The pros will also actually tell you that training from a coach, subscriptions to training sites and having discussions about hands within a group are a great way to get better - and I don't doubt the benefits of all this at all. However, the training from a coach idea seems over-the-top serious for the games I play at, the subscription to the Cardrunners training site I've already done (and I don't play enough online now to make it worth my while) and the discussions with others approach requires networking which seems like too much effort.
I know the game moves fast at the mid to high-stakes online games but for me, just reading about the game on a regular basis is enough to keep my enthusiasm alive and gives me the feeling that I'm kept in-the-loop. Even if it is not helping me to improve, having the belief that I'm improving by reading is enough (if that makes any sense). Here are the four books (with full price including postage and packing in brackets) that I ordered:
"Little Gold Book" by Phil Gordon (£10.57)
His "green" and "blue" books were pleasant light reading material for sure, much appreciated by the improving beginning players but from the reviews I've read of this, this latest offering takes the level up a notch or two. He's had his fair share of detractors and critics lately for sure, not least with the latest Full Tilt debacle, but I'm willing to forgive him this in the name of improving my game and for the small price of a tenner. Also, as an older-generation player, who acknowledges that there's a big surge in the younger generation taking the game by storm, I can identify with where he's at.
"Dominate No-Limit Holdem" by Danny Ashman (£10.46)
This book came out fairly recently and is just one that I've been meaning to add to my collection for a long time now. His last book, on short-handed no-limit poker, got a lot of criticism from 2+2ers for all sorts of reasons (mostly grammatical mistakes) but the general feeling is that he's put that hiccup right with this one. From the reviews and comments I've read, it appears that it's a solid read and I'll be giving it the once-over to mainly consolidate my game.
Poker, Sex and Dying by Juel E. Anderson (£13.85)
Now maybe I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to dodgy sounding titles but I've always avoided this one purely because of the awkward title the author gave his book. However, after reading up on it a little bit, I have to say I'm intrigued; particularly as it directly addresses the live game arena. It seems mainly to tackle 13 character types and their approach to gambling - and from looking at the headings for each, it all kind of fits. Buying the book is a bit of a gamble in itself but I'm hopeful with this one.
"Poker Math That Matters" by Owen Gaines (£32.57)
Weighing in at a price which pretty much amounts to all the others put together, from what I have read about this book I think it's going to be worth it. Now, truth be told, I'm not too bad at working out the odds and all that in poker myself BUT sometimes it's nice to have a user-friendly read (aimed at the layman) where it's all explained nicely and in a digestable form (which many people are saying this is). I think this book is going to help A LOT of beginners who bother to take the relatively short amount of time and effort it'll take to read it. For me, once again, it's more about going back to basics a little bit and consolidating what I know but also about keeping the fire and interest burning at the same time.
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That's it but if you are interested, you can check out here ---> My 12 Favourite Poker Books.
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