5 comments about Win Your Way Into Big Money Hold'em Tournaments: How to Beat Casino and Online Satellite Poker Tournament (The Championship).

1. If you have never been to the WSOP and plan to play a satellite for your entry you should read through this book at least once. While the online sections can leave a little to be desired, there isn't much difference it strategy or information, I recommend this book to anyone with questions about satellite play. It will cover your basics and break down each tournment into stages so you can focus on one piece at a time.



2. This is mostly a rehash of general tournament advice. If you read everything, you will want to read this, since it is good advice. But if you are pretty experienced, you probably won't learn much.



3. I am a big fan of McEvoy's books, probably because I tend to play poker in more or less the same fashion that he does and also generally specialize in tournament play. This book is good, but not on par with some of his other books, such as Championship Poker, etc. I think my biggest disappointment was two-fold: There was a substantial chunk of the book devoted to satellite and super satellite play for limit events (which I don't play at all, and seems on the fringes since most premier events are no limit), and the section on internet satellite play was small. I would have liked to see more content there, especially since this is where most people buying this book will be playing there satellite play. Yes we all know how Moneymaker turned $39 into $2.5M, but it would have been nice to have more in-depth discussion about accomplishing that, especially in extremely low-buy in super satellites with large fields. I did find some useful information in this book I hadn't found elsewhere (the mark of a good poker book in my opinion) so I would recommend it to anyone thinking about using some portion of their poker bankroll as a springboard into large, big-money tournaments.



4. Don't bother spending your money on this. The five pages on satellites in Lindgren's book far outweigh any content in this...its mostly just stories of past satellites with some obvious advice thrown in (auto-checking online is a tell!!! thanks for that)



5. Relays basic strategy but doesn't tell you how to satellite in other than how to enter

No comments about Phil "Tiger Woods of Poker" Ivey (Superstars of Poker; Texas Hold'em).

5 comments about Performance Poker - No Limit! Hold 'em: 2008 Guide to Online Hold 'em for Profits.

1. This book is a total joke. Buy this if you want to become a losing player. as Sir Charles Barkley would say, "terrible, terrible, terrible".



2. I've been acquainted with the author of this book for a few years as part of an online discussion forum for poker players. His advice has always been awful, and in my judgment, he is not remotely qualified to teach beginning players how to play Texas Hold'em.
   
   First, let's consider Mr. Okrongly's qualifications. As I mentioned, he has been a member of a poker-related forum for a number of years. Unlike most members of the forum, I have never seen him ask for advice on a hand that he played or post any long-term results showing that he won money. In fact, I don't believe I've ever seen proof that he even plays poker at all. Most of the poker literature on the market was written by successful professionals who know what it takes to win; what has Mr. Okrongly ever done that we should listen to his advice?
   
   As for the content of this book, anyone who wants to make serious money playing this game should ignore it. It teaches people to play poker on autopilot, playing the same hand the same way every time, giving no heed to what their opponents are doing. It even tells us "you don't have to make reads to make money" -- an extraordinary statement to make when the whole point of the game is to observe what your opponents are doing, and adopt a strategy that exploits their mistakes. Anyone who follows the "19 Hand" system has no chance of success against even a marginally competent opponent.
   
   I expect Mr. Okrongly to discredit this review as "spam" from someone who "hasn't read the book," as he has done to the others who have submitted a negative review. He has even threatened to accuse those reviewers of libel. I promise that I have read the vast majority of the material in the book already; after all, it was publicly available on the Internet for years until it was recently taken down. Instead of attacking the messenger, Mr. Okrongly would do well to explain his qualifications for writing a book about poker, something he has yet to do.
   
   In summary, don't buy this book unless you want to become a weak poker player who loses to everyone but the very worst players at the very smallest stakes online.



3. I have read the book and I have actually put into practice the techniques from the book. They work. I recommend it to any person that wants to play Full Ring (9/10 person tables) No Limit Hold'em profitably at low stakes (up to $2/$5).
   
   I have bought more than a dozen poker books and mostly I end up disappointed. They either are too theoretical or they talk about playing Limit Hold'em when of course most people want to play No Limit Hold'em.
   
   This book is very practical. The section about conversations is one of the best things you will ever read. Also the 19-hand playing guide really works.
   
   I personally have been using the techniques from the book since November of last year and I can honestly say that I now consistently make money from playing No Limit Hold'em.
   
   The Pareto Principle applies. There may be ways to make a little more, but they are probably a whole lot more complex than what a part time hobby player like myself can master.
   
   Thank you Anthony. I recommend your book!



4. 
   At the time of this writing, there are a couple of emphatically negative reviews and one equally emphatic positive review for this book, the latter by someone who says he tried the 19-hand system. My opinion falls somewhere in the middle.
   
   First of all, the author's goal is not to provide a deep and subtle analysis of high-stakes, or even low-stakes poker. It is not to tell you how to play multi-table tournaments. It is not to tell you how to play sit 'n' gos. It is not to give you special strategies for shorthanded games. His goal is to systematize online low-stakes no-limit play (from micro games up to $2/$5 blinds) for multiple-table ring games (nine or ten players), period.
   
   If you have played multiple tables online, then you know the action can get pretty hectic, with windows popping up constantly, forcing you to make rapid decisions, which can induce errors. In no-limit play, errors are exaggerated and may become disastrous in a single instant. Because this is an "automatic" system, it reduces decision time and cuts errors. The starting hand selection -- 19 hands only -- is designed to exploit the most common error found in low-stakes games: weak starting hands played with excessive optimism, in a word, loose play. Quoting the author: "...the betting, calling, and folding strategies are designed for low buy-in NL ring where typically the pots are 2oxBB [sic] and the % of players who see the flop is 40% or higher. That's the 19-hand strategy."
   
   Obviously this book could have used a good editor (it is a self-published book with good quality binding and paper, plus an ISBN number). However, that doesn't mean that it isn't well-reasoned. I think we all hunger for a "system" that generates money as if from a spout, and if you select your target carefully, it is possible to come up with a system for exploiting it. That's what this author does. I have not given the system a rigorous test, so I can't say for sure whether or not it works. However, the advice it contains is basically sound, as far as it goes, and for some people it will improve the bottom line.
   
   A word about the style: it is a bit overbearing, but I enjoyed it anyway. The author is touting the system as well as describing it. I think the right place for advertising is up front or on the back cover, but not inside. However, his purpose is probably to pep talk his customers and to warn them against deviating from the system. Since such a system is going to depend on small percentages multiplied over many tables, this is a worthwhile use of rhetoric.
   
   One of the criticisms leveled at the book is that it does not alter its strategy based on observation of opponents. This is true, up to a point. He does advise altering your behavior based on the betting, that is, by weighing the average pot size, the percent of the players seeing the pot, the size of the current pot, and interpreting the betting "language" (this is an excellent chapter). Taking all of these things into account gives an index of hand strength. For example, the Contested Pot Rule (p. 132) states that "The more 'contested' a pot is, the more likely someone in the hand has a Nut or Near-Nut hand." Applying the Contested Pot Rule leads to profitably folding pocket Aces, Kings, or Queens when they're not the nuts. This is good advice. However, he does not suggest modifying any of his rules based on whether the opponent is loose or tight, passive or aggressive, or just "tricky." For example, if you were observing opponents, you might notice that someone on your left was likely to fold his hand in the big blind if there's a raise in front and you could steal more blinds from this player. Or, taking the opposite point of view, if you noticed a player with position on you was addicted to blind-stealing, you might call his raise in the big blind, check on a raggy flop, and push when he bets into you. It's somewhat risky, but it will cure all but the most chronic blind stealer. You will find a basic discussion of position in the book, but nothing about the type of play just described, which other players will be using on you, and which you want to learn to use yourself as well as defend against. To quote another poker author, "Poker is not a card game played by people. It's a people game played with cards." This motto cuts both ways: if you are playing a system, you can depend on the better players figuring you out after awhile, and adjusting their strategy accordingly. The author claims that in the lower stakes games, the players aren't all that observant, which is true of some, but not all. It's those exceptions that I would worry about if you were never mixing up your play.
   
   The book has many good points, particularly in the area of self-observation and self-correcting. For example, he recommends keeping a journal -- a paper journal, not an electronic journal. In your journal you write down lessons learned and identify and correct your errors. Coincidentally, I applied a similar rule to myself a few years ago, before reading this book, and it led to a dramatic turnaround in my results. Most players will NOT follow this advice, which is good for you, if you do. Imagine, for example, that you play a lot of tournaments, and every time you bust out, instead of slamming the screen shut, kicking the dog and grabbing a beer, you write down EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED and assess your errors, if any. I mean, we all get sucked out on, but sometimes you're helping the opposition suck out on you by, say, giving them a free card or limping in with those pocket Aces, which happens quite a lot these days, incidentally. Within a couple of months you will have quite a catalog of your sins and you will be able to correct them. Since poker profits are eked out of a very small margin of money bet, even for the best players, you could well reverse your losses and enter the winners' circle. On this I am in total accord with the author.
   
   Another good point is that it takes much of the confusion out of no-limit play. Your betting, raising, and folding decisions are all determined by the system, so there's no more guesswork. If you're new to no-limit or confused by the apparent total freedom to bet any amount of money at any time, then this can be very useful. Having a system protects you from gross errors and allows you to get a feel for the game. But again, watch out for players who make adjustments to your style. You may want to leave the game, rather than fight back. Game selection is quite important, and the author has some sound rules for selecting a profitable game.
   
   My rule with a poker book is that if it can win one pot, it's worth the cover price. This is undoubtedly such a book, though one must not think of it as a total, comprehensive answer. As noted earlier, I have not tested the 19-hand system, so I can't comment intelligently on its effectiveness or lack of it. However, I have followed the author's suggestion to keep track of the hands I played OUTSIDE the system and observe the results. In every case, his predictions were correct, and my errors were costly -- around 20% of my bankroll during the observation preiod. So, if I'd followed his advice, I would not have "known," but I would not have lost, either. A dollar saved being almost the same as a dollar earned, this book would have been worth the price -- if I'd followed the advice. It's not enough to make a convert out of me, but it's enough to give me some respect for the system.
   
   One of the other criticisms leveled at the author was that he had not stated his qualifications or even shown that he plays poker. That's not quite true. In the Introduction, he says, "I invented the Performance Poker model (although I didn't know it at the time) and 3 weeks later I quit my job and made online poker my bill-paying job. It took three weeks to go from break-even to thousands of dollars per month playing poker online. Did it make me rich? No. But I went from 'breakeven' to thousands of dollars per month in poker profits in three weeks, and that's no small feat. Over the years I continued refining Performance Poker; my wife quit her job; I wrote poker articles, tutored players around the world and served as a poker consultant for poker sites." Of course, he doesn't include a photocopy of his bank records or cite newspaper articles about his success, but news stories are for tournament players and who can believe those bank account reports, anyway. I'll take him at his word, though in the end, the only question is whether there's something of value in the book. Given its premise, I think the answer is "Yes."



5. It's not just the 19 hands it has great advice for afterwards. This book is so much more. It talks about the discipline needed for doing the system. It talks about learning and making adjustments. It talks about what bets say and the psychology behind them. I think this is a great book for beginners who want to get serious. It provides a framework to help establish their own system. I really enjoyed reading this book.

5 comments about The Picasso Flop (Texas Hold'em Mysteries).

1. I enjoyed the story and the Las Vegas setting. I'm not a poker aficianado so the game play could be dead wrong and I wouldn't know it, though I've watched poker tournaments on TV. I did think the name-dropping of "real" players was used too heavily, to the detriment of developing the fictional characters and should have stayed more in the background for flavor.



2. I don't know much about poker. If I hadn't caught a few of the shows on cable, I would think that a book with a tag line of "A Texas Hold'em Mystery" was a western-mystery. But sometimes I do turn on the television so I know that Texas Hold'em is the hottest thing in card games for adults.
   
   Enter World Poker Tour commentator Vince Van Patten. He's teamed up with mystery-writer extraordinaire Robert J. Randisi and together they have penned the first in a series called The Picasso Flop.
   
   Ex-poker professional Jimmy Spain has just finished his time in the slammer. He's almost kicked his past but an old cell mate, Harold Landrigan--a wealthy, weathly man--hires Jimmy to keep an eye on his young daughter Kat. Money is no object to Landrigan and Jimmy accepts his more than generous offer. Only thing is, Jimmy can't let Kat know of his connection with her father.
   
   He moves to LA to meet Kat and see if she has any talent at all. She's a whiz at cards. Jimmy takes her under his wing and the duo head off to Vegas for the World Poker Tour at the Bellagio. Thanks to Daddy Harold, both have the buy-in fee for the five-day tournament.
   
   Things are going well for the two until an Internet poker phenom turns up dead, with the Picasso flop--three picture cards--as one of the only clue. It shakes Jimmy and Kat but not their fortitude. Until a poker posse buddy of the dead guy's takes a nose dive nto the hotel's swimming pool also with the same flop floating in the water..
   
   The Picasso Flop is littered with the poker world's most famous names. I have no idea who these people are, but it didn't get in the way of a good story. It helps that the authors do a minute amount of explaining about the game but that helpful little tidbit of info doesn't get in the way.
   
   Jimmy and Kat are compelling characters. For some reason, after I started reading The Picasso Flop, I started calling all the men I know "dude." And that's a word I never thought would be coming out of my mouth!



3. Odd comparison, but bear with me...
   I just finished reading Picasso Flop a day or so after Knight Rider came on.. and even with low expectations, both were disappointing. THey shared similar traits... a seemingly fan-friendly idea, and poor execution. Both appear to be hastily thrown together, have shaky (at best) plots, and OH-SO-convenient situations. Perhaps if KITT had driven into the Bellagio in this book, it might have at least made me stop and think something other than "Jeez, this book is so simplistically written..." The jacket desribes the author as the writter of several mysteries...I have a feeling it's quantity over quality if Picasso Flop is any indication. Maybe I'm asking too much from a book released by the WPT. Will I buy future installments? Sure, because I'm a rube that loves poker and will buy just about anything associated with it... and I'll watch Knight RIder every week if it gets picked up, because I loved the original when I was a kid... but that doesn't make them worthy...or any good. Suggestions to both: take a little more time. try harder. make a better product.



4. I really wanted to enjoy this book since I love watching the WPT poker telecasts and Vince Van Patten's commentary. I also love playing Texas Holdem. However, this book reads like it was written by a fourth grader (not to denigrate fourth graders writing ability). I got to the 10th chapter and decided I couldn't take it anymore. Vince, don't give up your day job....................



5. The story in this book follows the basic conventions of the mystery genre and does an adequate job. Mystery fans with no interest in poker won't hate this book, but it won't make their top ten lists. Some serious poker players will think it emphasizes silly froth over pure poker.
   
   I loved this book for the inside jokes about celebrity poker. If you're a fan, there's all kinds of fun detail, carefully-etched portraits and amusing color. If you're not a fan, and don't know any of the people involved, it will seem like shameless plugs for the World Poker Tour with lots of silliness in between the murders.
   
   This isn't a book for everyone (as the other reviews clearly show), but if you like this sort of thing, it's a five-star book.

4 comments about Poker 6-7-8 Hold'Em Strategy Cards.

1. At first I thought of giving this product one star and trashing it using elegant prose. Why? Because from a selfish point of view I don't want anyone else to use these strategy cards, at least not when they're competing against me. Although I'll concede that with about 80 million poker players, it may be a while before I'll be playing against many players using these reference cards.
   
   Before buying these strategy cards I read a number of books on Texas Hold'em to try to formulate a strategy for playing. The problem was that many combinations of hands would be discussed, and all too often the "experts" disagreed as to what is the best strategy. Maybe this means that there is no best strategy and that one should vary one's play in general, as well as further varying your play depending on whether you're playing against tight or loose opponents. But it did seem to me that it was very important to get off to a good start, that is, to know which hands to see a flop with, in which position, and do I call or raise? Poker books cover this, but they often discuss hands in terms of ranges and then tell you to fold everything not mentioned. I much prefer seeing a table that lists all of the 169 possible, 2-card starting hands. The Poker 6-7-8 strategy cards do this in table form - it's quick and easy to find your starting hand and know whether to fold, bet or raise. The four tables used for the "pre-flop" on card one, combined with the pithy paragraphs the strategy cards use to guide you through the flop, the turn and the river on card two, provide for variation in play to reflect how loose the players at your table are and also to change your play to help you fool your opponents.
   
   I like the definitions and the explanation of pot odds, and I especially like how the strategy tables on card one distinguish between early, middle and late position. Some books are confusing in this regard. There is also a table called Late Position - Aggressive. As part of my play variation when I'm in late position, I vary between using this late - aggressive table with the "regular" late position table.
   
   The second card of this 2-card set covers the flop, turn and river by discussing different scenarios, such as flopping a set or trips. No book can cover all the possible combinations, but it's amazing how much IS covered in just 4 easy-to-read panels. I used to have a lot trouble on the flop with pairs and draws. Strategy card number two clarifies these situations by telling you under what circumstances you should continue on to the turn.
   
   The panels on the cards are designed to fold in both directions, allowing you to keep any panel laying flat in front of you. The strategy cards also easily slip in and out of virtually any pocket. Before playing I like to review the strategies for the flop, the turn and the river, and then I keep the pre-flop card right in front of me to refer to as I play on the internet. And no one can even rag me about it because, of course, nobody knows!



2. Understang the importance av startinghands in poker is of huge importance and this cards give you a very good insight in the matter.
   Together with Skalanskys ratingspoint for startingshands are these cards a big step against good pokerplaying.
   You are going to get your invested money back just after a short time using them.



3. This is a great idea to discipline yourself in the beginning stages of hold-em poker. The card that I did receive was very helpful when it came to some of the "middle of the road" hands that may seem good but in reality are not likely to pay off. As you play you can broaden your strategy and play some of the lower ranked hands but for playing by the book this is a good reference.
   
   I rated the item a 2 because I only received 1 of the 2 cards that were promoted at Amazon. Amazon did send another shipment but it only had 1 card as well so I assume there was a problem with the "shipping and handling".



4. my husband loves poker so I thought based on reviews he might like these...well he never looks at them and I believe they are lost now and were sorta a dud.

3 comments about Texas Hold'em Poker Series: Begin To Win!.

1. For someone who has never played casino poker before, this CD is an excellent prepatory guide. Playing in a casino card room can be very intimidating for the first time, and by listening to this CD, a begining player can learn what to expect in less than an hour. As an experienced player, there wasn't very much in terms of new information and strategy for me, but I loaned the CD to a friend of mine who wanted to give casino poker a try, and he was able to walk in knowing what to expect and feeling far more comfortable than he would have otherwise.

   While the strategy on the CD isn't as intensive and detailed as a good book on the subject, there's enough to help you get by for your first outing. What is extremely helpful for the novice is all the tips and pointers on the simple logistics of playing in a casino -- from buying chips to making your bets to handling your cards. I sincerely wish I had this CD before stepping into a casino for the first time. I would have definately been a lot more at ease.




2. This book just skimmed the topic. There was very little info for anyone that knows the basic rules.



3. I tend to like listening to material better than reading it. I was thrilled when I saw this audio cd released on the beginning play and strategies for Texas Hold'em. This cd was very helpful and comprehensive for getting started playing poker in a casino, and I also think it's great to be able to put the cd in your computer to view and study flashcards of starting hands, etc. This was very, very helpful, and now I'm ready to start studying more in depth material on Hold'em!

No comments about 'Texas Hold'em -- An In-Depth Study'.

No comments about Winner's Guide to Texas Hold'em.

1 comments about Uncle Chester's Texas Hold'Em Secrets.

1. The poker advice in this is sound, but there are no big secrets as the title suggests. The author endorses classic, tight-agressive strategy. However, the thing that sets this book apart is the humor. The chapters: "Every Man for Himself" "Poker Etiquette" and "Messing with your Opponents" are particularly funny. I've never had so much fun with an instructional manual. The glossary in the back of the book is excellent, perhaps the most comprehensive I've ever seen on the topic. The only criticism I have is the section on poker odds is simplistic and may not be satisfying to the more mathematical player. Overall, a fun and informative read.

5 comments about No-Limit Texas Hold'em: The New Player's Guide to Winning Poker's Biggest Game (The New Players Series).

1. If you are anywhere beyond beginner, this book will be of very little use to you. I am by no means an expert, but I found most of the information contained in the book to be very basic.
   
   I also think some of the advice is terrible. Example (p. 182): it's fairly early in the tournament and you have plenty of chips; you call a small raise from a very loose and aggressive player preflop with AKs; flop brings 66Q, two of your suit and the aggressive player bets roughly the size of the pot. The book's advice in this spot? "With the nut flush draw and two over cards you have a very big hand." Go all in! Or, as an alternative "smooth call" to try to keep another player in the pot.
   
   I have nowhere near the qualifications of the authors, but I can not fathom why anyone would want to put a ton of chips at risk at this point in a tourney with a hand that is, at best, a little behind and, at worst, completely dominated.
   
   I know there aren't a lot of no limit books out there, but there must be some better than this.



2. This book was extremely basic, buy the Championship Series version. I consider myself a mid-level to advanced limit player just starting to explore the world of No Limit and I already knew most of the stuff this book contained. It was really a waste of time.



3. I do confess I am a novice NL hold 'em player. I mean really -- what do I know about poker books? Still I have found this book an excellent source for laying down fundamental and basic NL strategy as well as answering a lot of the questions I had about the NL game (like, "how the heck do I know how much to bet??"). The negative reviews here seem to harp on the fact that this book is too basic. Well , let's see.....Wow, how about that?!?! It says "NEW PLAYER SERIES" on the cover.
   
   Seriously, if you are a NL new player, I think this is a great place to start and build upon. I can't speak for more advanced players, but I imagine this book would be a good source for all levels. The book has a friendly, easy to read style and is filled with plenty of scenarios you might find yourself in at the table. You'll find all of the key concepts are pretty much covered -- starting hands, position, reading players, tournament strategies, All-in situations, etc.
   
   The book is not without flaws: no serious discussion of pot odds and outs, virtually nothing on playing the turn and river [although you must realize must pro's want to win a pot pre-flop and/or on the flop. The whole point of NL is to make it too expensive for your opponent to see the next card(s).]
   
   But overall this book provides the foundation for solid play. If you are new to the NL game -- START HERE!



4. I am astounded to read the reviews below giving this book one star because it is "for beginners" or "very basic". Across the top of the front cover of this book is a banner that reads: "The NEW PLAYER Series". Below the title it reads: "The new player's guide to winning poker's biggest game". You would think people would rate a book high if it lives up to its premise. This book is SUPPOSED to be for beginners.
   
   The first 25-30 pages are aimed at people new to hold'em, to bring them up to speed. After that, it is the basics of no-limit hold'em play, pretty much everything you need to know to get started.
   
   Judging by how the majority of players out there (on the internet and in brick-and-mortar casinos) play, most people would benefit from a good fundamental understanding of the basics.
   
   This book teaches you these basics. The only problem with some of the other literature out there on no-limit is that it assumes you are an experienced player. We needed a good basic text, and here it is.
   
   Highly recommended advice from two great poker players, for the beginner and those experienced hold'em players making the move to no-limit.



5. In my opinion, the authors and those who wrote the advertisements I saw for this book have advertised falsely. The authors and advertisers say the book is for learning no-limit cash-game and tournament strategies and techniques. There is virtually no information on cash-game techniques and strategies, however, and no information on how to adapt the given tournament strategies to cash-games. Therefore the book only does half or less of what it is supposed to do.