Mastering No Limit Hold’em by Russell Fox & Scott T. Harker

[phydaux]

This book is an introductory guide to no limit Hold’em cash games. Unlike many other books that cover NL cash games, this book specifically covers the capped buy-in cash games popular on-line and in casinos & card rooms.

Fox & Harker assume the reader has some experience with Hold’em. They don’t spend time covering how to read the board or identify the nuts, nor do they cover what hands beats what. Many of the examples given in the book are of mistakes an experienced limit player might make in a no limit game. For these reasons, this book is suited best for someone making the transition from limit to no limit, or for a new player who has already read an introductory book like Getting Started in Hold’em.

While this book is slim by modern poker book standards, it is surprisingly complete. It has sections on player types, game types and an excellent explanation of pot odds, implied odds and reverse-implied odds. Additionally there are sections on managing your game by taking notes, managing your mind by avoiding tilt, and the impact the rake & the toke have on the game.

The authors stress that players must always be aware of two things – their opponents, and their position. They cover several examples where the same two cards would be played very differently depending on if you are in position vs. a tricky opponent or out of position vs. an aggressive opponent. They also stress aggressive play by making bets of pot-size or half pot-size, as well as times where it may be right to overbet or underbet the pot.

The authors recommend that, when you are the first to enter a pot for a raise, you should always raise the same amount – Four times the Big Blind, plus one Big Blind per limper. The idea, says Fox & Harker, is that by always raising the same amount regardless of your holdings you will be more difficult for an expert player to read. This is similar to the advice Phil Gordon gives in his Little Green Book. This strategy is also vehemently lambasted by Dave Sklansky in No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice. One thing to keep in mind is that Mastering No Limit Hold’em is directed toward playing 1/2 & 3/5 B&M games where mixing up your raises may not be as important as in tournaments and high stakes cash games.

One feature of this book the authors seem particularly proud of is “The Matrix Theory.” What is The Matrix? To find that out, you are going to have to take the red pill… OK, I’ll just tell you. It’s a starting hand chart. Broken down by position (Early, Middle, Late, Small Blind, Big Blind) it recommends what to do with various hands based on the actions of the players before and after you. I found The Matrix Theory very similar to the starting hands guidelines Action Dan included in his book Harrington on Hold’em vol 1.

An odd feature the authors included was “The Rule of 13.” The Rule is supposed to be a mnemonic to help players remember not to play trash hands. It goes like this: Add the Blackjack value of your hole cards together (Ace=1). If the total is 13, then fold the hand. For some reason, the authors feel people need help remembering to NOT play 94o. To be fair, the authors make it clear that the Rule of 13 started off as a joke.

Mastering No Limit Hold’em is a serviceable introduction for players new to no limit Hold’em cash games.

[Oct0puz]

Are you trying to promote this book or what? Me and many others find this book to be almost worthless.

[PJS]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you trying to promote this book or what? Me and many others find this book to be almost worthless.

[/ QUOTE ]

He isn't trying to promote the book. I read in another thread that he is going to review a couple of NL books. I think he is doing the Angel Largay book next.

PJS

[phydaux]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you trying to promote this book or what? Me and many others find this book to be almost worthless.

[/ QUOTE ]

I belive my review was a fair assessment of the book's strengths and eccentricities. My final assessment was, if I recall correctly, "serviceable."

Yes, I posted the review simply because I said I would make one. I'll start reading Angel's book tomorrow.

[JackCase]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you trying to promote this book or what?

[/ QUOTE ]

He wrote a review of a book he read, and put a lot more detail into it than:

[ QUOTE ]
Me and many others find this book to be almost worthless.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am reading the book, and so far have found it to be good for its intended audience, the small stakes NL newb. It lays out basic NL strategy. It doesn't look likely to add much to the game of an experience player. It is certainly not worthless for a beginner.

[binions]

I thought this book was worse than bad. I think their advice in the examples is almost as likely to be wrong as it is right, and a lot of their theoretical understanding of the game is woefully flawed.

[Black winter day]

This book is for beginner players that want to improve.
I know Scott, he is an awesome guy, but he plays 2-4NL maximum.Also, he is a nit

So, nothing really advanced, but if you struggle to beat limits up to Nl200 - i think this book will help your game a lot.

If you are already beating higher limits, this book will probably not add anything.

The authors have a second book now btw, called "Why do you lose at poker", i will purchase it soon and respond in appropriate threads about it...

[scottro77]

Nit? My friend, I'm a lot of things, but nit isn't one of them! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

And for the record, I play $5/$10 NL on occasion.

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[scottro77]

I think too many people who took a look at our book didn't read the introduction. It's a beginner's guide. I'm assuming that you personally have plenty of NL experience, so perhaps this book wouldn't be of much help to you. I do thank you for buying it, however.

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[scottro77]

Of course, if "2+2" was on the cover, I'm sure you'd be rather impressed.

And it's funny that you once commented that we don't discuss stack sizes. You've obviously not read the entire book. but that's fine. At least you bought it.

When is your next book coming out?

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