Editor's pick

Lessons and Teachings in No-Limit Texas Hold'em

Product

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book by Phil Gordon

Hits

  • Great language and entertaining quotes
  • Clear look at professional reasoning at the table
  • Logical outlay, from pre-flop to post-flop play and theoretical to tournament play
  • Value adding tables and charts
  • Virtually every No-Limit Hold'em situation is solved
  • Phil has used this strategy to make over $1 million at tournaments in the past 3 years

Misses

  • Not a stand alone book
  • Not geared towards novices

Review

Phil Gordon has written a book illuminating his career of choice. A professional poker player with 15 years of playing experience under his belt, Phil has infused his Little Green Book with all of his personal knowledge, making it a "must have" for every poker player's standing library. It has received high praise from a number of pros and celebrity players, including Erik Seidel, James Woods, Hank Azaria, Dave Foley (Gordon's co-host on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown TV series), and Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, who also penned the complimentary introduction featured at the front of the book.

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book is an academic read but is not removed from the game in any way, meaning, it's not a difficult or entirely philosophical book. Phil provides the reader with a clear idea of what his preferred choice would be in any given poker situation, and gives a concise play-by-play of actual moves he would make. He repeatedly clarifies that the methodology outlined is what works best for him and reiterates that there are other ways for players to play the same situations profitably. Throughout the book, Phil references and gives credit to the figures from whom he drew much of his inspiration. The list reads: Sklansky. Brunson. Cloutier. McEvoy. Malmuth. Cooke. Harrington. Caro. Penick. (Penick wrote the "Little Red Book" of golf.)

Before breaking down his own game plan, Phil discusses, in point form, the five characteristics that he sees as common to all great No-Limit Texas Hold'em players. It is very telling that the first original material he presents instructs you to be critical - to run through a set of questions each and every time you are going to bet. He prescribes a cognitive game, one based on sound mathematical principles and fine-tuned to exploit the human psyche.

Phil does not propose that you learn the basics of the game in this book, nor does he propose that his is the only winning strategy. Instead, he has structured his model in a way that is adaptable to each player and employable in different situations. The overarching theme of the book is to always observe the current climate and adjust ones game accordingly. He has made this easier by lightly sprinkling the text with diagrams, tables, and thought provoking quotes. At one point, when explaining that stealing from the button is overplayed, he even adapts dialogue from the movie Swingers, saying, "the cutoff is kinda money."

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book covers many topics and has many sections - seventeen of them in fact. Following the Introduction and "Poker Truths," the section in which he lays the groundwork for the game, we get to the meat of the matter. There are 24 pages on "Before the Flop," 43 pages on "After the Flop," and 9 pages on "After the River." From here, Phil examines tells for 16 pages, starting with Caro's work. He follows up with 36 pages devoted to tournaments. Twelve pages discuss percentages and math, and psychology is awarded double that at 24 pages. Eleven pages cover every miscellaneous topic (for instance, he cautions against wearing sunglasses while playing Internet poker as it will scare your friends and family). And, finally, the remaining 46 pages contain the requisite charts and tables, rules, and Phil's thoughts on some high profile players.

The book is a must read and a must own as well. It is more valuable to those players who have the basics of the game covered as it is designed to encourage discourse on the book's actual contents. After the text walks you through all the different scenarios, and despite Phil's warnings, you will feel like you can play poker at his level with ease.

In total, it reads 286 pages.

Details:

  • Hardcover $21.00
    Simon and Schuster Publishing