[.ca] Winning at Poker: Essential Hints & Tips (ISBN 0785817867)

good intro or basic book:
this book is written by a canadian (out of regina, sask, i think) who has played at WSOP and won some championships in canada. quite simple book and walks you thru alot of stuff which is good. lots of practical examples and not alot of theoretical stuff that can confuse the reader (don't get me wrong, i love the theory but i like this book's simplicity - the author basically tells you what to do). basically advocates a pretty tight style and frankly i don't think you can go too wrong with that. you may not maximize your winnings, but i think you will win and at a much lower level of risk. doesn't get into loose vs. tight games, which is a key adjustment although my sense is we all get too complex in trying to play suited Aces and suited cards in general out of late non-blind position..... probably to maximize your winnings, you do have to get into playing those hands, but you have to be very good at playing pre-flop and know whether your A6s is beaten when the ace hits on the flop (and you flush is dead). also, for no limit, i find it very difficult to set proper betting levels or what to do with difficult flops. it seems with no-limit it's easier to put a good amount of $$$$$ in pot and then be stuck.... i have ordered harrington volume 1 and 2 to learn the no-limit game better. i think this scharf book would be a great addition to your poker library and it would be a good, quick read for you when your game has broken down. i think the quickest way to get back to winning is to go tight and simple after the flop (don't play overcards unless the conditions are optimal - i.e. flush or straight potential, or unique texture to flop). all-in-all, a good book. proof in the pudding as i bought it for a couple of friends who wanted to learn poker. very straight-forward book and good price point. also, assumes reader is fairly literate as it doesn't take 100's of pages for complete basics (Which i hate paying for).