Winning Low Limit Hold'em - Review

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Title: Winning Low Limit Hold'em Author: Lee Jones Publisher: ConJelCo Length: 200 pages Date: November 2000 Rating: Intended audience: Beginners with little or no knowledge of Texas Hold'em. Available at: Amazon.com ($15.00 w/Free Shipping available) TightPoker Promotion: $50 Free Amazon Gift Certificate Reviewed by: Jacob Trier Dated Reviewed: 5/25/2006

Winning Low Limit Hold'em is the first poker book purchased by a lot of aspiring poker players, including myself. Even though the first edition was published in 1994, the advice in this book remains as solid today as when it was first published. The book is literally its weight worth in 5$-bills - not as much because of the money you will win, but because of the money you won't lose!

Most successful poker players agree that while studying poker theory is a crucial part of becoming a winning poker player, real skill only comes with experience. Your real education takes place at the table. But by studying Winning Low Limit Hold'em that education will cost you a whole lot less. Lee Jones points out throughout the book that he teaches winning through folding. This is true. The strategy in the book is geared towards loose low-limit games, where most beginning players start out. In these games, a solid, tight game is the key to winning.

Who the Book is For

Winning Low Limit Hold'em is a good beginners book, because it is easy to read and fairly straightforward. A rookie player can read through the book and hold his own on the mico-limit tables of most online poker sites, simply by following the advice without necessarily understanding the reasoning behind it. The most important aspect of the book is that it teaches the reader the most common mistakes of low-limit Texas Hold'em and how to avoid them. This is not to say that the book should not be reread and studied. On the contrary, a lot of the reasoning behind the advice and guidelines will not be clear until you have gained enough experience at the tables.

Organization of the Book

The book itself is divided into three sections. The first section "Hold'em: The Game" deals with the fundamentals of the game, pot odds and reading the board. This is short, but valuable information, especially the part about calculating odds. In this section, Jones also talks briefly about card rooms and casinos. This book is written before the boom of online poker, so this info is a bit outdated. Also note that the limits he talks about are in relation to live poker, not online. At the online poker sites, you most often find the kind of games he describes at the $0.50/1 tables, not the $3/6 tables.

The second section "Play of the Hand from Deal to Showdown" is where the real gold is. This is by far the main section of the book, and the section that will require the most study. Here Jones outlines the basic strategy for winning play, from starting hand selection to betting on the river. The advice is basic, but very well written and easy to understand. Read it, then read it again, and then read it one more time.

The third and final section "Miscellaneous Topics" contains just that. Here, Jones writes about player types, rake, bankroll and etiquette when playing live. This is the most outdated section, even after the 2nd edition (clearly illustrated when Jones writes that "the jury is still out on online poker"), and much of it will be of little use to online players. However, there is still plenty of good advice in here to warrant a thorough read.

Throughout the book, there are short quizzes that let you test your understanding of what you have just read. The book is rounded off with a glossary and index.

Overall Recommendation for Winning Low Limit Hold'em

I would recommend Winning Low Limit Hold'em to any player not winning consistently at 2/4 or above. While it covers the basics of Hold'em, it does so very well. If you have the discipline to follow what the book teaches you, you have taken a large first step towards becoming a successful poker player.

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