new/recent book recommendation for NLHE cash games

It's been several years since I've played poker online. I was never all that good -- pretty much breakeven at micro & low limits. But I've gotten interested again and wanted to do some reading to get back into it and re-learn some strategy.

So I re-read my old & tattered copy of Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, which kinda seems like mandatory reading. I was going to dust off Harrington on Cash Games (something I read when they came out in 2008), but a lot has changed since then obviously, especially since Black Friday and especially for a US resident like me who has a limited number of sites to play on.

I decided to hold of the old Harrington book because I figured there must be others that have come out since then that are more appropriate for today's online game. I know he wrote a follow up in 2010 for 6max, but still that might be a little dated.

So the question is.... Do do you guys have any suggestions for somewhat new books about general strategy (particularly cash games) that reflect the current environment we're playing in these days?

Fyi, I was looking at the popular poker books on Amazon (here), but lots of these are either old or seem like they might be fluffy. Thanks!

I've not read a huge amount, but Harrington's 6-max book is still pretty decent for the improving 6-max online player (although I disagree with some of his reasoning on pre-flop). Otherwise, there's a couple of micro specific books that everybody recommends that will make you profitable pretty quickly, but I forget their names now - no doubt somebody else will chip in with the titles.

The book I've personally valued the most is Matt Janda's, but this could be quite difficult to understand for a relatively inexperienced player and it won't help you beat up the micros so much. Definitely worth adding to your collection at some point though. Jared Tendler's Mental Game of Poker will always be worth buying too if you have problems with tilt.

Books to avoid imo: The Mathematics of Poker for now, as it's incredibly dry.

BUT: I'd still recommend joining an inexpensive video maker like Grinderschool early on, rather than buying books. They'll explain key concepts to you and talk about how to beat each of the levels in a clear way, along with excellent live play videos. Carroters in particular is worth watching.

Small Stakes No-limit Hold'em is exceptionally good and targeted specifically for players at your level.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Bean Counter

I've not read a huge amount, but Harrington's 6-max book is still pretty decent for the improving 6-max online player.

---

I tend to play full ring. Not that I never play 6max or am adverse to it. (Sadly, with so few poker site options in the US, I can't be choosey so I often find myself at 6max). You think it's relevant for full ring cash games? Postflop must be pretty much the same, no?

Quote:

---

The book I've personally valued the most is Matt Janda's, but this could be quite difficult to understand for a relatively inexperienced player and it won't help you beat up the micros so much.

---

Yeah, just looked it up. Seems a tad above my level at the moment, but it's now in my long list of books-to-read.

Quote:

---

Books to avoid imo: The Mathematics of Poker for now, as it's incredibly dry.

---

Ah yes. Funny /story coincidence: Years back Bill Chen came to an Oscar party my wife and I were throwing. I had no idea it was him, only knew him from TV, and it turned out he is a close friend of a close friend. He very sweetly brought a signed copy of his book because he heard I was into poker. Unbelievably I had JUST 2 days earlier purchased the same book on my own, but hadn't read it. When I finally got around to giving it a shot, I realized I was way in over my head and shelved it. He seemed like a very nice guy. Though for all his math skillz, he couldn't seem to pick a winners that year in our prediction contest. ;)

Quote:

---

BUT: I'd still recommend joining an inexpensive video maker like Grinderschool early on, rather than buying books. They'll explain key concepts to you and talk about how to beat each of the levels in a clear way, along with excellent live play videos. Carroters in particular is worth watching.

---

I've seen a few of their free videos and like the price too. (Half as much as most of the other big ones.) I've also head good things about Red Chip poker. SplitSuits posts there, and they're fairly cheap too, but new so I think there are fewer vids. Hear anything about them?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spoonitnow

Small Stakes No-limit Hold'em is exceptionally good and targeted specifically for players at your level.

---

Thanks, spoon! My impression is that it was a sequel of sorts to "Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em: Vol. I" but published by a different press. Is SSNLH a good stand-alone, or should I read PNLHE Vol 1 first do you think?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spoonitnow

Small Stakes No-limit Hold'em is exceptionally good and targeted specifically for players at your level.

---

By Ed Miller and Matt Flynn?
I've read 30% of it, but most of the time it's purely hand examples instead of developing theory, which is what i'm looking for.
Should i keep reading?

I can't recommend The Poker Mindset enough. Learning the fundamentals for playing poker is very important, but often times player's don't consider the mental aspect and how it can affect you. This poker book helped me tremendously and I plugged leaks I didn't know I had.

As far as learning how to play the game, make sure you read all of spoon's articles as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by givememyleg

I can't recommend The Poker Mindset enough. Learning the fundamentals for playing poker is very important, but often times player's don't consider the mental aspect and how it can affect you. This poker helped me tremendously and I plugged leaks I didn't know I had.

As far as learning how to play the game, make sure you read all of spoon's articles as well.

---

Thanks! Btw, where are all of spoon's earlier articles? I remember from years ago that he had a lot of gems out there already -- and they were pre-2012.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rowhousepd

Thanks! Btw, where are all of spoon's earlier articles? I remember from years ago that he had a lot of gems out there already -- and they were pre-2012.

---

There are quite a few in the digest stickies in BC & SSNL:

BC Digest: http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...st-198113.html
SSNL Digest: http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...re-196912.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarinaD

By Ed Miller and Matt Flynn?
I've read 30% of it, but most of the time it's purely hand examples instead of developing theory, which is what i'm looking for.
Should i keep reading?

---

Yeah keep reading. It backs into it starting with specific hands and then getting more general. It actually develops a complete pre-flop and post-flop strategy from the ground up going just shy of the math of detailed game theory.

It really covers basically every pre-flop and post-flop situation a player would need to know well to get up into small stakes imo.

Hey spoon, maybe you missed my question earlier.

Quote:

---

Thanks, spoon! My impression is that it was a sequel of sorts to "Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em: Vol. I" but published by a different press. Is SSNLH a good stand-alone, or should I read PNLHE Vol 1 first do you think?

---

Either way, would you recommend Vol 1 on it's own? Thanks. :)

Just ran into these two: The Poker Blueprint (by Tri Nguyen) and Dynamic Full Ring Poker (by James Sweeney, aka SplitSuit). Both are ebooks and seem pretty geared towards modern-era online poker. Any thoughts?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rowhousepd

Hey spoon, maybe you missed my question earlier.



Either way, would you recommend Vol 1 on it's own? Thanks. :)

---

SSNLH is a good stand-alone. I wouldn't recommend Professional NLHE.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rowhousepd

Just ran into these two: The Poker Blueprint (by Tri Nguyen) and Dynamic Full Ring Poker (by James Sweeney, aka SplitSuit). Both are ebooks and seem pretty geared towards modern-era online poker. Any thoughts?

---

I know James Sweeney, and he has a good approach to teaching. The Poker Blueprint might be a little too in-depth for what you're comfortable with atm.

Thanks, spoon! You should combine all your posts into an actual book someday. Bet it would be +EV. ;) Cheers.