5 comments about Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts.

1. I'm a fairly serious poker player. As such, I have a lot of the books everyone talks about; Super System I, most of Sklansky and Malmuth, even Phil Helmuth. (I'm not a fan of Phil, but he makes some good points, especially on Omaha) I debated getting Inside the Poker Mind for a while. Wish I had gotten it a long while ago! It's not the "greatest" poker book I've read...hey, I only gave it 4 stars. It is, however, very useful in that it does illustrate some real issues with thinking at the table. While I found that I knew much of what he had to say, I still enjoyed the book and feel it improved my game somewhat. However, as other reviewers have noted, NOTHING takes the place of LOTS of hands played. As an aside from the review, my personal recommendation is as follows:
   
   1) Get the books and study. Re-read as your game improves.
   2) Play on-line cheaply and move up in limit as your game improves.
   3) Buy the Wilson software...it's not impressive looking, but it lets you play millions of hands without going into your wallet.
   4) Get into or start a home game and play as often as possible. Playing with friends isn't as scary as with strangers at a casino.
   5) When you've done the first 4 things, visit a local casino or cardroom and try an inexpensive game.
   
   If you're still losing money after that, I suggest you switch to checkers or tiddlywinks.



2. This is one of my favorite poker books. It is not for beginners; it is filled with interesting and advanced topics in limit Hold'em. This is a good book for any reader who is looking to read more advanced material. The section titled "Do You Pass the Ace-Queen Test?" was controversial when the book first came out, but Feeney's thoughts has proven to be correct. The Short-Handed essays are illuminating as well. Definitely a great addition to any hold'em library.



3. I find the title of this book to be slightly misleading: "Inside the Poker Mind" is a collection of essays on what NOT to do as a poker player (e.g. do not get smug and play weak cards, do not go on tilt, do not overestimate your odds, do not play beyond your means, do not take bad beats personally, etc.). From the title one might expect the text to relate in some way to getting "into the mind" of one's opponent (i.e. the text may have some strategic advice); this is simply not the case. There are a handful of strategic plays involved in this book, and some consideration of reading hands. However, these are addressed from the perspective of how not to make a mistake in either overusing certain strategies, or being too rigid in the face of changing conditions in the hand.
   
   Essentially, this book assumes you already know everything there is to know about being a good poker player, and merely need some cautionary advice on avoiding common mistakes. While not valueless, I do not believe this focus serves the prospective readers of the book; the author frequently references "Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players" and "The Theory of Poker" to flesh out ideas he mentions in passing, and probably the reader would do better to explore those books IN PLACE of this one (although I have a very low opinion of "Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players"). The warnings this book contains are well-advised, however, and on the whole I'd probably give this book 2 1/2 stars if I could.
   
   HITS: Cautions against overplaying marginal hands; good essays exploring the tilt phenomenon; the author's "by the numbers" pure analytical mindset becomes infectious, and could influence your play for the better
   
   MISSES: The author is so vehemently anti-no limit and pot limit hold 'em that he refuses to address these games at all (absolutely do not attempt to use the author's strategic limit plays in a no limit or pot limit game); tournaments are denigrated as a drain on the poker economy (demonstrably false, in my opinion); no basic strategy advice; references other texts (particularly "Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players" - a terrible book in my opinion - and "The Theory of Poker", which is truly great) excessively to fill in basic ideas that more properly could be explained in the text.



4. I heard about Inside the Poker Mind from a few players who post at a forum I frequent, and I finally got around to purchasing it. Frankly, I have difficulty believing anybody gave this one less than 5 stars because it is a rare and excellent work. I will admit that it is not a book for beginners or even those who have yet to read Ed Miller's Small Stakes Hold `Em, but it offers extensive benefits for the intermediate player on up. Inside... is basically a collection of essays concerning topics seldom discussed, or not addressed in detail, within the typical "how to" manual. Feeney, despite having a PhD and being an accomplished high stakes player, is not broadcasting to readers from Phil Ivey-ian heights. Feeney ground out poker at the lowest levels before becoming the player he is today. His experiences in the small limits ring true for those of us dwelling in them today. My favorite essay in here, "How am I doing? Who Cares?", warns readers not to be results oriented in regards to sessions. Variance is sometimes mind-boggling, but what we must do is concentrate on playing correctly despite our aces being snapped or getting cold-decked. Really, the entire Part IV section on poker and emotion is sensational. His definition of tilt is much more subtle than the ones generally offered, and, I believe, it is much more accurate. Overall, with brilliant analysis and clear style, Inside... is far better than most of its competitors. It's for the thinking man which is what everyone should aspire to be if they want to make any money out of the game.



5. there are lotsa other books on profiling players.... this one really makes you take a look at yourself as well

4 comments about The Guide To Winning Hold 'em Online.

1. This book is definitely a must have for your poker library! You will not find another poker book that covers the online game as well as this book does. I had originally purchased one book for myself and shortly thereafter, one for my college bound cousin, he had found it to be just as beneficial as I have.
   
   The book content goes in-depth on tournaments, sit & go play, and even how to spot tells with online players. I've picked up a lot of helpful strategies that I use in all the different types of games I typically play. There are certainly sections of this book that you won't find in others, such as the psychology of online poker and 'rules of success' that discuss how to move up and hold onto your money.
   
   I strongly recommend this book as a guide for your online game!!!



2. Definitely different concepts offered in this book than in some of the others I have bought. He focuses strictly on the online game and goes pretty far in detail on what separates online poker from the regular game. He gives specific attention to the things to look for and watch out for which I wouldn't normally think or know about. I didn't think I would, but I find myself coming back to it pretty often, and I feel the book has definitely helped my overall understanding on how to play a better game. The title is really true..it really is a 'guide' for winning online poker.



3. First of all, be aware that the author says you should play mostly limit cash games and small no limit tournaments. So a big part of this book is about limit. The funniest part is Chapter 10 - Scenarios where the author presents his ideas on how some particular hands should be played. From the beginning he only talks about "bet", "raise", what will cost you "two bets" etc. and it is clear that these are limit situations. All of a sudden, in other hand examples someone moves in... Maybe this best illustrates all the mess in this book.
   
   [...]I don't see any new concepts in this book. For me the only part worth reading were the 10 pages about online tells. In that part Cummins probably writes as much as you can get and from my own experience I generally believe what he writes there is true. But still you have to take it very conservatively, because your opponent's behavior can just be caused by a bad connection, any distraction or simply by having a tough decision on another table when multitabling.
   
   There are some decent pieces of information in the book (particularly for a total rookie), but all of it can be found better put in a lot of other books. The biggest problem is that I consider some information in this book false. E. g. he tells you not to multitable (not even two tables at a time).
   
   Other example: at one place Cummins says that in order to build your bankroll you should leave a table when you're significantly up. A few pages later he correctly says that you should'n leave a table when you're running well. A bit more later he again tells you to leave a table when you're up.
   
   Not to forget: it seems that the author has no idea about poker stat tracking software. What more can I say?
   
   I really can't recommend this book to anyone, one star only because of the (however vulnerable) online poker tells.



4. I think this book goes over the BASICS of poker and nothing really in particular to online play. I found it to basically be a review of things written in other books before this one. Its good for beginners but for anyone who does not consider themselves one pass on this one and go for something a little more in depth.

5 comments about Million Dollar Hold'em: Limit Cash Games.

1. I love Johnny Chan and think he's a great player and hero but this book was a serious disappointment. Million Dollar Hold'em is not the type of timeless work which will bolster his legacy. It will not make novices into average players nor average players into stars. Overall, it is a rather forgettable offering, and one that fails to enhance our cumulative knowledge of the game. Certainly though, it does possess some positive aspects. The tips concerning the specifics of a professional's life and career are illuminating. Some of its advice is quite practical such as the way it highlights all the major and minor things one should look for before selecting a card room. Game quality is mentioned along with which seat to occupy in relation to other players as are essential elements of casino safety and geographic proximity. His bankroll section is also helpful as Chan recommends having at least 500 big bets for whatever limit you play. The observation that one must play no lower than the 3-6 limit to have any chance of beating the house rake was excellent.
   
   The biggest problem though is that there is little that is new here. Million Dollar Hold'em does not live up to its own hype. What's even worse is that many of its examples could actually prove detrimental for a novice's understanding of limit hold'em and his ensuing performance. Frankly, the overly optimistic results which are described in the individual limit scenarios proved baffling. The river outcomes will not remind readers of the games they actually play. They are more reminiscent of the way we would like to see the action go than of the action which we in fact witness. By the reviewer's count, forty-four out of the fifty-five hands not decided pre-flop end in victory for the hero. A ratio that skewed was alienating as it seemed like everything the player did worked out in the end. Is that limit hold'em? There were few surprises as his value bets and bluffs got continuously rewarded. Such a plot has more in common with a poker movie than with an actual limit poker game.
   
   If the Orient Express really wanted to be of service to readers then he would magically transport us to whatever location which held the games depicted in these examples. Your average limit player would be most grateful as he would immensely profit from raising to death the lightweights who fold their way across these pages. Should the reader be new to the game or just starting out in limit hold'em, then they would be advised to spend their money elsewhere. Manuals like Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big with Expert Play, Winning Low Limit Hold'em, and How Good Is Your Limit Hold 'em? are all recommended over this one.



2. This is one of the best poker books I have ever read. It is rather unconventional, in that it does not have a traditional table of contents or follow a step by step outline. In this way it is very much like how I learned to play poker at the tables.
   
   The book is a series of hands with commentary about how you should consider playing each one. The types of things covered are playing from the blinds, the importance of blind structure, how to avoid traps, value betting and how to get max value, slowplaying big pairs, how to benefit from aggressive play, how to play weak hands, making tough folds and tough calls, how to get and avoid giving free cards, continuation bets, isolation plays, defensive play, semi-bluffing, playing middle pairs, and mixing up your play. There are a lot of other things covered as well, but the list is so long, it's too much to include in this review.
   
   In addition to the commentary, there are graphics of almost all the hands which really helped me to visualize what was going on.
   
   I especially liked all the discussion about how to get maximum value out of your hands. As I was learning to play, it took me a long time to understand how important getting max value out of my hands was. I notice that most of the losing players fail to get the value they should out of their hands. It makes sense, because limit poker is mostly about getting maximum value out of your hands over and over again. People who miss this don't have much of a way to accumulate profits.
   
   In addition to all the hand examples, there is a lot of information about things you don't get from other poker books like where and when to play, the importance of playing your best game at all times, choosing your environment carefully, the importance of taking vacations, and the importance of having a stable home life.
   
   The discussion of bankroll management is worth the price of the book alone. Many players don't understand how to manage their money. Methods to protect yourself from going broke and how to move up in limits are more clearly laid out than in any other poker book I have read.
   
   One of the only drawbacks to this book is that it's true value will be lost on many of the readers because of it's unconventional layout and subtle but advanced concepts. Frankly, though, I don't mind that a bit, because that's why poker is such a great game to play.



3. This is a great introductory text on middle limit hold'em. If you are a white-chip player looking to move to the red-chip games, this will help. Covers the basics of continuation betting, bluffing, betting for value, check-raising and some isolation plays.
   
   I really enjoyed this book. The layout of the hands are very easy to read - similar to the Harrington books. The thought process behind each move is very well explained - it will get you thinking in more advanced ways. I would love to see more poker books written in this layout. For a visual person such as myself, it was just a pleasure to read.
   
   But realistically, you will need more that this to take-on 10/20 limit and above. For a more through examination, see Ciaffone's "Middle limit Hold'em", Byron Jacobs' "How Good is Your Limit hold'em" and of course Sklanski's "Advanced Players Guide".
   
   P.S. To Bob Ciaffone: Rewrite your classic text in this format! It would be 3000 pages long, but what a learning tool it would be.



4. This book is a really strange one- I can't really figure out exactly who it is written for. Beginners won't find the explanations they need of limit hold 'em fundamentals since the book basically is just a collection of sample hands and advanced players will learn absolutely nothing new and in fact, will probably disagree with a lot of the advice. The book's jacket says that a lot of the ideas contained within have never before appeared in print. Huh? I couldn't find anything in there that was even remotely interesting or novel.
   
   The book starts with some very uninteresting introductory text and then jumps into page after page of hand examples. Each example takes up several pages using a ridiculous amount of space. The whole book literally took me a couple of hours to read cover to cover and it is 368 pages long! What a joke. The actual text and information easily could have fit into a book a quarter the size of this one.
   
   The hand examples are also pathetic and some of the advice is downright bizarre. Chan often suggests just cold calling with big pocket pairs like aces in multiway pots, cold calling hands like AK instead of 3 betting, checking top pair on the flop from early position on scary boards and all kinds of other weird advice. Most of the hand examples are along the lines of; "You raise and get called in two spots, you bet the flop and get one caller, you bet the turn and he folds." great, thanks for that.
   
   This one is a real weakie- give it a miss.



5. I took a break from limit because I moved up to a level where I couldn't seem to win anymore! Then I saw this book and it was just the thing I needed to set me on the right track.
   
   The people who would benefit the most are people who have studied all the great books on limit hold'em and have lots of playing experience, but are still not confident about their game. This book will get you back to the proper aggressive strategy required to win in limit. Like a previous reviewer said, it is like having Johnny sit next to you and tell you how to play and why.
   
   The book has only two shortcomings:
   1. It is an incredibly easy and fast read, I finished it in a few hours at the bookstore.
   
   2. Most of the hands are won by the narrator, we don't get too many hands that we lose despite making the correct play. This is still a gambling game and we are maximizing our percentages, so more losing (but correct) hands would be great.
   
   This is a book to buy and keep on your bookshelf so that you can get a quick refreshing read everytime you have a downswing or are doubting your game. It will get you winning again!

5 comments about Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em.

1. This is a terrible book. I am shocked to see the average rating of 4 stars. Even if i changed my mind and said this book is OK, why would you purchase it when you can buy GREAT poker books instead? For absolute beginners, get "Poker for Dummies". Then if you want to learn more, move on to learn Limit hold'em. I suggest Lee Jones' "Winning Low Limit Hold'em" or Ed Miller's "Small Stakes Hold'em". Then move onto No-Limit hold'em, i suggest Dan Harrington's "Harrington on Hold'em" series of books.



2. Ken Warren's "Winner's Guide" was my first poker book, and like a lot of others here, I had to unlearn a lot. But more than that, I was just horribly confused. I thought it was because I was new to the game that I didn't understand the strategies he lays forth. Now I know it's because those strategies don't make sense.
   
   Even before I knew so many people disliked his books, I chose to disregard almost all of his advice because of his comments that border on bigotry. According to him, people with tattoos are terrible players, as are attractive women (tell that to Jennifer Harmon, heh heh). If he makes such obvious bad recommendations, I really can't trust that any of his advice is solid.
   
   I don't think Ken Warren is a great author for poker. I've read a lot of excerpts from THIS book that I just don't agree with. And the nail in the coffin is that a book about TEXAS HOLD'EM actually has a five-card hand on the cover.



3. Now that online poker literally pays all my bills, I can come back to this book with a much deeper understanding of the game (and this book). Let me start off: there are much better limit hold 'em books for the beginner. The advice is weak-tight and the starting preflop hands are far from optimal (I think he recommends limping J9s in middle position and other -EV advice). Also, there is a lot of useless information for the beginner - specifically statistics. A beginner shouldn't be worrying about how many combinations of hands there are or how often we get dealt a pocket pair.. NO. they should be worried about the reasoning behind the preflop raise or why not to call a preflop raise with KJo from a tight player in early position.



4. As someone already said, the book contains advice that is too loose preflop and not aggresive enough post-flop. I think if you seriously applied everything in the book you would most likely lose. Unfortunately for me this was my first poker book I ever bought. As I was very knew to the game I found the advice on reading the board useful and finding what hand qualifies as the "nuts". You can learn the basics of counting outs and pot odds in books that are much better than this.



5. I didn't buy this book, although I had the misfortune of buying Warren's first book as I was beginning to play online Hold'em. I have read through this newer book at the nearby bookstore, and I leaf through it whenever I need a laugh.
   It has been stated by previous reviewers that this book was created in order to poison new players' minds and make bad players out of them. That makes sense to me. If you were going to write your own book on poker, would you want to tell the truth? Heck, I'd load as many misleading statements and half-truths into that book as I could! I'd make money on the book AND make more money off my misinformed opponents at the poker table.
   If this was Warren's intention when writing this book, then hats off to him. Well done. But if he really believes this garbage, then I sure hope he can survive off his book royalties, because he sure ain't making it at the poker table.

5 comments about How Good is Your Limit Hold'em?.

1. not the first book i pick up when i'm looking to study a little poker cause the book takes EFFORT, but i like it. defintely a different approach to learning poker. the fluff factor is low. you have to be on the ball to squeeze value out of the book. nice job.



2. Do not believe the negative reviews that have been written about this book. They are written by the very people for whom this type of book is useless, namely rank beginners who are nowhere near ready for an advanced text such as this one.
   
   I'll keep this review short, this is an excellent book for somewhat more experienced players; for a beginning player the book is a waste of time. Some of the problems are extremely difficult and are designed to test the knowledge of players who are already proven winners in limit hold 'em and are looking to advance to higher limit games against higher caliber opponents.
   
   If you are already a good hold 'em player and are looking to find out just HOW good you are, read this book and test yourself. It is very educational and will certainly get you thinking about the game on a higher level. If you are a beginner, don't bother. Without trying to come across as condescending, I would guess that this book will be way over your head.
   
   There is nothing worse than people writing negative reviews about something that is way over their heads and that they are incapable of understanding yet that is exactly what has happened when people say ridiculous things like they use this book for toilet paper. Go out and buy "Getting started in hold 'em" and work on that before you start reviewing advanced books that are way out of your league.



3. This is a quiz book. A very good quiz book. Its not easy.
   It will seperate the intermediate from the very good poker player.
   For the very top level player, you may argue with some of it, but its still helpful. I recommend it.



4. I have read Byron Jacobs's articles at cardplayer online and have found them to be interesting. This book, however, is seriously flawed. The reader is constantly distracted by hypothetical situations injected into every hand discussed in the book.



5. This book unlocked some major flows in my game,
   
   not really for beginners but I think anyone with a fair understanding of starting hands would hugely benefit from the book

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.

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

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

1. Being a good poker player does not make you a good author. If you know anything at all about texas holdem you will be disappointed with this book. Nothing but cookie cutter advice and bragging about being the best poker player in the world.



2. 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.



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



4. 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.



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

No comments about Texas Hold'em No-Limit Poker ... The Next Level.

5 comments about Hold'em on the Come: Limit Hold'em Strategy for Drawing Hands.

1. If the reader is anything like me then they probably play a lot of no limit hold `em, and probably, at some point, have come to the realization that no limit ring games aren't going to last forever. This is particularly true if the reader happens to be a fellow American whose government recently declared war on our perfectly civilized habit of playing online poker. The long and the short of it is that we may well find ourselves in a brick and mortar casino playing whatever game is available with a reasonable buy in, which often, is a limit game (unless you're in Vegas where they have NL 100 and 200 live--by me it's NL 300 only). Therefore, brushing up on, or learning limit for the first time is advisable. With Hold' Em on the Come, Slotboom and Mason only do one thing, but they do it well which is to analyze and proscribe when draws should be played after the flop. The book issues lengthy discussion on this subject, but it is more diverse than you think as it includes low pairs, two pairs, and overcards along with the obvious mix of straights and flushes. From what I can gather, most of the text is really Dew Mason's with additional insight provided by Rolf "Ace" Slotboom. His sections are boxed off and titled "Ace Speaks." The great Ace's commentary enriches the work tremendously, and, personally, I'll buy anything he puts out because I loved his DVDs and still watch them. Overall, I found this offering invaluable.



2. if you are into poker like me.. invest in this book is worth it...
   this is comming from a poker head that has over 15 books.....
   If you think you know how to play yours draws....Raad this book... n you wil learn thing or two..... I did.! ! special when to foldem...lol
   Good luck on the tables.
   
   Nutty Rabbit



3. this book was a very good read to familiarize yourself with counting outs.
   the only thimg that was really surprising, was the fact that with all the explantions of outs and draws, i cant believe the author did not include any thourough discussion comparing your outs to the odds against making your hand. ie. u have 9 outs, therefore you ars 4 to 1 against making your hand, now compare that to size of pot, and you see to call a $10 bet you need the pot to contain at least $40. none of this was in the book.
   if i hadnt known how to calculate my odds,(4 to 1) etc. i would have never understood how the author came to a conclusion that he needed 4 outs to stay in a hand.
   really strange.



4. For less experienced players, this is a thorough exploration of drawing hands in limit hold'em. However, the play system he advocates is very intricate and unwieldy, in my view. To take into consideration all the factors that can weaken a draw, the author uses fractions of outs. Count 'em up, let's see, we've got 4 1/2 outs, but need 5 to draw, that's a fold.
   
   I'm sure Slotboom is a math head who does this effortlessly, but for most of us, I think the return is not worth all the effort. Most decisions are clearcut -- you have 8 outs, that's always a call, even if it really is 7.5 outs. Certainly figuring by tenths of outs would give only an illusion of precision, and I really doubt that 1/2 outs provide better resolution. It is a rare hand that might be decided by 1/2 an out. In such close situations, you are almost always going to decide according to how the opponent has been playing, what your image is, what happened last hand, etc.
   
   You will understand draws after this book. The system of discounting outs will help you understand the complexity that effects the quality of a draw, but I doubt many people retain the scoring system. Discounting outs is important, but can be simplified. If you've got a pair and an inside draw, that's six outs to improve, but since two of those cards (that make trips) could give him a full house, you only count one of them, for a total of five outs. Slotboom will figure 'there are only 3.5 clean outs to a straight, because you might tie, and the villain might make a runner-runner flush, so that discounts another half, plus the two halves discounted for a fullhouse, which adds up to 4.5 outs, but he's a bad player who will keep raising the river, so add a half, for a total of five, so call.' Or something like that.
   
   Bill Haywood
   HoldemTight



5. I found it difficult to understand and found myself reading the same paragraph over 3 times on many occasions. I had to stop reading it half way through because It seemed to become tedious to read. The advice about counting outs is ok, but often it assumes you are up against a top hand, hardly taking into account a bluff which is very common on online limit poker.
   Also the mathematical difference you can make to your bankroll is of little significance unless your playing very high limit poker. Even if you perfected what the author is trying to teach, you probably wont have the time or energy to apply it to online poker.