Book Description: The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky discusses theories and concepts applicable to nearly every variation of the game, including five-card draw (high), seven-card stud, hold ’em, lowball draw, and razz (seven-card lowball stud). This book introduces you to the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, its implications, and how it should affect your play. Other chapters discuss the value of deception, bluffing, raising, the slow-play, the value of position, psychology, heads-up play, game theory, implied odds, the free card, and semibluffing.
Many of today’s top poker players will tell you that this is the book that really made a difference in their play. That is, these are the ideas that separate the experts from the typical players. Those who read and study this book will literally leave behind those who don’t, and most serious players wear the covers off their copies. This is the best book ever written on poker.
This is Tentative 5 Star Review Okay, this book has wonderful information within it. Almost nothing Mr. Sklansky states within the book is bad information, and he uses relatively easy language. The problem many may have with the book is that while there are many simple learning tools that will help every reader immediately, this book is not one of them. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR A HOLE'EM PLAYER. If you're looking to learn Hold'em only, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK YET! Even if you are looking to learn more than games than Hold'em, I would suggest 'SuperSystem' first. My reasoning is simple, in this book, Mr Sklansky bounces from game to game to illustrate his examples. For a player who is trying to establish a winning approach to the game, this book may very well confuse you with so many examples and will not build confidence.
From my previous statements, one might wonder why I would give this book a 5 star rating, and the answer is because to those whom can follow the book, it's essentially the handbook to every basic principle in the game. I would compare 'The Theory of Poker' to a school professor(and I will note this SPECIFIC book only and not the author or his other works) who does not dumb down his lessons for the lesser committed students, but whom will give a student the most out of the class if that student is completely dedicated. The catch is, this professer is teaching a third or fourth level class that without the necessary prerequisites, the student will be lost. I would guess that only one out of about six poker players trying to figure out if this is the right book for them would be correct in deciding it is, but to that one person, this is a MUST-HAVE! To those five people out of the six, if you have to ask whether or not you are ready for the book, the one person who is ready wouldn't have to ask. That person would be asking is the book worth reading, and the answer is yes!
Poker Theory How would you play if ALL the cards were face-up? Any difference, when the cards are face down is a mistake. Ditto for your opponents. Sklansky expounds this fundamental theorem in great detail. This is a must-have book.
Good For Beginners and Intermediates This is a must read for any serious beginner to intermediate player. Most advanced players will probably have knowledge of the biggest part of the topics covered but it's never bad to refresh yourself.
Essential information covered is pot odds, implied odds,draws and the free-card concept, among other things.
Out of date - there is a new game in town I hate to give such a great book a negative title and mediocre review but the fact is that this book is just no longer relevant. Had you bought this before the poker boom you would be golden. The best piece of advice you can get from this book is the basic theory. Other than that the whole book is geared around limit cash games. We all know that NL tournaments is where it is at right now so I would check out Dan Harrington's books first.
Required poker foundation Sklansky's Theory of Poker is no longer the newest book on advanced poker thought, but it remains required reading for both the average and the more experienced player. While some of the specific hand-analysis and tactical advice has been updated or superceded by more recent and also excellent books by the likes of Harrington or Gordon, the basic concepts do not change, and Sklansky is an insightful analyst, as well as an excellent teacher. The attentive reader will find his time and thought well rewarded.
According to Sklansky's Theory of Poker, the game is one of mistakes - the point is to induce mistakes in your opponents' play while avoiding mistakes in play yourself. The basic nature of poker, in any of its forms, implies that you have imperfect and limited knowledge of the value of the hands your opponents hold, and they have limited knowledge of yours; it is because of this limited knowledge that mistakes can take place.
Mistakes and errors are simple to define. If you had perfect knowledge of all hands, you would play your own hand in a certain, mathematically correct way. To the extent you play your hand differently, due to lack of knowledge or deception or whatever, you have made a mistake. Sklansky teaches various ways of inducing those mistakes in others, and also how to correctly analyze your own hand and options for play.
Sklansky draws on multiple forms of poker for examples; not just Hold 'Em, but also 7 Stud, 5-card Draw, Razz, etc. For the player only familiar with Hold Em this may be a little confusing at first. The book is meant as a theoretical examination of principles built into all poker games, and is not really a how-to-play for Hold Em or any other form of poker.
Sklansky's writing is dense in the sense that he does not beat around the bush or waste time or fill his book with fluff. The book is not light reading, and probably should not be your first book if you are not thoroughly familiar with the play as well as the language and jargon of the game. It cannot be skimmed. But there isn't a player out there who would not benefit from a careful reading, and would not benefit more from re-reading again six months later, this book.
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