What to Read

If you visit the gaming section of your local Barnes and Noble, you'll probably see zillions of books about Texas hold 'em, but most of it is for limit. It's harder to find no-limit material, and what is out there can be pretty superficial. Part of the reason for this is that no-limit is more situational than limit, and "rules" often go out the door. Learning limit is easy: just read Slansky and Malmuth. They'll teach you all the right hands to play from the right positions, and you'll be pretty much set to go. In no-limit the guidelines are more elastic. What really matters is the people you're playing with. Many of the "rules" even change. Small pocket pairs increase in value, while hands like AJ, AT, KQ, KJ, QJ decrease and actually become trouble (meaning you'll win small or lose big with them). Your position at the table becomes more crucial, especially after the flop. There's a lot of bluffing. It's a game of psychology more than math. The math matters but plays second fiddle to gut instinct. And you usually can't chase draws, because your opponents make it prohibitively expensive to see more cards. (In limit they can't do that, so you have the right pot odds to keep calling.) You make probe bets to test other players, continuation bets even when the flop misses you; bet too small, you're asking to be run over; too much, and you look desperate. It's hard to teach a game as wild as no-limit. The most brutal teacher, experience, is best of all.

That being said, there are some excellent no-limit sources that you just have to read. The following five are essential. So dig right in. (And don't ask me why poker players feel the need to include their names in book-titles. Maybe the profession is inherently egocentric.)

Doyle Brunson's Super System II. This updated classic from the '70s has essays for all poker games, but Brunson's chapter on no-limit is absolutely timeless. It's not exactly for beginners though, because Brunson is so loose aggressive. See also this website which explains why Doyle's wisdom stands the test of time, and why (in the author's opinion) "tight-aggressive play will not win the day in no-limit hold 'em". I think that's an overstatement (there are tight-aggressives who continue to win big) but agree that loose aggressive players have the edge.

Caro's Most Profitable Hold 'Em Advice. There's a lot of valuable information here, but you have to be careful. It's for limit and no-limit, and Caro doesn't always keep the distinction clear. With that in mind, the book is a gem, containing a lot of advice never seen before in a hold 'em book. There's a great section on the maximum stakes you can play for based on your bankroll size, and all the ins-and-outs of treating hold 'em as your business. (Good players know that poker is more about strategic investment than gambling.) The author reviews tips from his classic on tells and advocates creating a loose image at the table so as to confuse your opponents and make them think you're a weak player. There are a lot of helpful tables and statistical analyses for limit players to chew on, but even for no-limit players to be aware of in a more general way.

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book and Blue Book. The green book is a solid guide to tight aggressive play, the blue a candid presentation of the author's victories and losses in various cash games and tournaments. I highly recommend these for beginners. They're popular for their conversational tone, humor, and the author's honest approach to self-assessment. I don't agree with all of Gordon's strategies (especially his policy of almost always raising when he's first to enter the pot, and with the same amount in order to disguise the strength of his hand), but I've found a lot of them to be spot on for tight aggressive play.

Harrington on Hold 'Em: Expert Strategy for No-Limit Tournaments, Vol I, II, III. Considered by many to be the bibles of no-limit hold 'em, these are aimed at tournament play, though most of the first volume (for early stages) is applicable to cash games as well. Harrington gives his own take on the right hands to play from the right positions in no-limit, while acknowledging that looser styles of play work perfectly well for other players. In the second volume he teaches you how to play when you're short-stacked, at a short-handed table, or both (when you must loosen up and take more risks, no matter how tight you normally are). His final section on heads-up play is outstanding. The workbook then puts you inside the heads of pros and makes you to play their hands for them -- hands they won or lost in televised tournaments. You just can't do without the Harrington bibles, especially if you love tournaments.

Learn Texas Hold 'Em. This is the best online guide to no-limit hold 'em. The author appears to be somewhere between tight and loose aggressive. He spells out the differences between limit and no-limit better than any author anywhere. Don't miss his Q&A page -- he takes the time to answer most questions from anyone, including newbies.