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Hold 'em Poker
Is must reading for anyone planning to play hold 'em. It was the first definitive work on hold 'em poker and was originally published in 1976. Yet it is still one of the best-selling poker books available, and in 1997 it was expanded and updated to account for today's modern double blind structure. The text is designed for someone relatively new to the game, but it still contains much sophisticated material which all players should find beneficial. It is probably best known for the Sklansky Hand Rankings, which made the game much simpler to quantify and understand. Some of the topics include how Texas hold 'em is played, the importance of position, the first two cards, the key flops, strategy before the flop, semibluffing, the free card, slowplaying, check raising, heads-up on fifth street, and how to read hands.
- GenresNonfictionGames
113 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
32 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
David Sklansky
82 books57 followersSklansky was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he graduated from Teaneck High School in 1966.[2] He attended the University of Pennsylvania, but left before graduation. He returned to Teaneck and passed multiple Society of Actuaries exams by the time he was 20, and worked for an actuarial firm.[3]
Sklansky is generally considered[by whom?] a top authority on gambling. He has written many books on poker, blackjack, and general gambling.
Sklansky has won three World Series of Poker bracelets, two in 1982 ($800 Mixed Doubles, and $1000 Draw Hi) and one in 1983 ($1000 Limit Omaha Hi). He also won the Poker By The Book invitational event on the 2004 World Poker Tour, outlasting Phil Hellmuth Jr, Mike Caro, T. J. Cloutier, and Mike Sexton, and then finally overcoming Doyle Brunson.[4]
Sklansky attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania for a year before leaving to become a professional gambler.[5] He briefly took on a job as an actuary before embarking into poker. While on the job he discovered a faster way to do some of the calculations and took that discovery to his boss. The boss told him he could go ahead and do it that way if he wanted but wouldn’t pass on the information to the other workers. "In other words, I knew something no one else knew, but I got no recognition for it," Sklansky is quoted as saying in Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town. "In poker, if you're better than anyone else, you make immediate money. If there's something I know about the game that the other person doesn't, and if he's not willing to learn or can't understand, then I take his money."
Sklansky resides in Henderson, Nevada.
Sklansky is generally considered[by whom?] a top authority on gambling. He has written many books on poker, blackjack, and general gambling.
Sklansky has won three World Series of Poker bracelets, two in 1982 ($800 Mixed Doubles, and $1000 Draw Hi) and one in 1983 ($1000 Limit Omaha Hi). He also won the Poker By The Book invitational event on the 2004 World Poker Tour, outlasting Phil Hellmuth Jr, Mike Caro, T. J. Cloutier, and Mike Sexton, and then finally overcoming Doyle Brunson.[4]
Sklansky attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania for a year before leaving to become a professional gambler.[5] He briefly took on a job as an actuary before embarking into poker. While on the job he discovered a faster way to do some of the calculations and took that discovery to his boss. The boss told him he could go ahead and do it that way if he wanted but wouldn’t pass on the information to the other workers. "In other words, I knew something no one else knew, but I got no recognition for it," Sklansky is quoted as saying in Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town. "In poker, if you're better than anyone else, you make immediate money. If there's something I know about the game that the other person doesn't, and if he's not willing to learn or can't understand, then I take his money."
Sklansky resides in Henderson, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 7, 2018
Classic
January 27, 2008
I love this book and i've read it probably 5 times . . . and it's hopelessly out of date and probably not good advice for today's limit hold'em games in the casino. It's a classic. Sklansky sold the farm at exactly the right time because the game changed dramatically a mere 20 years after its initial publication. So the recommendations in the 3rd edition ("updated for today's double blind structure") released in 1996 usually aren't all that great for 21st century games. And don't let any "millenium edition" subtitle fool you either.
If you want advice on how to play limit hold'em, look elsewhere. If you want to read The Classic to understand where the game used to be, this is the one to start with.
If you want advice on how to play limit hold'em, look elsewhere. If you want to read The Classic to understand where the game used to be, this is the one to start with.
August 30, 2019
Terse, but packed with power
Hold'em Poker is a revision of Sklansky's classic from 1976. It was the first authoritative poker book to actually give starting hands in hold'em. Sklansky arranged the hands into eight groups and gave recommendations on which ones to open with depending on position.
In this edition he has revised the groups and corrected some minor errors. For example, 7-6s was then both the #30 hand in Group 5 and the #53 hand in Group 8. That has been corrected.
In addition to being the first book devoted exclusively to hold'em, Sklansky's little gem is perhaps the best introductory book on hold'em ever written, and then some. Sklansky does a masterful job of introducing the reader to the game, pointing out how it differs from other poker games, narrows in on the community card essence of the game, and then, amazingly enough, gives the reader information and ideas of considerable value to even seasoned players. Even if you have been playing hold'em for some time, and even if you have read Brunson's SuperSystem, I still recommend that you spend some time with this book.
Sklansky writes in a deceptively terse style so that the ideas and concepts are plainly stated without elaboration. This has frustrated some readers because in some cases what Sklansky is saying is clear at first blush, while in other cases the text seems cryptic. There are three reasons for this.
One, Sklansky thought of himself primarily as a teacher and deliberately left out some explanations while inviting readers to work out the reasoning for themselves. Serious players who want to improve their game will benefit from this approach. Take out a deck of cards and deal out some hands if necessary. For example, near the end of the section on "Odds and Implied Odds" he explains why it is often correct to call with a small pair before the flop. He notes that you'll often "win a nice pot if your card flops." He adds without further explanation, "Get out if it doesn't, unless you make an open-end straight." He wants you to work that out. If you do, you will come to note (after some study) that a draw to an open-ended straight that figures to be the nut is enormously better than an inside draw to the bottom end. I would add that if you have two sixes, the board 754 is significantly better than 987. Sklansky doesn't mention it, but in this latter case, you should usually not draw, but toss.
Two, like all experts writing for a general readership, Sklansky unconsciously takes some ideas for granted since he himself knows them so very well, but doesn't realize that the less experienced reader needs more explanation. I've read many books by experts in all sorts of fields from cosmology to Scrabble, and I can tell you that this is a common phenomenon. What the expert needs when writing a book for a general readership is a very good editor who is less than expert him- or herself. So, yes, this book would benefit from the work of a top notch editor.
An example of Sklansky's not explaining something that would be cryptic to most players comes from the "Semi-Bluffing" section of the "Strategy" chapter. First he notes that "If you never bluff on the flop or fourth street, you are giving away too much information when you do bet." Then he writes, "Rather than try to guess when to bluff, it is much better to use your cards to randomize your play." He is referring to semi-bluffing situations described in the proceeding paragraphs rather than a seat-of-your-pants bluff when you feel you haven't been bluffing enough. However, his use of the word "randomize" recalls a technique some pros use. Say it is correct to bluff one-fourth of the time in a certain situation. Everything else being equal, how do you decide? Take the first card on the flop. If it is a spade, bluff, otherwise don't. That will randomize.
Three, the expert is always aware of his learned colleagues looking over his shoulder; and so to some extent writes for that readership as well. We can see this in Sklansky's almost exhaustive treatment of how to play heads-up on fifth street in the "Strategy" chapter. Sklansky is anticipating knowledgeable critics familiar with saddle-point ideas from Game Theory, which are applicable to heads-up decisions on the river. You might profitably skim this section and save its intricacies for graduate school! But be aware that the top experts understand it very well.
I found it strangely synchronistic in rereading this book to fall upon Sklansky's ideas about the pause as a "tell." As Internet players know, how long it takes you to respond may give your opponents some information about your hand. Sklansky writes, "If a good player does not pause at all after he has bet and has been raised...he is most likely on the come for a flush or straight if such a hand is possible. With almost any other hand in this situation he has to pause to consider either folding or reraising." This is exactly the sort of "tell" that still exists in Internet play, and Sklansky's reasoning is as sound today as it was when he wrote this in the seventies.
This is not only a classic, but a book that almost thirty years after its creation is still very much worth reading. The fact that he devised his strategies originally for a game with only a single blind and an ante (the Las Vegas 10&20 hold'em game circa 1975) should be kept in mind. Yet the ideas and strategies are mostly still of great value. I played cards with Sklansky and I can tell you he is a very good player, but more than that he is a great theoretician who understands the game better than many world champions. Indeed they have learned from him.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
Hold'em Poker is a revision of Sklansky's classic from 1976. It was the first authoritative poker book to actually give starting hands in hold'em. Sklansky arranged the hands into eight groups and gave recommendations on which ones to open with depending on position.
In this edition he has revised the groups and corrected some minor errors. For example, 7-6s was then both the #30 hand in Group 5 and the #53 hand in Group 8. That has been corrected.
In addition to being the first book devoted exclusively to hold'em, Sklansky's little gem is perhaps the best introductory book on hold'em ever written, and then some. Sklansky does a masterful job of introducing the reader to the game, pointing out how it differs from other poker games, narrows in on the community card essence of the game, and then, amazingly enough, gives the reader information and ideas of considerable value to even seasoned players. Even if you have been playing hold'em for some time, and even if you have read Brunson's SuperSystem, I still recommend that you spend some time with this book.
Sklansky writes in a deceptively terse style so that the ideas and concepts are plainly stated without elaboration. This has frustrated some readers because in some cases what Sklansky is saying is clear at first blush, while in other cases the text seems cryptic. There are three reasons for this.
One, Sklansky thought of himself primarily as a teacher and deliberately left out some explanations while inviting readers to work out the reasoning for themselves. Serious players who want to improve their game will benefit from this approach. Take out a deck of cards and deal out some hands if necessary. For example, near the end of the section on "Odds and Implied Odds" he explains why it is often correct to call with a small pair before the flop. He notes that you'll often "win a nice pot if your card flops." He adds without further explanation, "Get out if it doesn't, unless you make an open-end straight." He wants you to work that out. If you do, you will come to note (after some study) that a draw to an open-ended straight that figures to be the nut is enormously better than an inside draw to the bottom end. I would add that if you have two sixes, the board 754 is significantly better than 987. Sklansky doesn't mention it, but in this latter case, you should usually not draw, but toss.
Two, like all experts writing for a general readership, Sklansky unconsciously takes some ideas for granted since he himself knows them so very well, but doesn't realize that the less experienced reader needs more explanation. I've read many books by experts in all sorts of fields from cosmology to Scrabble, and I can tell you that this is a common phenomenon. What the expert needs when writing a book for a general readership is a very good editor who is less than expert him- or herself. So, yes, this book would benefit from the work of a top notch editor.
An example of Sklansky's not explaining something that would be cryptic to most players comes from the "Semi-Bluffing" section of the "Strategy" chapter. First he notes that "If you never bluff on the flop or fourth street, you are giving away too much information when you do bet." Then he writes, "Rather than try to guess when to bluff, it is much better to use your cards to randomize your play." He is referring to semi-bluffing situations described in the proceeding paragraphs rather than a seat-of-your-pants bluff when you feel you haven't been bluffing enough. However, his use of the word "randomize" recalls a technique some pros use. Say it is correct to bluff one-fourth of the time in a certain situation. Everything else being equal, how do you decide? Take the first card on the flop. If it is a spade, bluff, otherwise don't. That will randomize.
Three, the expert is always aware of his learned colleagues looking over his shoulder; and so to some extent writes for that readership as well. We can see this in Sklansky's almost exhaustive treatment of how to play heads-up on fifth street in the "Strategy" chapter. Sklansky is anticipating knowledgeable critics familiar with saddle-point ideas from Game Theory, which are applicable to heads-up decisions on the river. You might profitably skim this section and save its intricacies for graduate school! But be aware that the top experts understand it very well.
I found it strangely synchronistic in rereading this book to fall upon Sklansky's ideas about the pause as a "tell." As Internet players know, how long it takes you to respond may give your opponents some information about your hand. Sklansky writes, "If a good player does not pause at all after he has bet and has been raised...he is most likely on the come for a flush or straight if such a hand is possible. With almost any other hand in this situation he has to pause to consider either folding or reraising." This is exactly the sort of "tell" that still exists in Internet play, and Sklansky's reasoning is as sound today as it was when he wrote this in the seventies.
This is not only a classic, but a book that almost thirty years after its creation is still very much worth reading. The fact that he devised his strategies originally for a game with only a single blind and an ante (the Las Vegas 10&20 hold'em game circa 1975) should be kept in mind. Yet the ideas and strategies are mostly still of great value. I played cards with Sklansky and I can tell you he is a very good player, but more than that he is a great theoretician who understands the game better than many world champions. Indeed they have learned from him.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
July 28, 2023
Not bad, but a bit outdated. This is the third book in my current poker phase. All these books do add up to get an idea of playing, but recognizing the scenarios in each takes practice, patience and awareness.
Although it is a tad old, the basic principles in it are still very sound. It is an easy, short read. If you want to more about this game (Texas Hold 'em), I recommend it.
Although it is a tad old, the basic principles in it are still very sound. It is an easy, short read. If you want to more about this game (Texas Hold 'em), I recommend it.
July 12, 2025
I read this in preparation of a poker tournament I played with friends. The book is a bit old, so it does not cover the exact rules most commonly used today—reason why I gave it four stars. Nonetheless, most core concepts are still applicable and the mental framework it provides is useful even outside of poker. Broadly speaking a good read and a good intro to the basics of poker strategy.
July 22, 2010
This is a short poker 'how to' book written by one of the great poker-math minds ever. For those of us who are mathematically challenged but still love THE, Sklansky can be a struggle. But, he breaks down principles into simple sentences and after reading the more difficult concepts several times the lightbulb does come on!
April 13, 2011
I memorised the tables at the front which give rough advice on your 'hole' cards, and never looked back. I've played home games, online games and casino tournaments and this book proved invaluable.
However it is only really useful if you're a hardcore no-limit player as the probabilities are thrown to cock in limit games. But then why wouldn't you always play no-limit poker?
However it is only really useful if you're a hardcore no-limit player as the probabilities are thrown to cock in limit games. But then why wouldn't you always play no-limit poker?
March 6, 2016
While some of the information is a little dated, many of the general principles still hold true for contemporary hold'em. The book focuses on limit games and therefore many of the plays outlined don't really apply to no limit games. That being said even if you're a no limit player, there are still some good principles that can be gleaned from this book.
September 9, 2008
Finally decided to learn some of the actual strategy and theory behind the game I have been playing off and on for years (?wow!) now. Helpful, but I still need practice and more refined study of the math of the game before i "gamble."
February 20, 2015
This is a book that requires patience and thinking to get the most out of, Sklansky often leaves work to the reader. It is an excellent all around introduction to the strategy and tactics of Hold'em Poker.
August 7, 2012
Sklansky is amazing at making it easy to understand.
March 28, 2012
Not bad if you're learning, but is just for basic knowledge.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews