Best book for a complete newbie?

[jeffnc]

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Small Stakes Hold 'em by Miller/Sklansky/Malmuth is essential if she wants to make a living.

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No it's not. The games it covers are too small to make a living at. The days of multitabling higher limit games with the conditions listed in that book are over. It is certainly not "no big deal" to make $50,000 a year playing multi $3/6 tables where 6 see the flop and they play like crap from then on.

[jeffnc]

Where for a beginner to start is a good question. Limit games are probably a better place to learn poker, but the game is shifting toward NL. You could also argue that since that's where the money's at, she should go ahead and start playing there.

After a beginner's book like Miller's "Getting Started", the next best book to read is ITH by Hilger. It has a ton of hand examples (many more than SSHE for example) which is probably the best way to learn to actually play.

But if NL is the route, then I'd play the NL micro ring games. SnGs are really a different animal and to play well when it gets down to the final 4 (in other words, where all the profit is) is an art form in itself, quite different from cash games. It's best to learn to play cash games well, IMO. Then study the very unique aspects of SnG play and "low M" play.

[fungaimike56]

Duh...where in any post here does anyone say "no big deal" Jeffnc? And yeah, unless she is going to start at the top she'll need to read the best small stakes hold 'em book which is, wait a minute, SSHE. People do make a living on-line with that book their bible. Game conditions change, good players adapt, it's in the book...duh.