Small Stakes Hold’em, by Ed Miller, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth
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Overview
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Small Stakes Hold’em brings together three of the games most notable theorists to teach you how to crush low limit hold’em games. Considering the power of the reputation of all three combined, this book has Vultron potential.
Book Structure
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Small Stakes Holde’m is more than 360 pages long and in the classic Sklansky layout style. It is broken down in to seven parts and each part has main topics and subtopics. It progesses from theory, to preflop play, post flop play and river decisions with another section devoted to random topics, like when to build a pot. Of course, what would a Sklansky book be without a quiz.
Unique Advantages
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When you get three guys like this, it’s like a Sklansky book on crack - more thorough than you would ever expect. There’s a lot to say about weak players. Of course it is very straight forward and there’s no room for ambiguity. If you read it and can follow the logic, you will understand their point completely. It’s also specifically focused on one game (holdem) and one level (small stakes).
Disadvantages
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Here’s my standard Sklansky slight: If you hated calculus or symbolic logic class get ready for a painful education. Also, this book REALLY assumes you’ll be in a loose game. And by loose I mean LOOSE. Even at the 2-4 games in my local casino I don’t see 6 to 8 players playing a flop every hand. If you play the style they prescribe at a slightly tighter low stakes game you’re done for. This book also talks to you like an adult, assuming you understand. There’s no dumbing down ever.
Conclusion
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A tough read but worth the price if you regularly play in games like this.
Focus: 10/10
Hold’em? Check. Small stakes? Check. Ever get away from that? Nope.
Quality of advice: 8/10
I’m not sure games like this exist that often and you’d need a large roll comparatively to play this style.
Examples: 10/10
For pete’s sake, there’s a quiz section that refreshes a lot of the advice.
Readability: 3/10
Sklansky’s name is on it. You know what that means.
Appropriateness: 7/10
Still not sure you can find opponent’s this dumb in today’s poker climate.
Overall (not an average): 8/10
You’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
VERDICT: As painful of a read as it can be, you’re best reading everything Sklansky writes even if it’s a Tahitian cook book.
