No comments about Secrets of Short-Handed No Limit Hold'em: Winning strategies for short-handed and heads up play.

5 comments about Why You Lose at Poker.

1. I have read six other poker books from cover to cover and tried to use the knowledge at the tables. Each book did teach me something and helped my game. However, my losses were always bigger than my gains, albeit not by much. After reading this book, I have not lost ONCE! In a 3-6 hold 'em game, I started walking away with several extra racks of chips each and every game. To be honest, I am sure that I will lose on occasion and I am far - far - FAR from being a pro - I can now enjoy this game recreationally and make some money along the way. This is an excellent book. I just hope I don't face other readers of this book at my table!



2. This book is great for learning poker at a decent level. I really like being able to read what I'm doing wrong, rather than......"if you do this, there's no doubt you're going to win".



3. This book is simple and clear. It helped me take an objective look at my style of play and identify some lapses in discipline and logic that have been causing some serious leaks in my bankroll. Horse sense and discipline, is my short summary of this book.



4. Fox and Harker are succesful poker players and co-wrote an earlier book about NLHE.
   
   Fox, who is a tournament bridge player himself, and Harker, who isn't,
   got the idea for this book after reading the S.J. Simon's classic book and you can tell. Not that I am talking about plaguerism. They just decided to do a book LIKE for poker players and they succeeded.
   
   There are chapters about common errors that cause losing players to
   lose and winning players to win less. Much of this is elementary but
   some of the chapters are very interesting. They are reminders to veteran players and warnings to newbies. Even many very experienced players could use the advice about game selection and the chapter on the economics of tournaments.
   
   The greatest resemblance to is that it ends with some hands played at the club. after which they analyze each player's actions, replacing him or her with a reasonable player to see how much better (or worse) said reasonable player would have done.
   
   This is a very entertaining book. Unless you are a very advanced poker player, it would help your game too. I only gave it four stars because a some very good players would find nothing in it that they don't already have under control. The entertainment value of the book might still make it worthwhile for some of them but not for others.
   
   For fans of
   
   For those who remember Mrs. Guggenheim, the pleasant but hopeless
   rubber-bridge player from by S.J. Simon, it
   might be interesting to know that she is still alive and well.
   Evidently, she was widowed or divorced, I didn't get to ask her which,
   and has married again, to a wealthy and generous man named Goldman.
   
   I ran into her in an entertaining little book called Poker> by Russell Fox and Scott T. Harker, where she was playing poker
   for moderate stakes. She isn't any better at her new game than at her
   old one but she remains indominatible.
   
   The cast of characters is similar to Simon's but only Mrs. Guggenheim/Goldman is recognizable.



5. The book is well written and contains very good advice. It's well worth the time to read, it should help your game progress.

1 comments about Poker Wizards: Wizdom from the World's Top No-Limit Hold'em Poker Players.

1. Love this book. If you play, whether it's a friendly or a smoker, this book can help your game with its insights from the players with the biggest stones. Those guys (gender agnostic) are legends and yet seemingly accessible - if only. Dunnett has done it. Even though I recommend it, I'm tempted to keep to myself and use it for the potential ill-gotten gains from less informed competitors.

4 comments about The Illustrated Guide to No-Limit Texas Hold'em.

1. I was not a fan of this book. It contains a lot of errors - like how to look like you are going to bet by holding your chips when describing an Internet tournament scenario! Of the 150 scenarios, one includes making a Royal Flush and another involves flopping quads. Sure, they happen, but I've been playing online for more than six years, and I've made one Royal. Are there people playing on the Internet as dumb as the opponents described in this book? Sure. But the overall message I took away from this book is, "Don't gamble unless you have the absolute nuts." Good luck on that. Find a better use for your money.



2. Following the success of the limit version of this book the author has moved into the arena of the very popular no limit Hold'em game. Unlike most of the books out there this one breaks everything down into illustrated scenarios which include the important factors of position, pot size, action, and other useful information upon which decisions should be based. The reader can visualize the exact scenario and then read the correct course of action. By providing over 150 scenarios some of which are multiple parts of the same hand the reader is guided through a number of thought processes that are essential for any winning poker player.
   
   A beginner is exposed to ideas they may never have considered such as the importance of position, how to figure pot odds, the consideration of prior action in the hand, theoretical hand strength, maximizing profit from a winning hand, and much more.
   
   Some of the concepts will be old news to an advanced player, but to new and intermediate players it drives home some very important advice covering real life and internet games. By using illustrations with every hand the concepts are easy to grasp and remember. It is a book that can be read a little at a time and is very easily absorbed.



3. I'm between Beginner and Intermediate, and this book works great for me. Illustrations help reders to understand situations very clearly. With this book I feel as if I were at a card table with a great mentor.



4. There are lots of books out there that are just too much work for the beginner. Sklansky is brilliant but I can't wade through his books or most of the 2+2 library just yet. That's a criticism of me not them.
   
   Lots of other books attempt to describe hands in prose or through some kind of diagram. These books by Purdy provide a very clear way of illustrating and narrating a poker scenario so that it has the feel of being at the table. The situations can be read one at a time. Each stuation and analysis taking perhaps five minutes or so to read through.
   
   Since 95% of the book consists of the 150 situations, don't buy this book unless you are willing to actively engage in thinking them through as presented. This is not a book to just sit back and read on autopilot. You have to "play" the hands. You might think of it as 5 hours of play at the casino poker room.
   
   The books by Purdy have helped me the most in starting out. And who knows, after reading them, I may just be ready for some Sklansky.

5 comments about Phil Hellmuth's Texas Hold'em.

1. Phil obviously knows a lot about Texas Hold'em, he just doesn't share much if it in this book. If you think Phil is the smartest man on earth and devour anything he touches, then you'll love this book. He does a great job of pointing out situations where his brilliant intellect helped him win past tournaments. Unfortunately, he fails to deliver on the purpose of the book, helping US play better. It appears to me that he wrote it while on a long flight, the morning before his publisher's deadline. Don't bother with this one.



2. Just don't buy it. It's basically a reprint of play poker like the pros which was horrible. Buy Any poker book instead.



3. I foolishly bought both these books seeing I could get a discount if I bought both. I got them separately in the mail and thought they accidentally sent me two of the same book. Yes they are that similar. I will in the long haul probably benefit from the material in both but think that it should be boldly advertised that most of the material is directly copied from the original book.



4. ok . teaches u some of poker tips which can be usre in home gam e!!!!!!! fantastic !!!!!!!



5. I found this book to be very informative. Following the instructions and tips given in the book has actually improved my game and increased my winnings almost immediately. Well worth the inexpensive cost of the book.

5 comments about Championship No Limit & Pot Limit Hold 'Em (Championship Series).

1. there is some good stuff in this book and written in simple terms



2. As the title implies, the authors discuss every hand that [they] think is playable in a tourney and describe how to play them in limit, no-limit and pot-limit events. There's also a discussion of some important hands that were played in past WSOP championship events. However, I found the information and discussion to be a bit shallow.
   
   McEvoy and Cloutier seem to take a cookie cutter approach when describing how to play the hands. When you have hand X you do action Y. While they [somtimes] modify the action to be taken based on position, there is almost no discussion of the changes that your stack size would dictate. Nor is there much discussion of how hands play differently early in the tournament at full tables vs. late at short tables.
   
   Discussion of how to play various hands on the flop and later are seldom given much in-depth discussion.
   
   Anyone following the advice would be fairly predictable.
   
   Lastly it should be noted that the authors are two long-time successful players. While overall I was disappointed, there were a few points that struck me as very useful. Hence the two stars instead of one.



3. I must admit this is one essential poker book that should be in every poker player's library. Tj and Tom give you expert analysis on the proper way to play particular hands. I really value their experience given all the bracelets and tournaments they've both won. Tj Cloutier gives great advice on knowing your opponents and tendencies to make your decisions at the poker table. Even though much of the advice in this book at first look can be interpreted as conservative, its really the best book on tournament poker strategy. Tj stresses no limit holdem is all about survival and making smart decisions where you don't have to take too many chances will ensure you do survive. For example Tj states "In the first round of the World Series, as well as in the first round of the smaller buy-in events at the WSOP, a pair of kings is not a big enough hand to get broke with. The only hand that is big enough to get broke with before the flop is two aces." Who'd a thought that at first glance!



4. This book contains many stories and not that much poker-tips.
   
   The tips are pretty basic and many of them are told repeatedly throughout the book. The result of that is a book with 304 pages that contains a net total of maybe 100 pages of poker-lessons. Not good. Sure, the stories are very entertaining to read and the authors both have a LOT of experience, but I got this book to get better at tournaments. Not for entertainment reading.
   
   I regret that I bought this book. Recently I threw myself into Dan Harrington's vol.1 and vol.2 and they're great. I highly recommend them. Actually I can't even think of a single bad thing to say about them.
   
   Sorry T.J.!



5. I'm not sure who this book is intended for. The down home, folksy style of writing makes it easy and accessible, like a good beginners book. But some topics that beginners absolutely need to learn, like pot odds and implied odds, are skimmed over and barely touched on. Other times, they'll simply repeat the same thing over and over again, with different ways of phrasing it. I get that you need "iron balls" to play hold 'em; no need to word it 5 different ways in the span of two pages.
   
   The authors also like to make grand pronouncements and hold fast rules, as if they're reading from a stone tablet or something (this is not a direct quote from the book, but they do mention this "concept"): "Thou shalt not draw to a flush unless ye have the nut flush draw AND two overcards!" Ignore, for a second, the absurdity of that statement; I just hate it when poker players say things like that as if they're the gospel truth. There are going to be times where you should put money into the pot with a non-nut flush draw or even simply two overcards, let alone both of them. The overall strategy described in this book is uber-tight, to say the least. They're much more concerned with protecting their own chips then they are with taking them from others. That's not a bad strategy for a beginner to start with, but if that's as far as your poker skills get, you're going to leave a lot of money on the table.
   
   This book is not without it's highlights. The discussion on how to play small pocket pairs is refreshing, if only because two dissenting viewpoints are discussed. T.J. doesn't really like them, Tom will play any pair. Personally, I agree with Tom, especially if the stacks are deep. The implied odds you get from hitting a set make it a very profitable hand to play, as long as you can get some action when you hit it. If you're at a table full of nits who don't pay off (players like T.J., for example), you probably shouldn't waste your money with the small pairs unless you're simply trying to steal the pot pre-flop (basically playing it like a semi-bluff.)
   
   Overall, I was very disappointed with this book. I think the main problem is it's target audience. It seems like the authors wrote this with serious poker players in mind, but a lot of it reads more like a beginners book. If I had found this a few years back when I played ATC (any two cards) this would have been exactly what I needed. Now that I know how to play the good kind of loose, this book does nothing for me.
   
   If you're a real tight player, you may find this book comforting. Everyone else should move along, there's nothing to see here. If this is "the bible of poker", as the back cover claims, then call me an atheist, cause I ain't buying it.

5 comments about No-Limit Hold'em Hand by Hand: Learn to Beat the Ultimate Poker Game (w/DVD).

1. I have many MANY limit books and a good number of NL books so this is certainly not the first OR last NL book I will purchase.
   
   What I like is that this explains hands and how to play in certain situations that other books miss. The price tag is perfect as a fill in book between many of the higher prices books that are loaded with info but somethings get to technical.
   
   I guess you could call this a beer and pretzel book. You don't have to sit down in a quite room and study it, you can pick it up and look at hands and see how OTHERS play.
   
   From a limit player that has played over 1 million hands of limit and am switching - it's a perfect fill in book.



2. Hi,
   
   I have read almost 12 books on Texas Hold'em and I believe this is one of the best. If you play five to ten hours a month and have less then one year under your belt, this book is for you. It's easy reading and has many real hand examples that will have you saying wow! I never thought about that. It will give you more confidence at the table then you had before reading this book.
   
   The video disc that comes with this book is another great idea by Neil Myers. It shows and talks about many items in the book and gives you a different mode of learning other then straight reading.
   
   I fully recommend this book.
   
   
   Michael Shasho
   
   p.s if you google my name you will see that I am an active Hold'em player



3. The book covers some basic hands. There is nothing earth shattering in Neil Myers' commentary on the hands. The DVD is mind numbingly boring and unwatchable. It seems to cover the same hands he goes over in the book.



4. I have read many, many books on poker. I think Neil's book on no limit is one of the best. I have read Sklansky and all the others who go way beyond most people's comprehension of material. Usually I just ended up more confused with a whole lot more info than I needed to play competitive poker. Let's face it, most people are not playing at these guys level and don't need all the confusion. Neil shows how to play everyday poker with real everyday players, most of which will know less than you after reading his books. Practical,down to earth playing advice that will get you a lot more wins. I also highly reccommend his book on tournament play that has already got me further in most fast structured tourneys that I play online. Looking forward to more from him.



5. I found this book to be a great addition to my poker library. Not only does it go over important situations that you run into every day in NL hold'em but it gives you specific in game situations and then grades you on your responses. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Tournament Hold 'em Hand by Hand.

1. Hello i thought i would write a review on this book after all it has helped me make over $15k in online tournaments.
   I have a very big poker book collection i have every thing on cash games and tournament play and i must say THIS BOOK is the best i have!!!
   
   The book will guide you in every part of the tournament from start to finish and deals with what hands to play and what position to play them in and how to deal with all the situations and stack size.
   
   This book is for fast structured Mtt's like the ones online with 15 min blinds but truth be told you can apply the tools you will learn to tournaments with as low as 10 min blinds.
   At first i thought the starting hands were a bit loose but i have to admit now after applying them they work and work well.
   
   Since reading this book i have made 11 final tables and cashed in 28 other tournaments and cashing in over 15k in prize money.
   
   If you want to be a winner in these tournaments then this book is a 100% must lay down your Dan Harrington books lay down your David Sklansky books THIS BOOK is the real deal.
   
   if i could give it more stars i would.



2. This book is a must read if you play fast tourneys online. The blinds raise so fast you have to have the aggressive style that Neil Myers suggests in this excellent book. I highly reccommend all his books.



3. Neil Myers book Tourney Holdem Hand by Hand helped me fill in the blanks that I was missing when it comes to this type of game. Being an avid and profitable low stakes S&G player for years, I never did well with multi table tourneys and I never understood why. Now I do.
   
   The importance of position, stack size, and card value take on a whole new set of rules. You can be the best Cash or S&G player in the world, but unless you read this book and comprehend it, you will not do well in a Tourney. Learn from the best to become the best.
   
   Neil explains the different strategies necessary to come out on top and continues by bringing out the reality of winning these type of games as well as how they can and will be profitable. In a sense, you need to be able to think and act much faster than before if you have never played in a Multi Table game successfully. He points out when and how you should act and against whom based on all the factors of the game at that time.
   
   The flow of the book is consistent and even, making is a great read. You can tell that much thought and logic was put into the layout and format design as he doesn't jump from subject to subject randomly. I would suggest this book for ANYONE who wants to shift gears in their game play from other forms of Holdem.



4. This book was written by a fan of Arnold Snyder's Poker Tournament Formula. Skip this book and just buy Arnold's which is excellent.



5. This is my second Neil Myers book. I bought his first poker book a few years ago.
   
   I like this book. In fact, I tend to reread this book (which is easy to do because it is so short) fairly often. I think Neil does a pretty good job of emphasizing a different approach to fast paced MTTs.
   
   I bought Arnold Snyder's book first...and their ideas are fairly similiar. Arnold's book...The Poker Tournament Formula is very good. And I appreciate Neil acknowledging Arnold's book in his own.
   
   The first 15 pp or so...is useful...but you can easily skim through these rather quickly...although I did appreciate him sharing his poker playing history...which led him to develop his approach to fast structure MTTs. The idea he seems to convey is...you have to figure out what works for you...even if this means you disagree with the conventional wisdom offered by poker legends like Sklansky or Malmuth (which he obviously does). Frankly, I found this kind of attitude inspiring and refreshing.
   
   I tend to focus on the various hand samples...which he divides into stack, position and card problems. I reread them to absorb the thought process behind the decisions he advocates. For example, I usually review the stack size section...in particular...to understand and remember the stack size situations that he suggests puts you into an all-in-mode. You may or may not agree with some of his examples such as A-Qo, middle position and 22 BBs...all-in push.
   
   Bottom line...I think this book...if you're dissatisfied with your tournament results...provides you with another approach/strategy to playing fast MTTs...which may help you if you're looking to change your game.
   
   disclaimer: Neil Myers is a very casual business acquaintenance of mine.
   
   
   
   standtall

3 comments about The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker.

1. Game Day highly recommends this book as the standard poker book for use during all types of poker games. This book is especially helpful to players in home games of poker, where it is important to have a way to resolve rules disputes quickly and amicably.
   
   We at Game Day saw that there was something missing in the current field of poker books: a standard poker rule book. Before we published the Official Rules of Poker, the only authorities on the rules of poker was Scarne and Hoyle, which were written in the Nineteenth Century. The game has changed, especially in the last ten years, and we realized that it was important to have a Twenty-First Century rule book.
   
   When we put out the word that we were looking for an editor and for such a book, Kelli Mix came forward. Ms. Mix, or "Poker Mom" as she is known at the poker table, eagerly took up the challenge of gathering and writing the rules to suit the modern game of poker. This turned out to be a gargantuan task. Ms. Mix researched each rule, making sure that they were found in at least five independent sources. Mix turned out to be a wonderful choice as editor and author of the Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker.
   
   Mix is a professional poker player. She is still under most poker players radar, but she is quietly climbing the ranks of tournament poker players (she finished 11th in the 2007 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em Women's tournament in a field of more than 1,200 players). However, she is more likely to be found at cash games, playing high stakes.
   
   The Official Rules of Poker includes all the rules of poker, from the most basic hand rankings to the most obscure tournament rules.
   
   Contents:
   1: Elements of Poker. This chapter covers the most basic rules of poker, and also describes the way poker is played in casino card rooms. Mix wrote these rules in a way that makes them easy to use while playing a game.
   
   2: Professional Poker Rules. These rules cover more of mechanical means of acting in a poker game, giving the finer definitions of what constitutes a raise, a call or a fold. They also discuss the penalties of rules infractions. There are four parts to this chapter.
   
   a) Robert's Rules of Poker. These rules were written by professional poker player and authority, Bob Ciaffone, as a standard set of rules of cash games in casino card rooms. While local laws may require changes to these rules, and some casinos use their own rules, these rules are often cited as the official set of rules in professional play.
   
   b) Robert's Rules of Poker for Private Games: This is Ciaffone's "Robert's Rules of Poker" which he adopted to home games where no impartial dealer or floorperson is present.
   
   c) Poker Tournament Director's Association Rules (TDA Rules). Each year, the Professional Poker Tournament Directors Association updates its rules, which most casinos and poker leagues use as their official rule book in tournament play. Tournament rules add a new layer of rules to poker, as tournaments are about eliminating players, not about accumulating money.
   
   d) World Series of Poker Rules: The World Series of Poker is considered the premier poker tournament event. Due to its sheer size and commercialism, the rules for WSOP tournaments are different than TDA rules. Many poker leagues use WSOP rules instead of TDA rules, as the WSOP rules are more popular among those who learned poker from television.
   
   3: Poker Etiquette. There are types of behavior frowned upon in poker games, due to the fact that poker is a highly competitive game and may involve large sums of money. In some games of poker, violating etiquette may result in ejection from the game.
   
   4: Variant Poker Games. Includes 69 different versions of poker, including 5-Card Draw, 5-Card Stud, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baseball, Anaconda, Mexican Stud, Chinese Poker, Iron Cross, Guts, English Stud, Kansas City Lowball, California Lowball, Pineapple,Spit, Three-Card Draw, and the ever-hilarious Indian Poker. Also includes rules for declaring wild cards and using jokers. WhIle professional poker players and casino card rooms will never play most of these games, home games are notorious for playing "dealer's choice" where the dealer chooses which of the many variations of poker will be played that hand. (Note: Mix and I had a really good time finding out about all of these games.)
   
   5: Glossary. Again, Mix was very thorough in her research. Poker terminology is highly colorful and is a lingo all its own. from the Nuts to the Fish. Mix used multiple sources, as there are many local poker terms and terms used that do not last more than a few months. She excludes popular names for two-card Texas Hold 'Em hands, purposefully, although we plan to have a separate glossary for hand names in future editions. Still, this is one of the most complete glossaries I have seen in a poker book anywhere.
   
   6. Index: Okay, I did the index. I believe that indexes should be thorough, and so I did my best to make the index easy to use in the heat of play. Still, this was a fairly easy index to create, as Mix's presentation of the rules and her organization of the material was straightforward, allowing me to easily pick out the rules.
   
   The Official Rules of Poker has been wonderfully received. Professional poker dealers have been clamoring to get this edition. When we released the book at the WSOP 2007 in Las Vegas, the WSOP dealers practically knocked me over trying to get their own copy.
   
   Thank you for considering The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker. I personally hope you will find it to be of great use, and that the book will provide you with years of fun--and fair--poker.
   
   David A. Rozansky
   Publisher
   Game Day (an imprint of Flying Pen Press)



2. This is a concise encyclopedia of the rules for poker. The Official Rules will particularly appeal to novices as it explains the nature of the cardroom, the equipment integral to the game, and hand rankings. Much of it is based on Robert's (Bob Ciaffone's) Rules of Poker and is elaborated upon by the author. It provides an introduction to the game as well by experienced player, Kelli Mix. The various styles of games are also discussed: limit, spread limit, no limit, and pot limit. The text covers just about everything including seven card stud high low and deuce-to-seven high low. The explanation of tournament rules is valuable because, as those of us who watch HSP already know, tournaments and cash games are entirely different animals. It even tells you what should be done with the "odd chip" in casino games. I appreciated the definition of "kill pots" and wish I would have read it before I began playing in kill limit games online, lol. This is definitely something I could have really used back in 2004 when I first began learning about the game.



3. I HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 8 YEARS AND THIS IS NOW ONE OF THE REQUIRED BOOKS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN MY TRAINING CLASS FOR NEW DEALERS. AT MY SUGGESTION A LOCAL POKER ROOM HAS INCLUDED THIS AS THEIR RULE BOOK AND ALL SUPERVISORS ARE REQUIRED TO USE IT. THIS BOOKS HAS COMPREHENSIVE UP TO DATE RULES. AS WE KNOW RULES MAY CHANGE FROM ROOM TO ROOM, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSE TO STANDARD THE POKER ALMANAC HAS IT ALL. TDA RULES, ROBERTS RULES, GAMES, AS WELL AS A GREAT UP TO DATE GLOSSARY. THIS BOOK IS AN ASSET FOR TRAINING NEW DEALERS. I USE THIS AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEALER'S HANDBOOK AS A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE.

5 comments about Caro's Most Profitable Hold'em Advice.

1. I know his poker tells was a great seller, i sold over 200 copies which is a lot for a small book seller, but i never really liked the book myself, nor the followup by the FBI guy. This new i liked a lot, even seems like someone else wrote it and used caros name, the hokiness is gone, and its right to the point and the point is made before he movesd on, the title is accurate "advise" not trying to by the only correct writer in the poker industry, being brunsons bother in law helped him earlier on, but this book seems to be devoid of brunsons input except for a credit or two. of all caros books, i reccomend this one over the rest for an experienced player who has already encountred some of the ssituations he writes about. we cant sell it ourselves on amazon yet but we will soon. david spriggs aka pocket rocket aka new books cheap.



2. It's rather difficult to clearly analyze Mike Caro's most recent book because some of the advice he gives is a bit controversial, and other parts can only be pulled off by experts.
   
   First, let me state that there is a wealth of very valuable information in the book. Granted, much of it has been previously published in his earlier works, and magazine articles, but here, it's all available in one place. I especially liked the section about treating Hold'em as a business as well as the occasional piece that really made me think about my game.
   
   However, Mr. Caro STRONGLY advocates creating a loose image in order to induce more calls, and increase profit. Several sections stress this, and advise the player how to do it. As I recall, he and another author, went round and round about this several years ago. To my mind, Mr. Caro has not proven that creating the loose image is the best path, especially for beginning players. Furthermore, and more importantly, it is very easy for a non-expert player to attempt this strategy and cost themselves some serious money. Newer players should be very careful in their attempts to be like Mike.
   
   So, while I do recommend the book [all of Caro's material is worth reading]I strongly advise the players to be careful when implementing some of it's advise.



3. What a terrible book. Sure, Caro has the awesome "mad genius" reputation, and certainly his analysis was cutting edge a couple decades ago. But much of what he teaches has been debunked by newer, better research. There are odd bits of useful information in this book, but there is lots of other information that contradicts what the best poker thinkers of today are preaching, and they back it up with math. Caro backs it up by referring to his "research," without actually describing that research. The best analogy I can think of is that Caro is like Einstein. He came up with a groundbreaking theoretical approach, like relativity, that changed the way people thought about the universe of poker; but he got left behind when others came up with quantum theory. E.g., he doesn't seem to have caught on to current thinking on the concept of equity in tournament play, especially near the bubble. Does he not believe that ICM works? Most winning tournament players do. And many other examples I don't have time to cite. He can't accept that another, better theory has supplanted his, no matter how vividly the data demonstrates it. Also, his writing style here is very irritating. How many times must we read things like "Do you want to know why blah, blah, blah? Well, I'll tell you. Here's why...." Yuck.



4. First of all this is a great poker book. I consider myself a stuent of the game and read ALOT of books on Hold em. Mike's advice is sound and works. He does advocate having a loose and playful image and it does illict more calls. How many times have you tightened up your play against a intimdating oponnet? I also find myself calling more than I should to friendly players with my marginal / semi strong hands. Mike's book put this whole psychology into a easily readable format. I noticed a distinct upswing in my profits after reading the book and implementing some of his techniques. Now this style of play is not or everyone. If you want to play like a rock and sneer at other players you will probally still make a profit, but you will be mising out on ALOT of extra money at the tables. Read the book and then reread it and all of his techinques fall into place. This book changed the way I play poker in so many ways.



5. I don't have time to write a full review right now, but I'll put in this quickie to negate some of the negative reviews on amazon.
   
   PROS
   This book has almost everything a semi-skilled player needs to take their game to the next level. Mike breaks down the play and analysis in order, by street to give the book a logical flow in the beginning. After that, he expands on general topics such as bankroll management, bluffing, treating poker like a business, etc.
   
   The advice is very pragmatic and much more realistic than most other books. Let's face it. Most of the time you should fold. But in those special circumstances when you have the right player in the right position with the right sized pot, then you can do other moves. Mike says as much and gives solid advice on when to and when not to do certain moves.
   
   Also, the section on treating poker like a business is pure gold. Let's face facts. Most of us play with too much ego from time to time. His advice is a wake up call for those of us play as though we need to prove how smart we are.
   
   CONS
   The book is very math light, so you won't find any modeling of hand distributions. I personally really enjoy hand distribution modeling, but it's yet to prove it's usefulness to me so I didn't miss it here. In fact, the shortcoming of modeling (for me) is that all of the math is only as valid as the assumptions (your read). So after reading "Killer Poker: By the Numbers", I felt that this book was a bit of a missing link between the modeling and reality.
   
   The second short coming is that this book is really just a collection of all of his previous work. Is that so terrible? If you've managed to read just about ALL of his newspaper and magazine articles as well as his books and his section in Super System II; then you may feel like you've already read most of this book. Personally, I've ready A LOT of his writings, and I only recognized about 25% of it in this book.
   
   REBUTTLES
   For those who criticize his recommendation to create a wreckless table image (while actually playing solid), what do you think about Doyle Brunson's recommendation to create an aggressive table image by always betting and raising, or Johnny Chan's recommendation to the exact same thing? Or what about Daniel Negraneau's recommendation to appear to be a call station so you can't be read? Most players agree that it's good to appear more wreckless than you actually are. However, Mikes advice is in the minority that explains how to appear wreckless without actually being wreckless.