Winning Low-Limit Hold'em

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I agree with about everyone else that this book should be read in conjunction with Sklansky and Malmuth's "For Advanced Players", however, IT SHOULD BE READ(and read and read etc.)! I have read alot of highbrow criticism of this book from the glut of poker know-it-alls, some of it blatantly false, but I just simply disagree with it and I believe you will too if you read this book.

This is a book on solid, winning low limit hold'em , not middle or high-limit, and what it teaches is right on for the 4-8 game I play. I believe many Sklansky worshipers are offended that anyone would dare attempt a competing book on the subject of Texas Hold'em, but even Lee Jones says in this book that "Sklansky & Malmuth have written the definitive text on medium limit hold'em.", therefore, that is not what this book is about. Plus, if you find yourself reading Sklansky, but not quite understanding it, this book will provide a little light. It will help you understand more advanced books when you are ready for them.

It does not contain some of the more advanced poker strategy and theory because that does not work in typical loose/passive low-limit games, period. And if you try those advances strategies at this level, it may end up costing you and not your opponent. Naturally, as you would with any book, you will have to tweak certain recomendations and tactics to fit the specific game you are playing in, but if you don't have the flexibility to do that and find yourself playing like a robot, any book you read will be of little, if any, benefit to you.

One reviewer, "gbroulet", said the following, which should be seared into our brains: "When I played chess I collected a vast collection of chess books. After a couple of years I realized two things, 1. many of these books were saying the same things in different ways. And 2. My skill level would improve faster if I stuck to just one or 2 books and really studied them instead of reading many concepts from many different books." I did the exact same thing with chess books several years ago and came to the exact same conclusion. I actually got worse the more I studied because I was learning more and more theory and general principles, but no application. Poker is all about application, and so is this book. Do not buy every poker book out there and read them all half-heartedly, rather buy a few good ones and study them over and over and over, and apply what you learn. This should be one of those books.

This book is very basic, but that is what makes it unique compared to the many other books out there. No one is hurt by a thorough study, or re-study, of the basics. If you try to learn advanced poker theory without a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals, you will find yourself getting confused, or worse, you may get it flat wrong and that will cost you dearly. The information in this book will make you a better player whether you apply all his recommendations or not. I highly recommend it to any hold'em player, novice or not.

One caveat, I have read several reviews complaining that this book has hurt their internet poker playing. As we all know, low-limit internet poker with fake money is a fun, but often unrealistic version of poker. People will stay to the river with slim draws and hit them a surprising amount of times. I have hit them myself alot more in internet poker than in real poker. This book is not about low-limit fake money internet poker, so buy another book on that. That is truly is a different world.

I also recommend "Improve your Poker" by Bob Ciaffone.

...most players can't stomach being called beginners, novices or newbies, and the bottom line is that it's true. Otherwise, it would probably pose much more difficulty for me to make money in my home games.

In reference to some of the idiocies posted below, a game played for relatively small betting increments could possibly have players of significant skill and ferocity, or cheaters who will use tricks to get your money. Jones points out that in moving past $10 big bets, you need a new set of skills. However, you should be able to know when you're making too many uncertain decisions, against players that you don't know you can beat. Selection of the right game is the first assessment any player should make, and it just happens that people are less likely to be skilled or cheaters at low levels because the stakes don't justify it.

I've read most of the significant works on poker in general, and Hold'Em in specific. Lee Jones basically writes the most accessible book on Hold'Em: he discusses starting standards, position, betting for value, and play of the straight and flush draw in Hold'Em. The worst that I can say (having read David Sklansky's first and second books on Hold'Em in addition to _The Theory of Poker_, plus Bobby Baldwin and Doyle Brunson's sections on Limit and No-Limit in _Super/System_) is that he doesn't necessarily show you all of the mathematics behind the principles, or give you helpful anecdotes to frame the lessons in your mind. If you like playing the game, you can buy those too.

The wisdom from each book on the game really doesn't change that much. Play fewer hands. Play bigger cards. Tighten up when you're the first to bet, and play draws from the blinds. Each one has a different way of communicating their insights to you, but Lee Jones does so in a conversational, easily remembered way - and the difference will show in your game.

If you're ready to start playing Hold'em poker online or at the tables for real money then you need to read this FIRST. In fact, let me give you some free advice that I learned from playing tournament level chess.

When I played chess I collected a vast collection of chess books. After a couple of years I realized two things, 1. many of these books were saying the same things in different ways. And 2. My skill level would improve faster if I stuck to just one or 2 books and really studied them instead of reading many concepts from many different books.

So how does that relate to poker? This book and Hold 'Em Poker by David Sklansky are the 2 books you want to buy and then REALLY study. Sklansky's book is wonderfull but some concepts are presented in a general way which he then expects you to logically expand into a working poker strategy. Jones's book breaks that logic down into very simple lines of tactics.

Sklansy's book tells you that your position in relation to the dealer button is important and gives a few examples. Jones's book breaks this down into chapters like "Playing Before the Flop in the early position", "Playing Before the Flop in the middle position" and "Playing Before the Flop in the late position". He's not saying anything that Sklansky doesn't, he's just presenting it in easier to understand chunks.

Another thing I like about Jones's book is the discussion of starting hands. Sklansky gives a great table of starting hands and groups of hands. But rather than trying to memorize 65 hands broken down into 8 groups Jones simply tells you "Here are the 12 hands you should play in this position". As your position improves you can play hands that are less strong, and he shows you exactly which hands to add. He even has a great chapter on "trash hands" and how to avoid them.

So does it work? Well, I was doing well after reading Sklanskey's book, but my fluctuations were fairly large. I'd win big, but then I'd lose big. After reading Jones's book I had a clearer idea of what Sklasky was trying to teach. On my next few sessions of poker when the cards were going against me I probably only played 12 hands out of 250 hands or so. But I stayed even. When the cards were on my side I knew how to maximize my hand. My winnings fluctuated much less. In fact, I was either holding even or winning.

So study both books. Read them both cover to cover and then read them again. Memorize Jones's starting hands and then go back to the book to refresh your memory. When you feel you have the low limit games well understood then it's time to buy Sklansky and Malmuth's book "Advanced Hold'em Poker". But buy, study, and use what you learn in this book first!

When first learning about hold-em poker I bought this book along with a few others. This book is definitely geared towards someone who has little or no knowledge of hold-em poker at all. If you have played, know the rules, and the very basics of play, then this book probably won't add much. I've found the 1st Sklansky book on hold-em poker to be the best starter book. It's compact, but the ideas presented are immediately applicable and usefull. It provides basics of strategy on plays you can make, and also makes you aware of plays your opponent might be making on you. The Jones book is more basic, guiding someone through the first steps of the rules of hold em and playing at a table. Good for an absolute beginner, but for someone who has played even a little, probably not enough new info.

I had never played hold 'em until playing one night with some friends, who later referred me to an internet poker site. I played the play money tables for a while there but felt this wasn't as realistic since virtually everyone stayed in & raised excessively at the play money game.

My first experience with internet poker for real money resulted in my losing ($$$)in two different sessions (I made two separate ($$$) deposits last for approximately 20-25 hours playing time at the .50-$1 tables).

Then, after reading Jones' book & following the advice therein - I have now turned ($$$) into ($$$) & am still playing on that. (...) Three months prior I had never even played hold 'em. Hopefully, I'm on my way to establishing a reasonable bankroll & will be "cashing out" not "depositing in" from here on out, but I know I have a ways to go before reaching the higher levels.

Jones explains many of the fundamental hold 'em & poker concepts very well and I really liked the way he organized the sections of the book. I feel I now have a more solid foundation for future learning & a more sensible approach to advance in the game.

I highly recommend this book to all hold em players who have never done anything but just "wing it" before.

A terrific intermediate book for those that have played Hold 'Em but are a long way from "pot limit" much less "no limit" Hold 'Em. Easy to read, well written and to the point - I read most of it in a day. This was the perfect book for the regular low limit game that I'm in where most players go to the flop and it's next to impossible (if not pointless) to try and bluff since the stakes are so low and invariably someone will call you just to "keep you honest." High stakes "no limit" Hold 'Em is a totally different animal and a game most of us will not play - why spend hours reading Sklanksy when I could be playing low limit Hold 'Em with my friends instead? Besides, there's plenty of complexities to the game that are covered in this book that will keep me busy for some time. This is also a good introduction to the "spread limit" games in casinos and card clubs. These can be pretty intimidating and it's good to get a briefing from Lee Jones before I sit down at a table in Vegas with a bunch of strangers and a surly dealer. Excellent reference, highly recommended.

Jones explains in simple terms important concepts: Pre-flop and post flop play, bankroll management and paitence, that are necessary to survive in the sometimes insane low limit hold-em games. Since I bought the book, my number of winning sessions dramatically increased. I attribute this success on Jones teaching me to fold far more hands than I ever did in the past, especially pre-flop. Many hands that I thought were playable were proven to me to be losers. I almost never lose hands on the river anymore. Any novice who wants to begin playing Hold'em after watching the WPT this Summer should read this book at least twice before they sit down at any table. The most important skill that this book taught me was the ability to spot weak players and to exploit them for profit. Knowing who was weak gave me a huge advantage over them which can only add the the profit margin. His theory on why bluffing doen't pay in low limit is interesting and after playing many low limit games, I agree with it wholeheartedly. Word of warning: If you plan on playing tournaments, this book is not for you. Traditional play and Tournament play require completely different skill sets that are beyond the scope of this book.

I can only speak for holdem on the internet and this book does not work. You will play very few hands following the advice given which of course is correct. However with the flop only hitting approximately 1 in 3 you will now call very few bets postflop. To make matters worse too many players stay to the river with poor draws in low limit. You will beat some of these players but not all of them. I have kept records for 100 hours play on the internet which is played very fast....6100 hands, won 219 hands including some lucky big blinds.With such a small percentage of wins the blinds just eat your bank away.Following the advice exactly as written I have lost $500 over the 100 hours. The advice may work in card rooms and casinos but I do assure you it does not work at low limit holdem on the internet

I am going to go against the grain and say that, as a novice poker player, you will lose money if you follow the advice in this book. The main reason why I say this is that after reading the book, the reader's grasp of correct pre-flop play will be tenuous at best. Firstly, Jones talks about early, middle and late positions without ever defining the terms. There are no guidelines at all for when early becomes middle or when middle becomes late.

Secondly and more importantly, starting hand guidelines are given without any regard for how many players are at the table. For example, in late positions Jones recommends calling 75 suited with "Four or fewer callers in front". Therefore, according to the guidelines there is no difference whether you have zero players in front or whether you have four players in front. This is an egregious error on Jones' part. The idea of playing a hand like 75s is, you want to see the flop cheaply, with many people in the pot and you hope to flop an absolute monster and rake a large pot. If there are no callers in front, there's very little point calling a bet to be contesting a small pot with few people in the hand. This is only one of a number of errors that I only discovered through the painful process of losing session after session.

There are also flaws in his advice on post flop play. For example, he says "if you never folded after flopping a set, you probably wouldn't be making much of a mistake". Again this is incorrect. If the flop shows two hearts, the turn brings another heart and you are check raised when you bet your trips (three of a kind) you can be pretty sure that the check raiser is holding a flush. In this situation, folding is usually the correct thing to do.

Although 80% of the advice in the book is highly accurate, the other 20% will open up huge holes in your game that will make it almost impossible to become a winning player.

If you're looking for a book that will teach you how to make a living playing poker, or a book that will explain to you how to read your opponents at the table, or a book that will teach you how to play with the big boys, look somewhere else.

However, if you're somewhat new (less than 5 years) to the world of hold'em and casino poker and typically find yourself playing in the $2/$4 - $5/$10 hold'em games, then you should read this book.

Jones clearly lays out the reasoning for his strategy, which you will find is one of much looser play than if you simply follow 'standard' hold'em strategy as laid out in "Hold'em Excellence" by Lou Krieger and other common texts. Jones recommends playing low, suited connectors in almost any position, for instance.

Yes, the book is somewhat basic, but that is no reason to pan it. People playing $3/$6 games need to start with the basics and practice with the basics before they jump to the $20/$40 game which is played differently. You have to realize that a $2 raise pre-flop isn't going to get anyone with 2-7 offsuit to fold if they've already called the blinds! You have to adjust your strategy to fit your opponents at a low-limit table, and that is just what Jones addresses. No one can beat the rake at a low-limit table without a tremendous amount of luck, and Jones doesn't pretend to tell you how.

The upshot: if you're playing in low-limit games, read this book before moving on to more advanced books or higher limit games. You won't be sorry. He'll probably tell you some things you already know, but it never hurts to listen again.

This book is a good introduction to poker concepts, terms, and simple theory. But this book will not get you on your way to winning, even low-limit hold'em. This book pretty much just refers to 'no foldem holdem' and lays down guidlines and if you just play by the guidlines, you will never be a good player. If you are interested in buying this book, I highly suggest you also buy Sklansky/Malmuth Poker for Advanced Players with it. After you read low-limit you should read poker for advanced players and then you can really get some good poker theory and be on your way to being successful.

First I'll mention the one potential negative: this book may seem a bit short. The whole thing is right at 200 pages, but Section II which makes up the "meat" of the text is only 110. But it packs a lot of information into those 110 pages!

This book is a manual of how to handle practically every situation that might confront you in a hand of low-limit hold 'em. It starts with the usual recommendations of tight play preflop, but gives specifics for the different positions (including the often omitted blind positions). Then it moves on to the specifics of play on the flop with different situations -"when you flopped top pair with a good kicker" (or a mediocre one!), "when you have two overcards", "when you have a straight or flush draw", etc. Finally he includes some material on how to play the turn and the river, although much of that is a natural extension of how you played the flop so those sections are much shorter. Most importantly, all of these are tailored for "no-fold-em" Hold 'Em games where many people will be seeing the flop, where it's likely your opponent will hold something crazy like 8-5 offsuit, and where bluffing is nearly useless because there's always someone who'll call you down "almost out of curiosity."

Jones' book is a marked contrast to others that claim to include material for beginners but teach you tactics for higher-stakes games (I've got Phil Hellmuth's _Play Poker Like the Pros_ with its emphasis on aggressive bluffing in mind here). This book does exactly what its title implies: it teaches you how to win at the low limits.

UPDATE: I see at least one review on here, by TorontoMan, referring to sit-and-go content. If you buy a used copy of the 2nd edition you will *not* get this content as it was added for the 3rd edition. Buying a used copy of WLLH 2nd ed. should be fine as long as you want to learn low LIMIT (not low-stakes no-limit) ring game hold 'em.

Jones did make a few tweaks in the content for the 3rd edition, mostly in response to accusations he was teaching "weak-tight" play, that is, teaching players to fold too often when they might have the best hand. Keep in mind that in a big pot at limit poker, you need to be really really really sure you're beaten to fold. (When you finish this book you should move on to Miller's Small Stakes Hold 'em and you'll get this point preached at you some more.) Keep that in mind and you'll be fine with this 2nd edition.

I had been playing poker online for about a month before I realized that I really had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know what to do in certain situations and anyone who knew anything had an advantage on me.

This book by Lee Jones was the first book I read on Hold'em. I found it to be a pretty good introduction but lacking in some areas. On the up side, it gives you a good foundation to build on and introduces you to basic strategy. After reading this book and a few others I found it to be a bit rigid in how to play certain hands. It would suggest playing certain hands the same everytime, assuming your opponents were other weak players. I think the biggest thing I took from this book was in choosing which cards to play before the flop and whether they were worth a raise or just a call.

If I were to recommend a book to a first time hold'em reader I would say this one is pretty solid and you can't really go wrong reading it. However, I believe Winner's Guild to Texas Hold'em by Ken Warren is on the same level but goes into a bit more detail and strategy. It doesn't always assume you're playing against people who will call anything and offers a bit more tact than Winning Low Limit Hold'em. Warren's book goes into more detail about using things such as the 'free card' or other situational strategies that I would have never thought of on my own. I believe Warren's book is a bit cheaper as well and offers more on playing live poker.

Overall, Lee Jones' book is worth the read but I wouldn't stop there. It offers a good introduction, especially to low limit games but not much else.

This book can teach you to play hold'em in as little as 24 hours. It
will not teach you how to play *well* even in a lifetime.

Quite simply, the book instructs the reader exactly which cards to
play and how to play them. The only problem is the instructions are
valid only for certain game conditions. Fortunately, the assumed
conditions are popular in low limit games. Also fortunate, enough
caution is urged to ensure that any mistakes made are not costly.

This book is for low fixed-limit, full, ring games. It is not for
no-limit or pot-limit. It is not for games with seven or fewer
players. It is not for tournaments.

You cannot make a mistake buying this as your first hold'em book. You
can make a mistake thinking it applies to every game and that there is
nothing else to learn.

This is a must read for any low limit hold'em player, beginner or advanced. Text is concise and very easy to read with a convenient glossary of common poker terms. Will you go out and make a fortune after reading this book? Probably not. What you will do is pinpoint the mistakes in your game, and more importantly learn to recognize and take advantage of the mistakes made by others. Buy this book, study it, use the techniques presented and you'll be on your way to beating low limit hold'em.

I really like this book, and recommend it to all of my friends who are looking to improve their game. Some criticize Jones' advice as lacking in aggression, but it's critical to consider that it's far more important for novice to intermediate players to master a more passive style before trying to increase their aggression. In other words, I think that a poorly-played aggressive game is FAR riskier than a poorly-played passive game; MUCH bigger potential downside if you don't know what you're doing. My friends watch a lot of TV poker and use their "gut instinct" to arbitrarily bluff at pots, without any clue as to what they're actually doing or why - they just figure it's "time for a bluff". I think 98% of players would benefit from reverting to a more passive style before learning how to INTELLIGENTLY incorporate aggression into their game. Winning Low Limit Hold'Em is written in a very easy-to-understand style and will help immeasurably in building your understanding of the game.
I play mostly online these days, and run into these kids every day who take themselves for high-rollers - take my word for it that learning the fundamentals from an established writer like Jones will go a LONG way toward crushing these novices - Jones knows his stuff cold: he's actually now the poker room manager for PokerStars, one of the bigger online sites; if you do decide to take the online plunge (and I think you should), search around for a sign-up promotional code; they'll get you bonus money when you open an account. I agree with another post here that that pokercroaker.com typically keeps their codes fairly up to date.
In summary, every single one of my friends who has approached me about wanting to improve their game, I've given my well-worn copy of Jones' book - in my humble opinion, it's where nearly everyone should start, then perhaps move on to something written by Sklansky or Ciaffone.

If you've never read a book on hold'em, this book is useful. It explains pot odds and various other poker concepts; however, it may lead you, as it did me, into becoming a tight, agressive, LOSING player. Hell, I use to win all the time before I read Lee Jones. I played every hand, saw every flop, lost a lot, and won a lot. Now I know all about position, playing quality starting hands, and all I do is lose. I lose with pocket aces, I lose with kings, I always lose with A-K. I lose to inside straights made on the river, I lose to two small pairs, I lose to idiots. This book made me a losing player and I still haven't figured out why. Unless you're playing against total morons, do not follow the advice in this book. Learn when to be a calling station, learn when to be a maniac, and you might become a winner. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Anybody that is planning on, or allready does play Hold'em at limits less than 10/20 must buy this book. It is about the cheapest poker book around (with a few exceptions) and at least in my case, pays for itself immediately, many times over. As a regular 3/6 player, I went from a long string of consistent small (and sometimes big) losses, with an occassional big win, to a consistent winner. Of course, while this book is a good Hold'em primer, you must also read the more advanced Sklansky/Malmuth material, to become more familiar with the intricacies of the game, and so that you can someday move up to the more favorable, medium limit games. Buy it!

This book should be titled Beginning Holdem. It is very basic, and if you already know the rules but want to win the most you can, go for Ed Miller and David Sklansky's book: Small Stakes Holdem, from 2+2 publishing. While you might win at low limit holdem from Jones's book, you won't win so much, but if you don't win, you won't lose so much. This book goes over preflop play, and also goes over post flop play, but not enough. The miller book touches on preflop play, but most mistakes in low limit games are made after the flop, and that is where Jones's book doesn't excell and Miller's does. You will have bigger swings in winnings either positive or negative with Miller's book, but it is the only way to go.

I absolutely love this book.

I was playing 2/2 limit at my local card room, and doing OK. I would run between -1 to +10 bucks an hour, seemingly without any difference in play. I was playing tight-passive to tight-slightly aggressive. This book has shown me the error of my ways in an easy to understand and easy to follow discussion of the strategy and technique of tight-aggressive low limit poker. It has explained concepts like check-raising (this isn't just a sign of aggression and actually has deep strategic value), position, and implied odds in ways that escaped me in my basic internet survey of low limit strategy.

I am still integrating the changes into my game, but the sheer logic of how and why to play in each phase and with each type of possible hand has already turned me around. It's proven to me that I shouldn't be playing that Q2o no matter how frustrated I may be, and the Q9o isn't that much better. I knew that in my heart already... what I didn't know was that I should not fold to raises to avoid bad beats: they're bad because you should have won, statistically. This and many other lessons on the literal odds of poker and how to exploit them to your favor have been revealed to me by this book.

I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who has already adopted a tight strategy at low limit on their own. This will make you happy that you did, and guide you to making the most of the hands you do play, with an aggressive betting strategy.

The section on single table tournaments was also very useful to me, as they are common in card rooms along side low limit tables, and they scare the pants off me. Just on the discussion in this book I feel confident that I could at least not be the first one eliminated!

My only complaint, and I only mention it for balance, is that Mr. Jones does not go into detail of the key WHY as often as I would like. He may state that one hand is better than the other, but he doesn't always give the odds for non-obvious outs (e.g. pre-flop odds). However, with a little work on paper all of his statements are easily verifiable, and if you're worried about such things you're probably best-off double checking and thinking through such issues anyway.

I feel enlightened by this book and I can't wait to fully incorporate it into my game. Absolutely recommend to any casual or learning (<100 hours) low limit player. It may not teach you everything, and you may not agree with 100% of the "rules", but it is a brilliant discussion of the ins and outs of real world (brick AND internet) low limit poker. My hat is off to Mr. Jones.

Some people have complained that this book will lose you money because you become to tight and aggressive. Well, It matters what limits you are playing in order to use this book successfully. First of all do not use this book if you play micro-limit holdem with blinds below 1$-2$ because the other players at your table will not leave their hands for a raise. Many players at these kinds of tables do not think twice about being check raised, so your two main betting weapons are useless in such a game. Use this book in its intended setting in games between 3$-6$ and 5$-10$. If you do this, your tight play will save you money, other players at your will be tight and smart enough to be raised out of a pot. Only play at tables were raises will reduce the field. Then if you follow the advice in this book you will be a winning player.

I decided to take up live poker after developing a fondness for video poker. I have played enough casino blackjack to know that I didn't want to step into a poker cardroom without doing my homework.

After reading this book a few times and playing some hours free online, I made my debut at the local tables.

I'm killing! I haven't played enough hours yet to build true statistics, but I'm consistently taking money out of a 4-8 game.

It was funny to watch the other players who thought they had a live one on their hands when I first sat down. I was a little clumsy with the chips, I had to be reminded to post the blind.... but I still took their money! The look on faces around the table was priceless.

This book has paid for itself many times over for me. What better review can one give?

Edit: It is now Jan. 2005. I've learned much and suffered ups and downs along the way. I have over 20,000 hands documented online, and at least a thousand in casinos. I still would recommend this book as *the* starter Hold 'Em book.

There's a lot of holdem books out there, but specifically for a beginner/low limit player (3-6 and below) theres no better book than WLLH. This book is the BIBLE for Low-limit holdem. I started playing holdem a year ago, and i basically bought every book on holdem i could find before i started seriously playing. Sklanksy and Malmuth's Theory of Poker, Holdem for Advanced players. Doyle's super system, Phill hellmuth's book, Ciaffone and Reuben's book on big bet poker and a whole bunch of others i wont name. If you're a beginner you dont have the experience and skills to appreciate these other books (except for phil's which is complete crap). And a lot of the more sophisticated plays wont even work at low limit tables. I wasn't able to find any use for the other books until i got better and started playing better players. Lee Jones' book on the other hand, gives advice that you can start using right away. Its simple, and has a lot of pratical use, without getting too theoretical. If you're a noob and you just want to get one book to improve your holdem game, this is it. Dont make the mistake i did of buying a lot of advanced books i couldnt appreciate. save your money for now, and buy it later when youre ready and if you decide holdem is really your game.

let's keep this simple: read the book, but make your own analysis at the table. underemphasizes the importance of tells, which is what makes the difference between an average good player and an excellent one. plus, it's gonna take a lot to beat the house (rake). the way jones suggests you play, you'll probably play about 5 hands an hour which is about 3-5 dollars an hour to the house depending on where you play. with discipline and a lot of hours at the table, i think it's possible to be a "winning" player. plus toking..ai yai yai

ps too aggressive before the flop in the games i play

thanks to mr. jones 3-8 hours a day (60+ hours) monday through thursday for 3 weeks 4-8 hold-em 20.75/hr

great way to spend my vacation! but it ain't over yet (2 weeks to go..wish me luck)

11-13-03

some additional thoughts:

if you play EXACTLY the way jones suggests, i'll tear you up.
this is the best book for beginners.
the section in s&m's holdem for advanced players on loose games is gold.
the rake at the boats (midwest) is too high.
if you can play in a good home game, you can be a significant winner.
caro's book of tells is a must read.

This is the baseline standard for low limit Texas Hold Em playing. There's a big difference between a 2/4 or a 3/6 game and the "big boys" games over at the Mirage in Las Vegas or the CA tournaments. The psychology and the "right" moves in Low Limit change because people play differently with the small denominations. I tried reading some of the poker standards, but I got too bogged down in theory and explanation until I found this book, which is expressly written for the amateur low-limit Hold Em player.

In the 2nd edition, the author changed some of his advice from the first, updating it based on simulation testing and conventional wisdom. He even admits to making a mistake in the first version in the Introdcution.

This is a book if you are familar with poker and have tried Texas Hold Em. If you've never played the game before, there are other books that are better first-time teachers. While this does assume you have played before, the fundamentals are reviewed, and there's an excellent glossary if you need to refer back to make sure you know what the flop, trips, a check raise, or the nuts are.

Jones is a student of Sklansky and Malmouth, so he's feeding advice to the low limit player based on the grandaddy of all poker books. He's not some guy on the sidelines making up his own rules. Poker experts respect this book as one for the low-limit arena (not the arena they're playing in these days).

The advice is easy to follow. Jones instructs you how to play before the flop (when you just have 2 cards in your hand), after the flop, and on each successive card. He tells you what the minimum you need to stay in is, and he really improved my game by telling me when I should be raising, not just calling. My husband and I took our knowledge to Vegas and did quite well playing with these new techniques.

Hold Em looks easy on the big screen TV tournaments. If you are out there shooting from the hip without reading any theory, I implore you to pick up this book to give your game some direction. Just don't come play me once you've mastered it. :)

After picking up this book for kicks i read through it and it does have some good points as far as pre-flop rutine,starting hands, postition and what not but after that it falls way short. i know many people use books like this to play online, but i play in live casino games and am quickly refusing to play online. so i can speak from real world experiance here. the main problem i found in this book is that when regaurds to Pot Odds, it goes on to give the advice to feel free to raise or even re-raise on Flush Draws, or Open Ended straights, whichs is great for building a pot and getting a high return assuming your flush will hit, but later in the book it talks about playing Sets and Straight, saying go ahead and bet into the flush draw because the flush will usually not even get there...which makes one wonder why in one breath he says to bet it like you have it, and then in another that there is a slim chance of even hitting one if your betting aginst one. great for building your confidence, bad for you bank roll when you realize that you plunked alot of money on a solid hand that never filled up. also the problem i have is it assumes your oppenents know a thing or two about pot odds & implied odds, and i can almost easly say the probably won't. (even in the 6-12 games i regularly play in) the point being if it cost you 50% of the pot to catch a card you have a 12% chance of hitting is not smart play (which it isn't) but most low-limit players do not grasp this concept and will call simply on the fact that they have 2 cards in there hand that might win, or that they have chips in the pot that they want back. so unless you feel that the people you are playing with have this notion, it is extremly difficult to apply the advice from this book simply because you may invest a LOT of money into a pot that you might not get back even in the long run. i will say that the advice givin to playing "late position" is fairly well, i have played for a long time and have known to raise in position to get the "free card" (which it really isnt free...its half price) but this book stresses to go ahead and press the action (i.e. avoid slow playing) and after doing so, i drug a few pretty large pots (only by having the stone cold nuts) and the comment at the table was "man, that guy sure is a gambler" which in fact isnt the case which the book points out that i was the mathmatical favorite to win at almost 2:1 or 1.5:1 which is great when people think your throwing chips in on a "draw" when in the fact the "draw" is just a bonus to what you have already established on the flop or turn (i.e. Top Pair w/ a Nut Flush Draw) to conclude the book does give a couple good points that you will pick up on your on from just plain experiance assuming you are actually making a solid attempt to better yourself from others or your own mistakes or bad beats. if everyone at your table read this book then i would say you wouldnt have any problems, but like i said before you will be hard pressed to find a typical low-limit player with the strong fundamentals to play the "correct" or "mathmatical statistics" of poker, or even ones that will lay down pocket A's even though they are obviously beat and just sure pride keeps cards in there hands.

Have you heard the pros at the WSOP whine about getting busted out by an internet amateur? Have no sympathy for them. If they'd only brushed up and re-read their copy of Jones' Winning Low-Limit Hold'em, they'd have remembered that their fancy moves would not be effective against these newbies. It's much the same story at the 2-4 and 4-8 tables. These players will make mistakes and the way to make money is to capitalize on their mistakes by simply limiting your play to the cards that will make you money in the long run. If it sounds like a boring way to play poker, it is. But it's a heck of a lot better than losing your shirt to someone with a firm belief that "any two cards can win." For newbies, Jones is indispensible. Understanding which cards are playable and in which situations is the essence of this book. True, it's another tribute to the virtues of tight-aggressive play, but this one is well written, concise and clear. If you're new to the game or even if you're a pro who's likely to encounter us amateurs from time to time, Jones' lessons are worth taking to heart.

After reading Poker for Dummies (great beginner book) and logging a few online and land-based hours, I wanted to take my game to the next level. Winning Low-Limit Hold 'Em was recommended highly on rec.gambling.poker -- and understandably so. This book will undoubtedly improve your game. It's broken down into logical sections that allows any reader to design a self-study program to absorb the material (this is not the type of book you can read once and possibly remember everything).

I did have one problem with the book. Within a week of buying it, the binding complete fell apart, which allowed nearly 1/3 of the book's pages to fall out. I sent an email to Conjelco (the publisher) and got a response in 24 hours stating that a new book was on the way.

Great book. Great publisher. Highly recommend.

I'm a blackjack card counter; my brother wanted to teach me low-limit hold 'em. I asked him for one book and bought two of my own. His gift to me? Jones. My books? Brunson. The result of reading them together? I was comfortable from the start at 2-4 tables in Vegas. Did I win? Yes, but not very much, which I think is the message of Jones's text.

IF YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED HOLD'EM BEFORE, I can't think of a better introduction. I really don't understand most of the negative rewiews of "Winning Low Limit Hold'Em" even after reading and considering them carefully, except in this one respect: Jones doesn't give novices much advice for post-flop play. (Duh! it's a small book.) Oh, and many of the other negative reviewers seem to be from quite experienced players.

To recap: if you're very new to Hold'Em, get this book! It will save you stress and (probably) lots of money. Otherwise, pass; you probably know enough to fend for yourself.

This book won't make you a winner in $10-$20 games, but has good solid advice for most games below that. The amazing thing about this book is that loose low-limit players will play the same way (ie, lots of reckless raises and/or dumb calls) against an opponent using the strategems outlined in the book AGAIN AND AGAIN. If you study the material carefully (especially the starting hand requirements), this book alone is enough to make you a consistent winner.

Raising, bluffing, free cards, and the like are described better elsewhere; however, for the novice or occasional gambler this book is a must read. You'll save the price immediately in what you don't lose at the poker tables. Although the book is primarily aimed at those playing low-limit poker in card clubs (especially in California), I have found it to help my play in private games and on the Internet as well.

So yeah, I was just reading a section in this book for about the fifth time and the page fell out! If you get this book, try not to read it so much! I just can't help myself though because it's so good.

This book will teach you so much about adjusting your strategy in the low limits. It gets it all down to a science and is presented in a very concise and easy to follow format. It's pretty short which is awesome because it's packed with solid information. I almost finished my first read of it in two days. If you study it hard enough you should have no trouble turning this science into an art form.

So, if you happen to be a relatively decent player but seem to lose your cash at the tables whey you get called down to the river by some schmuck who called a raise pre-flop while in middle position with T7 off-suit, by all means buy this book! (For the record, this schmuck I refer to ended up with a boat)

Anyways, I could go on and on but there are about 55 other good reviews for you to read...

When I was first learning to play Hold 'Em, this book was recommended highly by just about every player I knew.

Aside from Poker for Dummies, this was the very first book I purchased. As it turned out, it was the only book I needed to become a consistent winner. Although my poker library has since grown tremendously, the foundation of my poker education rests within the pages of this book.

Although I play primarily online, the system in Winning Low Limit Hold'em is very suitable for either land-based or Internet play. The book is written very tightly, so you don't need to struggle through long and wordy explanations for the concepts of Hold'em play. Within a few weeks, I actually became a winning player (albeit, barely). I continued to study from the book for the next few months, and my win rate continued to improve. I now play primarily $1/$2 and $2/$4 Hold'em online, and my hourly win-rate is nearly equal to that of my full-time day job.

The array of poker books has exploded in the past year, but if you're truly commited to winning, this is probably the only book you need.

following the guidelines in this book ie pocket cards,position play before and after the flop etc and playing exactly as Lee Jones spells out I have lost over $$$ steadily over a 4 month period.The book appears well written with seemingly good ideas but my experience over this period tells me that the contents are seriously flawed.Over this period I have played about 20 hours per week which I think gives the book a fair hearing

Lee hits the nail on the head for Northern California low limit Hold'em games, of course that's where he's from. This book is great for a beginner or an experienced player alike. Some $6-$12 games and up are too tight for some of Lee's ideas, but some loose games up to $10-$20 fit his strategies well. As usual, it depends on the players. Most other poker books teach you how to beat higher limit, tigher games. Those strategies don't work as well in the low limit games. Great book!

I bought this book after reading Poker for Dummies, which I did not find very useful. This book, however, I found to be imminently readable, and I felt the advice could be put into practice. The book is very logically organized, covering a system of play from pre-flop through river. It offers good advice on how to play most situations. The emphasis is on playing only premium hands, which don't come along that often; but playing them aggressively when they do.

I decided to put the system to the test by using "play money" on one of the online casinos, doing my level best to follow the advice in the book about which hands to play and how to play them. I played for 109 hours at $5-10, $10-20, and $25-50 tables, and kept track of my hourly performance. Over the period, I won $42,375 from a single $1,000 investment. My average hourly performance was winning 37.45 small bets. My worst hourly performance was losing 136 small bets. My best hourly performance was winning 210 small bets. Based on statistical standard deviation, 90% of the time I could expect my performance to range between losing 30 small bets and winning 105 small bets. I am a believer.

The system Lee Jones outlines in this book is everything one needs to become a winner at low-limit Hold'em. He covers all the important concepts such as starting hand requirements, pot odds, implied odds, how often you'll convert different draws, and when to try more advanced concepts such as the free card play and the semi-bluff (rarely!). This book and Sklansky's book on the theory of poker have made me a winner at 3/6.

Every tough loss I've suffered came when I didn't follow Jones' advice, such as raising with the non-nut flush (four flush cards on the board), not betting top pair to punish drawing hands, drawing to a straight with a pair on the board. The book is so short and well-written that it only takes an hour or so to reread different sections. This really helps to solidify concepts and fine tune your play after a bad session.

Other books I think have helped are `The Theory of Poker' by David Sklansky and `The Complete Book of Hold'em Poker' by Gary Carson. Sklansky is tough to read but he explains many of the more complicated concepts in great detail (I read this first). Carson's book is really underrated but it really helped me to think like a poker player and pg. 204 is a must (I read this third). Miller, Sklansky, and Malmuth's book (Small Stakes Hold'em) is a very similar book, but is much more detailed and confusing.

Heard about the book through an online search and of course was totaly sceptical. But was I glad that I bought the book, the day I received it I went through it twice, second day 2 more times, third day I was playing online not for real money. Following the guidelines in the book did rather well playing @ the $3to$6 tables was able to go from $1000.00 start and in five days was up to $3100.00. Have now moved to real money but staying @ .20t0.50 cent tables I am making money just not as fast but getting there. Follow the book to the letter and you will be greatly rewarded, deviate and be prepared to pay for your mistakes.

I read this book about a year ago when I started playing poker online, and I'm happy to say that it gave me the foundation for being a constant winning player. I've made close to $10,000 playing online by following the basic strategies in this book. The players in the 1-2 games online are absolutely pathetic, so by following the advice in here and just playing a tight game, you'll win much more often than not. If you want to make some nice supplemental income, just read the book and follow the rules. Easier said than done, but get some practice and the money is there for the taking.

I bought this book after tasting my first success at Texas Hold'em in a home game with friends with a $20 buy-in. I realized I got lucky because I really didn't know how I won, except that by some instinct (or cheapness), I refrained from playing bad hands. I later learned, from this book, that that was the right thing to do, and that was the only thing I knew about Hold'em strategy.

My first reading of this book showed me that I played like a rock, and against better competition I would lose because I was so predictable. I also learned a more structured starting hand requirements, and the very important aspect of position. But I only understood these concepts in the most general of ways. My second reading of the book, which I'm doing right now, is revealing so much more to me that I didn't pick up the first time. I'm also supplementing my reading with a lot of computer gaming (Poker Academy Hold'em game), as well as more home games, and some internet free games.

I have also picked up Ed Miller's (with Sklansky and Malmuth) Book 'Small Stakes Hold'em- Winning Big with Expert Play' and am reading that at the same time. I would recommend both books highly, along with the Poker Academy's Hold'em Program. The three of them together seems to be accelerating my learning curve rather rapidly. I am holding my own against players that have been playing for money on the internet and in the Casinos almost daily for the last three years, and I have just started 3 months ago. The cost for all three is roughly $75, but I have won well over $300 in small stakes games since making the purchases, and I only play for money every couple of weeks.

OF the three products I have mentioned, I keep coming back to this book most often for my beginner status. I think as I continue to learn and improve I will switch over to Ed Miller's book and will eventually buy Sklansky's Advanced Hold'em Book. But if you are just starting to get serious about Hold'em, Lee Jones' book is the book to have.

Lee Jones does an excellent job of explaining rock solid Low Limit play. Simply a must-read for beginners. Since reading this book, I am a consistent winner at 2-4 (Atlantic City Casinos). It's amazing how much information Jones packed into such a small book. What is even more amazing is how profitable $2-4 games can be. Most poker books pose that good Hold'em players should make 1 big bet per hour. I average 4-6 times that at low limit, much of it attributed to Jones' book. As a companion to this book I would strongly recommend Gary Carson's book on Hold'em. Carson elaborates on Jones's foundation, and is a great book for taking your game to the next level

As with most poker books a lot is repetitive. The 1st half of the book tells you HOW to play the game and what cards to play and why.

What keeps this book on top of my poker pile is the 2nd half of the book. I play A LOT online and the section that suggests how to play certain types of hands (what do you do with overcards, how do you play a straight draw, what do you do with middle pair and an over/under card) is what keeps me coming back.

When the bad streak his (and it always does) it's good to review books like this and reassure yourself that you are NOT crazy.

Bang for the buck - it's a good book.

After browsing many books on Hold'em, I finally decided to purchase this one. I am glad that I did. Unvarnished advice for the beginning to intermediate player. I wish that there was more information on pot odds and implied odds with many more examples to make the point for those of us who are mathematically challenged. Jones should have had an entire chapter dedicated to calculating odds, including some tricks for figuring odds on the fly.

I also wish there were detailed charts with odds and position bets. Basically, I was hoping for an appendix section at the end with information in chart format. I think that this would bring the very valuable information in the book to light for those of us who are visual learners.

My favorite thing about the book, though, is that the writing is clear and informative. So many of the so-called writers can't write! Lee Jones is a step above. I recommend this book very highly to anyone about to sit down at a real table for the first time. Just give yourself a few months to really absorb the material in this book. (4 stars only for the lack of in-depth teaching of pot odds and probabilities.)

An excellent book for hold'em beginners, primarily because it teaches you which hands to immediately muck before the flop (which will give you a mathematical advantage versus almost any typical hold'em player). The post flop advice is a mix of good, marginal, and bad, and there is zero advice for shorthanded or head-up situations... read Ciaffone and Brier's "Middle Limit Holdem" and/or Sklansky and Malmuth's "Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players" as an excellent followup.

I'll start out this review by saying that I was completely turned on to poker by the movie Rounders. The movie focused on Texas Hold 'Em, and therefore I naturally checked out this popular variant of poker first. I found myself really enjoying the game, but wanted to learn the intricate strategy that is necessary to consistently beat the game. For my purposes, as well as any normal beginner, a thorough Low Limit Hold 'Em guide is what I needed. After reading a couple of reviews, I decided to buy this book, and it was a great decision. The book is broken down into logical chapters that guide you through the many situations that you will face. Unlike most short poker volumes, this one is pretty thick and will take a bit longer to fully understand. As the author suggests, re-reading is a must. The beginning poker player, not necessarily a hold 'em player, may also want to check out Poker for Dummies, as the book goes through several different variants of poker as well as providing amusing stories about various Poker legends - a fun read overall. Anyway, I highly suggest this Lee Jones book, and will say that it has set me in the winning direction that I wanted my poker game to go.

It was hard for me to give this book 5 stars, because that would make it the equivalent of the Great Gatsby, but this is the best book on Texas Hold'em I have ever read. I started by reading it three times in a row and then went to Biloxi and played a 17 hour marathon. I took my share of bad beats, but with the rake and all was only down $100 all due to Mr. Jones. The best thing he defines is how to figure what kind of game you are in and how to play in that kind of game.

After just a couple days of normal use, the pages began coming out. The book fell apart.
I have taped and retaped.

This should be everyone's first poker book for low limit holdem. It explains the necessary tools in order to make money at low limits. The reading is very easy and should take about a day or two to finish. I would recommend reading it twice or even three times. The more you read it the more you will understand how to win at low limits. The question and answer sections are a great way to fully digest the material.
This should be everyone's FIRST LOW LIMIT POKER BOOK.
After you are comfortable with the material I would recommend the
"Small Stakes. . . " (Sklansky) book
good luck

My original review of this excellent book is dated November 10, 2003.

I want to follow up on Poker Bud's June 28, 2004 review.

He is 100% correct about the need for all poker players to prepare for the inevitable run of bad cards and bad river beats that any holdem player will be the victim of from time to time. And yes it can be extremely frustrating to outplay your opponents (which I don't do too often) only to have them suck out on you on the river time and after time for days on end. But in Texas Holdem, it is GOING TO HAPPEN, period.

The psychology aspect is an advanced topic, yet an absolutely essential topic, but I am not real sure what particular Sklansky publication he is referring to. I would, however, without hesitation, recommend Jon Vorhaus' "Killer Poker" for this very issue and some others. It covers the intangibles of the game of poker in vivid detail and is very well written to boot. Vorhaus covers the issues that you will have to master before you can really move up to the next level.

Back on point, Winning Low Limit Holdem is the best fundamental poker book out there. It has improved my game probably more than any other book on the market. I still review it on occasion to instill the fundamentals that we all need to keep sight of as we progress.

Read my original November 10, 2003 review on this book for more information.

A good book with some good information but the book falls apart as you read it. I've went through two copies and didn't even make it through the first chapter and half the pages fell out of the book. I would not purchase this book until this is fixed. Once this is addressed I would highly recommend the book.

How could anybody listen to this guy?
In a recent (summer 2002) Poker magazine he wrote an article where he had J T suited (RED) and both black aces in an omaha game, on the turn there were two spades and two clubs and he thinks he's got a flush draw in both black suits.
I e-mailed the editor of the magazine and explained you have to have two cards to play in omaha and five cards to make a flush,
but no answer came back.
Read his articles and you wont buy this book.
Get Sklansky on holdem or Ciaffone's Middle Limit book.

One issue that I haven't seen addressed here is the difference between the first and second editions of this book. I've had the first edition for several years, and was wondering if the second edition was revised enough to make it worthwhile. After finally breaking down and buying the new edition, I'd say that it was worth the money. Although much of the advice is the same, the pre-flop play section has been substantially changed. In general, Jones recommends playing many hands more aggressively (i.e. raising instead of calling) pre-flop than in the first edition. Given that a single 3/6 hold 'em pot is often larger than the cost of the book, an upgrade from the first edition is an easy call.

I will keep this short and to the point. I have read just about every Hold em book out there. This is the best book ever written for those who play the low limits. It took me from a break even player to a consistent winner. If you are looking for a similar improvement in your game, buy this book!

This book gave a basic philosphy to start with. I've played poker & variations since the age of 2, so I consider myself a solid, intermediate player. What this book will offer the reader is a strategy on how to win at $3-$6 and $5-$10 tables. I have a very defined plan at the blackjack tables that I follow to the letter...I took the book's approach after reading it to my local room & walked away from my first $3-$6 game up $140. Not bad for 2 1/2 hours of play (same results not guaranteed, as we all know).

Only problem I had with the book is that it was a slow read. But after going back through it a second time, I understood the major points the author was trying to get accross.

Jones' WLLH may be the best-written Poker instruction manual I've ever read. Written in a fun and intelligent style with a notable absence of the arrogance of the Sklansky and Malmuth books (which are absolute must-reads, by the way), WLLH puts forth a relatively easily followed system for beating the typical "no fold-em hold 'em" game. The book is extremely well organized, and although I've read and re-read it several times, I never fail to learn something new from it each time I review. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I started playing Texas Hold 'em about a month ago. I consistently lost money until I started reading this book. Now I'm winning consistently, and I'm only halfway through it. I don't mind the term "low-limit" being considered synonymous with "beginner-level," because that is what I am. I play 10¢/20¢ tables online right now. I "graduated" from 1¢/2¢, then 2¢/4¢. Next month I hope to hit the 25¢/50¢ tables.

The point is that I haven't deposited a penny from my bank account since I began reading and applying the words of Lee Jones.

The two best pieces of advice I could possibly give to a new player are to read this book, and never sit at a table with more than 10% - 20% of your money. If you can't afford to lose and have another five or 10 chances to play again another day, you're giving your money away to people like me. This may mean playing for pennies (like I do). Don't feel low-class. Let the bad players build your bankroll to prepare you for the big tables -- not your paycheck.

I guarantee I will re-read this book enough that I'll want another copy -- so I just placed one in my Amazon cart. I hesitated to write a review at all -- thinking that I could only help other people take my money. Then I realized that there are already a ton of positive reviews, and I'm still winning barely a month into the game. So if you're smart enough to actually read a book instead of watching tournament play for your poker education, good for you. I hope to see you winning at the next table over.

I'll cut to the part everyone needs to know (with a shocking piece of evidence contained below): this book is full of wishy-washy theoretical and contradictory advice. It's appalling how on a few occasions Jones nonchalantly explains how his view of such-and-such has reversed since the last edition (so, he was wrong then, but now he's right?) All editions have gotten rave reviews. So whenever he is right or wrong, most readers have been praising either way. Usually these jarring swings of his perspective are insultingly supported by almost nothing of substance (keeping well to the theme of his writing style).

I'd like to point out that this is from the writer's THIRD "edition". It seems up until now (or maybe even until further editions), previous owners of the book have merely been paying for drafts, as Jones continues his research and learns poker well enough that he can write an edition with CORRECT advice. It feels like a beta version of a software, released too soon to the public, unjustified in it's retail price.

Now for the shocking evidence, straight from the pages of the third edition.
The context: Jones is explaining the situation where a pair comes in the flop, in this case 8s. He writes on page 99:
"...many players are willing to play almost any two cards, so it's hard to figure out the probability of somebody having an 8."
Only TWO PAGES LATER on 101 he has amnesia and contradicts himself:
"in a nine-person game, if you see two eights on the flop...there is a 40% chance that nobody at the table was dealt an 8".

How these oversights and contradictions weren't noticed by the hundreds of other praising reviewers, I don't know. Flaws like this make me question the source.
I believe, as others have pointed out, that most of the (standard) advice in this book is good. The parts that are not good, or missing, may make a decent player into a losing one. You will learn WHAT to do (according to the author), but at the peril of not understanding WHY (as he never sees it important to explain most of it). Until Jones finishes his self-education on poker... and on writing, I will take his advice with a grain of salt.

I am relatively new to card-room limit hold'em. The book provides valuable instruction on card-room etiquette as well as a winning strategy specifically taylored for low-limit games.

The author gives the novice a lot to think about (maybe too much all at once) but if you are too tight a player (as I was), you can fairly easily adopt the author's strategy in a step-by-step fashion that you are comfortable with.

The author gives excellent advice on the subtleties of the game such as the importance of position, pot odds, and how to get "free" cards. These things help you know when it is in your interest to loosen-up your play.

I played 3/6 hold'em the night after I finished the book. I typically throw away small pairs (22-99). However, on advice from the author I called three times on the button with a small pair when at least 5 people were in the pot. The odds of making the set are poor but, as the book explains, the amount of money in the pot makes your $3 bet worth it. Twice I didn't make the set on the flop and lost $3, but once I flopped the set and raked in $62. The point is: I never would have known this strategy without the book. It paid for itself the first night I put it into practice.

Buy it and start dominating your local low-limit table.

Winning Low-Limit Hold'em was the definitive low-limit guide prior to Small Stakes Holdem. Some experts believe Jones starting hand recommendations are too tight and while it will get you profitable, there are lots of opportunity to profit with non-premium hands in the right game conditions (e.g. loose, passive games where you can limp with a speculative hand and see the flop & turn cheaply, with lots of callers going to showdown).

If you're an amateur player playing low-limit holdem, you really must read this book. Hard to believe, but after applying the concepts from just the first 10 pages of the 2nd section (Play of the Hand), I began winning consistantly...even though I was still playing a little looser in some cases than the book suggests.

Do not ignore the comments on "position" and "relative position." I would credit this alone with the improvement I'm already seeing in my game. Understanding the ROI (return on investment) of betting a round has also been a real eye-opener.

Above all, unless you're playing against a known bluffer, keep this solid advice in mind: "Look for a reason to fold." It's hard to make that mental shift and throw away hands at first, but if you want to be good at low-limit and not just "lucky," this is an invaluable book to read and follow. Excellent resource.

I learned how to play Hold 'Em in an hour. That's to say my $20 bucks only lasted that long. I folded a lot at first, but only because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. The next night I lost another $20, but left the table feeling more empowered with the knowledge I gained from my loss. What can I say? I was an idiot. I picked up this book based on the written reviews and it's opened my eyes. After reading the first few chapters I realized how naive I actually was when it came to cards, not just Hold 'Em. This book teaches you everything. Ratios, Pot Odds, Position, Player Types, Card Play, etc, etc. It even summarizes each chapter with a short quiz to make sure the information has sunk in. If your a beginner, or if you that think your an intermediate poker player this is a fantastic book to start with. You'll find you start using it as a reference and go back to it often. In conclusion, this book helps you win back some of that money you've already lost. It'll give you an edge over your buddies, but don't get cocky or you'll end up bust.

Good book for beginners and an absolute must read for low-limit players. Sklansky and Malmuth is a better book for the advanced player at higher limits, but the advice in this book is much better suited for the lower limit player. Written in easy to read style. This book is highly recommended.

EDIT: Although still a good "starter" book and a good book for the player who needs to stop bleeding chips all over the table, Miller's "Small Stakes Holdem" is now far and away the best book on beating the low-limit game. After reading Miller's book, I'm forced to downgrade this one from 5 stars to 4.

I hate how these books are advertised because they make it sound like all you do is read the book, follow it's advise, and suddenly you'll be able to beat any low-limit game or at least break even. That's simply NOT true--you have to exercise your own judgement and know when to deviate from some of the standard guidlines given here. If you were to follow these rules exactly in all situations I bet you would slowly LOSE money (although you'd lose it much slower than someone who didn't read the book). Reading poker books such as this one is always worthwhile but don't expect it alone to suddenly make you be able to beat any low limit game.

I've read most of the important books and this one has special practical value in my experience. The Sklansky books and other popular titles are quite biased towards a style of seldom seen among 'ordinary' players.

This book covers much of the same fundamental material, but with much more realistic assumptions about the skill levels of the typical opponent. While the basics are univeral, this difference actually requires a strategy recalibration that the advanced books usually spend only a little time on.

My advice: read 'em all, but this one has been most relevant with the typical game.

I an finding this book to contain excellent advice on winning at holdem. However the book is falling apart as I read it. The binding is so poor that the pages fall out almost as you finish the page. I think this kind of book would be used as a continuing referance which make this problamatic.

I think all of the information is here though it does take some digging out at times. Also it could have been better, if the examples presented were better organized and clearer.

I read this book as a beginner to casino style low-limit hold-em. Using the techniques and advice Jones offers I became a consistent winner immediately. Now that I am a little more versed in hold-em I still find his advice usefull and relevant. This book does not cover complex plays but does touch on some complex ideas like check-raises, getting free cards, building a pot, etc... As the title says, this book is a great book for a beginner and a good book for anyone else.

I bought this book and followed the instructions as closely as I could after only a couple of readings and I have become a poker powerhouse. I was always afraid to step into the poker area in my local casinos but this book has made me a competent player who now has more good nights than bad. Thanks Mr. Jones.

Although I've been playing home poker games for a couple years (almost always in the money), I still consider myself a novice at the game. I recently decided to take it more seriously in hopes of making a little extra income.

When I received this book, I couldn't put it down. The author covers every aspect of low-limit Texas Hold-em in a very easy to read format. In general, I don't read many books but I finished this one off in less than 2 days as there is so much useful information on every page. It has given me enough confidence to open my first online poker account and I am making profit already.

If you're new to the game (or just want to improve your play), get this book! I also highly recommend Collin Moshman's "Sit 'n Go Strategy" if you enjoy playing single table tournaments.

I first opened Ed Miller's Small Stakes Hold Em over a year ago, and was initially fearful of reading anything else on the subject as it took me awhile to internalize Miller's recommendations. The last thing I wanted was to do was get confused. However, upon finally finishing Winning Low Limit Hold Em I can now say that this is the perfect accouterment to the Miller work. They are not competitors; the two are synergistic and make one seriously contemplate the game. If you're thinking, "Which one should I read?" My answer would be "both." Look, these two are worth whatever you pay for them unless you're planning on staying at the 2 cent tables forever. Amazon only offers reviewers a rating system with a maximum of 5 stars, but giving out 20 stars to Small Stakes... and Winning... would be completely appropriate.

From what I can gather, the third edition is a thorough update. It seems as if he made enough changes to even interest readers of the earlier versions. In terms of mechanics, this manual is less technical than Small Stakes..., but it is almost as valuable due to the clarity of Jones' style. His advice is often qualified and he strikes one as being a humble man. He sensibly puts the arguments pundits get into about what to play into perspective. The narrator says things like, "however, if you didn't play [X] at all you could still be a winning player." He educates beginners about what's important along with what he regards as being peripheral.

Overall, most of the criticism I previously heard about Winning...turned out to be wrong. This is particularly true of Jones' statement: "look for a reason to fold." It's not pusillanimous. His words are wonderful counsel-at least in my case. I am great at folding before the river but very poor at dropping out before the turn. This lack of discipline has cost me money countless times. A little more Lee Jones and a little less freelancing is the way to positive EV. Again, perhaps your game is different and my observation doesn't apply to you. Of course, there's more here than mechanical discussion. This is especially true in regards to the no limit section. Miller's coming out with a No Limit book soon, and I'm certain it will be excellent, but, until then, Jones offers sound guidance in his Sit-and-Go section. It's very good, and his point about Sit-and-Go's having less variance than tournaments makes perfect sense to me as, in one table freeze outs, places 1-3 are generally paid off while in major tournaments, only the top 9 to 10 percent cash. I wish I would have read this last year, my big bet hourly rate would probably be twice what it is.

Simply tops out of all the books I've read on low-limit poker. Written in plain English, as opposed to the formula driven text in others. This book shows practical examples of play based on position in fixed limit games most comonly found on the internet and poker rooms. Additionally, coverage of SNG is well presented and crutial to anyone wanting to advance in their game.

What can I say that hasn't been said on here? This book is straight forward, to the point and in my opinion honest (he isn't promising to turn you into a millionaire in the first week). I have been playing for about 6 months (yes my poker playing was rekindled by WPT on tv) and found this book to really open up my eyes ecspecially on how to play every hand from start to finish. I would have classified myself as a tight passive player prior to reading this book (although like most, I would sometimes get the urge to "gamble" after folding hand after hand). This book has given me the tools to become a more tight aggressive player when my hand dictates I should be. I think anyone who is playing Hold'em should probably read this book, although in a way I hope they don't as I would prefer to win their money and not vice versa.

Winning Low-Limit Hold'em was the first poker book I read. I personally think is the first book you should read if you want to play hold'em. My rating on the book is based on this assumption; that you are in the market for your first or second hold'em book. There are some strategic flaws in the book, but none of them compelled me to lower my rating on the book because I understand that you can't teach concepts that will only confuse new players or not applicable to low limit games.

this book is just like the other books written by non-professional players... such as "Serious Poker"... it is no good. go ahead... buy it, read it, lose.

I read this book before venturing into the local cardroom, and I've been a regular winner! Forget the negative reviews on this book...this book has helped me a lot! For the folks who have lost occaisionally with AK or pocket aces...it happens! That's why it's called GAMBLING! Actually, I shouldn't tell anyone about this book, so if you are one of those people who feel comfortable about betting with a hand like 3-7 before the flop, please disregard what I have written, so I can take your money someday!

Bought this book after playing several weeks of low limit hold 'em in a local game. I read and studied the book and took my new knowledge to my local game, where I lost $80 playing a $1-$3 game. It was the most I had ever lost in a single session with these guys. Nevertheless, I went to a casino the next weekend and won $400. It was the first time I had ever played at a casino. The difference was most of the guys I played with at the casino actually knew how to play the game. They folded cards like 10's and 2's, whereas my friends normally keep them - and sometimes win by getting cards like two 2's on the flop. This book will most definitely teach you how to play low limit hold 'em the way it's supposed to be played. You can't bluff very much (if ever) in low limit, and this book emphasizes that point. Read and study this book, and don't let yourself get bored when you're folding hand after hand (which you will do if you follow this book's advice). The principles taught here will ultimately win you a lot of money.

This is exactly the book low-limit players wish they had read when they first started. The information is clear, concise, and well presented, without the intimidating math of many other books on the subject. I recently "graduated" to Low-Limit Hold 'Em from 5-Card Draw and 7-Card Stud, and after reading Lee Jones' excellent book, my winning averages went through the roof! This is a very specific and much-needed book that Low-Limit players ignore at their own risk! No doubt a "Must-Read."

By far, the best poker book I have ever seen. It is written extremely well. Jones doesn't waste time with superstition, anecdotes, or other Yocal fallicies that litter all poker books. The fundamentals of winning poker are explained in a concise and scientific fashion.

I first began playing hold'em back in 2003. I was playing mostly online low limit games for real money and I was losing. This was unacceptable to me and so being a somewhat bookish person I decided a book on hold'em was what I needed. Since I like to play low limit structured limit games I bought this book. Honestly, it turned me from a losing player into a winning player in one week and I subsequently built my account up to the point where I could withdraw a few checks for several hundred dollars. Unfortunately, my success bread overconfidence, which caused me to begin losing and lose that confidence along with my money. So I took a step back while I was still well ahead. I now play occasionally and am again a winning player. My advice is to read this book, don't play with "scared money," and if you are losing, take a step back and regroup, and maybe even reread this book. It really is that good.

This is the definition of a three-star book.

For one particular use, it's excellent. As a first serious book on hold 'em, it's a very good place to start. Jones writes in a style that is easy to understand. He oversimplifies, sometimes, but he introduces a lot of key concepts in a very readable, understandable way.

That being said, if you want the definitive book on low limit hold 'em, buy "Small Stakes Hold 'em," by Miller, Sklansky, and Malmuth instead. There should be no doubt that the latter book is more accurate and thorough. It covers the same material in more depth, and when the two books disagree, Miller et al are correct and Jones is wrong.

But Miller et. al. wrote a book for people who are already comfortable playing poker at a solid level. Jones did not. Jones wrote a book for somebody who wants to play poker and win more than he loses. Make no mistake: Jones will turn you into a break-even or slightly-positive player, and his book deserves praise for being readable and accessible. It is an excellent first book on serious poker, and you will beat your home games and many small-stakes casino games following his advice.

Miller et al wrote a book which will be overwhelming for novices, who will be very comfortable with Jones. So if you want to get good at small-stake hold 'em, read Jones's book. Play a little. Get comfortable. Then go buy Miller et al's book ... and make a bundle.

One of the first poker books I ever bought, six years ago, was the first edition of this book. Now it has been updated a couple of times and has definitely improved. The preflop standards are pretty tight, and this will pay off under the proper conditions.
It seems that limit Hold-em games are slowly dying out online. They seem to be tightening up little by little, as well. But if you take advantage of the best rakeback programs (where you get a piece of the rake, whether you put money into the pot on that hand or not), and if you play tight preflop as recommended in this book, you should make a solid income with very little risk. I originally built my bankroll using the advice in this book, but have switched to the no-limit sit and goes now because they are so juicy. Limit tables are tougher to find now, especially during non-peak hours. Still, if you are just starting out at poker, and want to build your bankroll with minimal risk, I suggest you buy this book. But buy the most recent edition! There have been substantial changes.

Poker's like that. It's one continual contradiction. Now about the book. I brought it. I read it. And I also read the Sklansky one afterwards too. Looking back I believe I read them in the right order. Lee Jones is a REALLY good first book that gently teaches you far more than you've any right to expect from a primer. Most of the people who are arguing over pieces of it are probably better players and so can see beyond the basics. When you're knew you need this book and this gradiant rather than the ins and outs of academic argument. Re-re-read it while you play. It'll help keep you on the straight and narrow and prevent you from tilting too much as you come to terms with getting dealt no playable hands for hours on end. I don't believe the tables now are quite what they were when either this or the Sklansky books were last revised. You'll still find the loose, soft tables they site, but with less frequency. Where this book leaves you is with a sound understanding of the game. If you're new and want to sharpen up before putting money on the table consider also purchasing Poker Academy. It'll help you knock the rough edges off your game before committing any cash. Don't bother with play chip tables on the internet though.

This was THE BOOK to read a few years ago as casino and online games were much softer than they are these days. Now though, I think that following this book as it suggests will make you too predictable - even in average low-limit games. However, these concepts do provide a great foundation for new and learning players. If you are looking to learn limit poker I would suggest reading 'Theory of Poker' followed by this book.

This book explains how to play low-limit hold 'em and provides numerous strategies for winning.

While I am a beginner and am having a hard time keeping track of all the nuances, I have learned some valuable lessons about position, which pocket cards to bet with, and post-flop play.

This is mostly for fun. I am practicing these strategies with poker software and play money. I also recommend Poker Academy V2 by Pokersoft.

I haven't bet online or played at a casino. I might if I get really good.

Simply put, I love this book.....I have been searching for quite some time, looking for a book that would improve my holdem game, not just books containing theory or non-practical analysis. This book is like no other book out there, that I've seen , because this is the one book that practically showed me how to play different hands in different situations. The game of Low-limit holdem is so characteristically different from even middle limit or high limit and this book is designed for specifically low limit games. I really enjoy how Lee Jones not only tells you what move is the best move, but he many times will explain why this is the best move. Now, I go down to the poker casino and hit up the low limit tables, and more than not, I end up cashing out for more money than I brought in. If you follow this book fairly straight up, it would be very difficult to lose your bankroll in low limit games, by limiting your losses and maximizing your profit opportunities. This book is great in its content, but even better in its organizational presentation.

This book is a terrific introduction to limit hold 'em at the lower limits. Jones stresses hand selection and discipline, which are the two things beginners need to focus on the most. The first mistake is the most costly, which is why not playing bad hands is often more importantly than how you play the good cards. Most beginners think any hand with an Ace, any hand with two face cards and any suited cards should be played. Jones tries to correct that with straight-forward advice.
Most players should plan on reading this book a few times -- interspersed with live action play -- to fully digest the lessons.

If you are a beginner (like I was), and are interested in playing Hold'em, this book is for you! I read and re-read this book several times before playing my first poker game. Then I held my own in a 4-hour session of $3-6 Hold'em against very experienced players. I never could have done it without this book. I can't recommend it enough.

When I ordered this book I struggled to understand what I was supposed to do and when it was supposed to be done. Lee Jones takes you step by step through all the aspects of the game from reading hands, odds for your hand, pot odds, and implied odds. Jones also lays out a winning strategy for your play from your pre-flop cards all the way to the showdown. Sound overwhelming, don't worry Jones explains step by step what he is doing and why. If you are a beginner you will see a noticable improvement in your game after reading this book, imagine what you could do if you studied this book. Remember though, this book is for Low Limit Hold 'Em. It may give you an idea of what to do in No Limit, but this is strictly low limit hold em, if you want to win read this book.

i liked the book. gives you a method to play intelligently
only problem is it doesn't work. at least for me
i have put in 200 hours in low limit play online and i have slowly lost my money.
the other players are pretty smart at playing poker also and don't play like morons
i think the rake is the problem.
anyhow the book is very good but don't expect to win at low limit hold em
the problem is that when you have a good hand you are limited in the amount you can bet. maybe in no limit hold em it is different
i'd say at most half my losses were due to my inexperience in poker. but even if gus hansen played with the hands i was dealt it would be unlikely he could show a profit.

I loved it. Tells the truth, no hidden agenda.

I have read virtually every book published about Texas hold 'em, and think this is the first book a beginner should buy.

This book will give the beginner (like myself) a great early start. Skalansky may be the best but I feel it is too detailed/indepth when first starting out. Start with this book and you can have some early results, then move up to Skalansky.

This is by far the best low-limit book on the market. If you read it and follow his advice you will crush the 2-4 and 5-10 games. If you're serious about Hold 'em then also get Hold 'em poker for advanced players and Theory of Poker by David Sklansky. But for low limit play I still think this is the definitive text.

This is a clearly written and well organized beginner's guide to low-limit Hold'em. If you want to understand the basic concepts, this is as good a book as any to use. However, you may need to supplement your study of this book with several hundred hours of actual play before the concepts really sink in. Be sure to read more advanced books while you are at it, such as Doyle Brunson's "Super/System", Sklansky's "Theory of Poker", and get a good reference on Hold'em statistics, such as Tablanette's "Statistics of Hold'em Poker". You might also want one of the videos on tells. And above all, if you are going to play in a card club or casino, observe the winners - those who actually end up with the most chips - and see if you detect patterns in how they play. Nothing can replace your own observation and analysis.

I'd been playing loose and lively home games for many years, but had never played casino poker, and all I knew about casino play was that you had to play "tight", whatever that meant.

I bought this book a month before taking a holiday in Las Vegas, read it twice, and easily beat the 3-6 tables at the Mirage for about $600. With that bankroll as a starting point, I have had no trouble beating any game I've played (up to 10-20), and I've never had my bankroll broken.

P.S. What I thought was "tight" play didn't even come close to what true tight play is, as advocated by the book, so my first trip to Vegas could have been pretty expensive withouth this book to help me.

If you only buy one book on Hold-em, this should be the one.

Clearly written with detailed analysis of many situations and uniformly sound advice. I wish it had more comprehensive probability tables, but otherwise it is perfect.

Lee Jones has written a knowledgeable, accurate and most importantly, easy-to-understand introduction to the complex game of Texas Hold 'Em. It is recommended, if not required reading for anyone new to the game. It is not full of advanced concepts and mind-boggling vocabulary and slang, just good-natured common sense that every beginning player should know. Any one who chooses to ignore Jones' advice does so at his/her own financial peril.

As a new poker player late in life (mid-50's), I find myself reading a chapter or section of this book everyday. Everytime, I learn something new or understand something a little better. There is a good glossary which is needed by the new player because poker players have their own language. I actually went through the quiz questions with a friend and we ending up spending a couple of hours talking about how we would "play the hand" based on the quiz scenarios. There may be better books for those who have never actually played but for the new player or even one who has played awhile, you can learn a lot from this book.

This book is a great book for anyone just getting into limit Texas Hold'em. The game at your local casino is not the game you see on TV. Easy to understand.

If you want to learn how to beat limit hold'em, this book is a great place to start. If there are any downsides, it's that the limit games are getting tougher (I'm not so sure this book alone would let you beat up to $5/$10 on say, PokerStars), and because limit and NL are very different games, this book won't be enough if you are planning a serious foray into NL.

Nonetheless, this book offers a very solid starting foundation in limit Texas Hold'em and poker in general. I highly recommend it.

This book is a perfect first look at the game of limit holdem. I first read it about a decade ago and it established my baseline foundation for the player I am today. If you want to become a great holdem player but know little about the game, this book is the best place to start your poker career

This is a fantastic book on how to play a solid game of low limit Texas hold 'em. It doesn't go into the explicit detail of say, "Small stakes hold 'em" by Ed Miller but that really is an advanced book and delves into topics that are slightly beyond the scope of this book. Nonetheless, I believe you could read this book and nothing else and beat most low limit games for a good amount. This is an excellent first book for the budding hold 'em player and will get you started the right way; by providing a solid grounding in the fundamentals presented in the simplest, least confusing way possible. Highly recommended and definitely worthy of the praise it receives.

This a great book for low limit. and also opens your eyes for higher limits.I Do recomend it.is really agood book.

Overall I liked the book however I had the previous edition and there wasn't that much that was added for this edition, so if you have the previous edition of the book - you are good to go. The other problem I had was with the glue and the binding as the other reviewer stated. The pages are popping out of the binding. Otherwise, it still is a good book.

I bought this book about a year and a half ago. Read it twice
and took the plunge and bought-in at an online poker site for a total of $50 bucks, (all I was willing to lose). Well after a LOT of hands (tens of thousands) at the $10 and $25 NL tables, I am up close to $2,000 and finished 4th out of 485 people in a live tournament at a local casino,(only tournament I have ever played in), largely due to what I learned in Jones' book.
But as Lee Jones writes; reading it will not make you better, DOING what it says will. It is not easy to be patient, and wait and wait and wait for the right time to push in your chips.
Also, don't expect to be a pro at Texas Hold-em after playing 500 hands.
This is a must read for anyone starting out in low-limit games. His book is right on the money. See you at the tables, (just let me know you've read the book), I'll give you a lot more
credit when you raise me!

Lee Jones' WINNING LOW LIMIT HOLD 'EM is for players who want to learn the game: it's been recently updated and expanded to include online poker and no-limit hold 'em and remains the most accessible, authoritative book on the market. From pre-flops and flop trips to flush draws, WINNING LOW LIMIT HOLD 'EM covers all the basics.

If you are playing low limit poker online or in a casino, this is a must read. It is a very different game than high limit and tournaments and should be treated as such. The key to any instructional book is to understand what the author is trying to tell you. Without that, the book is useless. The first time through this book, I found it was written well enough that I was able to improve my play but a large amount. I went from being a hit or miss winner to being a consistent winner. On the second pass though the book, I started to turn into a very consistent winner, making positive gains about 4 out of 5 times I play. You can too.
Excellent book

Everyone is into the Texas Hold-em craze. Yet, as a novice to play the game, you can't rely upon watching ESPN or Fox Sports to truly understand how to play. That's why books like this are written. "Winning Low-Limit" gives the beginning player a perspective and strategy for each aspect of playing in a Texas Hold-em game. Things that you never see on TV, such as how to play in various positions, and what hands to throw away, and when to those those hands away are among the many topics covered in detail in this book. I was able to use this strategy after one read, and win our in-house tournament. I would recommend that you read this book several times, and play several games to really let the concepts sync in. There is a lot of information in here, and to be a great player, you have to learn it all.

Well, I waited about 2 months before writing my review, in order to let the books lessons sink in. I'm now re-reading for the 4th time and STILL getting more out of the book.

IT is simply the best beginner's low limit guide to Hold'em out there. Jones' writing style is easy to understand, well organized, and does not pre-suppose great amounts of knowledge.

To get the most out of this book, learn basic poker hands and terminology FIRST. Then read the book. Start applying the lessons, and then re-read it.
Each section of the book builds on the lessons of the prior section. His guide to post flop play was the most valuable part of the book. Jones breaks down the play by type of hand flopped, and discusses the varios options, and the effect of position.

If you are serious about playing MONEY WINNING poker, follow the starting hand charts, learn how to "read" oppopnents, and I'll see you on the net, playing Hold'em.

Looking to improve your micro-limit ring game. This book works -simple as that. From revised starting hands and when to play them - to strategy for the turn and the river.

Let's hope all of our opponents don't read it.

This is a decent book for beginners. The starting hand requirements are pretty loose so expect some pretty big fluctuations. This book will help you most in VERY loose games where a good number of opponents are seeing flop and there's A LOT of action. I'd say like the 2-4 games you'd find in California. This book will not help you win at $5-$10 and above.Still a decent book for beginners. By the way if any of you are looking for a good online poker room, check out my site pokerstart.com I list some there. Playing online is pretty cool. I'm up about $4000 bucks so far.

I reviewed this book before, saying "this is the one." After reading a lot more books and playing hundreds of hours at low limit tables I would like to emphasize the simplicity and practicality of Jones' book. If you learn only one thing...starting with premium hands in low limit games...then you're going to be happy. If you are not really a poker nut and want a simple, quick book to get you up to survival level, then this one is my favorite. I gave away several copies as gifts. For the record, I'm also through with low limit poker. It's too weird.

This is a very solid book for beginners and goes over many points for advanced players. Each chapter has a quiz to reinforce the material learned. The book has been updated since the blind system has changed. The book has good all around advice and a must for any Holdem collection.

This book is an eye-opener for those playing low limit Hold'em. Not only does it cover betting strategies, but with the insight provided by it, I can within a short time tell (barring freak luck) who the losers and winners will be, and how to play them.

Of all the poker books I have I think this one might be the best for the intermedaite player. Easy to understand, well planned chapters, and vital info throughout. Add a Sklansky book on Hold Em and your will be tough to beat.

What I found particularly remarkable about this book was its approachability (It was in english, with a glossary for terms you may not find familiar, and I read the whole thing in about two hours). This book at the outset claims that it will not make you some sort of champion player, but it instead gets you to think the way you need to in the particular niche of low-limit hold-'em, and in that realm it has been infinitely useful to me as a foundation text, preparing me immediately for the game it describes, as well as allowing you to begin to understand what it takes to be successful in higher stakes games.

I've been playing in home games for a few years, but if I went straight to low limit hold em without reading this book then I would definitely have lost! Thanks to this book, I actually won in my first session. This book teaches that chips go from the loose players to the tight players in the long run, and shows you proper tight-aggresive players. Read, and re-read! Takes notes if you have to.

I found this book very helpful. I used to play Hold'em with friends and just constantly lose with a win here and there. Lately, I found myself a consistent winner and it's because of this book. This book is guide and it will guide you on your way to play better Hold'em. I've read it three times so far and I still have things to learn. I definatly recommend this book for either the new player or even an experienced player who needs go just review the basics.

The two most important lessons that I've learned from this book is when to fold and the importance of position. Mr. Jones book has helped provide thoughtful insight as to what I did wrong on losing sessions, the things I did right when I won, and how I could have made more money when I won.

Before I read this book, I was a novice and a consistent loser at the tables. After reading it I started making consistent money immediately. Presentation is well organized, easy to follow and to the point. Concepts are easy to grasp and can be put to use as soon as you close the cover. If you can't win low limit after reading this a couple of times, you shouldn't be playing poker. This is the best book I have seen for the low limit games in California, and is well worth the money.

This is an excellent introduction to Texas Hold'em and a must for anyone interested in improving their skills. It is well written and contains many examples and bits of specific advice as well as solid poker theory presented in an easy-to-understand way. Although the book is tailored to low-limit hold'em, the poker principles explained here can easily be applied to any poker game with a little care.

Lee Jones' book Winning Low Limit Hold'em prepares the casual Tuesday-night player for a successful foray into casino play. His advice is comprehensible, readable, and essential for anyone making the transition from friendly poker to the real McCoy.

Given how easy Jones makes it to learn what every low-limit hold'em player ought to know, it is hard to fathom how multitudes of gamblers still gladly drop hundreds of dollars they might save by reading this book. Still, the losers are out there. Armed with Jones' advice, I was able to start winning in my first casino game ever.

The best thing about the book is its focus. It is not a loose collection of tips and anecdotes, nor is it an encyclopedia of everything there is to know about poker. The reader will not learn how to compete with experienced professionals. The content is about a single game, at a specific level. By keeping on task, Jones sets the reader on the road to exactly what the title promises: Winning Low-Limit Hold'em.

I have read 1/5th of the book so far. It is everything I would like it to be... good explanations of how to play each round (when to fold, bid, and raise). Good explanation of reasoning why the choices are made. Especially gives attention to the number of players in the field which most certainly is a very important factor on how to bid.

The main thing you should know is that there is an enormous amount of material and it will require you to read and practice over-and-over. There is no fast track to becoming a good Texas Hold 'em player. Depending upon your goals and available time, you should be able to vastly improve your abilities to become a winner.

I am just a casual player and almost never play for money. I just wanted to understand some of the thinking that goes on behind a game. My understanding from the book is that the very big games we see on TV are played in a very different way. But at least this book gives a perspective that makes watching the game even more enjoyable.

Mr. Jones really needs to update the section on online poker sites in future editions. In this edition, he practically dismisses the possibility that the sites would cheat. Unfortunately, major cheating scandals have occurred in several online rooms since this book was published.
Apart from this caveat, this is a useful book.

This is the most comprehensive book I've seen on how to play low limit holdem. Includes the hands one should play and those that should be folded, betting strategy, categorizing opponents, bankroll considerations, etc. Couple this with Arnold Snyder's book The Poker Tournament Formula and your game will improve tremendously.

There are lots of great reviews of this book so I'll keep mine short- I only add it it as a courtesy to the Author. I've played marginal poker for a many years. I played Hold'em poker right after reading this book and can say that 1) it is worth many times the price you will pay for it and 2) I had the most incredible poker night of my life after reading it. I'll leave it at that. This book nailed it for me and I dont think you can go wrong with it. 5 Stars

This is a very good book for beginning and intermediate players. Has good simple theories and explanations. Limit hold'em is a much harder game to win steadily than it seems when you first start playing.

Great knowledge for someone starting out and breaks down the hands on what to play and when to play. Teaches you when to pay to see the flop and what to do from there once you have.

I only give it 4 stars because its the 1st poker book I've read so not sure what else to compare it to.

In a sea of poker books this stands tall as the best introduction and strategy to the most popular poker game of them all Holdem.

This book is the first step on the journey to becoming a winning poker player.

This is a solid book on poker. The book assumes that you know how to play poker - and focuses on teaching you the strategies to use to beat opponents. Everything you need to know is here - in an understable form. I recommend this book.
--- Glenn G. Thater - Author of 'Harbinger of Doom'.

(Review for the 3rd addition, make sure you get the latest addition, it has a lot of important corrections)

This a great book for beginners who want to play limit poker, either online on in Vegas. BTW, limit is much better than no-limit for beginners, because it has much smaller loss/win swings (variance), which means you can play for a long time with a smaller bankroll and learn as you go. It is important that you read this book after you've played poker for a little while (try free online play for a few days), you will be able to understand the concepts better.

I have to disagree with (the few) negative reviews that say you will loose money if you use this system. This book presents a very flexible strategy, not a rigid strategy, and if you read it carefully you will see that authors make that very clear. You won't become a poker star after reading any book, you need practice and experience. The authors mention that when you apply their strategy, you need to take your opponents and other factors into consideration, and I think they provide good guidance as to how different players and environment should affect your play. Again, it takes a lot of experience to be good in poker, reading a book is not enough, so don't expect to start winning and beating good players right away (unless you are a natural). However, you'll do very well against players who just play, without actually understanding what they are doing.

This book covers most important situations, those that it doesn't cover will not affect you winnings (at low-limit), because they occur so infrequently. Note that this book is not sufficient if you want to participate in tournaments or no-limit poker games, you need to read more advanced texts for that.

In conclusion, if all you want to do is play poker for recreation (and maybe move higher later on), this book will provide more than enough information. It is well written and easy to understand. You might have trouble with counting odds if you are pretty bad at math, but with a little patience you will figure it out.

Also, I would suggest you buy a good Poker game (World Class Poker with T.J. Cloutier is nice) and play limit poker with this book in hand. Each time you aren't sure, reread the appropriate section in a book and make your play. The great thing about practicing with computer, is that you have all the time in the world to make your move. If you get the game I mentioned above, play at "easy" level to simulate loose-passive, loose-aggressive game, and medium level for a more realistic play. Difficult level is a very tight game, and it's very good if you want to take it up a notch.

Not a bad intro to low stakes limit, though Sklansky's book is MUCH more thorough, and I think better. Still, one can do much worse.

Beyond the title referenced Low Lmit Hold-Em games the concepts in this book can also be adapted to establish an introductory method towards playing loose smallball poker in No Limit poker games.

The discussed concepts of "implicit collusion" as well as the dicussion on how to play agressively against multiple opponents (which isn't that agressive) are key concepts that are applicable to some No Limit situations however no self respecting Poker Author would ever sell those tactics as a "winning strategy" for other structures of Hold Em.

Yes, Limit Poker can be very boring but considering that most players these days skip Limit and dive right into No Limit (due to the macho reputation of the game) they lack the technical discipline necessary to even beat even a loose low limit game, let alone a Loose No Limit game.

This book should have been titled, "Winning Low-Limit Holde'Em AKA how to suck out on your opponents"

obvious but brilliant book

This is a TEXTBOOK. Like when preparing for important exam, I underlined a lot of things I find helpful. Unfortunately, I feel I'm not good enough in limit hold'em since I learned the game playing no limit, sometimes even thinking that limit hold'em is not as interesting. So, the best thing this book has given me was that it changed my perspective (which is always a good thing) and it has shown me how to see the game from different angles. Before, I thought that limit hold'em players don't have many weapons when playing (like, you can re-raise all you want with your pocket aces but you know you'll have a bunch of people calling you because of the incredible pot odds you're giving to them) and that no limit players have a lot more arsenal under their belt (the biggest being sizing their bets or moving all in) but, again, proven I was wrong. Actually, people do let you steal their blinds even at low limit, and they can and do fold (occasionally) to a re-raise (which I thought impossible). After spending few days playing limit hold'em I was amazed to see some of the advices applied by myself (and seeing them work) and even more amazing, exactly knowing who at the table did read the book and who, on the other hand clicks on "call" or "raise" button with not much logic to it. I'm no way near being consistent enough in playing limit hold'em (bad beats can be so frustrating and happen more often, but at the same time, you're the one giving them to other a lot more often) and for now, it can be hard for me to sustain from limping EP with T9 of hearts but not brave enough to raise it. But, as I said, this book is a textbook example of a TEXTBOOK so there are a lot of pages to be re-read over and over again.

This is a decent first book for a beginner and covers limit holdem. It gives specific instructions for what hands to play and basic advice on how to play them. If you were going to Vegas with friends or just joining a home game to play for fun and don't want to embarrass yourself, this is the book to buy.

This book has been added to my library and is a very good adition.

Great Book. Now I know enough to really get me in trouble. After reading this book I felt I could play a little looser because I now had more knowledge. What I needed to do was take that knowledge and apply it to the way that I was others play. I highly recommend this book, but don't assume you can apply it without first putting in the time.

Lee Jones is a native of Northern California (San Jose) where the low limit games can be a mixture of a passive No-Fold'em-Hold'em type game or a Cramming, 4 bets in the blind wild type game. These games can be very difficult to win, especially if your playing a style that is influenced by most higher limit books that offer such advice as raising with bottom pair and frequent bluffs. That style may work in some lower limit games but the fact of the matter is that your opponents at the $.05/.$.10 online tables and $3/$6 card room games are not very sophisticated. They know that they have a 9 and a 2 and the flop came AJ2 so they will take the hand to the river. What makes these games difficult to win is not just the opponents but a combination of the opponents, the number of opponents contesting a hand, the blind structures involved and finally because the nature of these games can be a severe stress test for your discipline! Honestly, I have seen so many people sit down and play good, solid poker for about 30 minutes then spend the next 2 hours literally just giving their money away. One or two beats by a monster hand like 62 off suit usually does it for many beginning players.

Lee Jones wrote "Winning Low Limit Hold'em" specifically for these games. The 3rd edition has just been released and is a very good book for beginning players and better than average players who play the low limit games for whatever reason. I recommend this book for anyone who expresses the desire to play limit holdem online. This is a very good starting place. The strategy suggested is one of a tight yet aggressive nature that is quite affective. Your wins at these games playing this style are not going to be monumental but they will build a solid foundation and discipline required at all levels.

The book starts in the beginning. Hand selection by position, player personalities, pot odds and implied odds and finally game selection. There are many exercises that will allow your to learn how to read a flop, how to read your opponents and know when to get out of harms way when needed. Overall I think this is a must read for beginning players. I suggest to family and friends this book and "Play Poker Like the Pros" by Phil Hellmuth when they ask me where to start.

The only cravat that I need to make is, take it easy on the whole "punishing your opponents" part of the book that is preached throughout the book. Say you are holding AA and the flop comes K82 and you continue to take the lead. If the turn brings a 6 and you start getting raised and reraised you should take your foot off the gas. Either your opponent is building the pot for a runner-runner draw, has made two pair either on flop or on the turn, or has trips all of these have you beat at the moment. Just check and call as you will be getting the appropriate pot odds, defiantly raise if the river brings an ace.

Also pay particular attention to the section that talks about manipulating the pot odds. If you have a very serious strong hand on the flop with a whole bunch of callers you can safely check and call to the turn ... then start raising like mad. This accomplishes a few things, first the bets are double on the turn so you will be offering less attractive odds for others to see the river, second this confuses your opponents, finally it will maximize your wins as the previous better may be willing to fight you for the pot ... here is an example. Say you were in the SB and had JJ, 6 players are in the pot but you just called. The flop comes J36, you check and the button bets. If you call you will most likely pick up calls from at least 3 of the other 4 players in the pot, the turn brings a 10 and again you should check. Let the button or one of the other players bet this then start raising as much as possible when the action gets back to you. As you can see, the bets you gave up by not reraising on the flop are going to be paid back plus interest as now there are two possible straight draws however your reraise has now cut the odds down to knock out all of the gut shots. When the river comes with a blank you will most likely get paid off by the initial raiser and by anyone with two pair. This is how money is made in limit holdem.

PokerJoes Take:
Very good book for the average to beginning player. The book originally had a cover price of under $16 and can now be found for less than $7 on amazon and ebay. I recommend this book and "Play Poker Like the Pros " by Phil Hellmuth to my friends and family who ask me where they should start. This book concentrates on the starting hand requirements, board textures, player personality types and beginning strategies that will dramatically improve your game.

Once you have mastered this style and are regularly beating the lower limit games you can either move up, or really blow a hole in the lower limit games. If you prefer to play the lower limit games but want to win much much more than the few bets per hour average, you should spend a great deal of time with "Small Stakes Hold'em" by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth and Ed Miller. This is not an easy book to master and requires a great deal of study. Beginners should stick with Winning Low Limit holdem and Play Poker Like the Pros playing styles. Small Stakes Hold'em is for advanced players who not only have a larger bankroll to accommodate the wild swings but also for players who are very disciplined and can handle the mental challenges this hyper aggressive style requires.

I bought this book and read every page with baited breath. I had heard all about advantaged play but just couldn't win at my local card room until I read this book and understood the fundamental concepts. Wow, playing tight does work!!

This book is really well written. It explains the game in logical sequence. Very easy on the eyes. The title fits the subject; I recommend this book.

Excellent starter and easwy to read. This book goes a long way into turning chumps into champs

I bought this book several years ago. I have read it so many times, I've worn the cover off.

It is very well written...and easy to understand. Some sections require a little more thought than others, but it is well worth the effort.

If you read it, study it, and apply the strategies, you WILL win at low limit hold 'em (1-2 thru 5-10).

I have moved on to higher limit games, but still consider this book to be the best I've ever read on hold 'em poker.

If you are serious about learning the game, buy this book. You won't be disappointed.

Best book I've read on poker so far. A lot of material to digest all at once. This book will be one I will be reading over and over again

This is Poker Required Reading. The book deals (excuse the pun) with exactly what it promises. For low-limit hold'em players, you cannot read this and not make more money. The exception would be the maniac betters out there and I'm hoping you miss this book and just hit my table. The theory is solid, the references are good, the writing is above average for poker books and it flows. You can zoom through the book quickly and then re-visit the good parts to tune your game. This is worth the money.

Very good book for beginners. Contrary to what others might say, it does matter what limit game you are playing as far as the things you can do in a game. This will teach you what you can and can't get away with as a beginner in low limits.

I read and used this book in the Bicycle Club. It seemed to work rather well.

This book has helped a friend of mine become a consistent low-limit hold'em winner. Certain tactics brought forth in this book are somewhat questionable for the type of game I play, but 99% of the information presented is solid.

This is an excellent book. However, I have yet to find an example of "no fold'em hold'em" in my part of the country. Even at the lowest limits, I have required some of the concepts in the advanced texts just to break even. I believe part of this is a discipline issue as well. If you don't have the discipline to follow the book's advice, don't bother.

Well, I went to a casino (to play poker) for the first time last Saturday and entered a hold'em tournament- $40 buy in x 10 players, top three chipholders after 30 hands get prizes $150, $90, and $50 respectively. Finished about 5th the first time, 2nd the second time for a net profit of $10 (minus toke). Not bad for my first time! Now if only I can find a regular live game... Your results may vary, but my background is less than 6 months home game experience, this book, and "Thursday Night Poker" by Peter Steiner (another great book). I can honestly say Jones' book has given me a solid foundation to playing holdem and I feel comfortable at any low limit table. It's as good as the other reviews say- I still reread it constantly. I can't say enough good things about it- buy this book! As a side story, during this first trip to the casino I was dealt this fortunate hand- I was in the big blind and dealt 27 offsuit. The betting was called around, so I got to see the flop for free, which fortuitously came 777 :) With three players chasing full houses or whatever, this one paid off. I promise to fold 27 in all other situations without a second thought, but this one gives me a moment of pause :)