No comments about Poker plans on the table.(Government)(Springfield will consider an ordinance to allow the popular Texas hold 'em tournaments, with strict monitoring): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR).

No comments about Hold em Poker for Winners.

No comments about Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing and Winning.

No comments about Texas Hold Em:Tournament Table Winning Strategies.

No comments about Hold Em Poker.

No comments about Card Player Magazine - The Poker Authority - December 20, 2006 (Nick Schulman - 'The Takeover' Lives Up to His Name. The Invention of Playing Cards. Pot-Limit Versus No-Limit Hold'em. Strategies & Analysis. The Tournament Circuit. Players & Personalities., Vol. 19, No. 25).

5 comments about Real Poker II: The Play of the Hands.

1. In each chapter, Cooke focuses on one hand. He lays out the scene, how the hand played out, and what his thought process was on each hand.
   His goal is to make as much money as possible on his winners, and to lose as little as possible on his losers (a good goal).
   While sometimes he may come across as a bit of a know-it-all, this is an invaluable book that addresses many of the issues poker players face at the felt, including Pot Odds, Implied Odds, how to play in loose games v. tight games, short-handed v. full games, and more.
   Each chapter is about 3 pages, making this an ideal book for those who don't often have large chunks of time to devote to reading.
   If you play Limit Hold 'Em and want to make more money, buy this book, put it in your bathroom, and read one chapter a day. Your game will be better for it.



2. REAL POKER II: THE PLAY OF HANDS offers up a winning set of his Play of Hand columns from 1992-99. From right and wrong plays and misreading to deciding when to call, REAL POKER II: THE PLAY OF HANDS is for avid players who would be better.



3. I have added this book to my library and the book is very good and a fine addition to my current library.



4. the book is the reprint of a number of articles published by the author over time. It is well written, and the information is definitely of high calibre. It is however best used by limit holdem players; as no limit holdem strategy differs widely from limit strategy.
   With that proviso in mind, i think those interested will find their dollars recieve fair value from the author.



5. This is one of the only truly great mid-limit books I've read besides Ciaffone's. A collection of some of Cooke's Card Player articles, it lays out the thinking processes of a VERY solid mid-limit player. Once you get inside Cooke's head here and follow his logic, you will understand why mid-limit is such a great game to play, and how much there is to learn before you can beat it regularly.
   One of my favorite poker moments came about five years ago, at four am in the Bellagio 30. I'd been there for 16 hours and was stuck about 65 BB. I should have gone home a long time before but I decided to prolong my misery and see what I was really made of (some of you know exactly what I'm talking about). I'd been running good the month before and could afford the loss but I really wanted to know how long I could keep playing my A-game while getting crushed on the river time and again. I'd never had such an unlucky session (nine flopped sets, one of them held up!, etc etc) and to this day still have not, knock on wood but who's superstitious? Certainly not any gamblers I know.
   So I'm in the six seat at this fast seven-handed game, hoping to see something finally hold up for me, and down plunks Roy in the three seat to pull off the graveyard shift on a Saturday morning, a fine time indeed to find some very live money. We played a couple hours, very friendly table with tons of action and even without any good hands I managed to steal a few pots by playing tight and bluffing at flops and turns everyone clearly missed. I was feeling good about cutting my loss by a dime or so and was talking with Roy about life in general, his real estate biz, his wild younger days, etc. I hadn't mentioned I'd read his writing as that would be unfair to him while he stalked the unwary prey at the table (though in reality we were the hunted!).
   We both started laughing about how bad we were running; he couldn't catch a river to save his life either. After it got four-handed at 7 am and the live ones were gone (except me) he said, "I knew you were a local pro within five minutes of sitting down. For how badly you're catching you're playing some really great poker." When I told him I was just another dumbass tourist who had moved up to 30 from the 15 a few days before, he was genuinely surprised that I hadn't been playing this limit for years.
   It was one of the best compliments I've ever received, and it highlights how great this book is. After reading this and Ciaffone I had a fair handle on the basics of not-basic-at-all mid-level Vegas poker (a much nittier world than the Commerce), and to hear that confirmed by one of my teachers was a great feeling.
   That's all I really need say about this book. Read it well and frequently and it will show you how to play very solid aggressive poker at limits that can pay for your Vegas excursion and then some. Cooke has a good sense of humor and is easy to read, and his discussion of his editor/friend John's errors are very entertaining and informative. Roy takes you through each decision in a hand and it's one of the most simple and useful formats you'll find in poker writing.
   That said, the competition at the 30 and 40 games can be very tough indeed, and it takes more than book smarts to win consistently. You need brains, balls, heart and some luck as well to make that happen. I've certainly had my swings at those tables, but beating them is a great feeling when it happens, because you know you are now a truly solid player who can play with some of the best out there.
   The no-limit tv games are entertaining, but if you really want to watch the pros who live off the game without sponsors and backers, sweat these games. They are a major education, and Cooke helped educate a lot of those players.
   I am glad to report that while he was running cold at that game he took all his beats like a gentleman, was always gracious as a winner, and was a pleasure to play cards with. And in the end, that means a lot more than running good and stacking chips.

No comments about Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (Superstars of Poker, Texas Hold'em).

No comments about Texas Hold' em: The Learning Curve of Life (Superstars of Poker).

No comments about Pineapple Hold'em (Gambler's Book SHelf).