I've since given these books away but Hellmuth's "Play Poker Like the Pros" and Negreanu's "Power hold'em strategy" both mention how playing suited connectors is a good strategy because they can hit a flop well and bust high cards. But if I remember they never say how deep you MUST be. Negreanu mentions the stack sizes but not why the stacks must be this deep. I see this all the time with fish. They call off 3bb with 15bb with 45s preflop and will occasionally bust your high pair but obv go bust when they hit one pair. I think this must be deliberate, because any decent tourney player knows your stack size is at least as important as the cards you hold when stacks are shallow.

Anyone think this was deliberate to set a precedent for bad calls when stacks are shallow? Or am I Percy Paranoia?

Disclaimer: "Play Poker Like the Pros" is purely for comedy purposes, and any useage of the advice inside carries severe monetary risk at the poker table.

Unfortunately for me, 'Play Poker Like the Pros' was the first strategy book I read. And even more unfortunate, it shaped the way I viewed poker for a long time. And that was, that there was only one way to play, Phil's way. Boy, was I wrong. (Oddly, my starting bankroll soared after reading it, then I got to a level where it didn't grow for months)

I doubt it was anything sinister. Phil in particular isn't exactly noted for being overly studious or knowing much poker theory. He does a lot of hard to explain things in his own play. At worst it was shoddy work (Phil has certainly put out worse products for $) but I doubt there was any grand plan to teach people poorly.

I think Phil's biggest problem is his ego. 12 bracelets and 45 (I think) WSOP FT have led him to believe he's the best. He's certainly one of the best. But he doesn't accommodate non-conventional play because he wouldn't play that way.

He's most definitely a rubbish poker instructor. Just got a hold of WSOP Academy training videos. It's embarrassing to watch his clips.

lol true

Hey, but what about Negreanu's book? He certainly is one of my favorite players but I do not want to read the book just because. So, is his book suitable for beginners online?

I read about a 1/3 of his book but then stopped. Negreanu's book is a compilation of a few poker players, the part that he wrote only goes over "small-ball poker" strategy which is his approach to MTT's. I think it has a lot of merit but it's really a book I'd read if you were interested into delving into his small-ball approach. overall though if you want to get better at poker in general there're better books.

These books are essentially for their 'fans' as opposed to students of the game

So, none of these books have any value. Right?

Thanks man. In that case I am sure I will find something more suitable for me to read.

'Harrington on hold'em' is a good book to start with for someone wanting to learn the game.

Ive had the Hellmuth book it wasnt that good at all....The best is to get Supersystem

It has been whispered among the ancients, those that played this game before the boom, that if you read "Play Poker Like The Pros" backwards three times aloud while on your knees worshiping a poster of "The Great One" you will summon the powers of WHITE MAGIC.

That only works with a first printing. In subsequent editions, a key word was deleted from an early paragraph on starting hands which, when you try and summon the White Magic, will instead result in a false mage ruining your roll.

cant' spreak to negreanu's book but hellmuth's is way too tight for NLHM (assume everyone is referencing his no-limit holdem section). first book i ever bought knowing almost nothing about poker and realized it was too tight. exchanged it for gary carson's book which is very good in some ways, very lacking in others (does it tell you what hands to raise?)

i think hellmuth's book has some value in that it really stresses tightness to the new player. but unbelievably it's just too tight.