Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em - Phil Gordon's Little Green Book

Very advanced book for poker players. Bad enough to calculate odds of a winning hand, but to complicate poker with pot size and table position is over my head. Will take multiple readings to understand.

This is a copy/paste review of several different poker books. I bought these so long ago. I don't recall what information is in each of the books. Overall, between the information in all of them, I've been a pretty consistent winner at smaller stake tournaments. I'm by no means a pro, but I'd make $3-4,000/year playing tournaments, usually the $5 or $10 buy in levels.

Twice I've turned $10 into over $1,000. In those cases I started with $1 tournaments until I had enough to enter bigger ones.

I was also reading books before I'd ever been online. Back in those days I ordered from Gamblers Book Club in Las Vegas. I did pretty well at live poker in the 90s at the lower stake games. 3/6 or 5/10 Hold em I usually did pretty well. At 10/20 and above, not only was the $$ a factor, but the players were generally better. I was playing full time back then, but could never really break the barrier between the good low limit player to the pro level player.

I haven't played regularly in quite a few years. The government shutting down/severely restricting the sites for US based players was the biggest reason. Also, my job involves a lot of travel, so it's tough to sit through much more than sit-n-gos. Playing at a casino after playing online to me was such a drop off. Online ya can play a lot of games at once. Live action was just to slow after playing online.

For about 3 years there, I was in the top 3% or so of all online players- at least based on the rankings of the time. Back then there were maybe 850,000 people ranked and I might be ranked 12,000 or so.

I did well at Poker Stars and Full Tilt. I thought my then girlfriend to play. The biggest thrill I've ever had in poker was in a 2000+ person tournament, she came in 1st and I came in 2nd. No, we didn't cheat. We weren't even at the same table until there were 17 people left. About a month before that, I came in 2nd in a different 2000+ person tournament.

I've taught a good friend to play. He's went way beyond anything I've accomplished. He now plays full time for a living. Another friend I've taught to play has also exceeded anything I've ever done. His son- who I taught to play along with his dad, went from $1 tournaments to $100 tournaments in a matter of months.

Except for the one, we've all stopped playing poker regularly for one reason or another. Job, business, marriage, kids, whatever the case may be. I'm not sure how up to date these books are. Poker progresses. I remember back in 1995, I could go to Toronto and the games (live cash games- $10/20 hold em) were nothing but fish. Ya'd see max raises and be thinking it was a straight flush vs 4 of a kind. They'd turn over their cards and it was Ace high vs 1 pair. LOL!!! So the games get better as people either smarten up or lose their $$.

So these books (again, I'm doing a copy/paste review for a few of them) are at the very least a solid lesson on how to play. I'm not sure how they'd go over in 2017, when I'm doing the actual review. For their time though, they were all dynamite.

This is just a BEginner/baby poker book

i was expecting a more detailed book.

** Only buy this if you are a complete Newbie !

This book does the same as any other Beginning poker book.

Buy Harrington on Holdem instead

im curious as to why this book is rated 4 STARS ?

Phil Gordon, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005)

Howard Lederer and Annie Duke are correct, in their introduction, when they say that this book was, at the time of its publication, unique. There have been poker how-to manuals probably as long as there have been people playing poker, but back in 2005, no one had written a more personal, "how I play"-style book. Now it's five years later, and Phil Gordon's series of poker books has been as influential as Super/System or Harrington on Hold'em, both to poker players and, more importantly (at least as it relates to this paragraph), to poker writers. "How I play"-style books are still uncommon, but certainly not unheard-of (Gus Hansen's Every Hand Revealed is my favorite of the new breed). Given that, does Gordon's original little book hold up, or has it been surpassed by its cronies?

It holds up quite well in this reviewer's opinion, thank you. Gordon does a solid job of explaining the basics of his technique (which isn't all that out of the ordinary; tight-aggressive is the style you're going to see from most pros, or would before the coming of Tom Dwan, who's spawned a legion of loose-aggressive imitators), giving you both the how and the why of its mechanics. Like the entire tight-aggressive legion, he focuses a lot more on pre-flop play--why see a flop if you can get everyone around you to fold beforehand?--but the post-flop section is just as useful as you'd expect from one of the post-flop masters of the game--Hellmuth, Negreanu, Dwan, or the like. About two-thirds of the book is devoted to specific aspects of the game, after which comes a "general thoughts"-style section and a handful of the usual starting-hands charts and the like.

It's good stuff, front to back (well, okay, I could have done without the charts; even Gordon himself minimizes their importance as much as possible). There are a bunch of really good poker books out there, and the literate poker player's shelf needs to be a pretty long one to accommodate them all; this one should be on that shelf. ****

Read the book, not my review.

There are many things that would be expensive to "learn" at the poker table. It's much cheaper to read them instead.

If you're brand new or have never read any poker books you may not know the value of position, how to calculate pot odds, the rule of 4 and 2, to mention a few.

This book didn't blow my mind when I was a new player, but it did give me a solid understanding of the game before I could move on to the books that assume you have more than a basic knowledge of the game.

This book covers all of the basics, including some "advanced" basics.

Even if you've been playing for a few years and have read a few books, a skim is probably a good idea.

If you don't know how to play ABC poker, this book can teach you.

Phil Gordon is a straightforward teacher and the diagrams and illustrations and tables are clean and easy to understand.

If you check the nuts on the river, this book is for you.

If you've read both SuperSystems, this may be remedial, but sometimes it is good to be reminded of the basics.

I've just finished my first reading of Phil Gordon's Little Green Book. The book reads very quickly. It is 286 pages, but the pages are small and the chapters are very short, so it reads very quickly.

My favorite part of the book was the section where Gordon broke down different scenarios on the flop and turn and how he approaches each one. For example, he broke down the four ways of flopping a full house and how he approaches each one. Granted, flopping a full house is very rare, but a look into the thought processes behind the approach to each was instructive on just how to handle different scenarios.

The section on tells was interesting and informative. I am strictly an internet player and strictly a cash game player, so much of the advice given by Gordon was not relevant to me (I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could)

Some of the anecdotes were great and some of the math/statistical stuff could be found useful even by a somewhat experienced player.

This book is definitely worth the cover price and should more than pay for itself by helping you take down some pots and steal some blinds that you might not have otherwise.

It's definitely the kind of book you can put in the bathroom and read a short chapter or two here or there...

Phil Gordon's 'Little Green Book' starts out very well. The concise chapters do a very good job of covering the basics of the game. In fact, I think the short, topical chapters are an asset throughout. In poker, the ability to analyze the situation is a strength. However, overanalyzing is a flaw. Phil's short chapter approach serves the information well.

I also found the end of the book to be valuable. The hand-charts and percentages outlined on pages 262-273 provide critical information in a quick and easy format.

However, I did not find much of the information in the middle to latter part of the book to be as useful. My problem rests primarily with the manner various situations are discussed. Phil spends quite a bit of time telling us how he varies his play against a particular opponent when he has a particular hand (i.e. 40% of the time I do this, 30% I do this, 20% I do this, and 10% I do this).

In a particular game/tournament, specific hand situations under the same table conditions just don't come up often enough to break it down to that degree of detail. You just have to play to the situation in front of you at that time. Another significant flaw in this approach is that your opponents are likely going through the same mental exercises against you.

As with all poker books, Phil emphasizes the importance of position, pot odds, and properly switching from aggressive to tight when dictated by the table. These are the absolute necessities to winning poker. I do think, however, too much emphasis is put on reading your opponent's betting patterns. I'm not talking about physical tells, only betting patterns.

Fact is, that a poker player with any amount of experience and skill is going to vary their betting pattern just as the rest of us do. Sometimes they will bet as expected, sometimes they won't. I'm looking for something a little more concrete on which to base my decision. The more important thing to read is the board and the possibilities it offers. I'm more concerned about what could beat me and the mathematical probability my opponent has that hand, not whether he bet like he had it or not.

This book surprised me. Phil's first book was geared for the novice and quite frankly was not that helpful. After reading the reviews for this current effort I decided to purchase it and am glad I did. Unlike his first book, this one is not for the novice and more for the medium level player trying to push his game further. It offers a great foundation of pre and post flop strategy. Phil discusses his playing style and how much he bets depending on the strength of his hand as to whether or not he wants a call or someone to lay down their hands. The book is useful for No-Limit tournaments but also can help you with your cash games.

Unlike Doyle Brunson's somewhat unrestrained aggressive approach in Super System I, Phil offers what I call a controlled aggression. He teaches and advocates an aggressive style of poker, but tempers it with pot odds, hand strength and game situations. I have found several key pieces of information that I will re-read and take with me to the next tournament.

The book reads easily and is almost 300 pages long. If you were disappointed in Poker: The Real Deal don't let that stop you from purchasing this book. Next to Dan Harrington's books, this will help your poker game the most.

I started learning No Limit Texas Hold'em with this book. I've moved past it, but there is plenty of depth here. Phil covers plenty of ground without moving too far ahead of what a beginner can comprehend. I've read this book several times over the last few years and think I can say I've pulled just about as much out of it as I can. The Harrington volumes will take you further, but I think Phil does a really good job of getting you to that intemediate to advanced level.

I hope that someday after I knock Phil out of WSOP event, I can shake his hand and thank him for all that he's taught me. Phil Gordon, while not having the resume and the stature of another Phil, Phil Hellmuth Jr, writes a much better book than any of Hellmuth's weak attempts.

Phil Gordon really laid it down well with this book. Along with his DvD (Final Table With Phil Gordon - Rated 5 Stars ***** ) he really offers up the complete package. I see he has a new book coming out on Hand Analysis which should be absolutely spectacular and I can't wait for it.

His Little Green Book gives you all the information you'll need to take your game to the next level. From easily calculating Pot Odds to the Rule of 4 & 2, this really fills in the gaps that other books leave out. Plus it gives you the rest of the information you'll need to make the right decisions everytime as well.

Pick this up with his DvD and I gaurantee that your game will improve. This is definatley top notch and should set a bar for other poker books in the future.

Overall: ***** 5 Stars!!! Definatley something you should look in to if your interested in learning the finer things in poker!

Phil Gordon is not only a successful professional poker player and poker commentator (from Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown"), but with his "Little Green Book," he proves he is a master teacher of poker as well.

With the advent of online gaming and televised Texas Hold'em tournaments, poker has seen an explosion in popularity in the last three years. To meet the demand for poker information, many pro players have written how-to books. Some are too basic for the experienced player, others too complex for the beginner. Gordon's book is the 12th poker book I've bought, and I rank it at the top for both style and substance.

The Little Green Book is patterned after Harvey Penick's Little Red Book on golf, and like Penick's book, it covers its subject with clarity and detail, and without pretense. Beginners and experience players alike will benefit from Gordon's book.

I think it was Tommy Smothers who joked that he was going to write a golf book called: "The 39 Most Important Things to Think About at the Moment of Impact." Reading golf books can cause a player to overanalyze and, consequently, worsen a player's game. The same can be said of some poker books, but not Gordon's. While the book is simple and an easy read, it is also comprehensive. It covers play on every round of betting, the math involved in no limit hold'em, the psychology of the game, and tourney play. The book also includes starting hand charts and "tells," the body language of poker that gives opponents clues of a player's hand. It's no stretch to say it represents the only no limit hold'em book a player needs to master the game.

I highly recommend the Little Green Book for those who want a rock solid foundation in no-limit hold'em.

If you know the basics, you will elevate you game by reading and applying the lessons of this book. It is the first book I could take lessons and go directly to the table and apply. There is so much here that I've read parts of it 3 or 4 times and intend to just make it a part of my routine. If you know how to play a hand now, you will find 3, 4, 5 or more ways to play the same hand by studying Phil's lessons on what I've come to call "position and posture". It's more fun to play. Many of his lessons are teaching the player how and what to think about at the table. They are quick and concise, and don't depend on knowing everything at once. You can study one and take it with you tonight. Here are a few: "It's my turn to bet . . . . Think!" on developing a disciplined mental habit before committing chips; "I don't have to be the greatest" on discerning the quality of each player at the table and using it to your advantage; and "The value of aggression" on doubling the ways you can win. There are not many specific hand examples in the book. You need to know the hands before you get here. There are some great basic odds, without being a statistical book. There are good players and great players, good teachers and great teachers: Phil is a great teacher. This book is a simple, easy read with a lot of depth.

The book is straightforward and simple, and deserves high marks in that regard. The author's main point is simple "play aggressively." However, it is not very comprehensive and does not appear to cover a wide variety of situations including multi-way pots, which occurs very frequently in low stakes NL games. Harrington's book on NL tournaments provides better guidance and structure to proper NL thinking. Phil's book lacks good examples and fails to provide the critical thinking that I was looking for. That said, the little green book is not terrible and is not a bad deal if you can get it cheaply. I also appreciated his self-criticism of his WPT (season 1) match against the "amateur" Norweigen(?) who totally flustered and then demolished him. The book itself is printed in hardcover and on better paper than most poker texts. Nonetheless, I would recommend passing on this book and waiting for the NL book by Slansky and Vol. 3 by Harrington to come out later in 2006. I understand that Phil has the blue book in the works, but I will probably pass on that.

I am a strictly low limit player (my bankroll hasn't grown enough yet to be able to justify playing higher limits...plus, I play poker for fun, not for a living). After I bought this book, I now make money when I play poker the majority of time that I play (both online and at some casinos here in Michigan). I estimate I have made over $500 due to the strategies and tips in this book. The book makes the math of poker easy, and the psychological aspects of poker are shown giving real life situations. Plus, it is written in an entertaining fashion....it isn't a dry "how to" book. It makes for an enjoyable read.

Finally, any book on poker that quotes Sun Tzu has a place on my bookshelf.

So anyway, if you don't live in Michigan, you should get the book. But if you play at the Soaring Eagle casino here in Michigan, please don't buy the book as I would prefer to have the edge all to myself.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to improve their game. I would in fact, recommend that you buy all three of Phil's books, and read them in the order they were released in. It's really refreshing to read and learn about poker from this guy. Phil Gordon is the most unassuming, down-to-earth, let's-just-have-fun guy in the poker world today. He readily admits that all his ideas may not be the best, but that is the beauty of his books. He forces you to THINK about each decision you make at the table, and know why you do what you are doing. He speaks in a conversational tone, and you don't get the feeling that he is talking down to you. These three books, along with Brunson's "bibles" would be the 5 books that any serious poker player should read, if you could only pick 5. Take my word for it. These books are really worth the 75 odd bucks you will pay for them. Heck, you can make that back in one trip to the tables. Good reading......I'm all in.

I've been playing poker regularly (not professionally) for over 20 years. Over those years I've read just about every book on the subject, subscribed to magazines and even took lessons from a top pro and author. With all that being said, in my estimation "Little Green Book" is without a doubt one of the greatest books ever written on Poker in general and NL Holdem in particular. It ranks up there with Sklansky's Theory of Poker, Brunson's Supersystem and Ciaffone's Pot Limit and No Limit Poker.

The information given out is so profitable, it's amazing to me that a young pro would be so generous with knowledge that's obviously taken him many year and I'm sure plenty of money lost to acquire.

I'd love to give this book out as a gift to anyone who has the slightest interest in poker, but I'm not sure I want to give those I play against the info contained therein.

Thanks Phil and Keep up the good work.

Lessons and Teaching in No Limit TexasHold'em.

I have only been playing poker a year and have read a number of books relative to play. Phil's style of play is aggressive which for someone new to the game might prove intimidating to employ. I have slowly integrated aspects of his play into my game and indeed they are effective. But as Phil teaches you have to play the player and not the cards, being able to switch gears. I really liked the ease of reading, the mathematics of poker, and the charts at the end of the book. For those interested in improving their tournament play this book should prove helpful.

This book is now a permanent collection in my poker library and I'll never part with it - this is a book that I'll read several times and review at least once a week. Little Green Book will make an ok Texas Hold 'em player into a winning player - it is exaclty what my game needed to take me to the next level. I've read Phil's first book "Poker: The Real Deal" and think it was perfect for a biginner to intermediate player - Little green book continues just where The Real Deal left off, with more of the lessons and teachings that a player needs to win. Before reading this book it seemed like I was always finishing just short of the money pay out in my online poker tournaments - and a few days after reading Little Green Book I finished 20th place out of 267 players in a big online tournament profiting $290. If I had lasted 19 more places I would have made 13,500 dollars, and I know the lessons from Little Green Book will be directly responisble for my next big win.

What can anyone possibly say, othen then Phil Gordon's 'LGB' is simply one of the finest reads on poker. My experience - I read the book last May when I was starting out in the online poker world. I would say 80% of the book went over my head. After playing poker almost daily since then ... I re-read the book this week (in 1 day) and was able to appreciate it for it's completness, brilliance and Phil's wonderful delivery. This book is my 'crack'. Enjoy!

I bought this book through the store mainly for the great deal it got me, and I am NOT AT ALL dissapointed in my purchase. I believe that it has improved my game significantly, but it is definately for NLHE. I tried using some of his strategies at the local card room, which only offers $2 fixed limit, but it doesn't work, because FLHE is a different monster. I am definately looking forward to the Little Blue Book, since I love the game of poker and Phil Gordon's style.

Phil Gordon describes how he plays a No-Limit Hold'em tournament thoroughly and in an interesting manner. I am a litle sad this book is out there, because it will make for tougher opponents.

If you intend to play poker tournaments seriously, you must learn the ideas in this book. Phil Gordon teaches them in a straightforward, eloquent manner, so you might as well learn them here. Highly recommended.

Note that this is intended for multi-table tournaments, and not the popular single table "sit & go" tournaments, which require a very different approach.

I agree with the first reviewer in that Little Green Book is essential reading, but I would even go so far as to say this one is the best all-around NL holdem book written to date. If I had to buy just one book, this would be it. Howard and Annie wrote an effusive introduction, and they are pretty critical in general, and they guard their reputations pretty well. If they were just doing Gordon a favor, they would have toned it down and saved the embarrassment that Malmuth brought on himself by going to bat for Greenstein's (lame) book.

Also, as another reviewer mentioned, Phil's Expert Insight DVD is amazing. Lot's of similar material as his new book, but it is presented in such a way that you can't help but learn and be entertained at the same time. It must have cost him half a million to produce, easy.

Phil Gordon describes how he plays a No-Limit Hold'em tournament thoroughly and in an interesting manner. I am a litle sad this book is out there, because it will make for tougher opponents.

If you intend to play poker tournaments seriously, you must learn the ideas in this book. Phil Gordon teaches them in a straightforward, eloquent manner, so you might as well learn them here. Highly recommended.

Note that this is intended for multi-table tournaments, and not the popular single table "sit & go" tournaments, which require a very different approach.

I agree with the first reviewer in that Little Green Book is essential reading, but I would even go so far as to say this one is the best all-around NL holdem book written to date. If I had to buy just one book, this would be it. Howard and Annie wrote an effusive introduction, and they are pretty critical in general, and they guard their reputations pretty well. If they were just doing Gordon a favor, they would have toned it down and saved the embarrassment that Malmuth brought on himself by going to bat for Greenstein's (lame) book.

Also, as another reviewer mentioned, Phil's Expert Insight DVD is amazing. Lot's of similar material as his new book, but it is presented in such a way that you can't help but learn and be entertained at the same time. It must have cost him half a million to produce, easy.

Overall, this is a pretty good poker book. A few complaints:

- too much focus on what to do with great hands and very little focus on mediocare hands. If you don't know what to do when you flop a full house or a flush, Phil has you covered. However, anybody can make money with those hands. It's the 2nd and 3rd best hands that people have trouble with. Phil's advice in these cases always seems to be "fold" and usually things aren't that simple.

- nothing on heads-up. At all. There's not too much discussion on short tables either. There is a listing of pre-flop hands to play and short tables are mentioned a few times but mostly in passing.

- Not enough examples. Maybe I'm just stuck on Harrington's books where you walk through tons and tons of hands. This book mostly just states theory and sometimes gives a flop and turn example but not enough in my opinion.

There is a lot of good stuff in here as well. It's a quick read but each pages is filled with theories that have to be dwelled upon to really understand. It's easy to read through and overload on so much information that you forget most of it. That's why I wish there were more examples.

I think this book is best used as almost as summary of the Harrington books. Best if read slowly.

I have purchased about everything on the market. I was hesitant about about buying this book. I heard from Texas Hold'em friends that is a tough read. So I got the CD for my car. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to this CD, but each time I get something new out of it. I love the ability to have the repitition with no effort, but to listen in the car in a time which would be other wise lost time. My game has improved tremendously. Buy this and the Poker Academy Software found on the store and you will be well on your way to professional poker.

I found myself fully engrossed reading Phil's latest tome. Coupled with his new Expert Insight DVD, my poker skills have taken a giant leap forward. I have finished in the money in my last 3 tounrey's played, winning one.

I have also seen Phil give a seminar or two and can tell you that he really knows how to reach everyone - from the beginner to the "expert". Phil's insights and teaching style really pull in the listener and help you retain the information - unlike much of his competition.

Moreover, his success as a player has not dampened his enthusiasm to pass on his knowledge in a concise and clear manner.

I highly recommend this book (and the DVD) to anyone who wants to improve their game immediately.

I was a winning but frustrated limit hold 'em player. I liked the thought of choosing the size of my bets - but always seemed to get it wrong when playing no-limit. This book has changed all that. Concise but comprehensive, it takes you through most of the situations you meet.

There was too much for me to take in in one reading - now I go back and consult whenever I meet a problem and normally find it has the answer.

Gordon is generous with his thoughts, and you feel his heart is really in the book. For me this is up there with Brunson's no-limit section of Super System. Gordon's style of playing is slightly less risky than Brunson's, though there are many similarities.

And if course, best of all, the book has paid for itself many times over already! I recommend it highly

Just because somebody is a great skier doesn't qualify them to teach the sport. Likewise, a big winner in poker isn't necessarily a good teacher. However, in Phil Gordon we get both. A proven winner and a great teacher. His ability to distill complex ideas into simple explanations is second to none. Buy this book and win money! It paid me back many times over in my first session after reading it. And I hear he is going heli boarding up in Canada for a week and there are spaces for 30 others at $5k the week...I'm tempted to do that as well and pay it off in the first session back...lol

Phil Gordon has written a great little book. In a concise way he teaches you his entire theory of play based on his experience and reading many other books.

Unlike a number of other books (Cloutier, Greenstein, etc) he doesn't waffle on about himself, his life, and other non-table advice. This book focuses purely on the playing of the game.

Definitely if you were only going to buy 5 poker books on No-Limit Hold'em this would be one of them. (the others would be Sklansky on Hold'em to start off, both Harrington books, and Caro's book)

I am just a poker novice and found the information in here to be a good start but what I really like about the book is that Phil Gordon has a good sense of humor about himself and shares the mistakes that he has made as well. I found it was not too dry to just be a good read.