1 comments about The Smarter Bet Guide to Slots and Video Poker (Smarter Bet Guides).

1. After reading this book, I lose just as much money, but now I know why I do. Seriously, I have bought several of Nestor's books. They are all fantastic books, well worth the price you pay. Nestor knows gambling and knows statistics. He does not try to sell you on any questionable, feel- good, strategies. This is straight forward, honest, scientifically-based advice. As for this particular book, I bought it for the section on Video Poker. My main complaint is that I am not a slot player. Therefore, I wish Nestor has put out a separate, larger book on Video Poker or combined it into one of his other books. The section on Video Poker is very informative, but sort of rushed as it has to fit into a small section of the book.

No comments about Phil Tiger Woods of Poker Ivey (Superstars of Poker).

3 comments about Read 'Em and Weep: A Bedside Poker Companion.

1. This is a collection of short stories or snippets of books all about poker there are 39 authors this is taken from those of you who have read other poker memoirs will recognize Anthony Holden,Michael Konik ,A. Alvarez and other notable poker writers.Then there are notable authors like Mark Twain,John Updike,Martin Amis,and many others.

   This covers subjects from the wild west river boat gambling to the current modern day of world series of poker.So give this book a try and possibly expose yourself to some different authors or refamilarize yourself with some of the old poker authors.




2. All of the sudden, books about the inner world of poker seem to be springing up all over the place. My 18yo son and his friends mess around with it for pennies or toothpicks, and I hear them arguing the rules long after I've gone to bed. But now I find myself in the unlikely position of having read three books on the subject, and I'm really getting into it.
   Read 'Em and Weep is a collection of essays, short stories, book excerpts and (of all unlikely things) poems dealing with the eternally interesting world of the game. Many of the tales focus on the fast-paced newish game called Hold 'Em. But most of the contributions (from authors such as Mark Twain, Maugham, and Thurber) deal with the traditional more gentlemanly games from a bygone poker era. It's a good melding of the two worlds, past and present.



3. You do not have to be a poker aficionado to enjoy this book. It contains 38 short stories, excerpts from books or essays, all of which have poker as a theme or main story element. With authors the likes of Stephen Crane, James Jones, Mark Twain, David Mamet, Bertolt Brecht, Sumerset Maugham, Clark Clifford, Barbara Tuchman and James Thurber you can't go far wrong. The stories range from comic to tragic, with just a little instruction on the finer points of the game thrown in for good measure. You may not love all of the chapters, but I am sure that enough will entertain you to make reading this short book very worthwhile.

5 comments about Championship no-limit and pot-limit hold'em: On the road to the World Series of Poker.

1. This is the best book on poker from the best player. A great companion to 'Super/System' poker fans will enjoy this hands on gear turning read. Truly a neccesary book for the poker library. In contrast to Sklansky this book will not hold your hand so if your a begginer or your weak you need not pick it up. THis book is for the serious player looking to notch himself up. THis book helped an amateur take 5th in the WSOP and it can help you too!



2. I would not consider this to be the bible on no-limit. The book starts with an interview of T.J.Cloutier and ends with a few of his road stories. In between there are a couple of examples of how to play certain hands. But in general i found litlle basic big bet poker advice. The tournament section i felt was pretty good. Overall i wouldn't adivce this book to a beginning big bet player. I think they would be better off buying Pot-limit & No-limit poker by Ciaffone/Reuben. If on the other hand you're an somewhat advanced player, then you might find some usefull information in this book.



3. This book is pretty poor relative to other poker books.
   It's not that the book doesn't have anything to teach, it's just that I felt that for the cost of the book compared to the material versus the value of other poker books is poor.



4. A truly great book for some of the reasons below:
   Shows and illustrated how a great player like TJ Cloutier plays and thinks about the key hands. If you agree that preflop play is key then you will agee that which cards to play preflop and how to play them after the flop are the key issues.
   Introduces key concepts of tourney play and splitting up how you approach the beginning , middle and late stages of a tournment.
   The colourful road stories are all a bonus.
   Several winners have mentioned this book as being piviotal to thier success including Mcmanus's 5th place at the WSOP main event.
   With many newer books on NLH including the two books by Harrington taking a more detailed scientific approach to which hands to play this book is getting a bit dated.
   However for ease of learning and its relatively small size which means you can implement your knowledge faster it makes a great primer to the more detailed newer texts.
   Also you will learn and understand TJ's style of conservative tight/aggresive play.
   Who is TJ Cloutier? The most winning NLHE tournament player. Placed 2nd twice at the WSOP main event (Came 2nd to Chris Ferguson) Holds 6 WSOP bracelets.
   Who is his co author Tom Mcevoy?- Former wsop Main event Champion
   This was one of the key books that I used to win the weekly Thursday NLHE tourney at the Shara Las Vegas. A $2000 return on my $20 book.



5. TJ Cloutier has long been one of my favorite poker players. He is a gentleman as well as a poker genius. That being said, I would argue that this book, like TJ seems to have let the game pass by a little bit.
   
   There is fantastic history of some of the characters and tournaments of TJ's life as well as a quick auto biography, and the pot limit section reads well for anyone not to familiar with that type of poker. However, I feel like the no limit section is dated and fairly basic. It seems a lot of what TJ talks about comes from a time when people only played the top ten hands, and doesn't leave a lot of room for creative play that seems much more popular today.
   
   That being said, if one reads the book carefully, there are several good tips that should make the serious player plenty of money over the long haul. TJ is one of the classiest and best poker players of all time and this book is as good of a starter book as any; it's not too thick and there is plenty of character.

1 comments about Poker Night: Dealer's Choice A to Z.

1. I got this book hoping to add a little spice into our home game. Many of the people I play with (and me) stick to Texas Hold 'em for the most part, but fondly remember the days when "Chase the Queen" and "Iron Cross" built huge pots and made a home game really different from what you get in the Casino. I was really impressed with the coverage this book provides. Pretty much every aspect of the home game is there, and there are more varieties of poker outlined here than we'll ever get to in our game - there's just not enough time!
   
   The first sections of "Poker Night" discuss many of the things that need to be considered before hosting a game. What kind of atmosphere are you going for? What sort of house rules should you establish? How do you handle the player who wins a huge hand and then wants to leave right away? "Poker Night" helps you prepare a sound set of house rules to make sure the game runs smoothly.
   
   The real meat of the book covers every variation of poker I've ever heard of and many more. The publisher's outline above will give you an idea of what's there, and each is covered very well. Essentially the rules of each type of poker are covered in brief, and then they give a thorough breakdown of how each variety of them work. So, in the Stud section they cover the classic "Chase the Queen", and in the Community section they cover my favorite, "Iron Cross", but if you've wanted to know how to play "Baseball", "H-Bomb", or too many others to mention, chances are they're in here.
   
   The section on Hold'em provides a good overview of the game, and provides some good information about the value of the various starting hands, and the strategy included would be very helpful for people just getting into the game or who are interested in taking control of their current home game. The final section includes some interesting notes about how casino poker games like Let It Ride and Caribbean Stud can be adjusted for home game play.
   
   Overall, a really good overview of the wide variety of poker games played in living rooms around the world. "Poker Night" will definitely add something to anyone's game that's gotten a little too predictable.

No comments about Low Limit Omaha High-Low Strategies.

2 comments about Gettin' Lucky (Simon Romantic Comedies).

1. The story here is not that shocking or remarkable. Cass's boyfriend, Jesse, cheats on her with her best friend, therefore ruining her entire life. However, predictably, she finds new friends, a new hobby (poker, of course--she lives in Las Vegas!), and maybe even a new guy.
   
   What makes GETTIN' LUCKY special is the awesome Las Vegas-poker twist on what is a fairly typical teen romance! That kept my attention througout the book, although there were occasional dull bits in this novel.
   
   Micol Ostow, however, is a good writer, who manages to make her characters realistic and interesting.
   
   GETTIN' LUCKY is definitely worth reading!
   
   Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce



2. The plotline was very predictable--some of that, of course, comes with the genre, but this one was more predictable than most. I knew what was going to happen from the second the male lead was introduced a few chapters in. This is not too atypical, but usually the fun comes in from watching how the characters end up together. I just didn't care about either of them, or their friends or their problems. I have absolutely no problem with soft silly rom coms but there are a lot of better ones out there. Try Major Crush by Jennifer Echols, The Boyfriend League by Rachael Hawthorne, or Tropical Kiss by Jan Coffey instead.

5 comments about Winning Texas Hold'em: Cash Game Poker Strategies for Players of All Skill Levels.

1. An aweful book from an arrogant, obnoxious 'professional' poker player. Expect to see it at the buck a book store soon. Personally, mine works well to balance my coffee table.



2. While alot of this book is about the basics it still have alot of good information. The Short-Handed section is worth the $10 all by itself.



3. I have only gotten to page 26 and like the other reviews have noticed many errors in the hand rankings. The hands are in order but the cards shown as an example are completely off and do not even match the text. A quick visit to mattmaroon.com will clear up the problem as the first thing you will see on the website is a link to "Book Errata" where he adresses all the errors mentioned by myself and the other posters. He cites publisher's errors as the reason and it is understandable as the pictures (put in by the publisher) do not correspond to what Matt actually wrote. He corrects the errors including the lack of formatting in the odds chart on page 245. You would expect thigns like this to be noticed prior to printing, but mistakes do happen. Other than that, everything has been excellent. His introdcutions have been clear and his examples completely illustrate what he is talking about.
   One thing I have particularly liked thus far is the table of contents. He is appropriately divided up the book into Poker Conepts, Limit Hold'Em Concepts and Advanced Concepts. He also touches on aspects which I have found underrepresented in other books such as psychology, deception, slowplaying and even things such as guidlines to play poker for a living. Furthermore, it is not dry reading. Some books of this genre tend to be really hard to get into/not count cracks in the wall while you are reading it, this book is holding my impatient attention well. (Aesthetically, the book looks great. It's sleek, modern and just nice to look at.)
   I will post final review when I finish the book, I just wanted to comment on some of the errors.



4. This author is an arrogant, cocky, jackass who runs one of the best, most informative poker websites out there - yes, he is a dick, but his site is good! He is an above-average player and fairly knowledgable about the game. However his book is really nothing more than regurgitated material that can be found in every other poker book out on the market. Don't waste your money (unless you feel that it is a reasonable donation for the material that you get from his site). Some, including the author, have boasted about the section on shorthanded play being the "most advanced section ever written on the subject". This is ludicrous. It is indeed "short" (in length, that is), but not of good qualilty. It does NOT provide examples. It is general and watered-down.
   
   There you have it: The "good" (the website), the "bad" (the book), and the "ugly" (the author).



5. This is an extremely underrated book. I concede there may have been some errors in the hand ranking chart, odds charts and some pretty bad typos throughout the earlier printings of this book but in the edition I purchased these errors have been corrected. Anyway, if you can get past those (I know I don't need to be re-taught the hand rankings etc) then you will discover that this really is a gem of a book.
   
   Maroon is a very articulate thinker and covers a lot of ground in this book. He explains some complex and subtle ideas in very clear, simple language. The section on short handed play is EXCELLENT and is worth the price of the book alone- especially for someone like me who only plays 6 max tables on the internet. His sections on expectation, pot odds, standard deviation, bankroll requirements, playing after the flop, moving up in limits, playing for a living, plugging leaks etc are all excellent as well and all this information is communicated in a very conversational, easily understandable way. The book is also presented in a unique way with colored diagrams and an aesthetically pleasant layout.
   
   There are very few hand examples in this book but I think that's a good thing. I find sample hands really boring to read and would much rather get to work on understanding the conceptual ideas and considerations behind a given play than read hand examples. Maroon seems to me to be a great poker strategist and his recommendations seem well thought out and I imagine they would be very effective. I'm not surprised he has enjoyed the level of success that he has given that he obviously possesses such a deep understanding of the game of limit hold 'em.
   
   This is probably not the ideal choice for a beginning poker player (although they would be far better off reading something like this than say, Phil Hellmuth's lunacy), I would say intermediate and advanced players will benefit more from this book. I highly recommend it and consider it a shame that the publishers were so careless in the printing of this book because in doing so they have really tarnished a great piece of work.
   
   If this book didn't contain the mistakes it does I suspect it would be on the "must read" list of most players.

5 comments about Poker Aces.

1. If you are intrigued with poker, you're going to love reading "Poker Aces" by Ron Rose. This poker book is truly an original! I have several shelves full of excellent books on this popular American sport, but I have never read anything quite as fulfilling as this one.
   
   "Know your game, know your percentages, know yourself, and, know other players" seems to be the advice of nearly every good writer on this subject. The task of knowing other players, however, is the most daunting for me, because it defies good procedure. How do you organize complex poker behavior? Watching others' style, moods, eccentricities and poker "moves" is an endless fascination. The better the player, the more important it is to know all you can about him. There is a lot more to know than the occasional "tell." The person's background, education, attitude and life perspectives seem to creep into every session he plays, sometimes manifesting a much stronger influence on his actions than good tactics and game knowledge.
   
   Ron Rose has truly filled a void for poker enthusiasts worldwide. (Like me.) I really want to learn something in depth about the champions and how they got that way. How and when did they get hooked on this game, anyway? Was it something their parents loved, as for Jennifer Harmon and Annie Duke? Or did it begin as a relief from the responsibilities of college classes as for Phil Hellmuth, Chip Reese and me. It seems "the Hook" which starts a person into playing poker somehow affects his game thereafter. "That hook" is revealed in detail for most of the champions.
   
   But even if your hook does not affect your play in poker any more than it does in your golf game, other life situations certainly can. For example, several champions in Ron's book were refugees from troubling situations in other countries where their individualistic survival skills have made them strong tournament contenders: Amir Vahedi deserting a sure death situation in the Iranian Army; Men Nguyen, Tony Ma and Lieutenant An Tran fleeing the Communist takeover in Vietnam.
   
   Occupational backgrounds and health histories certainly influence play, but these factors affect poker players in different ways and seem to be only a part of overall profile. Ross Boatman is a professional British actor. "Miami" John Cernuti is a fired air traffic controller. T J Cloutier a former football pro. John Bonetti and Doyle Brunson are cancer survivors. Dan Harrington and Randy Holland are lawyers.
   
   Most of the great champions have college degrees or very accomplished backgrounds, such as Ron Rose himself, former USAF Captain, Masters degree in mathematics and successful computer entrepreneur.
   
   Ron has also identified the guiding philosophies of many living poker greats. This is one of the best parts of his book because every champion finds a different perspective to his winning path. Why does Humberto Brenes say, "Poker is like going to kindergarten." (p. 15) Is Mark Seif realistic when he says, "You have to become your opponent...to exploit the weakness of his hand." (p. 155) Why does Charlie Shoten claim, "Being a better poker player has to do with being a better person."? (p. 158) The author has loaded this book with great insights, not only from the philosophy of current champions but also from other famous personalities such as
   
   Lou Krieger
   
   "Poker is a microcosm of all we admire and disdain about capitalism and democracy.
   
   Somerset Maugham
   
   "Poker's the only game fit for a grown man. Then your hand is against every man's, and every man's against yours."
   
   And, General David Shoup
   
   "The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent; happens at the poker table all the time."
   
   "Poker Aces" is one of the most satisfying poker read in years. Its layout and organization is excellent, and its pages are well written. The book is full of good photography showing 89 of today's international poker champions at play. I am looking forward to the Second and subsequent editions of this book in coming years.
   
   (...)



2. Poker Aces by Ron Rose is the most comprehensive and gorgeous books on professional pokers to date. I happened across the book when a friend recommened it to me. It is the ultimate resource on pro poker players - The pictures are great and it is extremely informative. What I like most is that I can use it as an autograph album. Just from walking around WPT events I can spot a player and s/he can sign his/her page in the book. So far I only have 12 signatures but I plan on filling it up.
   Thanks Ron for the goregeous tribute to poker players.



3. Card player magazine, a bi-weekly review for poker enthusiasts, likes what they see, obviously. It appears Card Player is interested enough to reprint the bio's in future issues of their magazine. I find it a bit of help as I work my way along the tournament trail where knowledge of your opponents is critical since these are the guys and gals you will have to face eventually. Clear and concise, making a good evenings read. Five Stars, Mr. Rose; Bravo.



4. This is a great book. It's not a how to play book but it gives me as a beginner an opportunity to see how my heros of the poker world got started and where they came from. Poker is a sport that gives me a chance to play at the same table with the poker greats. I've sat with Scotty Nguyen at the same table in Tunica. (It was worth the $500 buy in). Thank you Ron for this great insite to the world of poker. Read this book and now that no matter how old you are or whatever your financial status is at the time - poker tournaments give you the opportunity to live your dreams. Thanks again.



5. This is a very large book with excellent photography and well written articles on each player. After reading about a dozen pages, I realized that it really seemed like I was reading a lot of the same stuff. Most players started off doing this or that, then moved to poker. They won a tournament and became interested and became pro.
   
   Overall, I gave the book 4 stars. It provides information on many of today's poker superstars that would take a long time to search for ourselves. We get a unique look at the lives of these players and see that they are pretty much like all of us in a lot of ways...and very different.
   
   Ron Rose always seemed to be a nice guy and he made this book with members of his family helping him. You can really feel the love and respect he has for all of these players and the poker community. If you have always wanted to know more about some of the famous poker players, this is a great book for you.

5 comments about How to Beat Low Limit 7 Card Stud Poker.

1. Even after placing in many, and winning a few Stud tournaments I knew that my game was weak when it came to this poker variant.

   I had read many books on other forms of poker, but had never really worked on developing my stud game. I purchased 2+2's Stud Poker for Advanced Player's but I was stuck somewhere between an introductory book and that more advanced book and what's more I was pretty sure that advanced tactics were all but worthless in a low-limit game or in an online environment where it seems as though all the stakes are played as if they are low.

   I heard about this book from a player online who recognized its author at our table and complimented him on the text.

   I thought maybe this was a good book for me and that turned out to be right. While it starts off getting total beginners up to speed, there is something in this book for everyone.

   Street by street, Paul Kammen advises you on the play of each type of playable hand with which you will be faced. At the end of each situation covered there is a Quick Guide that can be referenced in a flash. In addition, there is a nice collection of odds listed in tables in the appendix.

   This is relatively new book, having just been published in late 2003, but I believe it is an instant classic. It belongs alongside, Lee Jones' Low-Limit Holdem text in your poker library. If you have read Lee's book then you know that this is high praise and that Paul's book is required reading.

   If you are going to be playing low-limit stud you need to grab this book or lose money to those who did.




2. If you have been playing 7 card stud for any reasonable amount of time, do yourself a favor and skip buying this book. Go buy 7 Card Stud for Advanced Players by David Sklansky.



3. It's a must read. Paul Kammen takes a game that is often challenging and intimidating, puts the cards in your hands and gives you great book full of usable advice. Well-worded, thoughtful and coming from a gentlemen with obvious knowledge of the game.



4. He has an interesting idea for organizing his advice, though I'm not sure it matches my thought patterns. The book is not terribly technical - nothing like the Malmuth/Sklansky book. For my money I like to play tighter than he advises.



5. It is impossible to see who could learn anything useful by reading this book. No wonder that the author plays low stakes.