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| Rate this Book |
| 1- Bad Beat |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| 2 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| 3 |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| 4 |
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0% |
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| 5 - Split Pot |
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4% |
[ 2 ] |
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2% |
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13% |
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| 8 |
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25% |
[ 11 ] |
| 9 |
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16% |
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| 10 - The Nuts |
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34% |
[ 15 ] |
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| Total Votes : 43 |
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| Author |
Message |
mchilger
ITH Founder and Poker Author
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 5795
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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 Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:40 pm Post subject: The Theory of Poker by Sklansky |
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This is the alltime classic poker book written by the best poker author in the business. The book discusses general poker theories and concepts applicable to every variation of poker. Topics include odds, free cards, slowplaying, bluffing, raising, position, tight vs. loose play and more. It is a thinking man's book which sets the basis for advanced thinking in poker.
My only complaint with the book is that some of the hand examples used to demonstrate concepts are from poker variations that are not very popular today.
This is a must-read.
You can purchase Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky in our store.
Matthew |
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Pizza
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 184
Location: Vermont
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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As Matthew said, a must read. It covers pretty much every poker concept you would ever want to know and then some. You may not ever need to use game theory in deciding when to bluff but that chapter so brilliant and is my favorite.
One problem is that he does use examples of poker games that not many people play. Even though he gives the rules to games like razz in the appendix, it doesn't help me much because I've never actually played the game so I'm not familiar with the feel of the game (if that makes any sense) |
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pwtjax
Joined: 28 Dec 2003
Posts: 290
Location: Mississippi
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:33 am Post subject: |
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If you are only going to read a couple of books on poker in your life then maybe this book isn't for you.
But if you are going to be a student of the game and study as many good books as you can, then you have to read this book early on. After you have read this book you will understand and get more out of everything else that you read on the game.
I've read where many of the concepts in this book are covered in other books and seen it suggested that you therefore don't need to read TOP. That's putting the cart before the horse in my opinion. As the title suggests this book covers concepts and not how to play a particlualr game. Reading about the poker concepts in depth in this book makes the how to books more meaningful.
Hilger is on the money. This is a MUST read. |
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BuffClemins
Joined: 05 Jun 2005
Posts: 11
Location: oak Hill
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| Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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yes, this is a very good poker book, it teaches you to think like a pro  |
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Kjell201
1K Club
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 1431
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:18 am Post subject: |
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| BuffClemins wrote: | | yes, this is a very good poker book, it teaches you to think like a pro |
come again?
Btw, the thread is about TOP and you're linking to HPFAP in the shop? |
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kampuskhaos
Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Waterloo, IL
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject: yes |
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This book has prolly been the most helpful to me of any of the books that i've read. Really deep thought needs to be put into reading this book, and it can not just be read once.
Dennis Seidel  |
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fep
53o
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 3107
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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| A great book. But, I couldn't score it the nuts because many of the examples are for games not commonly played. If he rewrote this with the examples being from Hold'em or Omaha8 then I'd give it the nuts (I added Omaha8 because it is the most common Hi/Lo game). |
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Fibbeh
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:27 am Post subject: |
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Great book. Only reason I didnt give it the nuts was how everything was laid out like it was easier than I think it really is. Even though he himself stated that there'd be more guessing involved than he showed, every example still used absolutes such as so-and-so only plays AA's,KK's, etc. He just made it sound like you should always be able to get an exact number on your calculations of odds and play from there. Maybe you can, and I just haven't played enough to truly appreciate it, but I still highly recommend this book.
I'll admit I was blown away by the chapter on game theory and bluffing. It's not something that will always apply so perfectly well in a real world scenario, but it can certainly be used to keep your oponents guessing. |
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Calipso
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 92
Location: Lynn, MA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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The book was alright, felt like I was reading college books though.
You should get it if you've read everything else, it does have some quality parts. |
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Piemaster
Author of THE POKER MINDSET
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 6918
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:43 am Post subject: |
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I am working my way through ToP at the moment. I hope it picks up, because after the first few chapters I have been decidedly non-plussed. Doesn't say anything that other books I have already read haven't said in a more meaningful way.
Maybe I went in expecting too much. |
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cybrarian
Retired Moderator
Joined: 05 Dec 2003
Posts: 11217
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:39 am Post subject: |
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| Piemaster wrote: | | Doesn't say anything that other books I have already read haven't said in a more meaningful way. |
Is that because TOP said them all first and they've since been expanded on by every other poker book since? I haven't read TOP so this is only what I imagine must have happened. |
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Piemaster
Author of THE POKER MINDSET
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 6918
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:22 am Post subject: |
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| cybrarian wrote: | | since been expanded on by every other poker book since? |
Could be. In this case why does this book qualify as a 'must read'? |
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Bullajami
Uber Squid
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 8804
Location: Mrs. Bull's Doghouse
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:11 am Post subject: |
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| Piemaster wrote: | | cybrarian wrote: | | since been expanded on by every other poker book since? |
Could be. In this case why does this book qualify as a 'must read'? |
The same reason you should read Romeo and Juliet, even though you've already seen West Side Story. |
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Mattastic
Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 54
Location: Leeds, UK
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| Good book but don't read it after you've had a drink or are tired as some of it can be very confusing, especially to a novice. |
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Stunning River
Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: Sklansky once again |
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Hey! I am not sure that you're all gonna read this long thread up to this message, but still... Sklansky was the first book that I got to read about poker. I was inrigued when I finished up with the Preface, but pretty frustrated afterwards... The Rules of the games are given in the Appendixes at the end of the book and they are so short that it's just not funny...
Now I do realize that the books is supposed to make you feel like a pro... But if it's the first book you read about poker, you can't understand a thing. 
Hope you agree. |
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