to give me.

The next day we meet and he gives me a small poker book. It's" Hold 'em Poker " by David Sklansky. He said a friend of his, Stuie Unger gave it to him and he wanted me to have it. Now I wish it was signed, but at that time he was Stu....who? The cover price $2. Up until that time the only poker book I had read was Albert Morehead's book and hold'em was new to me.

Many years and many hands later I still have the book and the story.

P.S. A few years later I make my first trip to Vegas. Stu Unger has just won his first W.S.O.P. and when I get there the MGM burns.

If it wasn't for bad luck..........

[StevenH72]

My first book was Caro's book of poker tells, but my first strategy book was HOH.

No funny stories I'm afraid, just a standard purchase.

[babujit1]

HOH
I laughed tell I cried...then I laughed some more...then

[JHickle]

HOH I, II, and III here.

[FlopZnuts]

Getting Started in Hold'em (Ed Miller)
Super System 2 (Doyle & friends)

[joepro]

No-Limit Texas Hold'em (New Player Series)by Brad Daugherty & Tom McEvoy.

It seems like light years ago, but it was only about 4 years ago. I got into poker after watching moneymaker on espn, then the first WPT championship, with a final table featuring Ted Forrest, Allen Goehring, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Ivey. The very next day I bought "super system." And I have been hooked ever since. A year later I met Brunson at harrahs in Atlantic city, my wife made me get in a picture with him, and the picture now hangs on the wall in my basement. Very cool guy.

As far as the book, it is really basic, but it did help me to learn the game, in conjunction with watching a million poker shows and reading several other books later. That book may be the best "true beginner" book out there, it really puts the basics out there for you.

[TX_kiwi]

HOH #I (only two months ago)! Now on HOH II.

[DiceCaller]

Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones

We got free Card Player magazines in our Poker Room and I quickly bacame a fan of Lee Jones' articles. In one aritcle he mentioned his book... I bought it that night off of Amazon.

Shane

[warewulf]

Super System (part 1)

I read it in the early 90's. Funny story behind it is that it was a hard bound book and it eventually disappeared around 1993 when I was living in a house with 3 other gamblers. I asked if anyone had seen it, of course nobody had. About 2 years later I saw the same book in one of my now ex roommates apartments during a game. I asked if it was mine, of course not! I gave him a hard time, but he stuck to his story that he bought it shortly after I bought mine.

The same friend became a professional dealer at a card room in LA, CA. I saw him at a bbq this year around xmas. He gave me a signed copy of Super System 2. He never said why, but we both know why...

[PhilLaFond]

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book.

I have an affinity for "Phils" (except Hellmuth, who's a disgrace to the name ) and always thought Gordon had a smart, albeit conservative, approach to the game. So I bought his book in an iattempt to learn more. Now I have all three of his "Little" books, and a whole library of others . But alas, I'm still a weak tight donkey!!