Not having played for years, I got back into playing poker recently thanks to a regular home game (0.10/0.20 NLHE). I still had some books from earlier on and I've nearly finished Phil Gordon's Poker: The Real Deal. I'm eager to start playing online for tiny stakes. In the past, I've only played for play money online. Right now I've got a lot of time and the willingness to devote it to mastering the game.

In order to make the best start possible, I've got some questions.

1. Which books or articles would you recommend a beginner with hardly any theoretical background on the game? And in which order would I preferably read them? (In addition to Poker: The Real Deal, I've already got Brunson's Super System, Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Sklansky's and Malmuth's Hold'em Poker, Caro's Book of Poker Tells, Harrington on Hold'em I, II, III and I bought Lee Jones's Winning Low Limit Hold'em today.
2. What is the best site to start playing online poker?
3. What is the best level to start playing in a cash game?
4. Do you agree with Phil Gordon that it is best for a beginner to start playing Limit Hold'em and transition towards No Limit Hold'em later on?
5. Do I need to start with tracking software to play online, and if so, which software is preferable?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If you start playing the microstakes, I'm sorry to say but all the sites are filled with bots.

Upswing poker has some good articles.

PokerTracker or HoldemManager are a must.

If that's the case, where do you think I'd best start out?

playing online poker against bots is good for developing patience and folding hands.
then go play live once you learn how to fold.

About the patience and folding hands...

What are you suggesting about how the bots play? I'm very curious on how to beat them.

over bet the pot more. they can't get the right price to call.

Excuse me for my naivety, but are these bots employed by the poker sites themselves to create action or are individuals trying to make money with bots (like in this case: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...ostcount=821)?

Hey NoDisney,

I was going to hit on some of the things in your original post. First of all, I found Phil Gordon to be an excellent author on TAG strategy. I have not read the book you mentioned, but I have read Phil's "Little Green Book" and his "Little Blue Book" approx. 10 years ago. After I read those books, I became a winning player at low stakes poker. That's not to say that I am the best player, but I am disciplined and usually more patient than most.

1. Which books or articles would you recommend a beginner with hardly any theoretical background on the game? And in which order would I preferably read them? (In addition to Poker: The Real Deal, I've already got Brunson's Super System, Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Sklansky's and Malmuth's Hold'em Poker, Caro's Book of Poker Tells, Harrington on Hold'em I, II, III and I bought Lee Jones's Winning Low Limit Hold'em today.

FROM THE ONES I READ:
1.Phil Gordon's Little Green Book/Blue Book for TAG Strategy.
2.Daniel Negreanu's Power Holdem Strategy for Smallball/LAG/Switch-up Strategies.
3.Poker Winner's are Different by Alan Schoonmaker for discovering mental leaks and attempts at correcting them.
4.Mike Caro's poker tells .. explanatory

I think those alone would give you a great foundation


2. What is the best site to start playing online poker?
Others will give you more sound advice here
3. What is the best level to start playing in a cash game?
1/2 or 1/3 NL
4. Do you agree with Phil Gordon that it is best for a beginner to start playing Limit Hold'em and transition towards No Limit Hold'em later on?
No.. I disagree here. Hone your game and specialize. Don't fear playing NL, it's a great game and in my experience 1/2 and 1/3 games are not hard to beat with solid TAG gameplay.
5. Do I need to start with tracking software to play online, and if so, which software is preferable?
Others will give you more sound advice here

No. Absolutely not. LHE and NLHE are completely different games strategically. If your goal is to play NLHE then all you'll learn from LHE are bad habits that will cost you money.

And BTW - don't read anything by Phil Gordon. That will cost you money, too.

No..1/2 or 1/3 NL is the lowest and best if you are going to play live casino poker.

Online as OP requested.... .01/.02 2NL $2 buy-in is the starting place.

If you start at 1/2 level, $200 buy-in per table.... well, it would not go well for your pocketbook.....

1. I suggest you read Harrington tournament series, Harringot on cash games for live 1/2 NL , every book you have from Sklansky and if you like to start online first, then read Harrington on online cash games(in my opinion the best book for micro stakes NL).
2. It is up to you
3.If you have bankroll then live 1/2 or online 10nl
4. LHE and NLHE are quite different games in terms of strategy but there is no harm in learning both
5. Yes, if you can afford HM2 or PT4 then you should definitely get it. You can totally be a winning player without those(especially at the micros), but your win rate will be higher if you use one

"Small Stakes No Limit Holdem" by Ed Miller

I would suggest op to read a few books, not focus on winning money online, play online and just get used to folding and playing aggressively with made hands before going and playing live for $200 stacks.

if you decide to play tournaments then either play micro tournanments online and if your short on time play 50BB stack cash or lower. you can also play 100BB cash too because tournaments usually start with 100+ BBs.

if you read the books and actually do what they tell you you won't burn through $100 playing 0.01/0.02 online.

I would be more worried about going and playing live when you think a straight beats a full house than playing on poker sites that are rigging the game to take your $100. if you ain't willing to risk to lose $100 you shouldn't go and play live because you might go on a downswing and also play badly live and be thousands in the red at which point you might give up. some live players give up playing live cash games and only play live tournaments since they are more aggressive in the tournament game and that allows them to collect chips and cash or win the tourny. playing that loosely in cash games your going to lose money.

if ur in the usa play on global or ignition

also if you play tournaments IF AIN'T FIRST YOUR LAST.

I'm just finishing "Napoleon: the Man behind the Myth" by Adam Zamoyski...which is about as relevant to online poker in 2019 as some of the books listed above.

Read The Grinders Manual and both Tendler's mental game books...better still join one of the better (recommended) online training courses and study videos.

...and seriously why has nobody pointed out to op that training to learn online requires focus on a specific game...he has tourney books, live books, a limit holdem book, and cash books in his collection (most of which are years out of date). That's a recipe for disaster (I should know...been there, done that).

Watch all of RYE's free content on YT, you'll learn more from Ben than all other free resources.

If in doubt, fold

Money saved spends just the same as money won.

If it's just about learning patience and folding then save your money and go to sites that offer games for play money.

No, you will not learn how to play good poker there but you will definitely learn to bluff a lot less than you think you ought to as a beginner - having grown up on poker TV shows and streams that show the most interesting hands - i.e. bluffs - and cut out everything else.

Out of your list disregard all but latest Harrington books.

Latest Harrington Books??? Which book/books are you referring to exactly?

Harrinton's books are still relevant today. If you can understand every concept and strategy advice and after that to be able to implement all of this in your game You will be better than average.

Are you referring to his original series of books, “Harrington On Holdem” or his most recent tournament book that came out 4-5 years ago?