If you read one you read them all?

[jordiepop]

when it comes to poker books does anyone think that some are just repeating the same things .... like for nl tournaments there are soooo many books....dont you think if you read hoh 1 2 and maybe one other like kill phil for the "system" ... youll be fine ... i know gordans green book and making the final table etc etc have some good points ... but if you read the first books i stated i think there just over kill .. does anyone agree

[RowdyZ]

No, the more you read the more different ideas, even if only one or two you are exposed to. Even if 2 books talk about the same thing one might present it in a way you can better understand or give you a key piece of info to understand what the other author was saying. I also disagree that are sooooo many NLHE tournament books. Compared to limit cash game books tournament books aren't even a drop in the bucket.

RZ

[phydaux]

Well, considering how many crap books there are out there I'd say yeah, a lot of then just re-hash the same stuff over and over.

But when you select the best titles, then each book brings something new. For example, here's my reading list for my limit hold'em play:

Winning Low Limit Hold'em - It's an introductory book for a green fish like me. It tells me what to do and when to do it.

Small Stakes Hold'em - An through introduction. It tells me why I'm doing what I'm doing, and what else I should be taking into consideration.

Theory of Poker - A comprehensive treatment of basic and advanced concepts that apply to any poker game.

Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players - The in depth treatment for Hold'em. This brings you to an "A" game.

Psychology of Poker - A theoretical treatment of how various kinds of poker players think.

Inside the Poker Mind - A practical guide to working on your own mental game.

Now that's my list because I play limit ring games exclusivly. If you play No Limit cash games or tournaments then your list will be slightly differant, but regardless those last four books should be on it.

[MicroBob]

for your limit-poker list I would consider adding:

Weighing the Odds in Holdem, King Yao
How good is your limit holdem, Bryan Jacobs


Both repeat many of the same ideas as SSHE and HEFAP of course....but both authors also do it a little bit differently and I think for some players (including myself) really help to drive home some of the 2+2 concepts.

As has been mentioned in other threads, you should read both books critically. There are a couple of situations in each that Mason himself disagrees with (although his ratings suggest that he does recommend both of them).


To the original post - I think that HOH 1 and 2 and probably KillPhil is sufficient....and maybe TPFAP as well.
Most of the other tourney books out there won't contain too much more exciting info for you that you wouldn't see in the best books (the ones listed).
Don't know about Phil's little green book.
I don't recommend Cloutier's books as a general rule.

I think Lederer has some DVD's out there which are getting positive reviews though.

But I agree that you don't need to get every single book on tournaments that is out there when the HOH books are already so good.

[acekingoffsuit]

I totally believe that poker books are being stamped out like cookies only to make money.

Look at all the junk out there. The agents of the world are squeezing everyone to write a useless book with a slick cover to make $100,000. Personally I find it nausiating.

I commented elsewhere that the title "Killer Poker Online" perfectly exemplifies such junk. For all I know that could be the greatest book in the world, but with such a hustling bullsh*t name, i'd never get near it.

[TimsterToo]

I think Phill Gordon's Little Green Book is a great addition to your collection.

It's a NL book so if you strictly play limit you can skip it. It caters for both cash games and tournament play.

The thing I particularly love is the fact that it is written in a style where you can open any page and read a tidbit of stand alone advice. All advice is packed in simple little paragraphs and can be digested without having to read the 10 pages before to be understood.

It certainly doesn't replace comprehensive books like HOH I and II but it works nicely side to side with them. I love reading just before I go to sleep, whilst on the toilet and when I'm have to wait for a couple of minutes somewhere and contrary to other books where you have to "get back into it" you can just pick this up and go.

It slightly resembles the style of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu where you can also open any page and start reading.

I'm not a great fan of e-books, somehow they don't do it for me. I think reading a actual book is far more comfortable. This book a would like to have in e-book form too so I always have it with me on my pocketPC.

[ECDub]

It's almost like asking how many cookbooks you need to make a chocolate cake. They all basically say the same crap. To various degrees, poker books are quite similar. I have read HOH I and II. They are both fantastic. I read Phil Gordon's Little Green Book and it had nothing ground breaking, but there was different stuff. Gordon's book actually has some strong information, but it is written so simply, you could miss some things the first go through. The book is truly impressive. To another level, Erick Lindgren's book has many different ideas on playing. The book didn't recreate the wheel or anything, but the author is younger and he presents an extremely aggressive style to get to the final table with plenty of chips. If you only read HOH I and II, you wouldn't be in deep trouble, but you would miss out on some useful information offered by the other authors. You want to have more than one trick up your sleeve.

What I am saying is that I think several books are not a bad thing, even if the information does seem repetitive. If anything, you recognize the universal theme of tournament play that is always included in every book and then decipher the small differences and see how they work in your overall playing style. One guy says fold small pair in early position, another says he would raise, and another likes to limp. Understanding the argument for decisions such as these and then mixing it with your own game is the way to become an unpredictable and dangerous player in tournaments.

When poker books run $20 a pop, it does make sense to be careful not to rush out and buy anything that hits the shelf. All of the books you mentioned in your post I had read and those are the only books on tournament poker I have. So if you are asking do you really need anything more than those.....I don't have anymore than those myself and I think it's plenty. I guess it really depends on if your tournament performance is where you want it to be. The only books I might check out on the horizon are the Kill Phil book and I think Antonio Esfandiari has a book releasing in March I'll probably check out.

[deacsoft]

Quit being lazy and read. If you want to learn the game and become a better player why wouldn't you? I own over 30 books and have read them all cover to cover and many more than once. The information that seems to be repeated in most of them is all the stuff that's of huge importance. I have no problem reading that same information 25 times. It only solidifies my knowledge and provides me with ample oppertunities to catch anything I may have missed in the past. If you feel you haven't missed anything and completely understand it then you can simply not read that chapter of the book.

Nearly everyone suggests finding a style that works for you. What better way than to read about every stlye you can and selecting the best things for each and have them work for you? Having knowledge of many different styles can also aid your game in the "changing gears" aspect tremendously.

[PJS]

[ QUOTE ]
Quit being lazy and read. If you want to learn the game and become a better player why wouldn't you? I own over 30 books and have read them all cover to cover and many more than once. The information that seems to be repeated in most of them is all the stuff that's of huge importance. I have no problem reading that same information 25 times. It only solidifies my knowledge and provides me with ample oppertunities to catch anything I may have missed in the past. If you feel you haven't missed anything and completely understand it then you can simply not read that chapter of the book.

Nearly everyone suggests finding a style that works for you. What better way than to read about every stlye you can and selecting the best things for each and have them work for you? Having knowledge of many different styles can also aid your game in the "changing gears" aspect tremendously.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post. I couldn't agree more.

Also, when you consider the cost of a book in relation to what is played for at the tables, the cost of the books becomes very little in the long run. If you only get one or two ideas from each, imo it has paid for the price of the book anyway.

[phydaux]

[ QUOTE ]
when you consider the cost of a book in relation to what is played for at the tables, the cost of the books becomes very little in the long run. If you only get one or two ideas from each, imo it has paid for the price of the book anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

No lie. Five good poker books may cost $150.00. That's one pot, maybe half a pot.

That's what I love about poker. 5k for bankroll, another 2k for books, software and a computer and a smart operator can be making 75k/yr.