Mastering No-Limit Holdem

Russell Fox and Scott T. Harker Reviewed by Ozone on Aug. 27, 2005. Overview Most poker authors claim to be the greatest in the world, and their egos are often exhibited through their writing. Russell Fox and Scott T. Harker are an exception to this rule. Fox and Harker are nothing more than a couple of guys who like to play low-to-mid stakes NL Hold'em. Their book is written with the purpose of helping intermediate poker players learn to beat the smaller NL Hold'em games at both online and brick-and-mortar poker rooms. Poker Advice The advice in this book is geared for a certain target audience. This book is not for experts of the game, nor is it for people just starting to learn how to play poker. This is a book for the player who has played some limit hold'em for a while and is interested in learning how to play solid no-limit hold'em. Fox and Harker preach a method of starting with quality hands before the flop. They go into great detail about what hands one should play from different positions. There is nothing flashy about their advice. Most chapters comment on basic no-limit instruction such as odds, position, knowing your opponents, and how to play draws. Aggression is a common theme in the advice of this book. At least a dozen times the words "either re-raise or fold" were printed in this text. This is quality advice for many delicate situations at a no-limit table. Towards the end of the book, Fox and Harker spend time discussing how to manage one's bankroll and emotions. These chapters will have some value for players yet to experience the ups and downs of no-limit hold'em. Presentation This book has a decent presentation. The individual chapters of the book are well structured. The hand quizzes are well-worded and easy to follow. Anytime a new concept is presented within a chapter, a bold heading details the theme of the concept. This helps break up the reading and inform the reader what they are about to learn.