This is probably the best of the poker books I've read lately. It fits my learning style - practical lessons complete with a whole series of hands, played all the way through, at the end of each chapter, explaining thought processes and mistakes along the way. Dan Harrington I think thinks like I do - his style is naturally on the conservative side, which is how I've found I generally play, and he's a very logical player, a former chess and backgammon champion before he became a pro poker player...

Before starting this book I believed poker is just lucky draws, occasional bluffs and reading the body language of your opponents and while these things happen from time to time, the game has so much more to offer. In Dan's words "it's a game of memory, position, calculation, alertness and patience". The book teaches much of the strategic play fundamentals and my game has improved tremendously during the short course of reading it.

Well yes, I'm part of the poker craze, and yes I read up on my addiction. If you think poker is another gambling wasteland, then read this book. You'll learn how academic the game really is. Calculating odds, weighing risk vs. reward, and earning as much as possible are some of the topics. Sounds more like a business class than a poker book. If you do play poker, read it! You'll play better in tourney's immediately.

Five stars for content, three stars for layout and ease of use. The problem pages could be much better laid out, in particular. It's an old book but not that old -- as a classic that people will buy because of the name, it could use a facelift. At the same time, you see why it earned that classic status. He knows what he's talking about.

I read this book and the other two companion volumes where they came out. It changed the way I played and I credit the read and Terra's of Harrington and immediately qualified to the World Poker Tour (Cyprus 2009). Rereading the books meant my biggest live cash in the World Poker Tour to date: WPT Paris 2011 ... 25th for $24,000.

Texas Hold 'Em, the chess game of poker. I played a lot of poker during my six years in the National Guard. It filled up some of the hurry-up and-wait time.When I moved to the Lake House, just up the hill from an Indian casino, Doug, one of my new neighbors, suggested we play in a $40 Texas Hold 'Em tournament since the casino was so close. I didn't make it into the money that night (In each tournament only 8 out of 45 to 50 players get any return on their investment.)Doug and I went back a numb...

This was a great book to learn about Texas Hold 'em. Harrington really goes into the whole strategy of the game - position, when to bet/raise/fold, how much to bet/raise in certain circumstances and positions. He gives you a few overview/ workbook examples at the end of each chapter so you can practice what he just talked about. Right after I read this I implemented the stuff he talks about into my game and it has worked very well for me; I started to win a lot more than I lost. It still works f...

Very well written and thoughtful book. You can't learn basics of poker from it, but once you know the rules, the book is easy to read and provides a lot of valuable knowledge. Every chapter ends with a few real-life exercises. I understood every chapter very well and I've learned a lot. If you're a beginner, I can guarantee that you'll become a better player after each single chapter of this book. After reading it, I can't imagine playing poker without reading a book like this one.

Mandatory read for the aspiring tournament hold'em playerNo-limit play is different from limit play; tournament play is different from ring-game play. In tournaments the blinds come marching irrepressibly around, and they get bigger and bigger. In a ring game, they march around but they stay the same size. What this means is that there is a certain urgency in tournament no-limit that doesn't exist in a ring game.Harrington, one of the top players in the world, and a dead-on scientific and shrewd...

This is the only poker book I read, but it came very highly recommended and it didn't disappoint. It helped me transition from a total newbie to an above average newbie. I especially liked all the example hands in the book - helped a lot!

Not only the first volume of the best poker series I have ever read but also one of the best instructional books of any sort that I have ever read. Wonderfully concise introduction to the key concepts of tournament poker with opportunities to test your wits in real situations.

Superbly constructed book, wonderful insight into a fun but complex topic.

The Standard by which all other poker tournament strategy books must be measured. A classic.

At its' time the best book on tournament Hold'em.

Excellent and thorough covering of the basics as well as in depth explanation of a few different strategies. A must read

The original hold'em bible for the tight aggressive player.

Oh wait you’re saying I SHOULDN’T play A10 off out of position?? O.o

Maria Konnikova's "The Biggest Bluff" made me want to learn more about poker. She started by reading Harrington, and so did I.The author succeeds at making the book a good introduction to amateurs, while leaving the impression that you are grappling with serious strategic questions in the problems outlined in the work. I have played poker a bit before, but not at the level where I calculate pot odds and the probability of a card that I want to see hitting me. Neither had I thought about table po...

A must readThis book breaks down each scenario that could occur in the early stages of a poker tournament. The authors teach the reader how to calculate pot odds which I never knew before (which are how much it costs you to be part of a pot). This book has inspired me to try a poker tournament at my local casino. I believe anyone can learn to play hold 'em with this book and practice.

I’m a very new poker player, and found this book incredibly helpful. I have a much better understanding of the fundamentals of how and when to bet, and when to fold. There are extensive examples throughout, presented as problems “What should you do in this situation?” which really helps reinforce the theories presented.It has improved my game massively, and would recommend it to anyone looking to gain a better understanding of poker.

Must-read for beginners and seasoned players alikeEasy to read. Great introduction to basic tournament skills. Some brief introduction to more advanced skills to prompt readers to more advanced readings. Affords solid insight into thought processes and tactics of a well respected champion and his not insignificant number of poker disciples. Can provide a solid foundation if studied, or help a more mature player refine their game on review.

Absolutely essential introduction for getting serious about Poker. Through the sheer quantity of sample hands presented here, I think I'm finally getting the mechanics and tactics of poker. Harrington is indefatigable in all these.However, the actual writing and organization of the book were a bit bewildering. Some definitions were too thin, unclear. And the sequencing of ideas was confusing.

I used to play poker 3x a week in a casino. The difference this book made to my game was unreal! I learnt so many new things. It also opened my eyes up to just how in-depth the game of no-limit hold'em really is! What amazed me how was how it made an almost instant impact on my results at the table. At the moment I don't have as much time to play as I once did, but when I get back into poker properly again, I thoroughly look forward to reading this book cover to cover again!

I didn't finish the entirety of the book (maybe I'll revisit it later) but it has taught me a lot about Hold 'em in an entertaining way.Deducted one star because of the atrocious quality of my (electronic) copy, several examples contained incorrect images (suits) which made them impossible to learn from.

The abc poker strategy explained with (some real) hand analysis. This is a perfect startup to embrace all the important topics of poker. Maybe some points may be outdated, but it's still good enough to get all the volums and get in touch with the whats real matter in poker.Its a "must have" for all poker aspirants.

First time reading a poker book and utterly fascinating. I had a lot of fun with this - working through the problems and getting almost every one of them wrong. This really helped me appreciate how complex poker is.

Great book for tournaments but not as good for ring games. Learnt a lot.

Great book that is a must for poker play in general. The clarity of thought, crisp writing and great examples all makes it a great read.

Outdated for 2020. But good fundamentals are covered

I gave this game up based upon books like this...