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

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



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



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

5 comments about Zen and the Art of Poker: Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Game.

1. I have been playing poker professionally for a little over a year now and have read all different kinds of poker books. But this was the first one that really took into the importance of your mental state. If you want to read a book that is going to give you statistics and odds this isn't it. If your looking for something that is going to make you think more about your innerself and others at and away from the table this is a must read. By the way- I have never written a review before but I felt that this was a must for the serious or even part time player!



2. This is a great book for the beginner to middle player skill level. It starts off like it may be for advanced players but with its redundant reminders of how to play certain types of hands and what to do in case scenarios it drills it into the player. Making it much easier to retain the information.



3. This is the one book that I can read time and time again, and always learn something new depending on where I'm at in my poker career and my life. It's not a poker instructional book by any means. It's about you and who you are at the poker table -- but really, it's about who you are in your every day existence.
   
   If you like to look inside and make yourself a better person, then this book addresses core issues that can help you excel. Let's face it, life is poker and poker is life. Larry Phillips encapsulates this beautifully. It will help you play better and it will help you live better, if you are willing to do the work and look at yourself honestly.
   
   It's a quick read with much thought provoking insights on just abou every page. It is written very well.



4. This is not the best book to buy if you are just learning how to play poker (try Sklansky or Harrington), but if you are an advanced beginner or intermediate player, this book offers a whole new approach to the game that will radically improve your play. Most beginning players find themselves playing too many hands, and with disastrous results (hitting top pair with a weak kicker, or hitting second pair). This book's advice (Poker Rule #3) is that "If you've been folding a lot, for a long time in the game, and you're starting to think that maybe it's time you got in a played a few hands again... Keep folding." It counsels patience, emotional detachment, and selective confrontation. In a world of big egos, players on tilt, and WPT wannabees, this book will help you find a calmer, more profitable path.



5. Im not a big fan of poker books. They tend to be very dry and difficult to apply the specific theories to the game. This book is simply explains another way to look at the game. It is very easy to apply to the game after reading. It is mostly a book about folding and how to fold well. When youre folding well, youre playing well. Folding well implies betting well. The book states this much more clearly. Overall a great book for any poker player.

5 comments about Farha on Omaha: Expert Strategy for Beating Cash Games and Tournaments.

1. I am an aspiring semi-pro poker player, and I found this book very insightful. It covers a lot of the basics, but it also throws in a lot of very sophisticated plays that high level players can utilize best. That's the part that I think reviewers up to this point have not mentioned that I was pleasantly surprised by. His parts about the "right" way and the "Sammy" way are incredibly cool to me because I have already read about the "right" way many a time, and his reasoning makes sense as to why it may be more profitable at times to play outside the box. He believes in big pots, big bets, and big action, but all in a context of causing his opponents to make the mistakes and making good reads. Calling this book simply "basic" would be wrong as it has some very original stuff I have not seen in Super System or the other books I've read. I gave it a five star to make up for the bad reviews. :)
   
   (keep in mind I did not read the hi/lo or limit sections as I do not play those games.)



2. While it can't be denied that Farha has expierence and results, this book simply isnt filled with Expert Strategy. Chapters are filled with personal stories and lack instruction. Therefore i do not recommend this book for someone who is looking to improve their omaha game. However, there are several decent omaha strategy books out there. Good Luck!



3. This book has nothing related to "expert strategy". This is position for amateurs who love watching Farha on the youtube and reading some stories from his life. Your Omaha will not be any better because of this book.
   I spend money for expert tuition not for reading stories from sb life. I would give 0/5 but the scale does not go that far.



4. Sorry only in French ... Je trouve se livre vraiment super pour un joueur qui veut débuter au omaha et qui a déjà lu un livre de réference sur le sujet. Ce livre vous donnes les ficelles pour bien miser en limitant les risques et en maximisant les mains fortes. En le lisant attentivement on constate que le style de jeu de Sam est malgrè l'imporession qu'il donne très contrôlé et très structuré.
   Un livre facilement lu avec des concept simpoe rapidement exploitable.



5. Wow, I was really disappointed in this book. I've seen Sammy play Omaha, and all I can figure is that he didn't write this book. Ghostwriters are big in the publishing business, but I wonder if Sammy read this book before it was released. If you want a book that will help you (and that doesn't waste space covering limit high Omaha, which no one plays anymore), then buy Jeff Hwang's book.
   Sorry, Sammy, I like you. But I've already given your book to Goodwill.

5 comments about Deadman's Poker: A Novel.

1. I really like Swain. I really like Valentine. I even kinda like his kid. I'm not too sure about this novel. You see it's not finished. There's some strange, fatal method of winning at poker - maybe like what killed that Russian spy_ but after a lot of novel we do not yet know. Nor does Tony. I sure hope no one climbs up a rope and disappears in the follow up. You see, there is an old con man who makes and wins absurd bets with gamblers in Las Vegas. I suspect the chances of getting away with those bets would be about the same as not experiencing leg breaking ,cause they are on the order of "Betcha I can tell you where you got them shoes." So here we are anticipating a resolution to the surefire poker win and are only half the way there while being entertained with side shows. Maybe Swain needed some cash and had only half the novel done. After all, the carnie makes as much geeking as on the midway. I hope that's it cause now I am waiting for the follow up. Hooked I guess.Decide for yourself. Double or nothing. Watta bet!!!



2. Based on the first third of this book, I would give this 4 stars. The characters were interesting, and I was enjoying myself. Then the story really slowed down, with lots of side stuff. Then I figured out I would need to get the next book Deadman's Bluff to finish the story. So minus 1 star for taking a single 1 book story and splitting into 2 books to extort money. And clearly, it would have been 2 short books so filler was added. Another minus star for boring side stories; the Rufus scammer character is interesting in moderation, but after the fly, horserace, golf, ping pong, cat, x-ray vision, etc. scams, it was tiring. They didn't add anything, other than the mildly entertaining "how he tricked the Greek" variety. But they were too long as side stories, and it was ludicrous that the main character and his tacked-on "love" interest kept saying "there's no way he can do this" over and over again. Look, Rufus is a grifter, he will win not by playing by the rules. No reader was saying "yeah, there is no way" rather it was, "ok, what dumb trick will he use." So the dialog seemed contrived to try to make these side stories more dramatic. Didn't work. And in the end, the way that the tournament cheating was done, you probably will have figured out, and it isn't very "wow" to justify buying and reading 2 books. Even though my review sounds negative, I was impressed with the beginning of this book, and I assume that the rest of this book and the 2nd one were boring because the author (editor/publisher) were trying to stretch this out to sell twice as many books. If you just read this book and not the 2nd you really will be unhappy (1 star happy). However, given the good beginning of this book, I'm going to try Mr. Lucky and give this author 1 more chance. I think he is better than whomever told him to stretch this thin story to two volumes. The author seems to have a great sense of gambling, Atlantic City, and grifters. If these 2 books were 1, and tightened up by dropping a ton of Rufus stuff, this would be 4 stars!



3. The writing is great and the build up to the end is great but there is no payoff. We have to buy the next book to figure out what is going to happen (I think). Frustrating and disappointing.



4. Another in the author's series of novels featuring Tony Valentine, who consults with casinos and law-enforcement about gambling scams and scammers.
   
   In this tale, he and his son Gerry go to Las Vegas to discover how a blind poker player is scamming a poker tournament, which is being televised nationally by an ESPN-like cable sports network.
   
   A few of the regular characters reappear, and there are two great new ones--a female reporter for the network, who Valentine develops a relationship with, and a 72-year-old grifter named Rufus, who among other "wagers" bets a mark that he can beat a horse and jockey in a 100-yard race.
   
   There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, with one chapter concluding with a plea to bring over a flamethrower. Wait for it.
   
   Warning: at the end of the novel Valentine is halfway to the solution, but the sequel, "Deadman's Bluff," has been published. Some may object to this carving-up of a single tale, but really--the side stories are as interesting as the main plot, so I, for one, don't much mind.



5. This is a very good, hold `em in your seat story, not really a thriller, not really a mystery either, well kind of a mystery. The story opens in a New Jersey hospital where Jack Donovan is dying of cancer. He's telling his friend Gerry Valantine that he's figured out a way to never lose at poker. He's sold his system to some mob guys who are going to use it to win at a poker tournament in Vegas, but they've found out he's dying and they don't wanna to payup.
   
   Donovan wants his friend to get the system back and sell it to someone else and give the money to his aging mother. However, someone kills Donovan before he can tell Gerry the secret. Enter Gerry's dad, an ex-cop who now specializes in poker cheats (among others). He's been hired to go to Vegas and find out if anything hinky is going on with the tournament. There is, of course, we know that right away. But how is it being done?
   
   There's lots of good stuff going on in this book and Mr. Swain sure knows his stuff. I loved just about every character in this story, from Rufus the old Cowboy poker player to the wheelchair bound Vegas mob guy who thinks he's a law unto himself.
   
   But as I neared the end, thinking I've just about got the scam figured out, the book stops. I've gotta buy Dead Man's Bluff to find out what happens. I woulda bought it anyway, but I didn't get closure with this story and that was a bit of a bummer.
   
   Ken Douglas, author of Scorpion, Desperation Moon & Dead Ringer.

5 comments about The World Greatest Blackjack Book.

1. One of the first book i enjoy reading on blackjack, even old this book is great..



2. This was the first book I read on blackjack and overall it provided a thorough description of how to play the game, outlined basic strategy using tables and desciptions, and a coherent explanation of Hi-opt1 counting strategy. What it didn't do is provide sound reasoning for using the hi-opt1 counting system over the more common, and in my opinion simpler, braun method. The book also fell short in how it explains betting correlation. It gave a textual description of how to do it with a few short paragraphs but then spent most of a chapter discussing how to mask your bets. The emphasis on betting correlation seemed to get lost among a lot of "covert ops" to disguise your card counting. Many of these secret methods are useless until you actually learn how to correlate your bets anyway.



3. This is the type of book that, if I were to look at it now after having learned a lot about blackjack, I would probably consider one of the "dumb" or "mainstream" books that try to convince you there's a system you can use to beat roulette. I think the title might help lend it this idea as well.
   
   But in reality this is the book that started it all for me. I don't know why I chose it first, but I learned *everything* about blackjack from this book, except for advanced card-counting techniques (which are here as well, but I chose to learn a simpler system, the KO Count). This book does an excellent job of describing the game for those who are new to it, and it presents Basic Strategy very clearly and concisely. I still refer to it to refresh my memory every time I go to a casino. In a lot of ways it really is one of the greatest books, at least in my experience.



4. Lance Humble and Clark Cooper, The World's Greatest Blackjack Book (revised edition) (Broadway Books, 1980)
   
   The problem with the classic in the genre, Edward Thorp's Beat the Dealer, is that it's simply too complex for English majors like me to figure out. If you don't have a head for numbers, trying to put Thorp's work into practice is liable to send you to the nuthatch for long stretches of time. Humble and Cooper, after a good deal of expository prose (most of which is long, long out of date-- much of it, they surmise at various times, was probably out of date by the time the book rolled off the press), introduce first a basic non-counting system, then build on that to introduce the Hi-Opt (High Optimization) counting system. As it's a gradual process, it's already easier for boneheads like me to make sense out of. It does get complicated towards the end, of course, but as you're learning it in steps, things certainly seem a good deal easier. Besides, the big fad these days is Texas Hold 'Em, so you might actually be able to find a seat at the blackjack tables for once (or, better yet, at a no-dealer game administered by machine, where you can range your bets without a pit boss getting after you). The expository prose may be outdated, but the system is a "now more than ever" kind of thing. *** ½



5. Gook book to read on BJ. I hope everyone knows that you cannot make a professional living playing BJ in this country by counting cards. Go checkout blackjack forums first. Again, you cannot make money consistently by counting cards. It's a myth spread by the casinos, not the players. However, you will have an edge, ever slight. BJ should be played recreationally to get as much comps as possible without losing money. At least that's my goal.

5 comments about How Good is Your Pot Limit Omaha?.

1. This book consists of fifty quizzes based on real poker hands. Each of these hands Rueben either participated in or watched happened. For example, Rueben will say he was dealt KKQJ double suited in late position and the book quizzes you a.) fold b.) call c.) min raise d.) pot raise. Next the flop comes T93 rainbow and three players check to you. What do you do, the book asks, a.) check b.) small bet or c.) big bet? And so on until the river. At the end of each hand, Rueben explains what he thinks the correct decision is at each step, his rationale and what really went down. It is up to you to think about whether you agree or disagree with his decision making processes. This book is not a "how to play pot limit omaha" manual for beginners.
   For the most part, I disagreed with his style of play. I thought he was overly aggressive. But you have to remember he has made a lot of money playing poker and I have only made a little.



2. wrong based on his plays. This is still a very good book to learn from but like the highest level books...holdem for advanced players , You MUST determine the intrinsic value of your hand for yourself as you will be the one playing in the casino. So read the quizes and take them for what they are worth. I labeled all the quizzes with a headline at the top after I wrote it. Some read MEANINGLESS ENTRY...nothing to be learned but this was maybe for 2 of the first 10. Take it for what it is worth...if you have the extra 13 bucks and want to improve your game I say go for it.



3. This book was quite instructive, but I found it annoying how many hands I thought should have been folded before the flop, and Stewart agreed with me. Once we get that question right, what is the point in going on with the analysis?
   
   I also found that the games that these hands came from were much more aggressive than the low-limit games that you find online. I don't think that these strategies are completely appropriate for those games. But, if you are playing for thousands at the Grosvenor Victoria, this is your handbook.
   
   Still, in the end, I would say that it improved my game. Plus, there is very little written on the subject of Pot-Limit Omaha, so you are going to end up reading all three of those books, anyway.



4. A terrific book for thinking through how to play a number of pot limit Omaha hands. It is not quite as well written as his later book on Pot Limit Hold Em, but I think Reuben is a better Omaha player than Hold Em player.
   
   The simple fact is, there is no definitive book on Omaha, and maybe the subject is too complex for there to be one. I've learned from this book and the Cloutier/McEvoy book, but there are still gaps in my education that I am filling with experience, some of it not so pleasant.
   
   The technique is to present a hand and ask you what you would do at various betting points in the hand. I sometimes disagree with his advice and do not play hands because I'm bored, as he does. So, we sometimes disagree about my score. The explanations of the correct strategy, which are often not the same as what Reuben did, himself, present many ideas we need to ponder to improve our games.
   
   His phrasing is sometimes odd. I know, he's English and he can't help it. In one hand, he describes a player as making a straddle bet on the blinds. Huh? I trade options for a living and play straddles all day long. Whatever he is describing has no relationship to anything I call a straddle.
   
   Still, a great book that would be even better with a nice, pretty English nanny translating it for me.



5. This book was short on technical information. It related how the author took long shots and got lucky

5 comments about Tournament Hold 'em Hand by Hand.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Middle Limit Holdem Poker.

1. If you're somebody who's used to the graphic presentations of cards and hands in many of the Two Plus Two books then you might be initially disappointed upon opening Middle Limit Holdem because this edition will never be confused with a Power Point presentation. However, if you're looking to learn limit or substantially improve your game, then this is definitely the manual for you. The authors created over 300 pages of densely packed information which was broken down into 40 logical subtopics. What they offer here is an old school approach to the game which is both low in reflexive aggression and low in variance, and, for me, anything which decreases variance is totally welcome. I'm not one of those reviewers who thinks that certain styles are obsolete as I find that differing viewpoints enrich my game. Personally, I'd place Middle Limit Holdem in between Ed Miller and Lee Jones in terms of the type of play it advocates. If you don't know limit, then I recommend learning it as increasing proficiency across the strains of poker can only thicken the bankroll in the long run.



2. Very good poker book for middle limit. Takes it to another level.



3. I have added this book to my current libary and think that the book is a fine addition.



4. The book is quite enjoyable to read and discusses how to play 400 typical hands that arise in everyday poker.
   The discussion is very logical and teaches you how to think properly on every betting round. It advises you on how to get the most value out of your good hands and to minimize losses when you are beat. When to value bet on the river, and when to check raise, etc, etc.
   I can't say that I picked up a tonne of tips from this book, but it did revise a lot of good principles that I already knew.
   To a weaker player than myself you could pick up a lot of good tips.
   The rules set in this book can't be applied to low limit games with weak players who play totally illogical, it is written for middle-higher limit games. Thus only 4 stars



5. Jones and Warren can take you from 1/2 to 4/8, and this book from there to 40. I've read dozens and dozens of others since, but this is still the most solid, readable, understandable and above all practical of the bunch.
   There are very few truly useful guides to the mid-limit games; this one stands highest in my estimation. The dissections of various hands and the decisions involved are far more complex and intelligent than most. You need to have played a lot of hold'em to really grasp some of the subtleties presented here, but when you have and do you will be ready to really mix it up with some of the world's better players.
   I also enjoy Ciaffone's writing, very direct and transparent and to the point.
   This is a book any good player would do well to re-read once a year. It makes you think about your moves and reevalauate your style, which is a must if you are to keep progressing.
   Thanks to Bob for writing one of the best books available for the limit player who is ready to tackle the tough competition. Then again, sometimes the bigger games have some mighty weak players, and if your bankroll can stand the variance you might find the advice in this book to be worth a few thousand times its purchase price.
   When it comes to value bets on poker books, this one is a winner.

5 comments about Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived.

1. In a way it's fitting that the most entertaining poker book ever written contains total detail about the most dramatic game of poker ever played, by the greatest card man of the twentieth century. I'm talking about the truly legendary, Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston. His amazing book, Amarillo Slim In A World Full of Fat People, is for poker what the BBC's Top Gear is to motoring: funny, wicked, informative and entertaining. If Jeremy Clarkeson is reading this, that wipes out any future poker debts I might accrue!
   
   In the early nineties, Slim was invited help launch the Casino de Caribe in Cartagena, Columbia by casino boss Lynn Simon. Amarillo was flattered to be asked at this late stage in his career only to discover that he would be playing some of the deepest untaxed pockets in the world:namely, the major drug lords of the Columbian cartels. Playing poker for the very highest stakes is nerve racking at the best of times: now just imagine that you're about to have a showdown with Pablo Escobar, probably the most feared cold-blooded killer on Earth. Turns out Pablo just wanted to be friends and show Slim his mansion, his zoo and that he was in charge of Columbia. Once this had been established, Escobar's helicopter dropped Amarillo back at the Caribe. The tall Texan then proceeded to financially disable some of the deadliest Cartel bosses, under protection from a Swiss style physical safety agreement, which they honoured under pain of death from Escobar. Apparently Pablo himself didn't fair well at poker against the card playing cowboy, leaving the Columbian poker challenge to come from his under bosses, who lost the equivalent of 'a week's supply' to the six foot four American.
   
   By the third day the physical safety agreement broke down when one of the Cali Cartel bosses decided to shoot a disloyal girlfriend with a pump action shotgun about a yard from where Amarillo was standing. This should have been Slim's signal to catch the next jet home to Texas but he readily confesses to a liking for danger and besides, a quote from the man himself betrays another reason to stay: "I'd never seen men with more money and less brains than these drug lords." The cowboy stayed and rounded up a mountain of cash before high-tailing it back to cattle country.
   
   In the lives of most card players, the above true story would stand out as the most remarkable of adventures, but trust me, to a man who had won a million dollars by the age of 19, played poker with two Presidents and driven a golf ball over a mile, it was just one of many.



2. This book is really funny but it isn't going to teach you anything really about gambling and poker. He does give a few pointers, but it is basically the story of his life and what a story it was. It is a very easy book to read and enjoyable for anyone who likes gambling.



3. Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People is a autobiography of Slim focusing (unsurprisingly) on his gambling exploits.
   
   The upside of this book is that it's very entertaining & well written. For a lot of people, that may be more than enought it make it worth their time. The gambling yarns contained within are some of the most incredible I've seen in print, and I'm a fan of the genre.
   
   Unfortunately, there are serious issues of Slim's honesty and integrity surrounding this book.
   
   The first, and more minor, issue is that the book is largely assembled from Slim's previous "Play Poker To Win" and Holden's "Big Deal," often taken nearly word for word from those sources. Not only is this a bit of a raw deal for readers who already have those books, but I'm a little curious why Holden is credited and quoted for some of the sections he wrote, but others masquerade as Slim's voice. I hope nothing dirty is going on here plagiarism-wise, but I'm suspicious.
   
   The second, more serious, issue, is that this is a self-flattering autobiography by a man of very questionable morals. There's no doubt, reading this book, that Slim thinks quite highly of himself. But his actions don't exactly support his opinion. He's a self admitted gambling cheat and liar. In fact, the allegations of cheating go far beyond what he admits to in the book - the depth of his association with Johnny Moss' dirty card rooms and and various mechanics on the Texas circuit was not discussed. Worse yet, there's good reason to believe that Slim is a pedophile. He was arrested on three charges of indecency with his 12-year old granddaughter in 2003, apparently confessed to police, and then plead guilty to reduced charges. His wife divorced him over the incident. Sources in the poker community say that Slim maintains his innocence and claims it was a scheme by a faction of his family to get a hold of his money, but that doesn't explain the confession.
   
   Final Verdict: I WANT to like this book, but a good book glorifying a bad man looses a lot of its luster. In light of that I can't bring myself to like Slim, or his book, nearly as much as he likes himself.



4. Fast read on a fast pace of a fast life. Amusing and entertaining, and probably educational if you pay attention. The lessons aren't presented as such, but if you follow the pattern of his betting, you learn not to get sucked into a bad deal. Not going to win a Pulitzer, but a great light read if you like biographies, poker, Texas or characters. He makes Huck Finn look like an altar boy.



5. This was a very entertaining book. The stories in here will keep you interested from the beginning all the way to the end. It is written in colorful language and allows you to kind of get inside Slim's head. It is a short 264 pages filled with wild stories of how Slim would gamble on almost anything and win. You may not agree with everything written in these pages but you will definitely get a few laughs along the way.
   
   Slim talks about human psychology and what role that plays in gambling. One of his sayings is "never make a bet unless the bet is already one." And through these pages he reveals his secrets to doing just that. I think there are a number of useful things that anyone could pick up and find useful in their own lives from some psychology to a number of bets that anyone could make others that could almost be guaranteed winners. One of the last things Slim says is, "making peace with yourself is the first thing a winner must do."
   
   If you have any interest in the mind of a gambler and like outrageous stories involving risk then I think you will enjoy this book.

1 comments about Poker Unchecked.

1. I have read about Russ Georgiev in the poker rooms for years and probably like a lot of people started out thinking, who is this guy and can everything that he has said possibly be true? But he is like a machine gun being operated by someone who doesn't care if he lives or dies-the bullets keep on coming. You can argue about whether you love or hate Russ after the shooting stops. Until then though, whether you are sitting across the table from him in heads up poker or one of the many people that he has the dirt on, you had better duck.
   
   I am not sure what I expected when I bought this book, but what I received is an easy to read guide that contains complex theory, common sense and enough in-the-trenches stories to make you feel like you are getting an in-depth, one-on-one poker course from one of the most knowledgeable players in the world. I'll see you guys at the table, but don't be surprised if my hole card is Russ's book.