Dan Harrington's seminal poker book, "Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategy for No-Limit Tournaments, Volume I: Strategic Play," is a must-read for any poker enthusiast looking to sharpen their skills in no-limit Texas Hold 'em. This comprehensive guide provides a solid foundation for understanding the intricacies of tournament play, along with practical advice for navigating the fast-paced and competitive world of poker.

The book is divided into three sections: 'The Basics,' 'The Middle Game,' and 'The End Game,' each providing in-depth analysis and discussion of essential concepts. What sets Harrington's work apart from other poker books is his ability to clearly communicate complex ideas and strategies, making it accessible for players of all levels.

Throughout the book, Harrington emphasizes the importance of aggression, hand selection, and adapting to different playing styles. Additionally, he provides real-life examples from his own tournament experiences, giving readers invaluable insights into the mind of a professional poker player.

"Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategy for No-Limit Tournaments, Volume I: Strategic Play" is a fantastic resource for poker enthusiasts looking to improve their tournament play. With its clear and concise language, practical advice, and insights from a poker legend, this book is a must-have for anyone serious about mastering the game.

Maria Konnikova's "The Biggest Bluff" made me want to learn more about poker. She started by reading Harrington, and so did I.

The author succeeds at making the book a good introduction to amateurs, while leaving the impression that you are grappling with serious strategic questions in the problems outlined in the work. I have played poker a bit before, but not at the level where I calculate pot odds and the probability of a card that I want to see hitting me. Neither had I thought about table positioning, and strategic ways of how to extract information from other players. In other words, I had not really thought about anything, it seems.

I felt like being in university once again since I haven't learned a new skill for a while. It felt exhilarating going through the stages of learning. First, you do not understand odds or why not to play some hands. Then, it all seems too much - the odds, implied probabilities, outs. After a while, you slowly start realizing that many situations resemble each other, some odds and ways of thinking stick, and suddenly you know the answer to the questions posed by the author.

Using this knowledge in real life, under time pressure, with money at play, is a whole different matter, I suppose.

Best NLHE tournament strategy book I have read. Looking forward to Volume II.

Excellent foundation for a conservative strategic approach to Texas Hold'em, with many examples/exercises to keep it from getting boring.

Still the most straightforward presentation of basic tournament strategy. Solid advice while still being readable. Essential poker reading.

un ottimo manuale. utilissima la discussione dei problemi.

Absolutely essential introduction for getting serious about Poker. Through the sheer quantity of sample hands presented here, I think I'm finally getting the mechanics and tactics of poker. Harrington is indefatigable in all these.

However, the actual writing and organization of the book were a bit bewildering. Some definitions were too thin, unclear. And the sequencing of ideas was confusing.

Very good book on the basics of tournament No Limit Hold ‘Em, with fundamentals that are applicable to cash games. Introduces the idea of ranges, betting pre-flop and post flop, playing style, live reads, and most importantly, the influence of pot odds on NLH. Harrington’s breakdown of pot odds is really crucial for NLH, no matter your playing style or strategy, and his theories can be replicated in any probabilistic environment (such as investing, etc).

Harrington is a “conservative” professional poker player, which makes his particular strategy very beginner friendly. This is an easy book to consume for NLH players who know the rules of Hold ‘Em but may not be privy to the more advanced components of poker strategy. I really enjoyed Harrington’s commentary and his problems which let readers practice the concepts he has discussed.

If you are a beginner this book will be great for you, if you are advanced maybe not so much.

Great introduction to Texas Hold 'em Tournament poker.

This book will give you rules to follow and strategies that will improve your poker skills. Many times you want to decide over a hand following your guts and sometime you are locky but in the long run they wont be proficient so I put to test these advices may times and stick to the book recomendations even against my will and I became sucess at the end of the poker night most of the times. Two years in a row beating my buddies in our yearly championship with a monthy game (and they taugh me how to play).
I never told them that I read this book. and still my secret. (hopefully they will never see this review).
good Luck!

Never Fold