4 comments about Powerful Profits From Internet Poker.

1. If you are looking for a good poker strategy book, look elsewhere. I found this book unfocused and full of "filler" material. It gives advice on several poker variants (Holdem, Omaha, Seven Card Stud), but offers nothing ground-breaking or in-depth on any. Most disappointing is the extra material thrown in to "fill out" the book. There is a compendium of cyber terms, explanations on how to use Party Poker and Poker Stars, instructions on how to fund your account, etc. If you are looking for a good poker strategy book focusing specifically on Holdem, I recommend "Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments Vol 1". I don't believe this book is worth the money for the majority of players.



2. 
   This book is one of those rare gems that you don't often find in poker literature, or poker books. Not only does this book offer important insights on how to handle the online poker boom, but it also provides the means of learning how to find your way through all the pitfalls, and the hype, and get to the real meat of winning.
   
   The strategy portions of this book are particularly important, because they focus on the specific differences between the real-world poker, and the kind of poker being played on the Internet. There are very big differences, and if you don't know how to handle it, you won't be winner. You need to know how to adapt to the Internet poker play, and this book is the perfect way to find that out.
   
   There are many good strategy books out there, most of which are about the "traditional" poker, like that which is played in the real-world poker rooms. This author's other poker book is among them, although that book also sets up the strategies and information found in this one. This book is perfect because it takes you away from the "tired old thinking," such as you might find in some "traditional" strategies, those that may not apply to the 21st century world of online poker.
   
   As a result of this book, I have won more tournaments online in one month than most of the "name" players win in a year. I have won Hold'em freezeouts, rebuys, sit-&-goes, Omaha/8, and cashed-in in over 70% of the tournaments I entered. Furthermore, I learned how to establish online accounts, how to manage them, how to set up a Neteller account, how to avoid collusion, and how to play well in that online world. I'd say that's about as good as it can get.
   
   This is a book you should have, if you want to learn the world of online poker, and be a winner. It's your choice, but to my mind the few dollars you spend for buying this excellent book is well worth it.
   
   Just look at it this way: Spending around $15 for this book made me wins of $1,600 and $1,200 back-to-back in $5 buy-in Hold'em tournaments, and many more wins of several hundred dollars each in small buy-in tournaments. Of course, you can make up your own mind, but I'd say I made a good deal.



3. 
   This book was given to me as a gift. I am really a blackjack player mostly, and so I didn't have much experience with poker. I did play poker several times in the casinos, but nothing serious. I also didn't play on the Internet. But that's all changed now!
   
   At first, I just wasn't all that interested in Internet poker, but after reading this book I found out it's a really good game. What I like most about it is that I can do it from home, and not have to travel to a casino to play poker. But I didn't know much about the Internet poker, and had little clue about how to get going, and how to play, and not be taken for a ride.
   
   After reading this book, all my fears went away. This book shows how to get started, how to find the games and tournaments, and how to play winning poker specifically for Internet poker play. This was all new to me, but with this book in hand I quickly learned the tricks. I was also given this author's other poker book, Powerful Profits from Poker, because in that book I could learn more about the poker games. With both books together, I soon became quite good at this. I won my first tournaments by following the advice in this book, and I have been happily playing ever since.
   
   Since I read this book, and the author's other book on poker, I also read some of the others. While I agree with this author that reading more is better than less, I do want to say that I find Royer's style clear, refreshing, and to the point. He talks about this difficult Internet poker craze in simple terms, and that makes it easy to become a winning player.
   
   I also like that this author gets down to the facts, and speaks about the realities of exactly what it is that you will find when you play poker on the Internet. There is also a nice chapter about the legality of Internet poker, and the author makes it very clear that there are no laws in the USA that in any way prevent you from playing on the Internet.
   
   All in all, this is an excellent book about Internet poker, and the various poker games you find there. If you want to play poker on the Internet, this is the book you should get, and read, and study.



4. Victor H. Royer, Powerful Profits from Internet Poker (Kensington, 2006)
   
   First off: it's well worth noting that this book constitutes an extension of Royer's earlier Powerful Profits from Poker. If you haven't read that one, start with it instead.
   
   Powerful profits from Internet Poker is a companion volume to the earlier book, in which Royer focuses on the differences between brick-and-mortar and Internet poker playing. So if you're looking for general hints, tips, and strategies for poker playing, this is not where to go. If you spend most of your time playing poker on the 'net, though, you may find some things of use here if you're not already well-read on the subject. If you are, you're going to wade through a lot of retread, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; it's often useful to brush up on the basics now and again.
   
   There are three chapters devoted to the three main games played at Internet poker sites, one each for Hold'em, Seven-card stud, and Omaha. (When is someone going to write the definitive book on Crazy Pineapple? That's what I want to know...) Two more chapters are devoted to detailed analyses of PokerStars and PartyPoker, and the interleaved chapters deal with such topics as general strategy tips for Internet poker, poker and the law, etc. (That last is a must-read chapter as the Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act nears a Senate vote, by the way.) You'll see a lot of stuff you've already seen, especially if you're already a student of one or more of the games discussed (as, I would assume, anyone picking this book up is) and/or you already have an account on PartyPoker, PokerStars, or both. If so, just read the stuff that'll be new first, and go back and read the whole book later on, when you have more time. If you're a greenhorn, though, this is a quick and easy overview of stuff you need to know, and is worth your time. ***

1 comments about Maran Illustrated Poker (Maran Illustrated).

1. Enhanced with the technical expertise of professional poker player Ken R. Auliffe (Editor of the "Canadian Poker Player" magazine), Maran Illustrated Poker from the Maran Family is an profusely illustrated introduction to the major varieties of poker card games including Seven Card Stud, Omaha, and the wildly popular "Texas Hold'em" in both limit and no-limit forms. Readers are taken through the psychology as well as mathematical aspects of poker whether in home games or tournament play. Providing a knowledgeable perspective and an illustrative pictorial representation of diverse hands and game play situations, Maran Illustrated Poker carries its readers through poker essentials, as well as offering tips for comfortable playing in a casino card room, an online poker room. The critically important subjects of tells, bluffing, table position, and so much more are covered in detail. Maran Illustrated Poker is very strongly recommended as a truly invaluable and "user friendly" reference for all poker players, be they novice or expert, amateur or professional.

2 comments about Low Vision Playing Cards: Poker Size.

1. These are perfect for individuals who have trouble seeing and want to play card games.



2. I volunteer at a nursing home where I have taught a group of residents how to play poker. The ones with poor vision have had trouble finding playing cards that they can read. They have said unanimously that these cards are the best. I highly recommend these for people with vision problems. The 6's and 9's are hard to tell apart at the beginning, but you get used to reading them.

No comments about The Mammoth Book of Poker (Mammoth Books).

4 comments about Limit Hold 'Em Hand by Hand: The Quick and Easy Way to Advanced Poker Play w/DVD.

1. 6-14-07 Apparently 2 of 3 readers "don't get it" so I'll try to be more explicit and succinct.
   
   You'll benefit from reading - no studying - this book if:
   (1a) You sometimes find yourself holding a hand that you have no idea how to play.
   (2a) You frequently figure out how you should have played the hand after it is over.
   (3a) You are a losing or marginal player.
   (4a) Your game would benefit from some careful analysis and thought about how to play hands.
   
   You'll hate the book if:
   (1b) You are a "hands-on" type of person and think the best way to learn is "by doing" because experience is the best teacher.
   (2b) You are looking for a formula that will magically turn you into a winner.
   (3b) You would rather be "at the table" than to spend part of your poker time thinking about and learning from your experiences.
   (4b) You think it would be a waste of time to record key hands in a journal along with notes on both how they were played and how, after careful analysis, you think they should have been played.
   
   
   My observations indicate that the majority of new players are probably doomed to forever remain weak because of 3b.
   
   
   --- Original Review ---
   I wanted to give this book 4 1/5 stars but half stars aren't allowed. My reason for wanting to give less than the maximum is that I disagree with some of the analysis. The reason I gave the maximum is that the book does for the reader what the reader should be doing for himself/herself.
   
   Under pressure at the table a player should have a ready plan for any hand that comes up. Most of us are far too lazy or too addicted to the action at the table to think through and write up our own analysis of key hands. But Myers has done it for us with 52 hands chosen from Pre-Flop, Flop, Turn, River, and Shorthanded play.
   
   The reader who approaches each of these 52 example hands thoughtfully and analytically cannot help but emerge a better player.
   
   Today it is often said that Internet players learn more quickly than the old pros because they can see so many hands in such a short time. I think this thinking is horribly wrong. In the "good old days" players such as the trio of Doyle Brunson, Sailor Roberts, and Amarillo Slim saw many fewer hands. But they THOUGHT about those hands, and on the long drive from one game to the next they discussed how hands should be played. One can hardly imagine the benefit of those discussions on Brunson's career. The thing missing in too many players today is precisely that thought and discussion. Myers does some of that for us.
   
   It is apparent that too many players - primarily young players who "learned" on the Internet - have spent far too little time THINKING about how/why to play a particular hand. If this book were required reading before setting down at the table poker might again become a game of knowledge and strategy rather than the game of luck it so often becomes.
   
   A reader who desires to improve his/her play will certainly benefit from reading Myers' analysis of these hands. Players who aspire to greatness might use Myers' work as a takeoff point for thinking through hand play themselves and actually writing up their own analysis.
   
   Myers also has planned books featuring hand analysis from No-Limit and Tournament Hold'em.



2. If you're a beginning to intermediate limit hold'em limit hold'em player, then this book will get you thinking about the poker playing process. It'll teach you how to think through a hand of limit hold'em, and it stresses the importance of taking time to think about the game intelligently away from the table.
   
   Some might complain because this book doesn't contain a lot of theory, but a few great theory books already exist. The poker literature has needed a book that strips the hand playing process in limit hold'em down to its fundamentals, and this book does just that. During the process, some important theoretical concepts do come out from under the woodworks, like evaluating when to raise draws for value or free cards versus calling with draws. By using lots of example hands and talking through each of them, Neil Myers shows readers how to think when they're at the tables. Others might raise concerns about some of the analysis. I don't wholeheartedly agree with 100% of the analysis that Myers does. However, the differences in opinion I have regarding some of the analysis is the result of Myers's attempt to keep things simple. The decisions in poker can be extremely complicated, but the audience Myers addresses isn't ready for overwhelmingly complicated analysis. The level of analysis is quite appropriate for the target audience, and this book will be a huge help for that audience.
   
   As an example of Myers's attempts to keep things simple, on p. 56, Myers talks about a hand in which you have 78 on the button in an unraised pot against four opponents and the pot comes 467. Action checks to you, you bet, and an early position opponent raises you. Myers strongly advocates folding, but depending on the check-raiser, calling might be the correct play given the 8:1 pot odds you're getting and the possibilities of either being ahead or having a 6-outer (gutshot straight draw and 2 sevens). The decision to be made here is borderline and highly opponent-dependent. I disagree with Myers for strongly advocating folding, but I would also disagree with anyone who would strongly advocate calling.
   
   This book isn't targeting advanced players, but as a poker coach and the author of a few poker books, I found it really interesting because it's quite educational to consider such points of analytical departure. Though this book is targeted at beginning-intermediate players, it's really a rewarding read for anyone who is an active, inquisitive reader. The point of reading is to achieve mental growth; therefore, I give Limit Hold'em Hand By Hand five stars.
   
   May Your EV Always Be Positive!
   
   Tony Guerrera
   Author of Killer Poker By The Numbers



3. I consider myself an upper-intermediate or low-advanced limit player, and I found myself constantly disagreeing with this book. While particular hands may be debatable, the author's explanations did not strike me as authoritative, and usually did not change my mind.
   
   But some of the suggestions are clearly, expensively, wrong. On page 56, the author recommends folding top pair 77 on the flop after being reraised, because we are probably behind. But pot odds are 8:1, with 9 strong outs (to a high inside straight, trips, or two pair) and in position to boot! That's a call even if they are ahead with a low set, and we could still be ahead with top pair -- they may be stealing with overcards, second pair, or a draw. I've shared the hand with others, who agree this is clearly a large mistake, especially in a big pot, last to act.
   
   The author strikes me as a winning, intermediate level player, who understands important concepts, but applies them inexpertly, and wanted to write a book anyway.
   
   For advanced players, the book could serve as useful practice in thinking hands through and deciding where and why to agree or disagree. The less advanced will get a lot of exposure to the thinking that goes into playing a hand, but may get misled.
   
   Superb alternatives include _Middle Limit Hold'em_ by Ciaffone, _Advanced Limit Hold'em Strategy_ by Tanenbaum, _Small Stakes Hold'em_ by Miller et al, and _Winning in Tough Hold'em Games_ by Grudzien and Herzog.



4. I'm glad to have had it and read it, but if I were picking an initial book on limit poker, I would look elsewhere. There are a few sloppy mistakes, and the level of sophistication is fairly simple. However, it is an excellent choice for someone who wants to play limit at a casino or at certain on-line sites, that wants a fairly quick easy read.

5 comments about Big Slick.

1. 
   Awesome read -- Eric Luper has stacked the deck with all the cards you need for a thriller of a page-turner. I loved riding alongside sixteen-year-old Andrew as he dug his way out of a mess caused by his high stakes poker habit and "borrowing'" of cash from Dad's laundry business. Andrew is clever, honest, vulnerable and risky, all at the same time. Love interest Jasmine breaks the typical Goth Girl mold -- we get why Andrew is drawn to her sensitive soul. Andrew's buddy Scott is as quirky as they come (I dare you not to laugh about where he ends up!) And other poker playing characters are as salty as a can of mixed nuts. You gotta love these names: Shushie, Flying Squirrel, Bourbon, Lampost and Cleavage. But my favorite supporting character is Andrew's little brother. What's sweeter than a kid named Rooster?
   
   If you love watching the fast paced action of poker on cable TV,
   read this book.
   If you're a sucker for sweet & salty tales that pull LOTS of punches,
   read this book.
   
   And finally,
   if you're into poker, girls and vintage Chevy Chevelles, then go buy BIG SLICK faster than you can say No Limit Hold `Em!



2. This book had me laughing out loud, smacking my forehead in dismay, and shouting "Don't do it!" as I watched the protagonist, Andrew, dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole. It was a total blast of a read, one of those wonderful I-can't-put-this-down books that you hope will never end.



3. This book has many sexual references that are inappropriate for teens in it. I would not recommend this book unless you want your children to have better ideas of how to become sexually active. I couldn't get past chapter 2's details of "Ribbed For Her Pleasure" condom reference. I teach English and this would certainly not be appropriate as an independent novel.



4. BIG SLICK is a fast-paced and fun read but don't let that blind you to some of the great themes lurking beneath the surface about relationships with our parents (and between our parents--and that "knowingness" that we come into as teens where we begin seeing our folks as real, flawed people instead of just "Mom and Dad"), the value of real friendship, and the joy and pain of first love. I have to commend the author for capturing, spot-on, the sometimes wacky decision-making rationale that teens use, and how, sometimes, we just have to move ourselves through those decisions--and the outcomes--to get to the other side and gain some much-needed insight (which is true for both teens AND adults). Thanks for a great read!



5. 
   In poker terms, a big slick is when you start a hand of Texas Hold 'em with an Ace and a King showing. It's a strong starting hand, but in the case of main character Andrew Lang, things fall apart quickly. Lang is a boy genius of sorts -- the youngest player at Shushie's underground poker club, and he has a knack for the game. But he borrowed money from his dad's dry cleaning business to enter a tournament and digs himself deeper and deeper in trouble with every page. Add to that mix some family tension, a really cute little brother, a loyal best friend, and a hot goth girl who works with Andrew at Dad's dry cleaning business, and you have a seriously compelling plot.
   
   This is a book that teenaged boys -- and girls, since there's a cool, strong female character, too -- will love. It's not one of those YA novels that you'll want to share with most middle school kids, though. The language is intense sometimes, and there's a pretty steamy romance scene. It's definitely more of a high school title -- and a perfect one for reluctant readers at that age.
   
   Even though I'm not a poker player, I loved this book. Probably because it isn't really just about poker after all. When all the cards are turned, Big Slick is a fast-moving, gutsy novel about finding your way in the world, making mistakes, and making good.

No comments about The Only Poker Book You'll Ever Need: Bet, Play, And Bluff Like a Pro--from Five-card Draw to Texas Hold 'em.

5 comments about More Hold'em Excellence: A Winner for Life.

1. This book is not for the beginner. Any beginning hold'em book will do for beginning players.

   This book contains nothing but good advice in the card room. I've only played in card rooms a few times, but I've won consistently. Kreiger's books contains essays on how to deal with maniacs, table image, table selection -- the sorts of things a non-beginner will find valuable.

   If you already know the game and know how to play tight and aggressive, this book is for you. It contains lots of anecdotal advice on how to deal with the situations that inevitably come up in card rooms.




2. This is one of the 1st books I read when i started playing poker.It's a must read for any one how wants to become a good player.Some of the consepts were a little hard to undrestand for the biginner but it will put you in a right path of beiing a winner for life.You have to read it go play.and read it and play again till you undrestand every thing he was trying to help you learn. I also have to add that it was very easy to read and even when you are an advance player you enjoy reading it......enjoy.....



3. Excellent Book. Must be read a few times to be fully appreciated. Loaded with great information. Mr. Krieger has a real gift making the concepts understandable. Players of any level will gain something from this book



4. Yes, the word "wise" might be the best way in which to describe Lou Krieger. He's not only a poker player and a journalist. He's a renaissance man who's spent time studying life in general. His is an extremely unique perspective for a poker writer, and I'm surprised it took me this long to discover him. Before I bought the book, all I knew about him was that he was the face of Royal Vegas poker which is not a compliment as it has to be my least favorite online website ever. Yet here Krieger gives readers a plethora of priceless insight over the course of 36 chapters. They flow together nicely and there's nothing disjointed about the work. I loved his chapter, "American Dreamer," where he makes a compelling case that poker is, in many ways, the essence of America, and he also takes the time to praise free speech and lambaste political correctness-which is extremely needed and one more reason why you should take the time to acquaint yourself with this edition. Another rare element to be found in these pages is the professional poker player quiz in the back. There are 60 some "Yes/No" questions that really put turning pro into perspective. I took it myself and learned quite a few things about my game by scoring it. The only criticism I have is of the hand chart in the back of the book. It's way too LAG (loose-aggressive player) for me. He's got you playing KJ offsuit in any position and that gives me the heebie-jeebies. Maybe if one has Lou's level of skill you can play 8/7 offsuit in late position, but stuff like that would break me. For hand analysis, I would check out Ed Miller's recommendations in Small Stakes Hold `Em if I were you. Although, Krieger has put together one heckuva book and I thank the guy for it.



5. Just hours after finishing "More Hold'em Excellence," I went to a No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament and won $550! I definitely feel that this book helped me to win that tournament... and many more since then. I would seriously recommend this book to anyone who wants a well-written book on Texas Hold'em!!!
   
   Sincerely,
   Brian "the Sea" Shell

4 comments about Dealer's Choice: The Complete Handbook of Saturday Night Poker.

1. If you want to get together with friends for a good relaxing game of poker, you must have this book at the table. It's not for serious hardcore people but for regular humans, who want to unwind with a fun game.
   
   The best feature of the book is the list of hundreds and hundreds of different poker games, ranging from the old stand-bys everyone knows (like Baseball), to some truly crazy and entertaining games. My regular table can't survive a night without a few games of Diablo, Frankenstein, and Jane Austen.
   
   And it's a hilarious book. Even if you don't play many of the games in it, it's simply a good read.



2. I have read and used this book at poker parties, and I love it. If you play poker with your friends, you really ought to have it at the table. It is an excellent source of unique poker variants that are both fun and well designed.



3. I was looking for something that would give me some solid basics (House Rules Examples, Low Hand, basic variants) and a "How To". That part of book is solid and useful. Oh yeah, there are are also a boat load of variants that I have only even begun to take in. I will be breaking those out next poker night (about once a month).
   
   If your looking for strategy, this isn't really for you, but if you want a book that will make you feel comfortable with basic poker and give you plenty of games to dabble at It's a good purchase.



4. I liked the games in this book a lot! This is the book for those evenings when you're playing with your friends for quarters, and everyone calls a crazy game. Some are old favorites that everyone's heard of, and some I have never seen before in my life. The illustrations are funny! Many, many poker nights' worth of fun.

5 comments about How to Cheat Your Friends at Poker: The Wisdom of Dickie Richard.

1. Unless you are thrilled by crude language don't bother,as this book really doesn't offer anything else. i read it as i am a penn + Teller fan but it was very disappointing.



2. You really have to wonder how a person like "Dickie Richards" could exist, or why, if he's fictional, anyone would think that a book by such a character would be funny.
   
   The title is a lie - the book doesn't teach you how to cheat, and the author repeatedly says he has no friends. I have no idea where they got the "157 classic and crafty tricks" line from.
   
   That Penn would put his name on this book is just more evidence that, as a thinker and a writer, he's a pretty good magician.



3. It may well be that the real Penn Jillette is an admirable human being, a thoughtful, kind, generous and honorable man--honorable like Brutus and Cassius and all the rest, all, all honorable men. But I have never encountered the real Penn Jillette. I know only his odious public persona.
   
   This is a book by Jillette (and some collaborator or other.) It is an odious book by an odious man about an odious man--odiousness cubed, in short. As I write this, the averaged rating assigned by the previous twelve Amazon reviewers is two-and-a-half stars. I am astonished that the book is so very highly regarded.
   
   In his introduction, Jillette spins a little tale to the effect that the core of this book is a set of polished up anecdotes about the life and thoughts of a rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter to whom Jillette (and his collaborator) have assigned the name "Dickie Richard," from material supplied in much rougher form by the said rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter.
   
   Now, because Jillette is a stage magician, a profession not notoriously devoted to telling the whole truth and nothing but, some readers may feel a disinclination to take him at his word. Among the twelve reviewers already posting on this site, five seem to have accepted the actual existence of Dickie Richard, four expressed varying degrees of dubiousness about his reality and three did not touch on the point. (Presumably, no ten-foot poles were conveniently available.)
   
   Here is what Jillette says in his introduction to the book: "Dickie is as colorful as you can get. He is a totally fictitious character, talking large and cutting up jackpots (that's slang for `telling stories')." You have to give Jillette full credit here: those are weasel words worthy of a famous stage illusionist. By calling Dickie Richard "fictitious," does Jillette mean that he has no objective existence? Or does he mean that Dickie has completely wrapped himself in a covering of fictions and lies? Which, if either, is the truth? I don't know. On general principals, though, I don't trust Jillette. On anything. Ever.
   
   Let's assume that Dickie is an out-and-out lie. If so, than for what reason has the odious Jillette inflicted his odious creation on us? Whatever the reason, I think it is safe to say that art had little or nothing to do with it. As for the financial reward, considering that I found my copy in the cut-rate, get-this-junk-outta-here section of a steroidal chain bookstore outlet, it must have been small to laughably minuscule.
   
   Let's assume that Dickie is real. If so, then Dickie is the out-and-out liar. His lie doesn't involve his techniques for cheating with the cards. He gives precious little specific information there. In fact, about the only useful thing he says for budding card-sharps is look up another man's book, study it and (like the man trying to get to Carnegie Hall) practice, practice, practice. If Dickie Richard actually exists, his lie isn't about him being a rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter. That's self-evidently true enough. No, the lie is that he is a SUCCESSFUL, rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter.
   
   Dickie tells us that he constantly and successfully trolls for home poker games, that he casually assumes whatever character traits will make him appear to be an acceptably like-minded, comfortable, trustworthy, likeable card-playing buddy--until, of course, he seduces whatever women are in the immediate vicinity, scoops up whatever portable valuables are left unprotected in the home of his host, cheats, lies and steals whatever money is to be had, and then permanently departs over the hills and far away.
   
   I say nonsense. No way. Not a chance!
   
   Just consider his anecdotes. The man hasn't an ounce of wit or charm or grace. He says he can talk the talk of the pool hall and the country club with equal facility. No he can't. This crude little man is as far from being a silver-tongued devil as is possible to get. W. C. Fields, even when completely sozzled, had a more winning and believable line of patter. His every word, his every story, his every thought shouts out that he is a low-life.
   
   The Big Anecdote in the book is Dickie's drawn out tale of his Big Game, the one into which he introduced himself, then gradually raised the stakes of the regular Big Money Game of some well-heeled Big Shots up in New Hampshire. He returns to the tale of this game again and again, until he comes to the day he brought in his five million dollar stake in anticipation of the Big Killing. He tells us how he won Big, and then through sheer hubris, how he lost even Bigger. Finally he laments the permanent ruin of the Big Game, from which he emerged a poorer but definitely not wiser man.
   
   Nuts! Dickie with five million bucks? The same Dickie who recommends that you poke a sticky-coated paddle into the cash box at a home game in order to extract loose bills and chips? THAT Dickie? Don't make me laugh! Nah, this is a guy who far more likely drives (and probably sleeps in, often as not) a third-hand car and makes hamburger money from the good old boys at the Elks Hall.
   
   Dickie Richard with five mill? Hah! One star for this busted flush.



4. It begins as I'd expect from Penn Jillette: a tongue-in-cheek romp with a dash of course language, and it's funny for those not offended. But by page 20 I realized that, yea verily, this is a serious treatise on cheating techniques.
   
   Imagine all the card tricks that a career magician like Penn Jillette must know, and him focusing that expertise on cheating in a poker game. He's done us a favor in this age of unprecendented poker popularity by wising us up. I *agree* that it's disturbing, but one can take heart in something he points out: "You can't buy the practice." In other words, these techniques take a long time to perfect.
   
   This is useful for vigilance. One can acknowledge that, yes Virginia, there ARE such things as "card mechanics" however rare, or one can hide one's head in the sand. When Barry Greenstein (BG) mentioned "a false shuffle and cut" I wondered how anyone could get away with such a thing! Well folks, here's how it's done. BG recommends being aware of losing when you think you should be winning. Penn actually gets into the nuts and bolts of how the cheater does it.
   
   This also got me thinking about other ways cheating could occur in a casino (such as a modified ShuffleMaster). Disturbing, but good to have tucked away somewhere in one's awareness. There is a section on cheat-proofing your own home game, and the thickest (and crudest) glossary of poker slang I've seen to date.



5. This book is SO funny! One of the few books I have laughed out loud while reading.