Rating: 
Summary: A keen analysis of Hold'em and poker in general.
Review: This was the first keen analysis of the game AND Sklansky's first book. Many of the ideas in this work were crafted into his later _Theory of Poker_. The book is somewhat dated in that D.S. undervalues the importance of position and underrates the profit potential of smaller pocket pairs. His writing style is stiff, not languid, and does not lend itself to easy reading. Many gambling pros speak their thoughts in an abrupt, abbreviated fashion and D.S. carried it over into his written product. He describes pot odds he anticipates at the close of betting as "implied odds", a phrase copied by other writers. If they are anticipated odds why shouldn't they be called that? D.S. seems to derive less of his income from the tables and more from author's royalties and consulting fees (he has advised casinos to abandon the three for two bonus on naturals in twenty-one). He has also stated that no one had published any insightful word on poker prior to 1976 (his book). His notoriety has gone to his head. This is a gratuitous slight to Herbert O. Yardley's _Education of a Poker Player_ published in 1957. However, this revised 1976 book is still worthwhile reading, for Hold'em and poker in general, and not reading it would be a mistake.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Player - Bad Writer
Review: This was the first poker book I read and boy was it a mistake. First off 2+2 needs to update their theories on Holdem to today's game. Instead of having foot notes saying "this" or "that" doesn't apply anymore "so ignore it". Why not just re-write parts and print new editions? Second, while I have no doubt the book is chuck full of great poker theory, it is hard to understand the way he presents it. I had read a few reviews above expressing this opinion and purchased this book anyway. I'm sorry I did. All in all, maybe a book worth reading if you have allready read Doyle Brunson's "Super System" and Lee Jones's "Winning Low Limit Hold'em" and still want more.
Rating: 
Summary: my game got better
Review: Until recently I was a devout 7 card stud player, but now that I have been playing and learning texas hold em.. I am hooked. Sklansky, the author of this great book, once worked as an actuary. Basically, it was his job to figure out all of the probabilities for insurance companies and limit their risk. That's almost exactly what he does for the serious hold em player with this book. He teaches you how to limit your risk and play the best hands time and time again. Anybody can sit down and play a few hours and get lucky... But, it takes a diciplined skill set and a solid knowledge of probabilities to win consistantly. Sklansky tells you how. Until I read this book, I was up and down a lot. Now, I am playing a much more stable game. My losses are smaller and my wins are a little bigger. Read this book to get a good solid foundation for hold em poker and then go out there and bust up some fish at the tables :^)
Rating: 
Summary: only for a beginner
Review: very beginner level book, not woth it if you know anything about hold'em
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: very cool book. Sklansky is extremely analytical and this book goes a long way to help players learn the game from the theoretical perspective
Rating:
Summary: Solid Start for Hold 'Em Beginners
Review: While experts won't get much from this title, I wholly recommend it for any player with a basic understanding of the game, as well as for more experienced poker players who haven't yet tried hold 'em. The author is thorough and easy to understand for the most part, offering plenty of helpful exercises and examples to help build good hold 'em strategy. I wish I could give this four and a half stars, because it is great with one exception- the claim "updated for today's double blind structure" means a few footnotes added to the text that don't offer much insight. A warning to beginners: you won't get rich against strong players simply by reading this book once (after reading it the first time I managed to break even over a weekend in a tough $5-$10 casino game), but you should bust up a relaxed Thursday night game without much trouble. To sum up, pay attention to the lessons in this book, and you'll be several steps ahead of the average poker player. Good luck!
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