Review Explanation

When writing a review, I always hesitate to say that the book has no value.  For someone, even the worst possible book might put something, in such a way that it provides some unique insight into a particular situation and improve their game.  Maybe it is the simplicity of "Poker for Dummies" or an complicated and obtuse mathematical formula like Malmuth's "Non-Self Averaging Play."  If these ideas provide the explanation that improves your game enough to win only one pot, it will probably pay for the book.  Additionally the exposure to different ideas and discussions provide you with more information to develop your own winning strategies and tactics.

Below is an explanation of the ratings used throughout these reviews.

So that you can better understand my reviews here are my definitions of each of the player categories.  This should help you select the books that may be of value to you. 

Beginner:  Any person that has no experience at “casino” poker, or very limited experience.  It really doesn’t matter how long you have played in home games.  I had been a consistent winner on kitchen tables, and Army cots all over the world but I was a beginner when I first sat down at the green felt.  The game and the competition are just different. 

Loser:  This isn’t meant to be an insult.  There are many very smart successful people who do not play winning poker for one reason or another.  If you budget $100 dollars a month to play poker and consider it part of your entertainment expenses, you might fall into this category.  Online if you take advantage of the re-deposit bonuses instead of cashing out you probably fall into this category.  It simply means, at poker you tend to lose more than you win.  Now you want to change that. 

Novice:  This is usually a relatively new player.  You have a set of starting standards and you usually stick to them and you have probably played for less than two years.  Read one or two books, probably “Super System” and one of the other “beginner” books, by Jones, Krieger, Carson, and for some reason many consider Sklansky’s “Texas Hold’em for Advanced Players” a beginners book.  When the cards come your way, you win, but some times the other players are just real lucky and draw out on you.  You have holes in your game and you need more study to remove them.  Often It can be harder for you since you have probably picked up some bad habits that you need to break.  J

Journeyman:  You have good starting hands, understand the concepts of the game, like position, pot odds, and the value of a smooth call.  You probably have more than three years of experience but with the books and other resources available today some exceptional people may break this level at one or two years.  Most people will never advance beyond this point.  Twenty years ago, when I first started playing casino poker, I knew Journeyman players who had earned a living playing in the low limit games in Las Vegas and California.  Many of them had played for decades.  They had a strict set of standards, the discipline of Buckingham guard, the patience of Job, and they only played winners.  Many had a poor understanding of the game, and seldom got full value for their play.  Since you are taking the time to read this, I expect that you do not want to stagnate at this level.  These players win.  They may not get full value for their hands but they do win. 

Advanced:  Experience comes with more than age, it also comes with hard study.  Many of the winning journeyman players, I mentioned above had played poker for years but they had never done the study needed to gain a good understanding of the game.  Why should they?  They are winners.  On the other hand only millions of hands and situations provides experience. 

I recently read a forum post:  “Hold’em for Advanced Players” is an excellent book but I think you need like 100+ hours of experience before you can understand many of his concepts.” 

Let’s work this out 100 hours.  At ten hours per week that is 10 weeks are 2.5 months.  During that time at 60 hands per hour you will have played 6000 hands.  If  the minimum starting standards, (Any two cards ten and above, any two suited cards, Any connectors above 67, any ace, etc.  Have you got my drift.) You should have folded before the flop with 62% of your hands.  You have played only 3800 hands.  Out of those winning hands you could be expected to have had pocket Aces 27 times.  I’m sure that you can explore all of the possible situations that may occur with Aces In those 27 times.  No doubt you have played with every type of player and at all the possible levels from $1/2 to $10/20.  I guess we could increase the number to 1000 hours but I really don’t think even that is significant.  On the internet, you could easily play 20 or 30 hours a week and be “advanced” in less than a year. 

Let’s look at an example, Chris Money Maker had played for two years,  If he had played for 5 hours a day every day he would only have sat in on 3650 hours or 219,000 hands of which he had about 83,220 “starting” hands, Pocket Aces 1000 times.  Is that really advanced. 

Good study can increase your “Experience Level” exponentially.  Selecting the correct books, and using simulation software to study specific situations can quickly increase your acquisition of “experience.”  I love “Turbo Texas Hold’em” by Wilson software,  I can set up a particular problem and track the results on millions of hands in a matter of hours using several different strategies.  For all of you “new” players don’t be insulted.  Marino may have broken many NFL passing records his first year, but he was still a rookie.  Some things just take time. 

The advanced guys usually get full value for all of their hands.