5 comments about Poker Essays.

1. I wasn't thrilled with this book. I know it's a compilation of articles published individually, but they didn't hold together well as a whole.

   I've packed my books away for a move, so i can't tell you exacty what it is, but seem to remember the same phrase in nearly EVERY piece and almost the same exact paragraph over and over. I got sick of it after a while. Perhaps my focus on hold 'em biases me, though. Overall, Mr. Malmuth knows much more than i do about playing poker in a casino and i respect his ideas for that at the very least.




2. Also see my longer review of volume III in this series.

   This book is a collection of essays from Malmuth's columns in poker magazines, including the excellent Card Player.

   As the author or co-author of many of the definitive books on poker games and ideas, with advanced degrees in math and extensive study in psychology along with multiple decades of experience as a poker pro, Malmuth is eminently qualified, and almost all of his books deserve your attention if you are at all serious about improving your poker game.

   I have read (and reread) just about all of his writing, and this book is no exception. Divided into several sections, this book covers important and relevant ideas in poker, in short (2-4 pages each) essays, that don't really fit well into a pigeonholed topic. The book doesn't repeat ideas from other sources, but rather expands on them, or discusses a new twist on a particular idea.

   The nature of short, separate essays lends itself well to reading in small chunks or all at once - you can benefit from this book with just five minutes. And, the reading is entertaining and interesting - no small feat for a book with filled with complex ideas and accurate technical ideas.

   This is one of a handful of poker books that I, and many other professionals, refer to and reread again and again. This book probably should be used to supplement the other great poker literature and not stand by itself.

   Also see Volumes II and III in the series, each includes his best writings over about a five year period. Highly recommended.




3. Poker Essays is a great collection of articles on life and poker. If you're looking to play for any serious amount of money, part-time income, or full-time playing like myself, this is great reading.



4. This is the first collection of Malmuth's essays, most of which were originally written for Card Player Magazine beginning in the eighties, and rewritten or at least touched up for this book which originally came out in 1996. For the professional poker player they are something close to a must read because of the range of Malmuth's interests and because of his thoroughly professional approach.
   
   Malmuth does not pretend to be a world class player and most of his experience comes from middle level cash games prior to the rise of the tournament phenomenon. But make no mistake about it, Malmuth knows poker. Not only is he the author of perhaps a dozen books on the subject, but he is well known and respected among professionals. Typically he played $20-$40 Hold'em and Seven Card Stud games in Las Vegas for many years and perhaps still does. I must have played with him some time before that in the Gardena clubs, but I don't recall meeting him. I have talked to regulars who have played with him, and they allow that he is a good, if unspectacular player who will definitely be a drain on your win rate.
   
   The essays here concern some topics that are no longer of anything but historical interest, such as lowball and draw poker, spread limits, the old jackpot games in the Los Angeles area, and in general the atmosphere and conditions that prevailed in California and Las Vegas ten to twenty years ago. However, most of the book is still surprisingly relevant and even topical. Malmuth spends some serious ink on delineating the differences between seven card stud and hold'em, which skills are better applied to which game, and which game is juicier and why. He also enters the debate about which game--limit hold'em or no limit hold'em-requires more skill to play well. He supports the minority opinion that it is limit hold'em and he makes some very good arguments for that somewhat surprising opinion. Personally I think it's clear the limit hold'em requires more technical skill and knowledge, but no limit requires more hand- and player-reading skills, and more "gut."
   
   What sets Malmuth apart from almost all other poker writers is his willingness to write about the nuts and bolts of the poker world. He opines on cardroom management, on which games should be spread and why, on tipping the dealer, on cardroom behavior, and he loves to dispel and refute poker myths and misinformation. He likes to quote (anonymously of course) from would-be poker authorities and tell you why he thinks they're wrong. But, like David Sklansky, Malmuth especially likes to write about poker strategy.
   
   Some of the best essays in the book include:
   
   "Common Seven Card Stud Errors." He gives 23, and I have to say I agree with all of them, although a few are fairly trivial like "Checking blind on the end when you have an obvious flush draw"--few good players would do that except as a play.
   
   "Differences between Stud and Hold'em." He gives eleven differences including #6, "It is often correct to chase in stud."
   
   "The Effect of a Maniac," which gives some nice ideas on how having a wild player in your game might effect it, e.g., maniacs in the game make the game harder to play, although they should increase your expectation (and your variance!).
   
   "What You Can Make Playing Poker." Of course this is dated and does not apply to either tournaments or the Internet, and is clearly approximate. Still it is good for comparisons, such as the fact that Malmuth thinks that the good $10/$20 stud player, for example, can expect to make about the same as the good $10/$20 hold'em player.
   
   "Bankroll requirements." There are actually several essays on this subject. I think Malmuth effectively nails it and probably gives the average reader more information and rationale than desired, but for the professional, this is probably the definitive word.
   
   Also good are the essays on short-handed play and whether to play tight or loose and when.
   
   There are some curiosities. The essay, "Are Poker Tournaments Dying?" did not predict the tournament boom fueled by television "lipstick" cameras and the Internet; and of course Malmuth is hardly to be criticized for not predicting something so surprising.
   
   As in his (and Sklanky's) other books there are quizzes pertaining to good and bad play. The four here are selected from hands Malmuth actually played. As usual with such quizzes, opinions can differ. In particular, concerning the first hand, I think his opponent could have had, according to the way the hand developed, A7o or 85s or even pocket nines (to name three hands that would make Malmuth's conclusion that he should raise the river bet with his three sevens faulty). In fact, this hand is the sort that defies an entirely correct analysis. The fact that (apparently) his opponent did have A9 and was beaten, is only a sampling of one in the universe of possible situations fitting the facts as Malmuth relates them. I would have just called since the combined probability that the wild man was bluffing or had a better hand was greater than his having a hand that I could beat that he would actually call my raise with.
   
   Malmuth is one of the intellectuals of poker, the kind of guy who would also fit in perfectly as an officer in a Poker Player's Association (note his essay, "Suggestions for Professional Players": don't slow-roll, don't lecture opponents, don't throw your cards at the dealer, etc.). He is intelligent, rational, and very much the middle level professional.



5. This is a book that reflects the power of self-promotion.
   
   As the author will (and repeatedly does) tell you, he is considered an expert on poker. For all I know, he may be one. Unfortunately, that expertise is not presented in this book, which constitutes a somewhat disjointed collection of essays that rarely reveal anything that a reasonably thoughtful player would not already have figured out.
   
   The author's apparently-favorite words: "obviously" and "clearly" [often as the lead-in to a statement with superficial validity but having some subtle theoretical weakness]. Favorite phrase: "It seems like..." (or "it doesn't seem...") Favorite sentence: some variation on "As I wrote in my book [fill in name of other book by same author]."
   
   The self promotion quickly wears thin, as his 41 (I hope I didn't miss any) references in the text to other books include 36 to those he, or sometime coauthors David Sklansky and Ray Zee, wrote. The list of recommended books in the appendix constitutes nine books, of which seven are by himself or those coauthors; more can be found in the supplemental list.
   
   But this weakness would be tolerable if the book offered insights that would improve a typical reader's game. Unfortunately, it doesn't. His strategic recommendations are unsupported and often at odds with good high-level strategy; his opinions on win rate and bankroll may be correct but are unsupported by data or mathematical proof; his opinions on good and bad games and on player types are probably correct but not novel to anyone who has thought beyond the shallowest level about the game. He devotes considerable space to an argument that limit hold-em is a more complicated game than no limit, but the argument is based on an extremely superficial look at the intricacies of the latter game -- for all I know his conclusion is correct (though I disagree), but as with most of his opinions it is essentially unsupported herein.
   
   Don't fall for the hype; don't buy this book just because you've heard of the author.

5 comments about Illustrated Guide To Texas Hold'em: Making Winners Out Of Beginners and Advanced Players.

1. This was one of the first poker books I got, and its layout was a great help. It starts with some basic principles, then jumps headfirst into 150 different scenarios, where you're asked how to play it further. Purdy provides the full odds and play situation, then his detailed answer on how you could play it, what could happen, and how he'd play it. It helped me greatly with understanding the strength of pocket cards and reading the board, plus analyzing what pocket hands would beat my made hands.
   
   That said, the book's biggest weakness is the promotion of very tight play, plus an emphasis on using your cards as the sole determinant of whether or not to play hands. Strong pocket hands are rare, and players who put this to practice in real tournaments often will watch their stacks slowly disappear and get blinded off, going out of tournaments with a whimper. You will rarely see hands strong enough to play, and when you do, there is no guarantee you'll have a playable hand, let alone the winning hand, once the cards hit the table. The book also doesn't emphasize enough the importance of playing position, though it does go into detail how you play different based on chip counts. However, the book's scenarios often have you playing with a chip lead: obviously, as a beginner, you're not going to be in such a situation very often.
   
   It's great for beginners picking up basic principles on pocket and hand analysis, plus elements of situational tournament play. Once you master its principles, though, you'll want to move up and read more advanced materials. Recommendations are all over the internet. However, I would suggest reading this before reading the convoluted strategy manuals that are popular today.



2. I bought this book for my boyfriend in Jan. He had been getting in to playing poker and wanted to learn more about Texas Hold Em. I checked out other books on Amazon, but decided to go w/ this one. Good thing I did because he LOVED it. He even looked over some other books in the store and said this was the one he would have chosen for himself.



3. this is a book about limit poker for a beginner. Not for the advanced player as the front of the book reads. But if you are a beginner, it seems like it should do a decent job at teaching. I was disappointed, but I've been playing foraa couple of years.



4. The illustrated concept is a good one, and makes the book a lot easier to read and use than most text-only books. However, there are two very important facts to know about this book.
   
   First, it covers ONLY limit hold 'em. This is not evident from the title of the book, and if this is intentional, it's rather shameful.
   
   Second, the content is extremely basic. The sub-title of the book: "Making Winners out of Beginners and Advanced Players" is completely untrue. I am an Intermediate player and I didn't find one single new idea, concept or thought in this book. Everything in here is of the most elemental nature.
   
   Having said all that, if you've never played Hold 'Em before and are looking for a nice picture book to help you get started, then this is it. Keep in mind, though, that the negative side to the illustrated format is that there is little organization to the book and even slight variances to each of the 150 situations discussed are not shown.



5. A friend of mine had me over to play texas hold 'em, which was my first time ever actually playing the game. I decided I needed to 'really' learn how to play the game. I read that Harrington's books were the best, but being a beginner, I could tell that that book might be too complicated for me, so I got the Illustrated Guide instead. I think it's a great book if you're only interested in learning the rules of the game, and how certain hands are played. I thought this book was an easy read, and the illustrations made it easer to read. I would read this book first, before trying to read one of the more advanced popular books out there.

No comments about Omaha High-Low Poker: How to Win at the Lower Limits.

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.

2 comments about The World's Greatest Gambling Scams.

1. I'd give this book 5 stars, except for some typos in the book. Marcus spins the stories of gambling scams down through the years,making them interesting. I'm sure there are some embellisments to some of the dialog in the stories, but the scams themselves actually happened.



2. It's obvious that most of the dialog in this book was re-created. That doesn't bother me. What bothered me most was the chapter on the Keno scam. It's quite clear that the cheating was done by knowing how the RNG (Random Number Generator) worked, but the author insists on having the drawing done with actual Keno balls.
   
   If he made *that* up (or just didn't understand it), how much else in this book was fake?

4 comments about The Little Black Book of Poker (Little Black Books) (Little Black Book Series).

1. A friend brought this book to my New Year's Eve poker party.
   It clearly explains Dealer's Choice games even for the
   novice players and the more experienced players used it to choose
   games they'd never tried before. Spiral binding a plus. We had a blast!



2. I bought a copy to take to my weekly (for over seven years) poker game. We loved it! Most of our favorite dealer's choice games were in there, although the rules were often a little different. We enjoyed leafing through and picking out new games. We loved playing the old games "by the book." There are loads of ideas with 90 games described inside. I was forced to leave my copy there, to use regularly, so I'm shopping for an extra copy. I've bought several other books that described dealer's choice games, but none as thorough as this one. Tips, strategies, quotes, and loads of games. I'd have given it 6 stars out of 5, if that were possible!



3. This is a handy reference on different poker games for Dealer's Choice night. It's not exhaustive (several of our favorites aren't in it, though similar ones are).



4. I am teaching my young teenagers to play poker. Our family games are more fun with this book. The kids are always coming up with new fun games they got from the book.

5 comments about Killer Poker Hold'em Handbook: A Workbook for Winners.

1. This is a great book for the beginner and intermediate player looking to inspect their game. Rather than just give the usual strategy recommendations, this book takes an introspective approach teaching the player how to ask the RIGHT questions to improve his/her game. This is more a mini-lesson in poker improvement than it is a strategy guide. If you've put in a few hundred hours of poker and are ready to look at your game in a more serious and structured fashion, buy this book!



2. This was a good book if it's the first book you read on improving your poker game. There is no instruction on computing pot odds, implied odds, or any math for that matter, it doesn't dig deep into theory, and it doesn't really give any tips on what to do in certain situations, because, as the author puts it, "it depends," and he's right. Since this was the first book I've read on poker; I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe more of "when you have this and this and the flop comes that, this is what you do." After reading this book, I discovered, that's impossible to tell, due to the infanite amount of factors that need to be considered (alot of which are discussed.) Rather, it focuses on playing valuable hands, and playing them aggressively. The "Killer" way. He stresses to "pay attention what's going on, not only while your in the hand, but even when you fold before the flop" (keep watching your opponents to see what they do/how they react to certain situations that arise.) The "workbook" aspect of this book is kind of lame; the author will tell you a story or a situation in which this or that happend, and then asks you to write in the space provided 5 times (or however many) this sort of situation happened to you and your reaction to them (what did you do). I didn't do any of the "workbook" questions that pop up in the process of reading the book, and I don't think I lost anything by not doing them...I felt them to be a distraction. In my opinion, I don't think it would hurt to skip the "workbook" part of the book, and keep reading the meaty part, where you get most (all) the information.
   I am planning on reading the first book in the series next (I didn't know there was a first book till after I bought this one). As far as a helpful tool to online play, I'm not sure. This book focuses on and is written for live limit hold-em play, so I'm not sure how much info you can get out of it that would help you with the internet game...though I imagine that it couldn't hurt. Hope this was somewhat helpful. It's a quick and easy read too, not boring at all, and held my attention throughout, which I must say, is tough to do...



3. Poker player and author John Vorhaus takes the reader through a series of discussions and exercises designed to jump-start their approach (or improvement) of the game of limit holdem, the most popular card game in the world today.
   One of my good friends in college once told me that the purpose of undergraduate studies in any discipline is to get the student to learn how to think. By this measure, Vorhaus gives us a very good undergraduate education in poker. While he doesn't ignore the specific nuts and bolts strategy that we would expect, of much greater value are the lessons that he gives us throughout. They could be summed up briefly as "keep your head in the game", and "always think about what the other guy is thinking about;" of course, they run much deeper than that. To call this a workbook may be overstating the case; however, Vorhaus frequently invites us to take a break and generate our own ideas on the topic that he is currently instructing us on, with the goal of teaching us critical thinking skills that will translate into dollars at the poker table.
   By the end of the book, we've been exposed to some amusing anecdotes, some common situations in poker, and a look into the minds of some of the opponents that we will face, with lots of admonitions against becoming one of the less desirable stereotypes of poker players.
   The Good and the Bad:
   The writing in this book is very strong; while it may not win any awards for literature, it is miles ahead of the pack of poker books in terms of reader accessibility. Despite a frequent return to a couple of major themes (Don't tilt! Don't tilt! Don't tilt!), the book manages to move through most topics with a fair amount of clarity and entertainment. Vorhaus is not afraid to present himself as the horse's ass in his anecdotes, as long as it is in the service of showing us how to play. The approach of teaching critical thinking skills is also very much appreciated.
   On the down side, I wish that Vorhaus had spent a little more time on presenting situations that the player is likely to find him or herself in, and I would have liked a mention of how an online poker player might apply some of the lessons that he is teaching differently.
   Another criticism has to do with the exercises. If Vorhaus expects us to do the exercises in the various sections, he should have put a little more into them (rather than just saying "when do you go on tilt"?). Also, the "diaries" of some of the players we're likely to meet (a clever approach to getting us inside the head of our opponents) are a little long; the space could have been better spent by giving us more practical advice on how to beat the player-types presented, or by giving us more player-types.



4. If you read and benefited from "Killer Poker" you definitely should continue with this book. It is, unlike many sequels, a genuine extension of the original, not just the same thing repeated with a new cover. This books discussions and examples are of hold'em only.
   Two of the many subjects were especially valuable to me (other subjects will no doubt turn out to be the favorites of different readers, such is the quality of the whole book).
   One: "Hold'em Diaries" is a hypothetical diary of several specific poker players revealing the mindset they bring to the game. Some are good mindsets and some pretty bad. After each diary entry (three or four pages) is Vorhaus discussion of that player's view of the game.
   Two: "Hard-Core Hold'em" covers six valuable points and one of them is "The Seven Habits" (of highly effective hold'em players) that I keep re-reading.



5. If you are looking for an instructional book or a reference book that will show you "what-to-do with Ace-King in middle position"...this is not it. But, if you are looking to ADD to your intermediate level knowledge of the game and to catch some additional insight into personalities, situations, and perspectives...this will fit the bill very nicely. There is a wealth of information in Vorhaus' little book. It touches on personalities at the table, tips, hints, and perspective to provoke thought...not a tome of how-to-do-what-when. It is also a good read, very well written, witty, and hilarious on many occasions. It can also help you to look at your own play (and the holes therein)..and give knowledge, backed with experience, to help in your quest of refining your "craft". There are many books that can easily tell you what hands to play, how to bluff and when, and other essentials of the game. However, Vorhaus successfully steers clear of that cliche' and offers some insight that you can follow, or not follow...agree with, or not agree with. It is, again, a book to stimulate your thought deeper within the game..not tell you what hands to play or not to play. Except for his adamant advice not to slow play pocket Aces....of which I agree.

1 comments about How to Beat Low-Limit Poker: How to win big money at little games.

1. There are so many books out there for poker players looking for high stakes games - but what about the 95% of players who stick to low stakes games? "How to Beat Low-Limit Poker: A Beginner's Guide to Winning Big Bucks at Little Games" is the guide for the little guy who isn't out to make themselves filthy rich, but wouldn't mind leaving with their wallet a little heavier. With ten tips and strategies designed specifically for low limit games, "How to Beat Low-Limit Poker: A Beginner's Guide to Winning Big Bucks at Little Games" is a deftly written instructional for any low stakes player who wants an edge in their games.

3 comments about Machiavellian Poker Strategy: How to Play Like a Prince and Rule the Poker Table.

1. As someone who was an English Lit major and an obsessed poker player, I can't think of a better book than Mr. Apostolico's Machiavellian Poker Strategy. I loved it! A real thinking man's approach based on one of the most compelling books of all time. Mr. Apostolico has written many great books, which I implore you to get. But, personally, this is my favorite.



2. great book,couldn't put it down.easy to read and just as easy to apply.
   beefed up my game when i needed that something extra.great value too!



3. What I saw and felt at poker tables has been put into words! Dave Apostolico's "Machiavellian Poker Strategy" shows you how and why some people always seem to have the biggest stacks at their tables! Power is the key to poker, and one read will make YOU more of a threat at your very next game.

4 comments about Best Hand I Ever Played, The: 52 Winning Poker Lessons from the World's Greatest Players.

1. Each entry made me smile, made me feel good inside. This could very well have been titled Chicken Soup for the Poker Soul. The big bluffs, the great calls, the monster laydowns; even bad beats made the list (read the book to find out why). Not the best book for poker tutorial, but a great book for leisure reading as it reveals the human side of the poker pros.



2. Not alot in the plot. Just good ol' short stories on playing texas-hold'em. And players profile. Not a 1 sitting read not a novel.



3. Over fifty interviews with the best professional poker players in the world, from Doyle Brunson to Annie Duke, captures their memories of the greatest hands of their careers in a poker book players will find absorbing. Step-by-step action is recalled with analysis and advice added along the way for those who would learn by example. THE BEST HAND I EVER PLAYED: 52 WINNING POKER LESSONS FROM THE WORLD'S GREATEST PLAYERS is an exciting tribute and insider's guide for any who would learn where luck ends and talent begins at the poker table.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch



4. Over fifty interviews with the best professional poker players in the world, from Doyle Brunson to Annie Duke, captures their memories of the greatest hands of their careers in a poker book players will find absorbing. Step-by-step action is recalled with analysis and advice added along the way for those who would learn by example. THE BEST HAND I EVER PLAYED: 52 WINNING POKER LESSONS FROM THE WORLD'S GREATEST PLAYERS is an exciting tribute and insider's guide for any who would learn where luck ends and talent begins at the poker table.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch