Customer Reviews

Phil Gordon's Little Gold Book

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In my opinion, Phil Gordon is the best poker writer out there. He writes in a straightforward, clear language, which is really easy to follow. I've read all his previous three books and also his DVD, and I was really afraid that he had given up writing, since his previous book was released five years ago. I am glad to say that Phil Gordon is back, and in better shape than ever.

In his private life, Gordon had gone through a quest of improving his own game, since poker players have evolved quite drastically in the past few years. And it is rare to see a poker expert publicly admitting that he had to step back and re-study the game. The Gold Book is the result of this quest.

The book starts with lots of math that will make the head of most readers to spin. But don't give up. Soon enough things will get clear as the author shows tools and techniques that will for sure improve your game. While some of them were already featured in the author's previous books (such as the "squeeze" play, a.k.a. "fish'n'chips"), this time he explains more in depth the math behind them.

This is a book that you will have to re-read several times to be able to get everything it has to offer, especially as your game improves. In the end, it will make you to completely re-think your game. And that is why this book is so good.

The only "negatives" I can see with this book is that this time the author didn't put a lot of jokes in the text. You see, the typical Gordon jokes inserted inside the book (e.g. "feeling like the time I had bad shellfish in an all-you-can-eat buffet in Kansas City") help me to memorize the concept he is explaining. Also, even though there is a chapter with some hand examples, I'd prefer to have some real examples after each concept is explained. He did that here and there, but I wanted to see more! I hope Phil Gordon writes a follow-up book only with real hand examples, just like he did with his Blue Book.

On a more serious subject, for a book released after "Black Friday" and the demise of Full Tilt Poker, I think the author should have re-vamped the parts he talks about online poker and Full Tilt in particular. For example, he mentions that Chris Ferguson was able to create a $126,000 bankroll starting from zero and that Phil Galfond also has accumulated an on-line bankroll of same magnitude, but didn't say anything about what happened to player's online bankroll after "Black Friday."

BTW, around 20% of the book is dedicated to PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha).

I have been playing poker on and off for many years and have read a number of poker books. I thought I had a good grasp of optimal poker strategy, but boy was I wrong! It is mind-boggling how much the tactics and strategies have progressed at the highest levels of poker in just a few years.

Phil Gordon does an amazing job of walking the reader through the new mind-set and approach that is required to be a top player in today's game. Without question, the pros truly do play on a completely different level than us amateurs. There is a bit of "new math" that has to be learned to digest all of the concepts in this book, but I found that it was not too overwhelming or intimidating.

Most importantly, Phil Gordon's writing style is simply a pleasure to read. This book easily could have read like a dry encyclopedia (many of the other poker books I have read were painful to get though), instead it reads like a good book with a plot. It is clear that Mr. Gordon is not just a great poker player, but a very good writer too. I particularly liked the sections in which he recounts the private lessons he received from some of the world's top young poker pros.

I can't wait to try my newly learned skills out at my regular home game!

My poker shelf has around 100 books on it,
but this one will be among the 3 or 4 that
get re-read, underlined, highlighted and
referred to over and over.

I think it's the best book Phil's written, and
I've considered all the "Little" books good.
Within the poker writing universe, Little Gold
Book goes into more depth than just about any other,
and likewise has a lot of breadth for one book.
And while I consider most poker books to be
targeted at the beginner turning intermediate
(including Phil's previous writing), this book
does a great job of covering the ground from
intermediate well into advanced.

As usual in Phil's writing, he speaks conversationally
and is easily understood, even when digging into
somewhat involved mathematics and advanced concepts.
Another aspect of his writing that I really appreciate
is his ability to look at a topic from several angles,
rather than covering the obvious points and moving on.
In Gold Book for example, he'll often make the
mathematical case for a given play, work out the logic
in great detail to prove his point, but then take it a
step further by reminding you of "meta considerations"
and opponent psychological factors that you can't overlook.
For me, I find this helps keep me out of the mode of
just "playing the numbers" and lets me visualize the other
factors while reading and while playing.

Perhaps Phil's strongest skill as a writer, and
one that Gold Book shows off more than any of
his prior books, is his ability to group and classify
information into easily remembered collections.
Going beyond the obvious groupings of hand types,
Phil further classifies things like board texture,
opponent style, tournament situations, etc.
This gives the reader a huge advantage when trying to
apply the material; it's much easier to remember and
learn and then apply it in real time at the table.

I consider myself a non-pro advanced player, and
I learned a ton from this book that was new to
me and I'm sure will be valuable. I'm glad Phil gets
satisfaction out of giving away (well, for 15 bucks
anyway) his hard earned lessons!

I've been playing poker for about a year and have watched my game come a long way in that time while consistently doing everything I needed to improve it. I've read a lot of what is out there (Harrington on Hold'em, Super System, the Little Green Book, Every Hand Revealed and a lot more) but I never really bothered reviewing any of it because it didn't take me long to realize it wasn't relevant anymore. Gordon really gives comprehensive and thorough coverage over the fundamentals a lot of the good internet players use in their NLH game (calculating ranges, aggressive pre-flop play, understanding and making use of stats, etc) and even delves into some worthwhile PLO strategy that could help improve those who are struggling with it. This book is definitely the new required reading for players who have a solid grasp on intermediate poker concepts but feel they aren't up to par with some of the more advanced competition out there. Throughout 400+ pages of material the only minor complaints I have are the player interviews and the section on Chris Fergusson's bankroll management. The player interviews with Olbrestad, Cates and Galfond really didn't get too specific with what makes them successful, particularly Cates who didn't really seem to want to get into too many advanced heads up concepts, but some of the tips might be found useful. The section on Fergusson's `excellent' bankroll management is kind of laughable considering the state of Full Tilt Poker, but that being said even though it appears he didn't exactly practice what he preached he did have some good points about the importance of having a proper handle on your bankroll in poker and it's worth you're while to check out. All said I think this book is going to really surprise a lot of people, this isn't the Phil Gordon from 2005 telling you the fourth bet always means aces, this is a Phil Gordon who took the time to relearn the game and bring himself back to a competitive level for the aggressive game that's played today.

Phil does an excellent job of bringing readers up to speed on the modern game. I have read many books on poker, most of them written before 2007. As players got better (mostly more loose aggressive) I felt like it would be helpful to get a book to teach me how to deal with this new style. Phil's Little Gold Book did just that.

Phil provides a solid, well written and easy to follow explanation of the modern game and thought process which includes range analysis, combinatorics, exploitive/exploitative strategies, HUDs, loose aggressive players, 3/4/5/6 bets, continuation bet defenses, etc. This book is much more dense with information than his other books, including the Little Green Book.

If you are part of the 99% of players who play at the 2-5NL games and down, this book will help you (the strategies in this book go well beyond most players in these games). And don't worry holdem players, this book contains only about 20% information on PLO. For 15 dollars it's a great deal!

I think that Phil's biggest strength as an author is his ability to put concepts in simple language, which he does in this book. I would also highly recommend Phil's Little Green Book along with this title. They are easy reads and written in plain English.

Well done Mr. Gordon!

I was lucky enough to review and comment on this book before it was officially released. I've read and re-read most of the book several times, each time re-evaluating my own play in the context of the concepts introduced. Regardless of whether you play poker online or live, this installment in Phil's teaching series will help push your thinking about the game to a new level. It is both technically rigorous and practical, does not shy away from the beauty of pure mathematics, and contains comprehensive introduction to the booming game of Pot Limit Ohama. On their own, the hand examples and discussion are well worth the cover price.

The Little Gold Book is unquestionably new required reading for any intermediate player interested in taking their game to the next level.

I've enjoyed and benefitted from every one of Phil's books on poker thusfar. His latest "gold" book is no exception. I've never hesitated to recommend his books to players of all experience levels (well, maybe beyond total beginners). He has a great way of making the math behind the game very accessible for all, but I doubt there are many players out there who won't find something of value in each and every book he's written. He's always a good, fast, entertaining read but doesn't skimp on solid advice. Thanks for another great book, Phil, and keeping the quality high. Every single book of yours I've bought has paid for itself many times over!

Phil Gordon's Little Gold Book: Advanced Lessons for Mastering Poker 2.0 is a good book about changes in poker strategies due to Internet poker. Its best for math buffs who have excellent calculation skills. It's a detailed book requiring concentrated reading.

Reading it from cover to cover is not enough with this book. Take notes, try it out, and learn from it. You will see that your game will improve considerably. I included a lot of things into my thought proces which I didn't even know they were important. Hands on examples and a strong mathematical foundation bring this book on top of the wish list for everyone who takes poker serious and wants to make even more money. It is clear that Phil managed to go even one more step further since his last book (which is a 10/10 btw.) and I am really happy to have this piece of wisdom in my library.

In my view this book sets a new standard in NLH poker strategy instruction. With the typical player becoming increasingly competent, maintaining a winning edge, even at low and mid-level stakes, requires significant knowledge and discipline. In his latest book, Phil Gordon provides sufficient information and insights to provide a solid foundation for players that want to improve their game. Upon this foundation, with study and repeated, disciplined and considered application in game situations, players can build their expertise. The author's style is very entertaining and accessible. I found the book to be superior to others I've read in the areas of style, comprehensiveness and relevance to the 2012 NLH game This book should be the first purchased by students of the game. The second book purchased should be one covering the psychology of poker in depth.