117k poker tracker stats..

[train.]

I was gonna put this question in NC but this is probably as good a place as any.

I have a buddy who wants to start playing online. We used to play home donkers choice games together years ago. I transferred him $100 a little over a week ago and he has managed to blow thru it playing .25/.50 7cs. That in itself has me a bit worried for him.

When he started I asked him how much he was willing to invest in a bankroll and he said $200. I have told him about the forums here but I don't think he has been here to look around yet.

I also told him about SSHE and encourged him to get it. That was before he informed me that he has never played any HE before. He now wants to deposit another 100 and try his hand at HE. I told him he should start at .5/.10 and take it a bit slower, playing tighter and studying some. But is SSHE where he should start? Should I recommend Miller's Getting Started in Holdem to start with?

[googleit123]

Why is he playing in the first place?

If he is one of those "allowance players" I don't think he'll really be interested in reading a bunch of poker books. He might be playing for the thrill, the fun, or just to make a quick score.

If he IS serious, yeah, Small Stakes Hold Em and Theory of Poker are essentials to getting started.

Remember,
"You can lead a [horse] to water but you cannot make him drink"

[Donk]= lost 200 bets in a .25c game, that's too bad. Variance I guess [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Lots of Luck!

Google

[Bilgefisher]

SSHE is actually a pretty bad starting book imo. It has way to much info and can be overwelming. I think "Winning Low limit Hold-em" is a good starter for absolute beginners. That book should keep him from dropping a ton of change immediately. As he progresses, he can move on to more advanced books.

[train.]

[ QUOTE ]
SSHE is actually a pretty bad starting book imo. It has way to much info and can be overwelming. I think "Winning Low limit Hold-em" is a good starter for absolute beginners. That book should keep him from dropping a ton of change immediately. As he progresses, he can move on to more advanced books.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually that's a great idea because I have a copy of WLLH that i never could bring myself to finish reading. I can give him my copy.

[bozlax]

[ QUOTE ]
Small Stakes Hold Em and Theory of Poker are essentials to getting started.

[/ QUOTE ]

This may be the worst and most wrong-minded advice I've ever seen on this forum (the good news, Google, is that you're not the first one to say this). It's bad enough to suggest throwing SSH at a nOOb right out of the blocks, but ToP?! It's really hard to play poker with blood running out your ears and your eyes all watery. Not only is this waaaay too much theory and information for somebody not familiar with the game to absorb (not to mention apply), but SSH is nowhere near as applicable to the online game today as it was even 8 months ago.

Bilge is right, Jones's WLLH is the way to go. GSIH is another good jumping-off point.

[Xhad]

[ QUOTE ]
SSHE is actually a pretty bad starting book imo. It has way to much info and can be overwelming. I think "Winning Low limit Hold-em" is a good starter for absolute beginners. That book should keep him from dropping a ton of change immediately. As he progresses, he can move on to more advanced books.

[/ QUOTE ]

When my girlfriend wanted to get into poker I bought WLLH specificially to get her started, before I saw so many blatantly incorrect statements that I threw it in the closet. As far as I'm concerned GSIH is THE primer unless you already know enough about poker or math to jump straight to better books. SSH is awful as a first book period, there's a lot of advice that can accidentally turn you into a chip-spewing LAG.

[ QUOTE ]
Hm, maybe Im just stupid but what's the big deal with getting your VPIP higher?
You posted some examples of being more aggressive pf yourself, if you follow these, this obv. will cause an effect?

[/ QUOTE ]

In general more hands played increases your chances to make good decisions which means more opporntunities to profit. If someone with a 100VPIP limps in the CO, and I (in the button) raise just about anything with an edge, while someone else would stick with Phil Hellmuth's Top 10 hands, I'm going to make a lot of money with hands like A8o and 55 that nits are not going to make.

[googleit123]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Small Stakes Hold Em and Theory of Poker are essentials to getting started.

[/ QUOTE ]

This may be the worst and most wrong-minded advice I've ever seen on this forum (the good news, Google, is that you're not the first one to say this). It's bad enough to suggest throwing SSH at a nOOb right out of the blocks, but ToP?! It's really hard to play poker with blood running out your ears and your eyes all watery. Not only is this waaaay too much theory and information for somebody not familiar with the game to absorb (not to mention apply), but SSH is nowhere near as applicable to the online game today as it was even 8 months ago.

Bilge is right, Jones's WLLH is the way to go. GSIH is another good jumping-off point.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never read WLLH or GSIH so you may be correct. My first two texts were 1) TOP- yes it was a bit over my head at first but I studied mathematics, accounting and statistics in college so the whole numbers thing kinda made sense not to mention the theory 2) SSH- I don't know who tipped me off on this book, just bought it.

What topics do WLLH and GSIH cover that SSH and TOP do not?

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
SSHE is actually a pretty bad starting book imo. It has way to much info and can be overwelming. I think "Winning Low limit Hold-em" is a good starter for absolute beginners. That book should keep him from dropping a ton of change immediately. As he progresses, he can move on to more advanced books.

[/ QUOTE ]

When my girlfriend wanted to get into poker I bought WLLH specificially to get her started, before I saw so many blatantly incorrect statements that I threw it in the closet. As far as I'm concerned GSIH is THE primer unless you already know enough about poker or math to jump straight to better books. SSH is awful as a first book period, there's a lot of advice that can accidentally turn you into a chip-spewing LAG.

[/ QUOTE ]

I challenge you to dig it out of the closet and quote them. Not that I think WLLH is a perfect book, but it's far from junk.

[OziBattler]

[ QUOTE ]
the OP is believed to be a bot or a bot operator and people are "embracing" him, join, participate etc

[/ QUOTE ]

actually people are saying his stats are bot-like which doesnt mean we think he is a bot (even though he could be...IMHO its unlikely) but we are saying that he probably plays in an unimaginative weaktight manner without any regard for certain things such as position...its actually not that hard to do when you get a rut and just push those buttons on the screen without paying any regard to teh players around you.

snitch, even though OP has taken his bat and ball and gone home, sparky is making use if it so this thread will remain open as long as it has more than just mud slinging in it

[Xhad]

[ QUOTE ]
I challenge you to dig it out of the closet and quote them. Not that I think WLLH is a perfect book, but it's far from junk.

[/ QUOTE ]

Being that I've recently gone on a book-reading spree maybe I will. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] FWIW that statement made it sound like I disliked the book much more than I actually did, I just think that there was enough wrong with it that I couldn't recommend it over various superior alternatives. I do remember the final straw being the suggestion to play obvious WA/WB hands by raising the turn and then checking the river if flat called.