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...
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IntroductionNo Limit Hold'em is a very tough game. That's the bad news. But here is some good news: You can learn. How do I know you can learn? Because I was not always a winning player, and I learned. If I can go from "dead money" to World Poker Tour champion, there is no doubt that others can as well.The greatest poker players in the world share five qualities: They are invariably aggressive. Aggressive poker is winning poker. They apply pressure to their opponents with bets and raises. They are patient. They wait for situations at the table that are profitable. They are courageous. They don't need the stone-cold nuts to bet, call, or raise. They are observant. They watch their opponents during every hand. They are always working on their game and want to be even better players. They talk about the game with other players. They practice. They read poker books. They analyze their play and work to plug "leaks" that have developed.These five qualities are all that are necessary to be a great, winning player. The first four qualities you can learn and develop. You already have the fifth quality — you bought this book so you're working on your game.There are many ways to win at this game. I intend in this book to write exactly how I play. You may disagree with many of the plays that I recommend here. Good. I want you to approach this book not as a definitive guide for how to play, but as a catalyst for thinking about the game.In short, the following pages are, to the best of my ability, how I play No Limit Texas Hold'em. I'm not the best player in theworld. But I'm a winning player, and I win playing exactly the style that is described here.Throughout my poker education I have read nearly every book on poker ever written. I owe a great deal to the poker authors that have come before me. Sklansky. Brunson. Cloutier. McEvoy. Malmuth. Cooke. Harrington. Caro. Without their work I wouldn't be the player that I am today. Most of the things I know about the game I owe to these authors.Harvey Penick, arguably the greatest golf teacher that ever lived, wrote a great book, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book. In that book he recorded his thoughts and musings on the game of golf. Not once in his book did he profess to know the only way to play. I drew inspiration from Mr. Penick's book and his straightforward approach to teaching a very difficult game.Take your time with this book. No matter how thoroughly you digest the contents, you'll need to play thousands of hands against all kinds of competition before things will really "click" for you. Take your time. Your bankroll will not be built overnight. Grow it slowly. There will be setbacks. There will be bad beats. But, there will be endless amounts of joy as your game improves.Copyright © 2005 by Phil Gordon
\ Introduction\ \ No Limit Hold'em is a very tough game. That's the bad news. But here is some good news: You can learn. How do I know you can learn? Because I was not always a winning player, and I learned. If I can go from "dead money" to World Poker Tour champion, there is no doubt that others can as well.\ The greatest poker players in the world share five qualities:\ \ They are invariably aggressive. Aggressive poker is winning poker. They apply pressure to their opponents with bets and raises.\ They are patient. They wait for situations at the table that are profitable.\ They are courageous. They don't need the stone-cold nuts to bet, call, or raise.\ They are observant. They watch their opponents during every hand.\ They are always working on their game and want to be even better players. They talk about the game with other players. They practice. They read poker books. They analyze their play and work to plug "leaks" that have developed.\ \ These five qualities are all that are necessary to be a great, winning player. The first four qualities you can learn and develop. You already have the fifth quality — you bought this book so you're working on your game.\ There are many ways to win at this game. I intend in this book to write exactly how I play. You may disagree with many of the plays that I recommend here. Good. I want you to approach this book not as a definitive guide for how to play, but as a catalyst for thinking about the game.\ In short, the following pages are, to the best of my ability, how I play No Limit Texas Hold'em. I'm not the best player in the world. But I'm a winning player, and I win playing exactly the style that is described here.\ Throughout my poker education I have read nearly every book on poker ever written. I owe a great deal to the poker authors that have come before me. Sklansky. Brunson. Cloutier. McEvoy. Malmuth. Cooke. Harrington. Caro. Without their work I wouldn't be the player that I am today. Most of the things I know about the game I owe to these authors.\ Harvey Penick, arguably the greatest golf teacher that ever lived, wrote a great book, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book. In that book he recorded his thoughts and musings on the game of golf. Not once in his book did he profess to know the only way to play. I drew inspiration from Mr. Penick's book and his straightforward approach to teaching a very difficult game.\ Take your time with this book. No matter how thoroughly you digest the contents, you'll need to play thousands of hands against all kinds of competition before things will really "click" for you. Take your time. Your bankroll will not be built overnight. Grow it slowly. There will be setbacks. There will be bad beats. But, there will be endless amounts of joy as your game improves.\ Copyright © 2005 by Phil Gordon
\ From the Publisher"In our minds, this book is an instant classic and a must-have for any serious student of the game. Everyone who reads it will come away a better player." \ — Howard Lederer and Annie Duke\ "Phil Gordon is one of poker's premier players and has few peers as a teacher of No Limit Hold'em. I would hate to have to compete with anyone who accesses the information in these pages."\ — Erik Seidel\ "Poker: The Real Deal was the best introductory book ever, and this is the perfect 'graduation' book. It provides the key to leaving solid amateur play behind and embracing the first inklings of playing like a true pro. I now feel endowed with that intangible element of strength known as unbridled confidence."\ — James Woods\ "Phil Gordon and his Little Green Book made the difference between me losing money and winning money. It made me a winning player."\ — Hank Azaria\ "If I cared about poker at all, this would be the book I'd buy."\ — David Foley\ \ \
