Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Howard Lederer (Introduction), Annie Duke (Introduction)
Key Phrases: suited hands, scare card hits, right pot odds, World Series of Poker, The Art of War, World Poker Tour (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In our minds, this book is an instant classic and a must-have for any serious student of the game. Everyone who reads it will come away a better player."

-- Howard Lederer and Annie Duke

"Phil Gordon is one of poker's premier players and has few peers as a teacher of No Limit Hold'em. I would hate to have to compete with anyone who accesses the information in these pages."

-- Erik Seidel

"Poker: The Real Deal was the best introductory book ever, and this is the perfect 'graduation' book. It provides the key to leaving solid amateur play behind and embracing the first inklings of playing like a true pro. I now feel endowed with that intangible element of strength known as unbridled confidence."

-- James Woods

"Phil Gordon and his Little Green Book made the difference between me losing money and winning money. It made me a winning player."

-- Hank Azaria

"If I cared about poker at all, this would be the book I'd buy."

-- David Foley

Product Description

Phil Gordon plays poker with the best players in the world. He has won -- and lost -- in tournaments and cash games around the globe, all the while studying the game and learning from every hand dealt. As the resident expert and cohost of Celebrity Poker Showdown, Phil has quickly become one of the most sought-after teachers of No Limit Texas Hold'em. It's a tough game. But anyone can become a winning player with the right amount of courage, patience, aggression, observation, and, perhaps most important, dedication to becoming a better player.

After fifteen years of keeping notes on the things he's learned, the greats he's played with, and the celebrities he's taught, Phil Gordon has poured every single thing he knows about No Limit Texas Hold'em into this little green book. Taking a page from Harvey Penick's bestselling book of golf wisdom, Phil plays the role of both teacher and student, offering up insightful tips on how to think about poker and how to develop a singular style of play. Through philosophy, psychology, strategy, math, and the knowledge gleaned from playing poker with everyone from T. J. Cloutier and Phil Ivey to Hank Azaria and Ben Affleck, Phil breaks down the game into enlightening instructional tidbits and illustrative anecdotes that inspire the kind of persistence and motivation necessary to improve your game.

A book to rank with Doyle Brunson's Super System and David Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book deserves a spot on the shelf of every serious student of the game.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (October 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416903674
• ISBN-13: 978-1416903673
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,773 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading, October 3, 2005

By	Poker Buff (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

The Phil Gordon's Little Green Book is, in my view, the second or third best book on no-limit. In my view, nothing beats the Harrington books, which are more comprehensive, particularly on tournament strategy (although they are useful for cash games too), and Doyle's chapter in Super System is still must reading. But having said that, Phil Gordon's book is right up there with these classics--heady company. It is conversational in tone and easy reading, but not unsophisticated. The sections of the book dealing with post-flop play are excellent, and somewhat reminiscent of the approach used in Super System, as Phil analyzes how he would play some commonly-occurring post-flop situations. The sections on pot-odds, implied odds and hand match-ups is clear and surprisingly comprehensive--he really gives you everything you need to know. Phil gives some useful starting hand charts and includes a useful and insightful discussion of some common pre-flop situations. I wish Phil had spent a little more time discussing how he plays hands when he is not first in the pot (and expanded on the starting-hand charts at the back of the book), as well as more time discussing how he views the tactic of raising (or calling a raise) with small pairs and connectors (based on an implied odds argument)--he does mention the tactic, but I think there is more to be said on the topic. His discussion of play from the small blind and button is excellent, as is his discussion of blind-stealing. I was fascinated by his discussion of maintaining an appropriate ratio between steal raises (which you would generally have to fold to a reraise) and raises with a real hand in order to maintain a profit (i.e., winning enough when you have a real hand to compensate for your losses when you have to fold to a reraise)--I have not seen that kind of discussion elsewhere, and the calculation can be fine-tuned to match table conditions as well as applied to a variety of other situations when you are contemplating a move.

Phil says that he is not the best player in the world, but notes that he is a profitable player. I would add that he is a generous player and author also--Phil is generous in sharing his knowledge, and does not appear to be holding much back (too bad Barrry Greenstein didn't right a book like this rather than the non-substantive coffee table book on poker that he actually wrote--talk about holding back!). Based on listening to Phil's Podcasts on the WSOP, watching his DVD and reading this book, it is apparent to me that Phil enjoys sharing his knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, the game with others. He is a natural expositor and gifted teacher.

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars too much information...?, December 1, 2005

By	J. Rubino (Simi Valley,Ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (Audio CD)

You can never be too rich or have too much information in my opinion; Gordon has both in excess if you know his story. I decided to get the audio version because I drive between 500 and 600 miles per week. Absolutely excellent. Of particular interest and value to me is his analysis of playing AJ for all your chips against the probable calling hands(AK,AQ,AA,KK,and QQ ) and playing 87 suited against those same hands. The AJ rates to win about 25% and the 87 suited about 32%. I have always hated AJ and now I have another reason. It is this kind of analysis that makes this book so interesting and thought provoking. He covers so many ideas and aspects that this is a book to be read in small doses many times rather than all at once. No one could possibly remember all he has to say. His "Don't tap the aquarium" is a favorite because so many misguided players berate the bad players into leaving and missing out on relatively easy money because they suffer a drawout or two. His section on "Sick gamblers" helped me to see them in a different way; where I used to not play my best against them, I feel better now in playing them as tough as anyone who is taking a shot at my money. Overall a very good book filled and overflowing with many nuggets of great poker wisdom. Gordon is a likeable and effective teacher but also admits he is not the best in the world. He is a winning player who developed over time and shares much of the information which has helped him to elevate his game. Definitely recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best No Limit Texas Hold'em book on the market today, October 3, 2005

By	L. Austin (cyberspace) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.