Poker Book Review: Texas Hold'em Strategy for Beginners

Texas Hold’em Strategy for Beginners, by Edward Scimia ($0.99, Amazon Kindle Store) is a budget, Kindle poker title that’s well worth the purchase price. While what’s covered in this book is available in other books as well, the clear descriptions of complex topics and the low price should make this e-book an attractive option for players looking to rapidly improve their poker game.

The title may be slightly misleading, as this isn’t necessarily a book for brand new players. Yes, there’s an early section that very quickly goes over the rules of Texas Hold’em for anyone who hasn’t played the game before, but the topics covered in the book are really appropriate for those who already have at least a passing familiarity with poker. This is the kind of book that’s a great jumping off point for those who have never truly studied poker, but would like to start understanding the advanced concepts that are critical for competitive play.

The book is actually a collection of 20 essays (according to the author, they were originally published as articles for an online site) on a variety of topics. Half of the book is devoted to general poker advice, while the other half focuses on tournament play. Topics covered included Expected Value, Semi-Bluffs, Stealing the Blinds, The Importance of Position, The Bubble, The Gap Concept, and Aggression. Each topic is covered in about 500 to 1,000 words: enough to give these concepts a fair treatment, without overwhelming new players.

Texas Hold’em Strategy for Beginners isn’t the last poker book you’ll ever read, and it’s not a complete guide to the game. However, it’s filled with excellent information and strong writing that make it worth far more than the $0.99 purchase price would lead you to believe. Even if this book saves you just a single bet at the casino, it will have more than paid for itself – and chances are, you’ll get much more out of it than that.