5 comments about Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker.

1. Super System is a little dated as I suspect Super System II is as well. I say it's dated because poker is a bit different now than it was back in the day, and Doyle's day was a looong time ago! The part about learning to play aggressive still helps me get fired up though. Another good feature of this book is it covers games other than Hold'em.



2. If you are into poker and you're serious about money, this is the book for you. Learn the basics from the pro that started it all. Great buy!!



3. The sections on no limit holdem are great. Since not many cardrooms play the other games, a large part of the book isn't really that applicable today unless you are in Vegas and have access to the other games.



4. Well, I've only read about 90 or so books on poker, most of them written pre-boom (2002 or earlier; the newer ones have a lot less character, 'twould seem), so I don't know if it's fair to say this is the best all-around poker book of them all, but it's easily top five. It's the Cadillac of poker books, to paraphrase Doyle.
   This would be the nuts even if it was ony comprised of the introduction to poker "basics" (actually very advanced in some respects). Brunson lays out much of the stuff that takes some players years to figure out, and in only a few pages. Having played many thousands of hours of poker since first reading this in 2000, I can say that he hits the nail on the head as well as anyone ever has. Read that section alone and truly digest it and you're already half way home.
   This book changed the poker landscape in many ways. Few were playing small suited connectors until Doyle made their value clear...no one but the top pros and "crazy gamblers", at least. Yes, he overrates J-10, but we weren't in his games back then, and I'm guessing he made a LOT of cash with it...and a man as crafty as Doyle knew that he had to write SOME misleading stuff here. You can't give away ALL your secrets!
   Add to that excellent thoughts on many different games (if you can't play at least a half dozen games well you're hardly a real player), and what is still the best no-limit guide around, and you've got a book that truly lives up to its long-time nickname, the Bible Of Poker.
   Haven't read the new edition, but going back to this one after some years made me realize that some of my more advanced poker thoughts and moves had their genesis right here.
   This is a great read as well, not perfectly written but done with much feel and loads of understanding of what makes poker players tick. For those who play hold'em only, this is an excellent introduction to games like lowball and seven stud, the precursors of HE. It never hurts to have a larger skillset (and if you can play a good tripledraw game, you'll be sitting pretty when it breaks out in that Vegas hotel room game you stumbled into with your old buddy's wife's brother). Baldwin's limit HE section is solid as are all of the others. Add in the various anecdotes, told by men who are still some of the best to ever play their respective games even 30 years after publication, and you've got what is probably the most important poker book of them all.
   If Yardley's Education is the granddaddy of poker books, then this is without doubt the Big Daddy.
   
   [PS I'm no Doyle, but I have a column at pokerpagesdotcom where I share my thoughts on hold'em, PLO, strategies and gambling in general. My old articles are archived; if you've seen some poker on tv you might especially enjoy "Poker Needs More Sponsors", one of the few things I've written that makes me laugh every time I read it. Feel free to stop by and share your thoughts.]



5. Condition of book was perfect. Purchased this book for my son's birthday. He loved it.

5 comments about Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame.

1. This book is outstanding just like his first one. You can't go wrong with Harrington. This book will take your game to a whole new level.



2. After he finished at the Final Table of WSOP two years in a row, I was hoping that Dan Harrington would write a book. He did so much more when he wrote three. I think this one is the best of the bunch. There is so much hand to hand analysis, much more than other books.
   
   There really isn't much more to say, this is probably the best Poker book ever written.



3. This book was recommended to me after I finished in the top third of a tourney. I've read Vols 1, 2, and 3 - and I've learned so much from these books. Easy to read, easy to understand. I'll be going back in a few months to pick up anything I may have missed. Highly recommended.
   
   Finished in top 15% in another tourney after reading this book - easily accounted by the stuff I've learned. Looking for better results I apply the knowledge.



4. This is a great series of books for anyone who is fairly new to the game of No Limit Texas Hold'Em. Volume I provides some basic concepts that every player needs to know. From which hands to start with and pot odds, to raising, to how your seating position affects your play, this series is a great introduction. And the more table experience you gain, the more his discussions can help your game. Highly recommended. Also, the workbook, Volume III is great to test your decision making within his framework.



5. This book does a fantastic job of discussing the pressure of late stage tournament play. Want to know how to react when the blinds are eating your stack and other players are moving all in on you constantly? Get this book!

5 comments about Will Shortz Presents The Little Black Book of Sudoku: 400 Puzzles (Will Shortz Presents...).

1. This sudoku book is excellent.
   The puzzles are large on good quality paper.
   Plenty of room for solver to pencil in clues and eliminations.
   Hint: cut the spiral's cover off and you can flip pages over while keeping your place in this massive collection.



2. When you want to play sudoku you go to Will Shortz. This book is excellent, but maybe a little too much quality went in to making the book itself. It's a sturdy spiral bound book, that will definitely survive your abuse throughout all 400 puzzles. I just passed puzzle 50, so I will be needing another book in about 3 months or so...Will?? What have you got for me?



3. I bought this book as a gift for my brother-in-law who enjoys puzzles and has a very long commute. The book was much more beautifully printed and bound than I expected. The added bonus of having the great Will Shortz as editor made it a wonderful gift.



4. Transaction was quick and I received the book at the time it was estimated to arrive.



5. This is the third time I have bought this exact book, so that should tell you how much I like it. There are 100 puzzles for each level of difficulty for a total of 400 puzzles. Great quality paper, easy-to-use spiral binder.

5 comments about Greenspan's Bubbles: The Age of Ignorance at the Federal Reserve.

1. I fall on the side of tighter monetary policy and read this book hoping to find arguments and information to support that perspective. But this book is a waste of time for serious students of economics.
   
   Fleckenstein would have you believe that 5% short-term rates were foundational for the 1999 runaway speculation on internet stocks. He offers no logical arguments whatsoever to support his assertion; and historical periods with similar rates didn't lead to similar speculation, so his conclusion that the Fed's policies largely drove this speculation is hardly obvious.
   
   He also argues that the Fed should have done everything in it's power to squelch this speculation but offers no cost-benefit analysis whatsoever to justify the cost of what probably would have required substantially higher interest rates and margin requirements. Would the likely resulting slower economic growth, higher unemployment and lower home ownership have been worth the alleged, although unsubstantiated, benefit of less internet related financial speculation and attendant entrepreneurial risk taking? It seems hard to believe. But rest assured, this book provides no insights on this matter whatsoever.
   
   The author takes a similar tact with the housing bubble, blaming it all on the Fed (even though it has clearly been a worldwide phenomena), without connecting any of the dots with economic logic. The case should be easier to make with the credit bubble than the internet bubble but easier still, I guess, to merely assert it.
   
   If short-term rates alone govern the value of assets (Fleckenstein brings no other factors to bear) why didn't rate cuts from 6.5% to 1.75% between 2000 and 9/10/01 revive the stock market then (or the debt markets now)? Perhaps for the very conclusion Fleckenstein's partner reaches on page 123, "...it has become increasingly clear that he (Greenspan/the Fed) does not control the economy." Had Fleckenstein asserted that in the first sentence he could have sparred us all what amounts to little more than unsubstantiated ranting.
   
   Yes, the author does present evidence of the obvious - there was speculation. But even if his thesis is true, he provides no evidence it was caused or largely caused by the Fed. And, he offers no evidence whether the Fed can or should squelch speculation with the brute force of monetary policy. Don't waste your time.



2. Simple and entertaining, a quick read. This book explains how Greenspan has been the architect of disaster over the last 20 or so years. The facts presented in this book highlight how badly served this county is by the news media. This book doesn't even discuss how Greenspan defrauded 99% of the nation when he "solved" the social security crisis in the the 1980's. That one didn't work either.



3. Regardless of what you think of Greenspan before you read this book, you'll no doubt feel differently toward him when you put it down. The book is well documented. In fact, it uses Greenspan's own words to prove his failures and lies.
   
   For example, "Moreover, attractive interest rates have bolstered the sales of existing homes and the extraction of capital gains in home equity that those sales engender. Low rates have also encouraged households to take on larger mortgages when refinancing their homes. Drawing on home equity in this manner is a significant source of funding for consumption and modernization."
   
   The above words were spoken by Greenspan himself. How clearer could he be in saying he was the cause of the housing bubble?
   
   But there's more. The man who set the nation's interest rates told congress that homeowners were too timid in taking out fixed rate mortgages. They should take out adjustable rate mortgages, he opined. Mortgage companies and banks should use creative financing, he offered. This from the man who would set the interest rates and break the backs of millions of homeowners!
   
   In addition, the Greenspan years, his policies and missteps, caused the dollar to lose value. Long the reserve currency of the world, it's now worth less than most all major currencies and may not be the reserve currency much longer.
   
   He damaged the country and all of us. Greenspan may go down in history as the person who did more harm to this country than any president or business person or criminal who ever lived.
   
   The author does a great job in writing and documenting everything he says about Greenspan. Fact is, he lets Greenspan use his own words to show what a total failure he was and how he created the current ugly economic situation.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   -Susanna K. Hutcheson



4. Greenspan's Bubbles: The Age of Ignorance at the Federal Reserve
   There seems to be too much blame to spread around for the sub-prime issue.
   It's like "teflon", slides off everyone enough so no one gets ..... And this book does not pin it down, helps for the future... maybe.
   J.J.R



5. This is an easy to read attack on the Fed and it's former chairman. This book provides strong evidence that Greenspan (and the rest of the Open Market committee) of the Fed played a crucial role in creating both the stock market bubble of the late 90s and the housing bubble of recent years. The author also provides several examples of Greenspan's conflicting statements regarding his opinions of these events before, during, and after they occured. Makes you wonder what Greenspan actually believes or even understands.
   
   Investors in the late 90s read the signals the Fed.'s monetary policy that there was no stock market bubble and proceeded to inflate it further. After that bubble blew, the Fed lowered interest rates so far that consumers followed the money and inflated the housing market. Then Greenspan told everyone they should be taking ARM loans just before the Fed started raising rates and stuck it to those borrowers. Simply amazing!
   
   Of course, the Fed isn't the only culprit here. As a society, Americans want to continue their irresponsible practices, then expect government (in these cases, the Fed) to bail us out. Where does it end?

5 comments about The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition.

1. Great compilation for those interested in all forms of poker. Great instruction from some of the greatest names in the sport.



2. This is a true gem in the wacky world of poker books. After Sklanski & Malmuth, Super System I/II, and the Harrington trilogy, there are very few poker books that actually offer original content or any new insights into the game of poker. True, Bill Chen's "The Mathematics of Poker" offers both - to some extent - but in a format that is better suited for someone working on dissertation research more than for someone looking to get an edge at a poker table. The value of this particular book comes from the differing perspectives of the authors. Gavin Smith, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson (just to name a few) have disparate playing styles and it is reflected in the portions of the book they write. Some go as so far as to implore the reader to ignore some of the advice from the earlier authors. While Ferguson doesn't care for flat calling raises, Gavin Smith loves it, and both explain the reasons why. Ted Forest goes as so far as telling the reader to ignore his advice in the aptly titled "Don't Play like Ted Forest" chapter.
   
   If you are considering buying this book, there's a good chance you know about position play, starting hands, and most other basics. What I loved most about this book is the fact that these pros tell the reader how they play, not how a hand should be played. Due deference is given to Sklanski and Malmuth, but the advice doled out is original and unique. It's refreshing to read how differently two pros would play the same hand and their explanations for doing so.
   
   The only weak point in the book is the discussion about online poker is not as in depth as one would expect (or in my case, hope) in a "Full Tilt" title.
   
   I would strongly recommend this book over most any other in the soup of modern poker books.



3. My order came promptly and it is a very good book to get some tips from



4. As an avid poker player (I play at least 5 hours a week) who makes decent money, I was looking forward to this edition. The problem with books these days is that there isn't much new material out there. Doyle wrote his supersystem which laid the groundwork for aggressive play which wasn't the norm back in the day. Then Harrington came out with his three volumes which are the definitive go-to for all no-limit holdem play.
   
   If you want the best no-limit holdem book out there, then this probably isn't your book. The Harrington books trump this book by a long shot. However, if you're looking for a one-stop-shop for the other games then this is the answer. The only section that I felt was subpar was the section on Razz which gave very subpar advice, data, or basic strategy. The stud sections are excellent and lay very good groundwork for both cash and tournament play.
   
   So...if you're only going to stick with NL holdem, then go with the Harrington books...if you're looking for a little bit of everything, then i highly recommend this book.



5. Brilliant all round book, which I've learnt and gained much more poker knowledge from. Im not one for reading books but I couldn't put this one down!

5 comments about My Guy Barbaro: A Jockey's Journey Through Love, Triumph, and Heartbreak with America's Favorite Horse.

1. This is a beautifully written book. It must be very difficult for two people to collaborate on a book and come out with a single cohesive voice and style, but this book has that. Edgar Prado is a brilliant jockey and a fine man with a loving heart. This book conveys that and adds a unique new perspective to a remarkable story.
   
   The first time he saw Barbaro, Edgar was riding another horse in the Laurel Futurity. As Barbaro broke away from the pack to win by eight lengths, Edgar says, "My horse had basically stopped running when he saw Barbaro pull away. I swore the sight had depressed him. But it had thrilled me. When you see a horse accelerate and finish like that,... you know you're seeing something special."
   
   He describes his feelings after a phone call in which he and trainer Michael Matz agreed that Edgar would be Barbaro's new jockey: "I smiled as I hung up. I was being handed the keys to a Lamborghini."
   
   Edgar talks about the significance of Barbaro starting out as a turf horse and switching later to dirt. Previously, Barbaro had been saddled on hard concrete floors in paddocks before racing on dirt tracks. However, preparations for the Preakness were different. "Now he was being saddled on grass, which excited him. He was a turf horse at heart,... He was never happier than when he was running on grass. The longer he stood on the grass, the more excited he became. He breathed harder. His muscles tensed. He was noticeably pumped up by the time I got on him." Barbaro was "agitated, impatient, a little too eager to get going" in the post parade. Edgar implies that this might have been a factor in the subsequent tragedy.
   
   I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, but I cannot give it a five-star rating. Throughout this book, Barbaro's magnificent groom, Eduardo Hernandez, is repeatedly and inexplicably called "Jose" (no last name). A quick Google during the book's editing process would have identified Eduardo so that he could have been properly acknowledged as the person who had given Barbaro such excellent and loving care.



2. It was hard for me to read this book, knowing the sad ending. I'm nuts about animals, and stories about the death of one invariably makes me tear up. I read the ending of Good Dog. Stay., for example, with tears streaming down my face, although it was the story of an old dog that had lived a long and pampered life. Barbaro, on the other hand, dies in pain at the peak of his life.
   
   Author Edgar Prado, Barbaro's jockey, tells this heartbreaking story with skill and compassion. From the moment Prado first sees Barbaro, he is impressed. "He wasn't a sleek and slender classic beauty. He was all jock."
   
   Prado successfully petitions the owners to let him ride the big colt. After a thrilling win in the Kentucky Derby -- with the largest margin of victory since 1946 -- Barbaro is the favorite for the Preakness. But in this second leg of the Triple Crown, the horse sustains an injury, a terrible fracture. By quickly stopping Barbaro, Prado prevents the racehorse from damaging his leg further.
   
   Although at first it seems to go well, the recovery effort does not work. At the end Barbaro is suffering and losing weight. The big horse is put down.
   
   Prado includes 33 color photographs, most of them of Barbaro in his glory days, racing around a track. He seems to be flying, with his feet barely touching the ground. A shot of him the day before the Preakness shows Barbaro in his stall, reaching out his long neck and nuzzling the horse next door.
   
   That one got to me. I cried.



3. This is the best book I have ever read. Mr. Prado brought such beauty and feeling to Barbaro. I followed the horse and was crushed when he was injured, then more so when he died. This book brought him into your heart and into the place of this great jockey. I hope he will write more.



4. My Guy Barbaro: A Jockey's Journey Through Love, Triumph, and Heartbreak with America's Favorite Horse Horseracing is a sport in which the horses are too often regarded by their connections as nothing more than commodities. Not so with Barbaro. Edgar Prado's love of this great champion was tangible in his moving account of their relationship, especially as he wrote of the months that followed Barbaro's ultimately fatal injury. If we thought the only time he visited Barbaro was when the cameras were rolling, we were wrong. It is especially gratifying to learn that Barbaro's tragedy has led Prado to become a vocal advocate for the welfare of thoroughbred horses. In addition to raising money for veterinary research, Prado works with groups that rescue unwanted thoroughbreds who would otherwise end up dying under appalling conditions in foreign slaughterhouses. His efforts to improve conditions for Barbaro's breed does honor to Barbaro's memory.



5. His last comment is "I hope I've done him justice." He most definitely has! This was a truly heartwarming story of the magnificent rapport between a jockey and a wonderful horse. They shared a kinship, and throughout the book, the reader is able to feel and rejoice in their bond. Sadly, Barbaro had to ultimately be euthanized, but you never doubt that he really felt the love that surrounded him.

1 comments about Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. This is a Prima Guide, so one expects it to have some errors and oversights. In the past, one could always turn to Nintendo Power for higher quality guides, but now that the NP guides are no longer made, we're stuck with Prima. This guide is a good example of why I never have liked to buy Prima guides.
   
   Let's start with the good news. The Dungeon pages in this guide do list info about things such as item and level restrictions. The color coding for different sections of the Pokedex is nice. Also, this guide does have a full Pokedex complete with numerical lv. 1 stats, however, it does NOT list every place that the Pokemon can be found (it only tells one place), and the footprints (useful for the Sentry minigame) are not listed either.
   
   Now for the bad news. The data sections (from the quiz at the start of the game to the item tables) are not alphabetized, a fact that makes the tables needlessly hard to use. The item tables do not list the selling price of items. There is no list of Wonder Mails so you can get the Pokemon exclusive to each version. Don't expect to find suggested partners for each starter, either. The Dungeon overview pages will not tell you what items to expect to find in each dungeon, so you either have to guess or keep your own notes. The basic strategy info on Pokemon moves from each Dungeon is pretty useless. While the info is true, I think most Pokemon fans already know this. I would have much rather seen level ranges of Pokemon within the dungeon and a list of items found therein (as well as rarities), instead of useless info about the moves of Pokemon in the dungeon. Also, I dislike that the Recommended Path for the game was placed in front of the the Game Mechanics section. It would make more sence to place it between the Game Mechanics and Walkthrough sections, making it harder to ruin the story for yourself when you flip to the Game Mechanics section for a particular piece of info.
   
   In short, my advice is to skip this guide and print off a decent walkthrough from a free site. This game has no significant maps, and the only grapical data you might actually need (the footprints) is absent from this guide anyway. With the non-alphabetized data sections, those who own this guide will likely find themselves printing off needed info from an online walkthrough anyway.
   
   A side note for those who don't know what a game guide is (and think that perhaps it is a book about Pokemon for kids to read): A game guide (a.k.a. Strategy Guide) is a publication that is supposed to tell everything about a game. It is useful for choosing strategies and completing every aspect of a game, but it is not a story book. It is more akin to an Atlas or Encyclopedia and is typically used as reference by serious players. While it does require some reading skills, it is only useful to those who have a copy of the games (which games also require reading skills).
   
   Signed, Pamela

No comments about Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition.

No comments about Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides).

5 comments about Kill Everyone: Advanced Strategies for No-limit Hold 'em Poker Tournaments and Sit-n-go's.

1. I was very happy with my purchase it came quicker then it was supposed to, I'll definitly order from here again



2. After reading Kill Phil, I knew this book would be really good. What amazed me was the amount of theory and math loaded in this book. Aside from 2+2 books, I have never seen a poker book with so much indepth analysis. The book has solid advice for all stages of any types of tournamenets. The calculations and decisions that have to be made very quickly will likely become second nature over time. I know it didn't take me long to get very comfortable with the KILL PHIL system and it worked out really well.
   
   There are a number of study groups and Q & A forums on the web to help people understand parts of the book. It will probably not be the easiest poker book you've ever read. A lot of people are taking their time to ensure they understand each chapter before the go on to the next chapter. We can always use more books where the authors take the game and their writing seriously in an effort to help the readers. With effort on your part, you will see improvement in your game using the concepts explained in Kill Everyone.
   
   I'm in agreement with the other reveiwers here, this is a 5 star book and is definitely worth your consideration if tournaments are your thing.



3. If you play freeze-out tournaments (Anything else played today?) you'll find this book to be an essential source-book and reference. An understanding of the concepts and examples presented will give any player a better foundation from which to make decisions - and from which to approach the optimum decision at critical points.
   
   The discussion of play on the bubble is alone worth much more than the price of the book. For example the authors present analysis of how often you should push as a function of your bubble factor (ratio of equity loss from losing to equity gain from winning the confrontation) and your opponent's calling frequency. Most players know intuitively that you should push more frequently when (a) your bubble factor is greater and (b) your opponent is more likely to call. But a chart showing the results of the calculations gives insight that can't be gotten otherwise.
   
   One short section attacks the myth that the big stack should call liberally to knock out small stacks. That discussion alone can make the difference between just finishing in the money and making a big win. If you have ever called or raised a bit loosely to knock out small stacks only to find that you've doubled up one or more and made them into real competition while crippling yourself then this section is must reading.
   
   I could continue with examples, but the book is only 348 pages - probably shorter than my examples would be.
   
   I do have a single criticism. The authors (properly) use the Independent Chip Model without explaining the assumptions on which it relies. Like most other authors they do explain that it assumes equal skill for all players. However, they neglect to mention that it also relies on two other assumptions: (1) that all players will receive equivalent hands over time, and (2) that play is based on only your hand and statistical behavior of your opponents. If you're in the middle of a tournament, assumption (1) probably doesn't apply for the limited number of hands remaining, and in any given hand other things - tells for lack of a better word - frequently become more important than either of these assumptions.
   
   Do yourself a favor and buy this book. But, be prepared to study rather than just read for it contains more, much more, than a list of starting hands and advice to play a tight aggressive game.



4. This is a great tournament book! They discuss so many new concepts that hasn't been mentioned before in book form. These concepts can be found in different poker forums as in 2+2 forum. One of the concepts that is mentioned is bubble effect. They will discuss how to calculate the real value of your chips in different situations in a tournament and how it will effect your decisions. Many of the concepts are very helpful for sit and go as well, especially when you want to squeeze in to the money often. I highly recommend this great book. The authors have done a great job writing this.



5. I think this book will help anyone. From a beginner to someone who has played in tournaments. It's more appropriate for those with some knowledge and strategies of their own, but really anyone can benefit from this book.