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Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em
Phil Gordon plays poker with the best players in the world. He has won -- and lost -- in tournaments and cash games around the globe, all the while studying the game and learning from every hand dealt. As the resident expert and cohost of Celebrity Poker Showdown, Phil has quickly become one of the most sought-after teachers of No Limit Texas Hold'em. It's a tough game. But anyone can become a winning player with the right amount of courage, patience, aggression, observation, and, perhaps most important, dedication to becoming a better player.
After fifteen years of keeping notes on the things he's learned, the greats he's played with, and the celebrities he's taught, Phil Gordon has poured every single thing he knows about No Limit Texas Hold'em into this little green book. Taking a page from Harvey Penick's bestselling book of golf wisdom, Phil plays the role of both teacher and student, offering up insightful tips on how to think about poker and how to develop a singular style of play. Through philosophy, psychology, strategy, math, and the knowledge gleaned from playing poker with everyone from T. J. Cloutier and Phil Ivey to Hank Azaria and Ben Affleck, Phil breaks down the game into enlightening instructional tidbits and illustrative anecdotes that inspire the kind of persistence and motivation necessary to improve your game.
A book to rank with Doyle Brunson's Super System and David Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book deserves a spot on the shelf of every serious student of the game.
After fifteen years of keeping notes on the things he's learned, the greats he's played with, and the celebrities he's taught, Phil Gordon has poured every single thing he knows about No Limit Texas Hold'em into this little green book. Taking a page from Harvey Penick's bestselling book of golf wisdom, Phil plays the role of both teacher and student, offering up insightful tips on how to think about poker and how to develop a singular style of play. Through philosophy, psychology, strategy, math, and the knowledge gleaned from playing poker with everyone from T. J. Cloutier and Phil Ivey to Hank Azaria and Ben Affleck, Phil breaks down the game into enlightening instructional tidbits and illustrative anecdotes that inspire the kind of persistence and motivation necessary to improve your game.
A book to rank with Doyle Brunson's Super System and David Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book deserves a spot on the shelf of every serious student of the game.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
170 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Phil Gordon
33 books8 followersPhilip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
March 17, 2024
I've been playing poker with friends more regularly ($20 buy-in, text me to join!!) so this book was a great way to get more into the strategy of it all. The author writes clearly and concisely, takes you through examples, and tells some fun stories along the way. I already know I'm gonna be pulling this off the shelf for refreshers soon!
July 1, 2009
This should probably be the second poker book any serious player reads, or the first book if you've already got a good handle on the rudiments of solid play. Gordon does an excellent job of walking the fine line between math, instinct, and aggression.
December 28, 2015
Pretty good. Broken up into bite size chunks, it is easy to jump around to whatever section you want. Lots of good information and examples.
February 9, 2025
Not sure how to digest 250 pages on poker tips in all honesty. Presume I’ll continue to grind the 1p, 2ps to no avail but at least I know now that position matters, raising pre flop matters and there are tells other than breaking one’s poker face. The stories within are pretty painful and little on hitting quads in the second week of uni to beat a full house, so pipe down Gordon..
May 22, 2016
Sometimes I get days where I have nothing to do but read, and I get to sit around and devour and entire 500+-page book in a matter of hours, make myself a cup of tea to clear my book hangover, and pick up the next one.
I hope I get another one of those days at some point this summer because my last one was in January.
Sometimes I get entire weeks and months of running around with ten million things to do, working my way through whatever poor book I've been lugging around in fits and starts, stealing a page here and a chapter there, ten minutes of reading in the car before going into work, five minutes before bed because it's actually past when I'm supposed to go to bed and I'm exhausted. The biggest chunks of time come when showing up to dinners 45 minutes early because I don't really have enough time to go anywhere or do anything else between where I was before and when I'm meeting people, so I get a drink alone at the bar to try and make a dent in my reading.
May has been like that, which is how it took me more than two weeks to finish reading Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, a volume considered a classic of poker strategy books precisely because it is short and easy to read.
In retrospect, I think it's a pretty good book to have been forced to read in fits and starts, since by design it is broken down into lots of little short sections, and it's nice to be able to read a handful and let 'em sit in the back of your brain digesting for a bit before biting off the next few.
The Little Green Book is not a "What even is poker" book, of which I have already read two this year, both by guys named Phil. The better one was Phil Gordon's Poker: The Real Deal, which is part of why I bought the Little Green Book when I decided it was time to learn more. The Little Green Book is a proper strategy book, complete with charts and math and things. There are separate chapters on each round of betting. There is advice on how playing tournaments differs from playing cash games. There is a section on math and a section on psychology. There are some good digs at Phil Hellmuth, including the sentence "Phil wins a lot of chips because of his obnoxious personality at the table."
I'm glad I actually went out and proper bought a copy of this book instead of borrowing it off somebody, because I'm sure I'll be going back and rereading sections multiple times as I try to remember things while actually playing. Although one or two friends have expressed interest in borrowing it, which is acceptable as long as they give it back in a timely manner. I will be keeping records. Or perhaps I will stick a "for reference only" sticker on it and then people can only read it if they come to my house.
I'm probably not ready for the Little Blue Book yet, but I might buy it anyway just so I don't waste patio drinking season, and I can truly make 2016 my Year of Reading Poker Books at Bars.
I hope I get another one of those days at some point this summer because my last one was in January.
Sometimes I get entire weeks and months of running around with ten million things to do, working my way through whatever poor book I've been lugging around in fits and starts, stealing a page here and a chapter there, ten minutes of reading in the car before going into work, five minutes before bed because it's actually past when I'm supposed to go to bed and I'm exhausted. The biggest chunks of time come when showing up to dinners 45 minutes early because I don't really have enough time to go anywhere or do anything else between where I was before and when I'm meeting people, so I get a drink alone at the bar to try and make a dent in my reading.
May has been like that, which is how it took me more than two weeks to finish reading Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, a volume considered a classic of poker strategy books precisely because it is short and easy to read.
In retrospect, I think it's a pretty good book to have been forced to read in fits and starts, since by design it is broken down into lots of little short sections, and it's nice to be able to read a handful and let 'em sit in the back of your brain digesting for a bit before biting off the next few.
The Little Green Book is not a "What even is poker" book, of which I have already read two this year, both by guys named Phil. The better one was Phil Gordon's Poker: The Real Deal, which is part of why I bought the Little Green Book when I decided it was time to learn more. The Little Green Book is a proper strategy book, complete with charts and math and things. There are separate chapters on each round of betting. There is advice on how playing tournaments differs from playing cash games. There is a section on math and a section on psychology. There are some good digs at Phil Hellmuth, including the sentence "Phil wins a lot of chips because of his obnoxious personality at the table."
I'm glad I actually went out and proper bought a copy of this book instead of borrowing it off somebody, because I'm sure I'll be going back and rereading sections multiple times as I try to remember things while actually playing. Although one or two friends have expressed interest in borrowing it, which is acceptable as long as they give it back in a timely manner. I will be keeping records. Or perhaps I will stick a "for reference only" sticker on it and then people can only read it if they come to my house.
I'm probably not ready for the Little Blue Book yet, but I might buy it anyway just so I don't waste patio drinking season, and I can truly make 2016 my Year of Reading Poker Books at Bars.
December 23, 2010
Phil Gordon, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005)
Howard Lederer and Annie Duke are correct, in their introduction, when they say that this book was, at the time of its publication, unique. There have been poker how-to manuals probably as long as there have been people playing poker, but back in 2005, no one had written a more personal, “how I play”-style book. Now it's five years later, and Phil Gordon's series of poker books has been as influential as Super/System or Harrington on Hold'em, both to poker players and, more importantly (at least as it relates to this paragraph), to poker writers. “How I play”-style books are still uncommon, but certainly not unheard-of (Gus Hansen's Every Hand Revealed is my favorite of the new breed). Given that, does Gordon's original little book hold up, or has it been surpassed by its cronies?
It holds up quite well in this reviewer's opinion, thank you. Gordon does a solid job of explaining the basics of his technique (which isn't all that out of the ordinary; tight-aggressive is the style you're going to see from most pros, or would before the coming of Tom Dwan, who's spawned a legion of loose-aggressive imitators), giving you both the how and the why of its mechanics. Like the entire tight-aggressive legion, he focuses a lot more on pre-flop play—why see a flop if you can get everyone around you to fold beforehand?—but the post-flop section is just as useful as you'd expect from one of the post-flop masters of the game—Hellmuth, Negreanu, Dwan, or the like. About two-thirds of the book is devoted to specific aspects of the game, after which comes a “general thoughts”-style section and a handful of the usual starting-hands charts and the like.
It's good stuff, front to back (well, okay, I could have done without the charts; even Gordon himself minimizes their importance as much as possible). There are a bunch of really good poker books out there, and the literate poker player's shelf needs to be a pretty long one to accommodate them all; this one should be on that shelf. ****
Howard Lederer and Annie Duke are correct, in their introduction, when they say that this book was, at the time of its publication, unique. There have been poker how-to manuals probably as long as there have been people playing poker, but back in 2005, no one had written a more personal, “how I play”-style book. Now it's five years later, and Phil Gordon's series of poker books has been as influential as Super/System or Harrington on Hold'em, both to poker players and, more importantly (at least as it relates to this paragraph), to poker writers. “How I play”-style books are still uncommon, but certainly not unheard-of (Gus Hansen's Every Hand Revealed is my favorite of the new breed). Given that, does Gordon's original little book hold up, or has it been surpassed by its cronies?
It holds up quite well in this reviewer's opinion, thank you. Gordon does a solid job of explaining the basics of his technique (which isn't all that out of the ordinary; tight-aggressive is the style you're going to see from most pros, or would before the coming of Tom Dwan, who's spawned a legion of loose-aggressive imitators), giving you both the how and the why of its mechanics. Like the entire tight-aggressive legion, he focuses a lot more on pre-flop play—why see a flop if you can get everyone around you to fold beforehand?—but the post-flop section is just as useful as you'd expect from one of the post-flop masters of the game—Hellmuth, Negreanu, Dwan, or the like. About two-thirds of the book is devoted to specific aspects of the game, after which comes a “general thoughts”-style section and a handful of the usual starting-hands charts and the like.
It's good stuff, front to back (well, okay, I could have done without the charts; even Gordon himself minimizes their importance as much as possible). There are a bunch of really good poker books out there, and the literate poker player's shelf needs to be a pretty long one to accommodate them all; this one should be on that shelf. ****
December 24, 2018
This book is information-dense, but relatively clear to understand, though near the end there seemed to be some conflicting advice. I would recommend this book to an intermediate player, as there is plenty of terminology that is not introduced in the book with which you would need to be familiar. That said, this beginner has read other poker books before and only had to look up a few terms. My plan is to go back and place a Post-It note at a principle and practice it before moving on to the next until I can recognize the context and opportunities of each one.
January 10, 2016
This is a highly regarded poker book that comes up in just about any "Top Poker Books" list. It's an okay starting off point for a beginning player. Might be a little basic for someone who has read a few decent poker books before. I've seen that Phil Gordon has some more advanced follow up books. It might be worth checking them out soon.
June 21, 2015
Having read this book in small parts from time to time, I believe it is a good way of reading the book by just skimming thru the pages until you see a chapter with an interesting title:)
Any poker book is a good read!
Any poker book is a good read!
February 6, 2008
The master.
June 8, 2015
That was good. Kind of a cliff's notes of several other books.
October 10, 2019
Hands down the best poker book available. A must read for any player.
October 16, 2020
Never really been a huge fan of the Gordon books
But i think they stand out just for the hand examples that you can go through dozens of times, if not hundreds of times.
But i think they stand out just for the hand examples that you can go through dozens of times, if not hundreds of times.
February 8, 2019
For quite a few years I have been fond of casually watching Texas Hold'em poker tournaments on television and in person, although recently I have come to be invited more often to such parties for some reason. Not being a particularly skilled or experienced poker player, I have adopted my general pattern of helping to become more skilled on at least an intellectual level and have decided to do some reading to help me become at least a moderately competent player, and this book definitely helps with that. What this book does it it puts the author's poker expertise in a context of both friendliness and competitiveness with a group of other people. The world of professional poker appears to be a somewhat small world that is clubby with celebrities and also full of friendly rivalries with other competitive people. Since that happens to be a sort of world that I am rather familiar with, it made for worthwhile reading not merely on a tactical or strategic level in terms of playing cards but also on the diplomatic level of setting up the context of card playing.
In almost 300 pages of material the author gives a great deal of insight into his own experiences and wisdom of playing cards, even if I must admit there are things I would do differently--the author tends to prefer heads up play and a certain degree of gamesmanship against his opponents. After a foreword and acknowledgements and introduction the author discusses some poker truths that focus on the need to make smart decisions with incomplete information and show both courage and wisdom with dealing with the repercussions, as well as the importance of position in Texas Hold 'em. After that there is a discussion of what to do before the flop, including studying one's fellow players and their tells, raising limpers, and what it means when someone raises four times (pocket aces, usually). The author then moves on to what to do after the flop, especially in different conditions that result from the three cards. There is a look at what to do after the turn, whether one helps one's hand or finds a scare card, and a brief discussion of what to do after the river. There are some discussions on tells, including the way that people project strength when they are weak and vice versa. After that the author offers some worthwhile tournament strategies, some percentages and math, some insights in psychology, and some miscellaneous comments on such matters as not tapping the aquarium and staking and sunglasses at the table.
In reading a book like this there are different layers to the experience. For one, it is worthwhile to see how someone approaches the game. Phil Gordon has friendships with other players and is intrigued by how different people play the game differently, and comments on the fact that how someone should play poker depends in many ways on the specific context of the game and how others are playing as well as how others view you. You can bluff better when people know you to play pretty tightly, and if people don't respect your calls or raises you can play tighter to take their money based on their disrespect. You should try to control your own behavior and make it difficult for others to read you even as you are observant and read others' tells. Likewise you should be friendly enough to keep people around who are losing money while remaining aware of the importance of getting your fair share (or more) of the winnings that are going around by taking advantage of positions as well as the goings on of the game. A great deal of enjoyment can come from playing with a calling station, without being one yourself. In reading a book like this, one gets a flavor of how Phil Gordon enjoys his poker, and it's a pretty amusing place.
In almost 300 pages of material the author gives a great deal of insight into his own experiences and wisdom of playing cards, even if I must admit there are things I would do differently--the author tends to prefer heads up play and a certain degree of gamesmanship against his opponents. After a foreword and acknowledgements and introduction the author discusses some poker truths that focus on the need to make smart decisions with incomplete information and show both courage and wisdom with dealing with the repercussions, as well as the importance of position in Texas Hold 'em. After that there is a discussion of what to do before the flop, including studying one's fellow players and their tells, raising limpers, and what it means when someone raises four times (pocket aces, usually). The author then moves on to what to do after the flop, especially in different conditions that result from the three cards. There is a look at what to do after the turn, whether one helps one's hand or finds a scare card, and a brief discussion of what to do after the river. There are some discussions on tells, including the way that people project strength when they are weak and vice versa. After that the author offers some worthwhile tournament strategies, some percentages and math, some insights in psychology, and some miscellaneous comments on such matters as not tapping the aquarium and staking and sunglasses at the table.
In reading a book like this there are different layers to the experience. For one, it is worthwhile to see how someone approaches the game. Phil Gordon has friendships with other players and is intrigued by how different people play the game differently, and comments on the fact that how someone should play poker depends in many ways on the specific context of the game and how others are playing as well as how others view you. You can bluff better when people know you to play pretty tightly, and if people don't respect your calls or raises you can play tighter to take their money based on their disrespect. You should try to control your own behavior and make it difficult for others to read you even as you are observant and read others' tells. Likewise you should be friendly enough to keep people around who are losing money while remaining aware of the importance of getting your fair share (or more) of the winnings that are going around by taking advantage of positions as well as the goings on of the game. A great deal of enjoyment can come from playing with a calling station, without being one yourself. In reading a book like this, one gets a flavor of how Phil Gordon enjoys his poker, and it's a pretty amusing place.
August 4, 2022
I’m reviewing my poker library after re-reading each of the books and formatting them for ease of reference.
Poker player experience level required: BEGINNER
Original publication date: 2005
Reviewed: 2022
Game: No Limit Hold‘Em
Book information is relevant at time of review: YES
Content:
This book takes a step up from his previous Little Book, diving into concepts more thoroughly. However, because of his background and experience, this series is more tailored to the Tournament player versus the cash player.
The shortfall of this book is that while it addresses poker situations, it never really dives deep into the reasons, mathematics or psychology of playing poker well. What it does cover is scenarios that he has been put in and a brief excerpt of what unfolded. There is still a lot to be desired as to how great poker players play great poker.
Overall the content is better than his first Little book, but does not include the depth or diversity of information many poker reference books have.
Poker player experience level required: BEGINNER
Original publication date: 2005
Reviewed: 2022
Game: No Limit Hold‘Em
Book information is relevant at time of review: YES
Content:
This book takes a step up from his previous Little Book, diving into concepts more thoroughly. However, because of his background and experience, this series is more tailored to the Tournament player versus the cash player.
The shortfall of this book is that while it addresses poker situations, it never really dives deep into the reasons, mathematics or psychology of playing poker well. What it does cover is scenarios that he has been put in and a brief excerpt of what unfolded. There is still a lot to be desired as to how great poker players play great poker.
Overall the content is better than his first Little book, but does not include the depth or diversity of information many poker reference books have.
October 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It will appeal to both the beginner and the expert. It lays out the basic rules of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Poker, and it also gives many different strategies for dealing with different situations that crop up in games. There are sections on psychology and body language as we learn how to interpret tells from players. There are also sections on math as we learn how to play the odds. Poker is a wonderful blend of chance and skill. Gordon does use a lot of lingo, but it will help if you just look up the terms he uses in order to improve your own grasp of the vocabulary of the game. I initially had trouble with terms like a "drawing" hand, and also "tight-aggressive," but once I looked up the terms I became more knowledge about poker.
June 3, 2023
Gordon captures a lot of practical advice in pithy chunks. Gordon writes clearly about his decision-making process, in a prose style and overall structure that really works for me. Altogether, the quantity and quality of his lessons are too much to absorb in just one reading.
Realizing that, as well as the book’s overall excellence, I returned the library copy and got the Kindle version (at no cost, thanks to a steep sale and various Amazon points; what a bargain).
I had gotten about half-way through the library copy when I realized that this book is a keeper. In the future, I can see myself reading a section again and focusing on that for an hour to sharpen various aspects of my play.
I think this book belongs in every poker library, and students of the game should read this at least once.
Realizing that, as well as the book’s overall excellence, I returned the library copy and got the Kindle version (at no cost, thanks to a steep sale and various Amazon points; what a bargain).
I had gotten about half-way through the library copy when I realized that this book is a keeper. In the future, I can see myself reading a section again and focusing on that for an hour to sharpen various aspects of my play.
I think this book belongs in every poker library, and students of the game should read this at least once.
May 1, 2025
If you read one book on poker, read this one. It is by far the best that I have come across and will improve your game instantly. There are many reasons why reading a book may be a good investment, but this one will literally pay for itself with one poker night with friends. I win more than my fair share using techniques from this book alone.
He teaches positioning, bet sizing, how to calculate pot odds, implied odds, easy ways to estimate the amount you should bet based on the number of outs you have, and much more. His conservative-aggressive style suits me perfectly. Poker is a fun game to learn and study, because so many of the principle bleed into real life and business as well.
Highly Recommended.
He teaches positioning, bet sizing, how to calculate pot odds, implied odds, easy ways to estimate the amount you should bet based on the number of outs you have, and much more. His conservative-aggressive style suits me perfectly. Poker is a fun game to learn and study, because so many of the principle bleed into real life and business as well.
Highly Recommended.
January 31, 2024
Listened to the audio and he has a good reading voice. Not many stories—mostly just strategy. I like a lot of his stuff about betting from position and odds and bluffing, but some of the obvious advice dropped it down to four stars: “when I’m playing against players who play loose, I bet tight. When I’m playing against players who play tight, I bet loose.” He probably said something like that three times. Definitely recommend though, and I’ll probably listen to another one of his books.
December 16, 2025
This book allows its reader to be in the perspective of a pro-player. Near the beginning of the book Gordon talks about how this is his strategy. This book is a simple and complex guide to how he personally handles different positions at table in both tournament and cash. Gordon has an explanation for every spot and every type of range you might be in. I would strongly recommend this book for anybody who understands the fundamentals and is struggling to improve their game.
July 26, 2017
Phil Gordon is a well known tournament poker player and the host of the Celebrity Poker Showdown. Modeled after Harvey Penick's book on golf, this book presents the basics of Texas Hold'em. The text is stripped down and instructional. There are sections on Math, Psychology and even Online Poker.
An excellent primer on the game, this abridged audio version was read by the author.
An excellent primer on the game, this abridged audio version was read by the author.
December 26, 2021
Some Ideas
There are some straight forward good ideas in the book. Some things are somewhat confusing. I personally have benefited already by winning one tournament after just a few entrances.
There are some straight forward good ideas in the book. Some things are somewhat confusing. I personally have benefited already by winning one tournament after just a few entrances.
August 30, 2017
A very good poker book for a beginner.
September 7, 2018
Not really a beginners book but it was packed with useful strategies and terms that you need to get familiar with.
February 17, 2019
Great information!
August 21, 2019
A different take
Enjoyed reading the methods of the man. Not your definitive guide, but doesn’t pretend to be. Great insight to one individuals take.
Enjoyed reading the methods of the man. Not your definitive guide, but doesn’t pretend to be. Great insight to one individuals take.
November 3, 2019
Good tips for tournament poker.
November 30, 2019
Понятно и доступно написано о стратегии и принятии решений в техасском холдеме. Для меня было маловато математики - хотелось бы побольше о вероятностной стороне покера.
March 7, 2021
Helpful for beginners or those who need constant refreshing . . .
October 5, 2021
Interesting book to understand a complex game
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews