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Review: No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice by Sklansky and Miller

Oct 15, 2007 We’d like to offer another book review to the knowledge hungry poker fans out there. As we all come across a good book from time to time , we’d be happy to know whether you’d fancy more of these in the future, or if there’s any particular subjects that you would like to see reviewed. Cheers and enjoy.


No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice by David Sklansky and Ed Miller

With the rise of poker in recent years it’s suddenly become hard to wade through all of the poker books crammed on bookstore shelves, as it seems that just about everyone that’s ever played a hand of poker is suddenly publishing a poker book, promising you the secrets of playing winning, profitable poker.

In a confusing sea of poker books (some good, some not so good), one safe haven has always been 2+2 Publishing, home of poker books by noted authors such as David Sklansky, Ed Miller, Dan Harrington, and Malson Malmuth, among others. 2+2 has brought the poker world such seminal books as The Theory of Poker, Small Stakes Hold’em, and the Harrington on Hold’Em series, and they’re back with another long-awaited book: No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice.

No one will ever accuse David Sklansky of writing a funny, easy-to-read book, and No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice is no exception. While he may have a big, fat poker brain brimming over with all sorts of valuable strategy and advice, he’s not the best writer in the world, and the book reflects that in places, reading as a bit disjointed and abrupt as it shifts topics. Part of that, though, is simply due to the nature of the task the authors are tackling, as No Limit Hold’em is a tricky, sprawling subject, and five more books of this size could have been written without covering everything the authors likely have to say on the subject.

The book is slightly skewed towards intermediate to advanced No Limit players, with an emphasis on cash game play instead of tournament play. Topics covered include all of the expected far such as how to properly size your bets, preflop betting, manipulating pot sizes, bluffing, how to play from the blinds, and adjusting your play based on table conditions. The authors also tackle related issues such as when to move up (or down) in table stakes, multiple level thinking, and calculating implied odds.

Like many 2+2 books, Sklansky and Miller don’t provide you with explicit charts and directions about how to play exact hands in exact situations. No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice isn’t a recipe book with exact instructions; it’s a practical guide that teaches you the correct way to approach the complex game of No Limit Hold’em, providing you with a foundation to make fundamentally sound choices at the table when you’re playing.

While No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice isn’t quite on the same instant-classic level as other 2+2 books, it definitely belongs on the bookshelf of serious poker players, especially No Limit specialists.

[Seth Shafer for PokerRoom.com]

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