Customer Reviews

No-Limit Texas Hold'em: A Complete Course

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Books with titles like this annoy me. You have to read the first chapter to figure out what the book is really about. Why don't they just put it on the cover? This is NOT a "complete course" in NL Holdem. It does not cover tournament or SnG strategy, for example. What the book is about, very specifically, is:
- cash games only
- low limit games only (low blinds -$1/2 or $2/5 live, or lower online)
- low max buy in, such as $200 for a $1/2 game (not unlimited buyin like at some casinos such as Wynn). He makes a strong point that the distinction among the different types of games is important. So why pretend this is a complete book on NL?

Having said that, the book is very good if this is your game of choice. It covers how to play against different types of players, how to figure pot odds and when to draw and when to bet enough to discourage draws, and when to get involved in big pots vs small pots. Recommended.

I really appreciated this book which surprised me because I had low expectations for it--mostly due to my never having heard of Angel Largay before. I should note though that it's not a "Complete Course." If someone is a novice and they're looking to learn No Limit then I would advise them to purchase the immaculate No Limit Theory and Practice by Miller and Sklansky before getting anything else. That's the definite work on the subject. However, this author describes a unique aspect of the game which is Low Limit No Limit and he does it quite well. Largay's entirely correct in saying it is an arena like few others. It certainly is and I say that as a person who frequents its obscure tables on a regular basis. The plays, moves, strategies and opponents he describes are exactly like the ones you will find at NL 100 and 200 tables all across the country. Largay's analysis is confined to this area and he does a spectacular job in illustrating the nature of lower limit play. His insight varies from being just average in some sections to absolutely outstanding. The strongest parts are his breakdown of the player types and how one should adjust to them. It starts with Schoonmaker and then becomes all Largay. I was very impressed. I also admired his filter for determining action which is who is more likely to go broke from a particular play--you or your opponent. That's always an important thing to bear in mind when you're in the nether limits as they yell "All In" as much as normal folks yell "Taxi" when hailing a cab. Largay's outlook on the low limit chaos will strike many people as being too conservative but I think his style is far more right than wrong. If you take a look at his angle on playing the double paired board you'll see what I mean. Overall, this is a most valuable work. Personally, my only complaint is the set-up. He could use some of the hand visuals that the 2 + 2 books feature, but that is just a minor issue.

As other reviewers have noted, this book addresses low-limit, no-limit games - meaning no-limit games where the buy-ins are capped. Typically these games allow you to buy in for 20 or 30 times the total of the big and small blinds. ($60 for a 1-1 game, $200 for a 3-5 game).

When you get to the table with your $200 you'll find 6 guys playing with $100 to $300, and 2 guys playing with $1000 each. How'd they get those big stacks? The small stacks kept rebuying as long as they could, and when one couldn't, he left to make room for you!

So to be clear, this book isn't about sitting around with Doyle and Phil and Dan with a $100k buy-in and $900 in total ante. If that's your game, parts of this book won't help you.

However, low-limit, no-limit IS the game that you will find most often and they are beatable. Players no (or not much) better than you bank almost every day in the card clubs and casinos near you. Angel's critical advice is that your goal is double through or bust the other player, as opposed to chipping away at their stacks in small bites. This strategy shift is caused by the problems caused by the many short stacks on the table - mainly that they can't pay you off adequately for many otherwise-sound risks you may want to run, and that they can afford to take a shot at drawing out because they are loss-limited by the size of their stack.

This point is made in other books, especially tournament strategy books, where it is dominant especially in late action, but this is the best explaination of it in live games that I have read and it really leads you to view the overall game differently.

The other parts of this book are also well and entertainingly presented and so I'm not going to quibble much with the "Complete Course" claim. He goes through the basic definitions (pot odds, implied odds, pot equity, etc.) throughly. I also found his psycological insights (how should you react to the crowing, "look-at-me" risk taker, for example) helpful, as well as fun to read.

This guy comes across as fun at the table, and he's written a good book that captures a breezy tone similar to the Phil Gordon books while providing a better review of the odds calculations and hand-reading involved in the decisions.

I'm confident it will improve my game, and hey - its only the cost of 3 big blinds!

This is absolutely the best book in the world for 1-2 and 2-5 live NL games with a 100 blind capped buy in. Period. It's not for online, it's not for higher stakes, and it's not for uncapped games. For the standard low limit NL games spread in B&M, this is the best. Anybody who doesn't think so is probably playing a style with a winrate less than half of what I or Angel make.

this is the last poker book i've bought and read. my game matured and plateaued a few months ago, especially regarding low limit no limit holdem. i wasn't really getting ahead, and all my plays were becoming predictable. my plans for poker wealth were being thwarted well, this book took me to the next level.

tonight, i just had my best night of holdem. my best win. over $500 in about 3 hours. nobody could put me on a hand all night! deception is key and the author explains how to use it.

thanks, Angel

D

It just arrived & I am tearing through it. Already, I can see many of the mistakes I've been making at the LLNL (low-limit no-limit) tables now. There are lots of spots in the book where he says a certain action may be correct at a bigger buy-in game (which is the premise of most of the 35 other poker books I've read), but he deals with strictly small stakes ($1/2-$2/5 NL). There are certain hands you just can't push a low-limit fish off of, so you might as well sit back & let him hang themselves. This book will show you how.

It's very easy to digest (unlike Sklanksy). Largay writes a lot about reading the board & your opponent's hand & when to keep the pots small until you know you're a lock. This "small ball" strategy works well in the early to mid stages of tournaments, too.

I will update this review when I'm done, gotta get back to it.

This book was rather disappointing. There are very few books on cash no-limit games. The emphasis seems to be on tournaments. That being said, this book is long on generalities and short on ideas that can be readily implemented at the poker table. His discussion of stack sizes, which is extremely important in no-limit play, is brief and, in some ways, actually incorrect.

A person interested in CASH no limit would be better served by reading the Harrington books on cash poker (two volumes), Professional No-Limit Hold Em by Flynn, Mehta, and Miller, and No Limit Hold Em, Theory & Practice by Sklansky and Miller.

I hadn't realized how low my expectations had dropped for new poker books till I found myself getting excited as I made my way through this one. There is so much fluff out there these days that I find myself basically reading a new poker book for the 2-3 pages of decent information in a 200-300 page book - not so here, this book is the real deal. While the beginning was filled with basics for the new player, it was presented in a way that somehow came across fresh for the experienced player anyway. Beyond the basics was some truly new (and extremely profitable) material that you are not going to find elsewhere. Largay's style is extremely easy to read and the reason I'm here writing this review because I logged onto amazon to see if he had written anything else (he hasn't yet though the book says more is coming) so I could order that. While I was here - figured I'd give a heads up.

I had the opportunity to take Angel's course while living in Las Vegas so the book only helps reinforce concepts I learned in his group seminar 3 day course.

Angel's the kind of guy you may have to see "live" in person to truly appreciate, although his book does a good job of demonstrating his knowledge.

The guy has totally mastered the "low limit no limit" game.

If you want to play at "no limit" tables where buy-ins are limited to no more than say $300, then BUY THIS BOOK and MEMORIZE IT.

Players at low limit no limit have a totally different mentality. Angel has figured out that mental approach and will help you capitalize on it.

I've said enough. I actually wish Angel hadn't published all of his secrets in this book!

(p.s. stop complaining about the title--you can't judge a book...)

Read this book if you don't understand Pot Odds, Implied Odds, and Expected Value. These sections are 'nut and bolts' and very direct. Many books over emphasize the odds with two cards to come (all-in after flop) but this book explains things 'more' correctly. Yes, overall this book is just okay (3 stars), but the first sections are invaluable and actually make this book a "must read" for those who do not understand the basic math ideas behind NLHE. I will probably purchase any follow-up books.