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The definitive guide for hold?em players

This is more or less considered the 'bible' for texas hold'em players, and for good reason: Sklansky and Malmuth are recognized as the leading authorities on poker strategy. While HPFAP is a difficult read, nearly every single aspect of proper hold'em strategy is covered in excruciating detail. While I would suggest picking up less complex books to start out with (look for Lee Jones'), this is a must read for all serious hold'em players.

Now for some constructive criticism: this is by no means a beginner's book - a lot of novices have heard the authors praised and figure they should run out and buy this book. I'll warn you now that unless you've got 6 to 12 months of hold'em experience, the writing in this book will be WAY over your head. It's not just the terminology, but the authors assume that readers are already well-versed in all basic hold'em strategies. The first time I read the book, it seemed utterly nonsensical. Only now that I go back and re-read it do I truly understand what the authors are talking about in many places.

Where to apply the poker tools this book gives you? Anywhere, really - I used to play at my local casino 4 times / wk, but now play almost exclusively online, since play goes so much faster - I go out of my mind with boredom when I try and sit at a casino nowadays. Any of the major online poker sites are more or less as good as each other - another post here led me to pokercroaker.com which has site reviews for all of them to help you pick, and even has signup bonus codes that will get you free bonus money when you open an account. A lot of people have said that Sklansky & Malmuth's advice doesn't translate well to the sometimes wild online games, but I disagree: the tight-aggressive strategy they promote is in fact perfect for these games, although you should expect your variance to be higher.