What book to get for total poker newbie?

[Berky]

Hi guys just a quick question.
It's a good friend of mines birthday soon and he asked me to get him a poker book so he can learn. He has never really played poker in his life before, barely knows that there are 5 community cards to use, and when people can bet etc.

Just wondering what you think is a good book that will explain this to him AND have some strat.

Thanks in advance.

[phydaux]

Getting Started in Hold'em by Ed Miller.

[Gelford]

or


Beginners Guide to Limit Hold'em by Byron Jacobs

[Diana Ross Fan]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi guys just a quick question.
It's a good friend of mines birthday soon and he asked me to get him a poker book so he can learn. He has never really played poker in his life before, barely knows that there are 5 community cards to use, and when people can bet etc.

Just wondering what you think is a good book that will explain this to him AND have some strat.

Thanks in advance.

[/ QUOTE ]

I suggest Lee Jones Winning Low Limit hold'em for new players. But for someone unfamiliar with poker althogether, "Poker for Dummies" might be better.

Has he seen it on tv?

[fraac]

He won't want to play limit when he knows the difference. The Miller one, I dunno, haven't read it.

[Berky]

Yeah definatly has to be no limit. Yes he has seen poker on tv.

[Albert Silver]

My first book was Poker for Dummies. As a first 'painless' opener to poker, it did a solid job. It even allowed one to glimpse at Omaha and the like, though its focus was limit hold'em. It is full of cute anecdotes to help keep the reader going.

Suggest your friend play a bit at the limit play money tables at Poker Stars (for example). The games don't go so quickly and he will be able to practice reading the value of his hand compared to others.

The problem with the play money No limit Sit and Gos, is that the games end in multiple all-ins after a few plays. One nice thing at Stars BTW is the Hubble Freeroll series of No Limit events, which can literally lead to free entry to a tournament with a $1000 prize fund. These are huge 10,000-player no limit tournaments, and have the virtue of allowing people to play and have fun at no financial risk as they learn.

Once past the opening gate, he might try Phil Gordon's Little Green Book then Phil Gordon's Final Table. I realize they are both the same person, however they are individually excellent and clear. I was a bit wary about the video at first, having not been too convinced by other videos directed at a wider audience, but it was really the best instructive video of its type I saw. Really good. Imparting formal knowledge in spaced out doses, while commenting his thought process in the game. It does presume a minimum of knowledge though, so it would be for after.

[fraac]

[ QUOTE ]
Suggest your friend play a bit at the limit play money tables at Poker Stars (for example). The games don't go so quickly and he will be able to practice reading the value of his hand compared to others.

[/ QUOTE ]

I played a lot of play money pot-limit holdem on stars while testing hud software and it improved my pot control and position sense better than a year of medium stakes SNGs.

[Doc T River]

[ QUOTE ]
Getting Started in Hold'em by Ed Miller.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have that book and I have a problem with it given it is supposed to be a book on Hold'Em. I must give credit to noticing this to my significant other who also plays poker.

The problem is that the poker hand types are for non-flop poker and not exclusive to hold'em poker. Look at what he says about Royal Flushes (the highest hand). He says only another Royal Flush would tie it. Well, in hold'em it is not possible for two people to both have royal flushes.

To even have a flush, there must be at least three cards of the same suit on the board. Given the board is five cards, this eliminates two people having flushes in different suits. Much less two people having royal flushes.

I must admit that is as far as I have gotten in the book as I was looking through it while waiting on my significant other. She saw the error because she was waiting for her appointment. She left my side, I picked up the book, and before I knew it, she was done and I had to stop reading.

But can any book, that makes such an error that early, really be that good?

I do think that some of the books suggested in this thread are too advanced. Remember, this guy's friend is a total newbie.

[Zimri007]

The Poker Bible by Lou Krieger.
Extremely easy to read and lots of diagrams.