REVIEW
The poker world has seen a barrage of published poker books, but despite the explosion in no-limit hold'em cash games very few of these books have addressed this market. For the first time in almost a decade a book focused on advanced concepts in cash game big bet poker has been published by widely acclaimed poker book seller, Two Plus Two. This book is No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice by David Sklansky and Ed Miller.
David Sklansky is well known in poker circles for writing books that are considered by many to provide the most thorough analyses and detailed strategies available. Others would claim that his books are dense to the point of being inscrutable. Regardless of which side one supports, Two Plus Two rarely produces light reading, and No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice is no exception to this trend.
It's likely that some will criticize No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice will be poorly written. I would admit that reading this work requires a great deal of effort and that the flow of the book feels abrupt and disjointed. However, I don't believe this is due to bad writing. The authors have elected to omit much of the background material that would provide a broader context for their strategies and make the book flow better. Of course, adding this material would have greatly expanded a book that is already thick compared to most of its peer group. I don't believe the opacity of No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice is due to bad writing, but because it contains only the information the authors consider important. Consequently, this book must be studied rather than read for the reader to obtain maximum benefit from it.
Putting forth this effort will be rewarded, though. Sklansky and Miller have written a book that contains a great deal of thoughtful information on a complex subject. This isn't a thorough explanation of every aspect of no limit hold'em, but it does contain an abundance of excellent strategic examinations of some of the game's most difficult and perplexing aspects. While I don't believe this book's treatment of no limit hold'em is as definitive and exhaustive as some of Two Plus Two's better books, No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice is a very good one that contains excellent information.
I know few no limit players who I believe are expert enough such that they won't benefit at least somewhat from reading this book. Only the best books on the market fit that bill, so Sklansky and Miller's latest effort has to be considered a success. I believe that those who study this book will likely improve their game, and many will improve their game considerably. The problem for the poker book reading public is that it really will require study rather than casual perusal, and I predict that relatively few will put in the necessary time and energy. However, I believe that the wisdom that is contained here will be worth the effort.
This book is not for beginners. Those who are fairly new to this game will need to build up a general understanding of the no limit before they will fully grasp what Sklansky and Miller are saying. Moreover, I'd also suggest that significant table experience would prove invaluable before tackling this book. Therefore, I recommend No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice to intermediate and advanced no limit players. It will be more valuable to cash game players than tournament players, but both will benefit significantly from it, and I strongly recommend it to both groups.
Capsule:
Reading No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice requires considerably more effort than most other poker books, and it feels disjointed in places, but I would not say that it is poorly written. It just doesn't provide the amount of background material tying everything together that one finds in poker books aimed at a less sophisticated audience. This book discusses many different types of no limit situations, but more of them are applicable to cash games than tournament games. There is, though, enough information here to benefit players of both types of games. The book is difficult to read, but the information it contains is excellent, and I strongly recommend it to intermediate and advanced no limit hold'em players of all sorts.
Nick
Christenson
Gambling
Book Reviews
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