Essential Reads for a Learning Player

[Spy]

Alright, i've played poker long enough that there are probably very few books that would leave me dumbfounded; at the same time, i've only recently began to take the game really seriously and really start to think like a poker player. Up to now, poker was mostly a fun thing, and while I followed some basic strategies I wasn't putting much thought into it. I would like to get a solid collection of poker books to learn from, so give me your recommendations of essential books I should read and understand.

Books I already have:

Theory of Poker
SuperSystem II
Play Like The Pros (Hellmuth's first book I think)
Caro's Book of Poker Tells

Of these books, I really only find Theory of Poker and a bit of SuperSystem II to be very helpful. Caro's is dated and not very helpful since i'm an online player, but I got it because it's so well known and didn't expect to learn a ton.

Hellmuth's book hasn't helped me much, nothing there changed the way I thought about poker at all, and I think those kind of strategies are only really going to work well for beginning players. The one positive that comes from reading this book is that I used it to get started in a lot of the non-Hold'em games, as it gave me a basic strategy to start on, but I quickly outgrew this book.

For a young player who never got a chance to read the first SS, SSII was one of the most overhyped books i've ever read. I expected something grand, and even as a pretty clueless player at the time I read it, there's only so many times he can push aggressive play before the message is pretty well drilled in. Once I understood that, I wasn't sure how much more the book had to offer.

Theory of Poker I have not completed, but it has been very helpful to me so far, and led me to these forums.

So other than these, what are some of the best books for a fairly new player who is learning quickly? I eventually want to be good at all the games, so they don't need to be exclusive to hold'em. I play online, mostly at very small microlimits, but I soon plan to start playing at around $3/$6 or $5/$10 so that's what the information should be geared towards.

[Wilco23]

Little Green Book by Phil Gordon. Also, reading the Harrington on Hold 'em Volumes I-III is an excellent way to get ahead. Volume I can be adapted to cash games and is pretty straightforward tight aggressive play. Volume II is for getting deep in tourneys. Volume III is 50 hands to analyze.

Also, for what it's worth, check out the digests that are stickied in the small stakes no limit forum here. They are gold.

[bk1]

ace on the river

[deacsoft]

The next book you read, without doubt, should be Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller.

[ECDub]

[ QUOTE ]
The next book you read, without doubt, should be Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I think this is good advice. Second best advice would be that if you're planning to move from the micro tables to $3/6 in a short period of time, be prepared to move back down if you need to.

[mornelth]

[ QUOTE ]
ace on the river

[/ QUOTE ]

not

[AJGibson]

[ QUOTE ]
Little Green Book by Phil Gordon. Also, reading the Harrington on Hold 'em Volumes I-III

[/ QUOTE ]
These are both no limit books.
[ QUOTE ]
ace on the river

[/ QUOTE ]
Some say it's a decent read but not really a strategy book. SSHE is the clear winner here

[phydaux]

Small Stakes Hold'em
Weighing the Odds
Hold'em on the Come
Real Poker II: The Play of Hands

Four excelent books on Limit Hold'em, and all available in any major book store.

[Wilco23]

D'oh!!!!

I agree with your suggestion though.

[Spy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Little Green Book by Phil Gordon. Also, reading the Harrington on Hold 'em Volumes I-III

[/ QUOTE ]
These are both no limit books.
[ QUOTE ]
ace on the river

[/ QUOTE ]
Some say it's a decent read but not really a strategy book. SSHE is the clear winner here

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm interested in no limit as well. I am looking for any books which will help me to become a better poker player.