Customer Reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 well done, Apr 24, 2005
I read a lot of poker stuff and I have acquired a good understanding of strategy in conjuction with other texts, especially from applied mathematics and gambling psychology. This book explains in depth the strategy, reading hands and even psychology in an enjoyable manner. But I think it still has no full coverage of odds calulus and interpretation and math behind the poker. I found Catalin Barboianu's "Texas Hold'em Odds" far superior on this count. I recommend it as a completion for this book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 The definitive guide for hold?em players, Mar 26, 2005
This is more or less considered the 'bible' for texas hold'em players, and for good reason: Sklansky and Malmuth are recognized as the leading authorities on poker strategy. While HPFAP is a difficult read, nearly every single aspect of proper hold'em strategy is covered in excruciating detail. While I would suggest picking up less complex books to start out with (look for Lee Jones'), this is a must read for all serious hold'em players.
Now for some constructive criticism: this is by no means a beginner's book - a lot of novices have heard the authors praised and figure they should run out and buy this book. I'll warn you now that unless you've got 6 to 12 months of hold'em experience, the writing in this book will be WAY over your head. It's not just the terminology, but the authors assume that readers are already well-versed in all basic hold'em strategies. The first time I read the book, it seemed utterly nonsensical. Only now that I go back and re-read it do I truly understand what the authors are talking about in many places.Where to apply the poker tools this book gives you? Anywhere, really - I used to play at my local casino 4 times / wk, but now play almost exclusively online, since play goes so much faster - I go out of my mind with boredom when I try and sit at a casino nowadays. Any of the major online poker sites are more or less as good as each other - another post here led me to pokercroaker.com which has site reviews for all of them to help you pick, and even has signup bonus codes that will get you free bonus money when you open an account. A lot of people have said that Sklansky & Malmuth's advice doesn't translate well to the sometimes wild online games, but I disagree: the tight-aggressive strategy they promote is in fact perfect for these games, although you should expect your variance to be higher.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Well-written book, covers a broad range of topics, Mar 18, 2005
The name of the book implies that it is only for advanced players but a significant portion of the book is dedicated to hand rankings and their correlation with position play. Although the points are nice to review over, most "advanced" poker players would have a solid foundation on the basics of preflop play.
In light of this, I would think that this is actually a book that is well suited for beginners as well. The book follows a systematic formula which describes more advanced information such as specific hands and how they are to be played in the latter half of the book while the opening parts give the readers a general idea of how to start your preflop play. In this fashion, beginners can follow the book chronologically and practice the "theory" as he/she advances in their game. This practical application is extremely important from my point of view.Overall, I think that there is value in owning a copy of this book, especially if you're in the beginner-intermediate skill level range. More advanced players may prefer books that are solely dedicated to less techincal aspects of the game and more into strategic play.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Casino Rama Kid, Mar 1, 2005
This IS the bible to limit hold'em....a must have.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
This book is not for no-limit holdem!, Oct 26, 2004
I don't know if other reviews touch on this, but this book is intended for limit holdem games. While many of the ideas can be applied to no limit games, the author continually discusses limit play. This is important since there is little in the book about pot odds and implied odds. And since the author assumes you are playing limit games, the discussion regarding these topics is limited to "if you are raised on your right" and so on. For people who want specifics about how much of a raise on your right should cause you to fold, this book is lacking.
I will say, however, that the section on hand rankings has improved my play (in both limit and no limit games). But if you are looking for a specific no limit book, you might try something else.
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